Five post-pandemic business ideas backed by search data

Executive overview

Consumer behaviour shifted during the pandemic, opening gaps in entertainment, wellness, food, and workspace. Each of the five ideas here is validated by search volume or market data — not guesswork. The entry cost for most is under a few hundred dollars and can be pre-sold before spending anything.

Start with five pre-sales to cover costs before buying a single piece of equipment.

Rage rooms

• Customers pay to smash electronics, furniture, and other objects with baseball bats.
• ~140,000 annual searches for "rage room"; Smash Therapy generated $20–25K/month pre-COVID.
• Low input cost: source items from Facebook Marketplace, Goodwill, or free via friends.
• Starter kit: tarp, tent, basic tools — under $70.
• Mobile units (van-based) are more scalable than fixed locations; bring the experience to corporate clients.
• Pre-sell five sessions to friends before buying supplies.
• Liability insurance ($500–$1,100/year) can wait until initial momentum is established.

Pop-up picnics

• Curated outdoor dining experiences: operator finds location, brings food, sets up, and cleans up.
• Australia has 10x the US search volume; Florida and California lead domestically — gap elsewhere.
• Comparable operators charge ~$239 per couple (food, drinks, setup, cleanup included).
• No rent overhead; margins depend on event execution.
• Revenue extensions: DIY picnic kits, monthly corporate picnics, quarterly couples memberships.
• Validation test: collect $50 Venmo payments from 5–10 friends before committing to supplies.

Office pods

• Soundproof, self-contained pods for hybrid offices, co-working spaces, airports, and cafes.
• Demand driver: open-plan offices and noisy cafes are incompatible with calls and focused work.
• VQ (Japan) rents pods at $2.40 per 15 minutes in public spaces — model is proven at scale.
• Three entry points:
  1. YouTube review channel covering remote work setups and pod options.
  2. Rent small commercial space, densify it with pods, charge per seat — more revenue per square foot than traditional office rental.
  3. Build a local directory or booking site for pod availability in your city.

IV drip bars

• IV hydration delivers fluids and nutrients directly; effective for recovery, hangovers, athletic performance.
• ~2,000 monthly searches for "IV drip at home"; category growing.
• The Drip Bar was expanding to 40 locations in 2021 — still early-stage nationally.
• Requires a nurse practitioner or equivalent to administer; equipment fits in a car trunk.
• Mobile model mirrors COVID testing pop-ups — use empty parking lots with tents.
• Customer acquisition: target gym-goers (recovery) and social drinkers (hangover relief).
• Revenue extensions: subscription packages (5 treatments/month), wellness retreat add-ons, influencer events.

Clay, ceramics, and pottery

• Pandemic reignited interest in tactile, at-home crafts; Pottery Classes Near Me gets ~50,000 searches/month.
• Polymer Clay Starter Kit generates ~$45,000/month on Amazon (Jungle Scout data).
• Etsy added 61 million new or reactivated shoppers in Q4 2020 alone.
• Four entry points:
  1. Sell finished handcrafted pieces on Etsy or direct.
  2. Monthly subscription box (raw materials + instructions) via Cratejoy.
  3. At-home date night kits — pottery paired with charcuterie or edible add-ons.
  4. YouTube channel documenting experimentation and builds an audience over time.