The Best Business Ideas to Launch After Lockdown

As lockdown begins to lift, there are countless changes to how businesses are running – some short term and some for the long run. What this means to the savvy entrepreneur is that there are plenty of post-lockdown business opportunities to sink his or her teeth into and emerge from this period of uncertainty much like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

With unemployment rates the number of workers on UK company payrolls falling by 649,000 between March and June, many could be using this opportunity to start their own business. If you’re in this position, or you’re just looking for a way to change up how you’re working once the Coronavirus lockdown ends, we’ve gathered all our best post-lockdown business ideas right here.

Planning for a Successful Future

Before we begin, it’s important to note that the best lockdown business ideas will be the ones with the ability to succeed long after lockdown ends. The business opportunities we’ll be looking at in this blog can be adapted to work successfully in the future, and making sure the business you create is adaptable is always a good plan for success – during a lockdown or not!

1. Online Services

    
   
   
   
   From streaming services to online shopping, we’ve been incredibly reliant on online businesses throughout the pandemic. In fact, the time we spent streaming TV, music and other services during lockdown increased by 14% in the UK! 
   
   Now that more of us have learned about the joys of online streaming and other services, there’s no turning back for this trend. 
   
   One area that’s seen a huge boost during lockdown is webinars. If you’re an expert in your field, webinars and online tutoring are fantastic examples of how you can use your existing skills to start an online services business during and after lockdown. So, if you’ve got an idea for an online business, we say go for it!
    

2. Garden & Landscape Business

    
   
   
   
   We’ve been spending loads of time in our gardens over the past couple of months, and with only 7% of people making plans to go out on ‘Super Saturday’ when pubs and restaurants re-opened on 4th July and 49% of us not expecting to visit a busy public place until autumn, gardens and other spacious outdoor areas are going to be an important place for all of us.
   
   This is where you (potentially) come in. Gardening and landscaping businesses are set to boom, and if you’re already a dab hand, you won’t need to invest in training right away. However, it’s always good to have qualifications and we’d always encourage you to work on your professional development.
   
   To get started, make sure to hand out plenty of business cards to friends and family, as word of mouth marketing is one of best methods for attracting people to your new gardening business.
    

3. Food & Drink Delivery Business

    
   
   
   From brownie delivery businesses to cocktails on the go, there’s been a huge rise in demand for food and drink delivery businesses in the UK, which is a great starting point for your business before venturing into running a café, bar or bakery. 
   
   If you are preparing consumables in your kitchen, you’ll need to apply for a food business registration licence. It’s completely free to apply but you’ll need to do this 28 days before you set up your business.
   
   You’ll also need to register as a sole trader and contact your local environmental health officers and ask them to inspect your kitchen to abide by food hygiene laws.
   
   Remember to use custom stickers with your logo on to brand your packaging so everyone knows it’s from you! Extra brownie points (anyone else craving brownies?) if you include a thank you postcard with your social media handle on there to encourage repeat purchases.
    

4. Crafting & Gifts

    
   
   
   With high street retailers having to close their doors during lockdown, many have discovered the wonders of buying personalised gifts online. From isolation gifts to help friends and family with loneliness to lockdown birthday surprises, the online gift market is booming, with letterbox-sized hampers being a key seller in the past few months.
   
   If there’s something you’ve always wanted to try your hand at making, be that crochet patterns, printed mugs, or even card designs, now’s the perfect time to sell your creations! Or, if you’re not as gifted in the crafting area, create hampers using things everyone loves – such as bath bombs, scented wax melts, chocolate, tea and coffee.
   
   Check out our guide to Etsy marketing to find out the best ways to list and sell your crafts and gifts online.
    

5. Online Freelance Work

    
   
   
   
   If you’ve recently gone from office work to working from home, you might be finding yourself being more productive since you have more time and energy for working – seriously, why is getting ready and commuting to work so draining? From writing, editing and design to managing a business’s social media account, use your most productive hours to start your own freelancing business.
   
   The best bit about this kind of service is you can start off by moonlighting after work and at the weekends, only taking on as much work as you can handle before progressing to doing it full time. Plus, you choose your own hours, so if you’re most productive at 8pm or 4am, you can get cracking on your jobs whenever you like!
   
   Just make sure you remember to take a break so you don’t burn out.
    

We hope this list has inspired you to think about how you could adapt the skills you already have to start a new business during or after lockdown. Whatever business you decide to start, make sure to follow our Think Big blog for the latest marketing tips and tricks as well as business lessons everyone should know.