Five data-backed business ideas to start in 2021

Executive overview

Five niche markets — religion apps, garage upgrades, niche sports, neon lights, and countertop ice machines — are seeing measurable demand spikes backed by search and download data. Each is underserved at the niche level despite large underlying audiences.

The opportunity is not to build a tech giant but to serve a specific slice: consult, create content, sell kits, or build community around one of these trends.

Find one customer before building anything.

Religion apps and services

• Christian meditation apps hit 2.3 million downloads in six months — a 300% year-over-year increase
• #Islam: ~30 billion TikTok views; #Christianity: ~14 billion — demand for digital religious content is enormous
• Existing models to copy into religious verticals: VR church, fundraising software (Tithe.ly raised $15M), meditation apps
• Consulting opportunity: help churches adopt software they're not yet using
• Niche community angle: combine a religion with a specific interest (e.g. Christians who love dogs) and build a product around it

Garage upgrades

• Reddit's garage communities have grown 5x; monthly searches for garage shelving and storage each exceed 40,000
• The market spans: read about it → do it yourself → pay someone else to do it
• Service business: offer free first consultation or organising session; ask for referrals
• Content business: YouTube channel documenting garage transformations, with affiliate links to products like Flexi-Mounts

Niche sports

• YouTube searches for emerging sports up ~90% year over year
• Techball (ping pong meets soccer) and disc golf are growing fast; disc golf's streaming network earns ~$100K/month from ~3,000 subscribers at $10/month
• Spike ball rebranded a forgotten 1990s game into an eight-figure business — the playbook is repeatable
• Entry points: build a local league, start a training or coaching service, launch a media channel covering one niche sport, sell specialised equipment

Neon lights and LED room decor

• Pinterest: 8x increase in neon room searches, 3x in LED light rooms, 155% in blue LED bedroom searches
• Subreddit for LED coloured lighting is on an exponential growth curve
• Product opportunity: bundle a neon bedroom starter kit for Etsy or Amazon
• Service opportunity: offer setup and installation; before/after photos are the marketing

Countertop ice machines

• Amazon demand spike over 90 days: crushed ice makers up 700%, mini ice makers up ~300%
• Premium ice (slow-melt balls for whiskey) is driving interest alongside novelty ice for kids
• Starting move: make ice by hand, sell to friends, validate demand before buying equipment
• Product extensions: cocktail ice kits, flavoured shaved ice kits, novelty ice shapes for kids