5 other ideas to start a business without money during the crisis

We live in strange times. When I write those lines we are in full confinement. We don't know how much longer we will be locked up. What we can imagine is that when we can leave we will not be able to neglect ourselves. That pandemic is going to affect our lives for many months, predictably. Let's see some business ideas to overcome this situation in the short, medium and long term.

Solutions for the short term and confinement

While the vast majority of businesses are having a very hard time with their health situation, some activities are flourishing. I am going to give three examples of companies for which this pandemic is a business opportunity.

Online leisure platforms

• Platform games online Board Game Arena has had to limit access to Premium customers because they could not cope with daily traffic of players. Since the paid service is reasonably priced, they have attracted a lot of new subscribers. And yes, I cite the example because I am one of them.
• Of course, streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime or the newcomer Disney will be experiencing a rise in the number of subscribers, although I have no data about it.
• The same will happen with online sports classes . In fact, many gyms are offering their subscribers this service, so as not to lose shape despite the quarantine.

E-commerce is running smoothly

Social distancing is causing great growth in online sales, mainly for supermarkets , but also for other pages, Amazon in the lead.

• The demand is such that companies like Alcampo or Carrefour have had to implement a virtual queuing system. Specifically, they make you have to wait your turn for a couple of hours and if you get confused, start again. Other companies, like Día, seem to have a better sized server, and they are selling more than ever.
• Online sports stores have also had a huge increase in sales. In most, there are not many products for doing sports at home. The same goes for Amazon or AliExpress. Due to the high demand, the terms have been long.

Online classes

The webinars and online classes and some activities were booming in recent years. The current situation makes virtual classes the only ones available indefinitely.

For many private classroom teachers, confinement may have been a problem and led to the cancellation of many classes. However, it is also an opportunity to bring existing customers to digital and video conferencing. In the long run, it is much more profitable and practical. No more time is wasted on last minute trips and cancellations.

Medium term solutions while the threat lasts

When we can get out of our houses, the danger will not have disappeared. We may have to live for many months with risks of new outbreaks. And that will change our behaviors, at least for a time.

Glamorous face masks

Masks do work in this type of epidemic. If everyone wears them, the risk of emitting infectious droplets of saliva to others is greatly reduced. So I think it is very likely that when we can leave the house we will be forced to wear them for a while.

But, it must be recognized that most masks are very ugly. So there may be a market to sell a health accessory that also has a trendy design .

Leisure at home

It is also possible that many people prefer to organize events at home when going out to discos, bars and restaurants. This could provide interesting business opportunities for various services, such as food and beverage delivery , catering, or any other type of home service.

Long-term solutions to avoid other pandemics

A crisis like the one we are experiencing must teach us to prepare for the next time. Years ago, experts and philanthropists like Bill Gates warned of the risk and until now we had ignored them. There are many things to invent.

Detection and monitoring systems based on big data

Information is power. And in the case of new viruses, the sooner you know what's going on, the sooner you can act. I think there may be business opportunities for companies that are capable of developing viral threat detection and tracking models . What's more, perhaps we can learn more from that experience and lessen the impact of seasonal flu epidemics.

Equipment and technology to fight the next virus

In a TED talk a few years ago that went viral lately, Bill Gates compared the war threat to that of viruses. It seems to me a very accurate comparison. All countries have highly prepared armies, although in most cases they have not had to fight a war in decades. Why do we still have armies? Because the threat is always there.

The same should happen with viruses. Occasionally a virus more deadly than the average will appear, like the one of now. We do not know if it will be tomorrow or in 20 years. But we know it will happen. The world is so interconnected that any virus can spread very quickly. Closing entire countries has a huge economic cost, much higher than being prepared. So we should have people and teams ready.

To be honest, I don't know what kind of services and technology are necessary in those cases. But I do know that there is a very important market, and not only for pharmaceutical multinationals. There is also a place for startups and innovative entrepreneurs to propose efficient solutions.