The pandemic has shuffled the deck. Nothing is exactly what it used to be. But this is not the first time something like this has happened. We survived other pandemics. And we will survive this one. That said, most of us alive today have not been through anything quite like this. So it is a matter of learning from history to find the path forward.
It is perfectly natural to be discouraged when one loses their job through no fault of their own. Coronavirus has had as much influence on businesses as it has individuals. A number of companies simply aren’t there anymore.
It is not just the Livingston Mall in New Jersey, Many Sears and JCPenny stores in malls are never coming back. Right now Amazon is in talks to take over the dead husks of those stores and turn them into distribution centers. Many companies have suffered the same fate, perhaps even yours.
You can be sad. You can be angry. You can shout into the wind. The one thing you are not allowed to do is give up. Here are some Covid-safe businesses you might want to consider:
Start a Delivery Service
This may not be the best time to open a restaurant. But it is an excellent time to deliver food from restaurants. The initial cost for running a delivery service is minimal compared to starting a restaurant. You can limit the scope of your service to a few select neighborhoods or zip codes. You can enlist the help of a few people willing to drive on a contract basis. Though challenged in California, there is no denying that this is the year of the gig economy.
If you don’t have the savings to get your business off the ground, consider a low-interest business loan to get you started. It will cost you a lot less than you think. And it is Covid-proof. The best part is you can deliver anything. It doesn’t have to be just food.
Become a Part of the Affiliate Marketing Revolution
You can become an affiliate partner and make a little from every purchase people make from links on your site. You don’t have to produce a product, warehouse a product, or ship a product to make money from it. That’s the beauty of Affiliate programs.
You can easily start a blog with virtually no upfront cost. Write about the things that interest you. Then supply links to the products you talk about. There is a little more to it if you want to be successful, but not much more. Best of all, an affiliate business is Covid-proof.
Become a Trainer
Your problem is not that you have no skills. It is that You are having a hard time transforming those skills into cash. One of the things you can do is teach people the skills you have and help them start their own Covid-proof business.
If you are a dog groomer, teach others how to groom. If you are a coder, teach others how to code. If you are a musician, teach others how to play. Just like you, others are looking for ways to ride out the pandemic. You could be their ticket out. And they can be yours. It doesn’t get any more win-win than that.
The one thing you can’t afford to do is give up. The pandemic has given you lemons. Make lemonade by starting a delivery service, or an affiliate program, or a training gig, or whatever it takes. Keep moving forward.