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Business Ideas for the (emerging) stay-at-home Economy?

ChrisV

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if you could innovate replacements for any of these high-touch surfaces it would be a goldmine.

With C0VlD-19 now spreading in the U.S., you’ve probably heard recommendations to wash your hands after contact with what are called high-touch surfaces: elevator buttons, public faucets, handrails, doorknobs, shopping carts, ATM screens, gas pumps, checkout keypads, and many more otherwise mundane objects we encounter throughout the day.

 
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PizzaOnTheRoof

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if you could innovate replacements for any of these high-touch surfaces it would be a goldmine.

With C0VlD-19 now spreading in the U.S., you’ve probably heard recommendations to wash your hands after contact with what are called high-touch surfaces: elevator buttons, public faucets, handrails, doorknobs, shopping carts, ATM screens, gas pumps, checkout keypads, and many more otherwise mundane objects we encounter throughout the day.

I've thought about this too. Maybe a spray/wipe on anti viral/bacterial compound that could be applied to handles, railings, buttons, etc.

Copper and silver naturally have anti viral/bacterial properties.

Of course I would only sell the product. Not going to go around wiping 1,000s of touchpoints for customers lol

Interesting find:
 

reedracer

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I've thought about this too. Maybe a spray/wipe on anti viral/bacterial compound that could be applied to handles, railings, buttons, etc.

Copper and silver naturally have anti viral/bacterial properties.

Of course I would only sell the product. Not going to go around wiping 1,000s of touchpoints for customers lol

Interesting find:
Welcome to the Hyatt, Mr. Pizza, I'll be your handle wiper for tonight. Can I interest you in the 2nd door from the right to begin?
 

PizzaOnTheRoof

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TheCj

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It will be interesting to see how Netflix and other on demand type services fare, since I imagine they won't be filming anything new? As opposed to say Youtube that will be getting non stop content creation from it's users through out this shutdown.
 

PizzaOnTheRoof

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Welcome to the Hyatt, Mr. Pizza, I'll be your handle wiper for tonight. Can I interest you in the 2nd door from the right to begin?
LOL

I meant a semi permanent compound that stays on the surface:playful:
 

sonny_1080

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Home health is set to boom because of all the issues with assisted livings.

Cleaning services is a very generalized service. There’s 1k-10k avg. monthly searches just for that phrase. So high volume yes, but generalized. The more specific you get (ie carpet cleaning, house cleaning, janitorial services, etc.) , the lower the volume of searches. And when you throw in a specific location, it narrows the volume of searches down way more.

From the news articles and google trends I’ve researched...

1) cleaning services have been booming but that's pretty generalized

2) housekeeping and carpet cleaning have been getting hit hard in my area because people don’t want these providers in their home. I wonder how @IceCreamKid is doing in his area

3) janitorial and office cleaning services seem to be steady, but I’m assuming they are only operating within essential businesses since most places are shut down.

4) disinfecting services. This shit is set to boom obviously. Its not a very sought after topic on google because it’s such a niche category of cleaning services.

I built a simple landing page this week.

Should I make my ads and landing pages for cleaning services or get more specific with disinfecting services?

On one hand, cleaning services is vague and probably won’t have much of a turn over with generating leads, but there’s a huge market for it. On the other hand, disinfecting services might be too specific, but anyone who searches for that will probably be ready to buy, and the market is going to grow for that. And I have no idea how I would charge for a lead like that.

Any of the lead gen guys want to chime in?
 
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Andy Black

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Home health is set to boom because of all the issues with assisted livings.

Cleaning services is a very generalized service. There’s 1k-10k avg. monthly searches just for that phrase. So high volume yes, but generalized. The more specific you get (ie carpet cleaning, house cleaning, janitorial services, etc.) , the lower the volume of searches. And when you throw in a specific location, it narrows the volume of searches down way more.

From the news articles and google trends I’ve researched...

1) cleaning services have been booming but that's pretty generalized

2) housekeeping and carpet cleaning have been getting hit hard in my area because people don’t want these providers in their home. I wonder how @IceCreamKid is doing in his area

3) janitorial and office cleaning services seem to be steady, but I’m assuming they are only operating within essential businesses since most places are shut down.

4) disinfecting services. This shit is set to boom obviously. Its not a very sought after topic on google because it’s such a niche category of cleaning services.

I built a simple landing page this week.

Should I make my ads and landing pages for cleaning services or get more specific with disinfecting services?

On one hand, cleaning services is vague and probably won’t have much of a turn over with generating leads, but there’s a huge market for it. On the other hand, disinfecting services might be too specific, but anyone who searches for that will probably be ready to buy, and the market is going to grow for that. And I have no idea how I would charge for a lead like that.

