Five post-COVID business ideas you can start this weekend

Executive overview

COVID permanently shifted consumer behaviour in ways that create real business opportunities right now. Short-form content, cleaner spaces, pet care, outdoor events, and online communities are all seeing lasting demand increases.

Each idea can be started with no funding — by reaching out to your network, doing the work manually first, then scaling.

The fastest path to a new business is to do the thing for free first, prove it works, then charge.

Short-form content creation

• Podcasters and creators need clips for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Twitter — most won't do it themselves
• List creators you admire, download their long-form content, and turn it into short clips
• Send the clips unsolicited — a strong, on-brand clip gets a response
• Henry and Dylan built a full production agency this way, now serving My First Million, All In, and Hassan Minaj

Cleaning and disinfection services

• Post-COVID cleanliness standards are permanently higher in homes and commercial spaces
• Rzero reverse-engineered $60K–$125K UVC disinfection hardware into a $17/day subscription — hit $15M in revenue in under a year
• For a lower-tech entry: ask your network first, then ask referrals, then post on Craigslist
• Target businesses you already pay (dentist, mechanic) — warm relationships convert faster

Pet sitting and care

• Pet adoptions rose 12%+ in 2020; as people return to offices and travel, pet care demand surges
• Rover.com lets you start immediately with no setup — reportedly $1K/month extra income on the platform
• Differentiation angle: Barking Spree Dog Ranch charges $43/day by offering a 4-acre off-leash property
• Adjacent opportunities: pet food, specialised walking, services Rover doesn't cover

Outdoor events

• People still want experiences but prefer open-air settings — outdoor formats reduce friction
• Blue Starlight Mini Urban Drive-In used a rooftop parking garage, partnered with local restaurants for food delivery to cars
• Wild Heart Yoga runs outdoor classes from ~$20; similarly low overhead, no venue cost
• Start at a local park with a topic you know — freestyle rap, yoga, barbecue, chess — and promote via Nextdoor and Meetup

Online community and membership

• Identify one thing you are genuinely expert in — ask a friend if you're unsure
• Joel from Hot Breath Comedy Network built a $4K/month recurring membership (150 members at $29/month) teaching aspiring comedians
• Start by helping people manually via DM before building a course — validate demand first
• Record your process using just a phone or webcam; free tools (YouTube, Google Docs) are enough to launch