15+ business ideas to start during a crisis

Executive overview

When a crisis shuts down normal commerce, the gap between those who wait and those who adapt widens fast. Existing skills, spaces, and customer relationships can be redeployed into new formats — portable products, remote services, digital delivery — without starting from scratch.

Constraints force creativity; the winners are those who pivot their existing assets rather than waiting for conditions to return to normal.

15+ business opportunities

1. Board games and home entertainment — design or sell tabletop games for housebound audiences; niche card game variants can hit $100K in a week on Kickstarter.
2. Portable cocktail and meal kits — approach closed bars and restaurants; help them package and ship locally or nationally.
3. Sell something new to existing customers — your current list trusts you; offer a product or service relevant to their new situation (e.g., a shoe brand pivoting to meditation classes).
4. Re-engage churned customers with a strong offer — reach out with a compelling deal; sustaining revenue now matters more than margin.
5. Teach English or a skill remotely — platforms like italki, TakeLessons, and Thumbtack let you monetise any teachable expertise immediately.
6. Repurpose your Airbnb — rent at a discount, or convert it into a video studio, packaging space, or distribution hub.
7. Virtual co-working memberships — create online hangout spaces, entertainment, or motivational sessions for companies whose teams are now remote.
8. CTO-for-hire / go-remote consultant — set up Facebook ads, Shopify stores, or remote work stacks for businesses forced online.
9. Tutorials and DIY kits — people want new skills; pair instructional content with complementary physical products.
10. Home Speakeasy bar — informal paid social gatherings (consider legal/safety constraints).
11. Help speakers and trainers move online — assist with equipment, delivery coaching, and sourcing virtual events.
12. Rent gym equipment — trainers can lend gear to clients and continue coaching virtually.
13. Cost-cutter consultant — go through clients' credit card bills or company expenses and find cuts; businesses are actively looking to trim non-essentials.
14. Date night boxes — curated at-home experience kits (food, wine, activities) for couples stuck indoors.
15. Start or expand a farm / grow your own produce — demand for local food is spiking; even a backyard garden is a start.
16. DIY kits for kids — recipes, craft supplies, or activity packs; donut shops are already doing this with ingredients and instructions.
17. Build-your-own plant arrangement kits — sell quarantine activity kits through plant stores or direct.
18. Niche content aggregation — curate Netflix, news, or resources for a specific community (cultural, professional, interest-based).