Any of the lead gen guys want to chime in?
Create Google Ads campaigns for all of them and see what happens?
 

MattR82

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I stumbled across a tiny bookstore in my suburb of Paddington, Brisbane today. Literally has every single book ever mentioned on this forum and only about 10% fiction lol. My new favourite place.

Started chatting to the owner and he said he has tripled sales and is looking to rent out short term locations in other more affluent areas close to the CBD that aren't doing enough biz to stay open. He already has most of the stock, and only needs to fit the new locations out with some bookshelves. Thought it was funny and deserved to go in here.

He was never able to compete with the larger (but still independent) stores that had book signings and wine nights etc, but their range is quite limited compared to his and they are getting smoked.
 

sonny_1080

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Create Google Ads campaigns for all of them and see what happens?
Call it an excuse, but I have less than $100 in my bank account and that sounds expensive. That’s why I was just going to pick one or the other.

Guess I can use a credit card.
 
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Andy Black

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Call it an excuse, but I have less than $100 in my bank account and that sounds expensive. That’s why I was just going to pick one or the other.

Guess I can use a credit card.
What about reaching out to local businesses and asking to help them instead?
 

sonny_1080

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What about reaching out to local businesses and asking to help them instead?
Thank you for always taking the time to share your wisdom with me Andy.

I apologize for my ignorance I'm just not sure I get what you mean.

I wanted to get the leads first so I can be taken more seriously when I cold call these people.

Are you saying I should reach out to verticals where the demand is on the decline? Those are the people who need the work, but people don't want them in their homes.

Or are you saying I should reach out to local businesses in the vertical I was thinking about (cleaning/disinfecting services)? These are the people who probably ahve work they need to catch up on. You think I should call these people without leads?
 
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Andy Black

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Thank you for always taking the time to share your wisdom with me Andy.

I apologize for my ignorance I'm just not sure I get what you mean.

I wanted to get the leads first so I can be taken more seriously when I cold call these people.

Are you saying I should reach out to verticals where the demand is on the decline? Those are the people who need the work, but people don't want them in their homes.

Or are you saying I should reach out to local businesses in the vertical I was thinking about (cleaning/disinfecting services)? These are the people who probably ahve work they need to catch up on. You think I should call these people without leads?
Can you start with people you already know?

“Hey Uncle Bob,

How are you and Aunt Sally? I hope you’re well. Let me know if you need me to get anything from the grocery store or pharmacy.

I’m getting into XYZ. Do you know any businesses who might need help with XYZ?

I’ll show you how that Skype thing works later tonight.

Stay safe!
Sonny”
 

PizzaOnTheRoof

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Found this neat chart today. Good starting point to get ideas for picking up on what's trending right now, and will possibly be hot for the rest of the lockdown (and beyond!).

View attachment 31940

You can't seem to see the whole pic in the upload. I'll link to it here:

View: https://i.imgur.com/VKQXc67.jpg
Some of these are good but most are commodities like soap, diapers, monitors.

Bread machines, crafts, and desks look promising.

Matter of fact, I'm validating a product in one of these categories as we speak...

Another opportunity...look at the bottom half and pick up some discounted inventory due to a drop in sales.
 

garyfritz

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I've thought about this too. Maybe a spray/wipe on anti viral/bacterial compound that could be applied to handles, railings, buttons, etc.

Copper and silver naturally have anti viral/bacterial properties.
Stainless steel and plastic are both very friendly environments for COVID19. And of course ever doorknob &etc is shiny stainless steel.

Brass used to be the standard metal for doorknobs, railings, etc. And guess what? Brass, containing copper, is antiviral and antibacterial. Maybe we'll see a booming market for brass doorknobs & the like.
 
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IceCreamKid

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2) housekeeping and carpet cleaning have been getting hit hard in my area because people don’t want these providers in their home. I wonder how @IceCreamKid is doing in his area

Completely stalled at the moment. Any non-essential biz that gets caught running in my area gets hit with a hefty fine. If you're willing to risk it, you can make a ton of money because there's literally zero competition right now. At this phase in my life I have too much to lose so it's not worth risking.
 

Surf&Turf

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Completely stalled at the moment. Any non-essential biz that gets caught running in my area gets hit with a hefty fine. If you're willing to risk it, you can make a ton of money because there's literally zero competition right now. At this phase in my life I have too much to lose so it's not worth risking.

It is sickening to see this amount of government overreach. I would hope that anyone charged with these fines can get them overturned by the court system. But then again, you have to waste your time dealing with that. And, who knows how long before they will be back up and running...
So much for the right to a speedy trial.
 

Jon L

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if you could innovate replacements for any of these high-touch surfaces it would be a goldmine.

