5 online business ideas to consider during a pandemic

By Calvin Fisher, Founder of PandaBomb Media

The pandemic has resulted in a number of job losses and salary cuts and, as a result, it’s forced people to relook at how they operate and make their money. Many people have moved their services online, while others have set up new businesses altogether. Here are five online business ideas that you can start from home using mainly your laptop and a stable internet connection. 

Become a virtual assistant

Virtual assistant services were gaining in popularity even before the pandemic hit, but have now really become ever more popular during the last few months. In a nutshell, a virtual assistant will do everything a regular in-person assistant does, but well, virtually. It’s for everyone who needs the services of an assistant, but not necessarily full-time. If you’re an organised person who can schedule appointments, set up meetings, run errands and more, then this would be one to consider. 

Be an online experience host

If you have a passion that you are keen to share with the world – whether it be dancing, cooking, reading stories or talking about history, then definitely look into becoming an Online Experience host through Airbnb. Airbnb Experiences are hosted and led by locals in various cities across the world. When the world went into lockdown in 2020, Airbnb moved these Experiences online and gave hosts the chance to still earn some money from home. This means that people across the world can meet others in far-flung locations while never leaving the house. It’s a fun way to share your hobby and interests with others. 

Start online workshops or teaching

If you have teaching or workshop experience, then this one’s for you. There are many people – children and adults alike – in need of some additional help. Perhaps it’s help with Afrikaans or history, or it could be a young adult needing to know more about entering the working world – whichever one it is online workshops and tutoring would be an excellent way for them to gain the help that they need. If you have experience in this or you think it’s something you can pull off, then jump straight in and offer your services. Be clear on what your experience is though, especially if what you are offering is tutoring or extra lessons for children. Parents will want to know about your qualifications up front already. 

Offer writing services

There is always something to be written. Whether it’s one line for an ad, a paragraph for a description or transcribing, there is always a need for a writer of sorts. If you have a knack for typing and writing, then consider becoming a freelance writer with an online “store front” to sell your services. This could be via Facebook or a website, but whichever you choose, be sure to have examples of your work easily available online. To up your skill set, do a few courses or tutorials on SEO writing as that has become more in demand over the years and more so now that many businesses are moving online. 

Do some stock photography 

There is always a demand for stock photography and now that the world operates a bit differently, different stock images are needed. You can’t exactly use a photo of crowds of people anymore, can you? Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional photographer, you can easily start offering stock photography online through the various stock photo libraries. Use your family and close friends to recreate scenes you would see these days – perhaps it’s two people in a restaurant wearing masks, or it could be someone sanitising their hands or perhaps getting their temperature checked – there’s a huge need for new images, so tap into it now.