With C0VlD-19 now spreading in the U.S., you’ve probably heard recommendations to wash your hands after contact with what are called high-touch surfaces: elevator buttons, public faucets, handrails, doorknobs, shopping carts, ATM screens, gas pumps, checkout keypads, and many more otherwise mundane objects we encounter throughout the day.


Voice activation:

"Elevator, floor 11 please"
"It would be my pleasure."
 
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reedracer

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Lots of birthdays during quarantine could be sad and depressing. Products that help relieve that would be great.
Saw a city's FB group collect names of folks having birthdays the next day and do a honking drive by for each.

A fun birthday kit? Rubber gloves, face masks, a way to blow out the candles without blowing. Online "Chucky Cheese" or Magician...
Saw a funny meme about it earlier and it triggered the thought.
 

rollerskates

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Saw a city's FB group collect names of folks having birthdays the next day and do a honking drive by for each.

The CITY? The CITY?!!!!!! I don't care who plans it or who it's for. No one is that special. My next door neighbor is a nurse who works graveyard and sleeps during the day. Not to mention all the kids trying to do school online and sleeping babies and video doctor's visits. Put me in the NO column.
 

reedracer

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The CITY? The CITY?!!!!!! I don't care who plans it or who it's for. No one is that special. My next door neighbor is a nurse who works graveyard and sleeps during the day. Not to mention all the kids trying to do school online and sleeping babies and video doctor's visits. Put me in the NO column.
It was a tiny city, t be sure. Neighborhood makes sense
 
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Would it work with a makeshift sheet I wonder if you had the right projector?

I have a 206 inch screen made from a tarp and PVC tubing. Works perfectly. Thinking of expanding it to 276 inches this year.
 

ChrisV

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Completely stalled at the moment. Any non-essential biz that gets caught running in my area gets hit with a hefty fine. If you're willing to risk it, you can make a ton of money because there's literally zero competition right now. At this phase in my life I have too much to lose so it's not worth risking.
I don't know what your business model is, but there's no way to work within the quarantine? If you're B2C, perhaps ship to your customers... throw products up on Amazon FBM or another vender.
 
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ChrisV

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Conspiracy theory T-Shirts....

Lysol... get it? Lies-all.

31989

(I'm kidding.. please don't do this. Plus there's almost no margin on this stuff.)
 

reedracer

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A nurse comes home from work and immediately has to strip and run into the shower to avoid cross contaminating her family. (I know but I'm trying to be nice.)
A couple ideas from this for future times:
Outdoor, Garage decontamination showers like beach houses, but more privacy and an in one end out the other model.

Outside clothes you leave outside of the house proper

Get back to mud porches:
 

sonny_1080

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Someone recommended targeting businesses that need help finding customers online and that offer cleaning services on Google. Excellent idea! I think adding targeting them on YouTube would only up the ante and income you can make. Thanks
Thank you for validating that.
 
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Raedrum

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People can think about the long-term impact this will have and innovations that will be popular in a more germ-conscious world. Example:

Even better... doors that open via foot-pedal. People are going to be very conscious of touching door knobs going forward, and something like this would likely flourish.
This is genius isn'it ? Simple, cheap, mass-productable, ultra useful. The kind of stuff that giving you the envy of saving the world by installing it everywhere. I wish I had a 3D printer. Maybe I should just take a credit, buy one, remake a proto and sell it at my government as an hygiene procedure. (I'm trippin' ;) )

But speaking of old people.... how about someone that goes around and talks to them for 15 minutes, anything over 15 minutes and they are charged extra. This could be done as often as they want to pay for. Maybe the daughter/son could pay to have someone to visit mom/dad/grandparent in the nursing home once every 2 weeks or once a month. Once a month is better than 0 times a month the son/daughter goes to visit..... something like that..... what do you think? They could pay extra for you to take flowers or a card or something like that.
I was thinking exactly the same thing. It will even be useful after the pandemic. Now maybe automatizing the relationship like that is quite not ethic but... well.

I've thought about this too. Maybe a spray/wipe on anti viral/bacterial compound that could be applied to handles, railings, buttons, etc.

Copper and silver naturally have anti viral/bacterial properties.

Of course I would only sell the product. Not going to go around wiping 1,000s of touchpoints for customers lol

Interesting find:
Wow this can be offered as a service by construction companies after the pandemic... I know a guy who's running one, I'll speak of it with him.

Lol now THIS is reacting rapidly to an opportunity. Mass-assemble 3 packs of carton and sell it cheap. Maybe there's also an interesting side hustle for people with that...

Another opportunity...look at the bottom half and pick up some discounted inventory due to a drop in sales.
You see this is exactly why I love this forum: you guys can see hidden opportunities like wizards. This is really reassuring in fact ^^
 

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