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As cities start shifting to the more lenient general community quarantine, businesses both new and old must adapt to the realities of the post-pandemic economic landscape. For example, many companies have switched from in-office to remote work, with most employees now working from home. Additionally, consumers have turned to online services to fulfill most of their wants and needs, with some eventually preferring them to brick-and-mortar shops.
However, that isn’t to say that physical stores are done for, as evidenced by the number of customers who have gone to malls and other stores that have started phased re-openings. Still, social distancing measures have drastically changed the ways that these businesses operate. For instance, workers are now required to wear protective equipment, and businesses are encouraged to embrace contactless payment solutions such as Maya ONE.
Households and businesses rely on delivery services to get important goods, documents, and other items from one place to another. But with the community quarantine in place, it has become more difficult for certain couriers to transport their wares around the country. These unavoidable delays have caused the speed of deliveries to drop quite significantly, with certain packages taking weeks instead of mere days to arrive at people’s doorsteps.
In a bid to receive deliveries more quickly, many people have turned to a service that has risen in popularity in the last couple of years: on-demand delivery apps. And with more people shopping online due to the pandemic, there will continue to be a need for reliable couriers moving into the new normal.
Because the pandemic has pushed Filipinos to spend more time in closed quarters, many have taken up baking as a new hobby to alleviate stress. Some have even turned their newfound passion into a business, baking and delivering goods from the comfort of their home. As a result, baking suppliers and distributors have experienced a large spike in sales for tools and ingredients. And given that baking had already been a popular hobby before COVID-19, a baking supplies franchise will likely remain profitable even after the pandemic is over.
Since community quarantine discourages people from leaving the house for non-urgent and non-essential purposes, this has left many fine-dining restaurants with hardly any customers to serve. However, these closures also caused a significant increase in food deliveries during the lockdown. In fact, many fast-food restaurants could not meet the fast-growing demand, especially with their limited workforce and reduced operating hours.
The clear gap between supply and demand thus presented many restaurant owners with an opportunity to continue operating, albeit in a different manner. So while it may not be ideal to open a dine-in restaurant post-pandemic, meal prep delivery services are a safe bet when it comes to picking a franchise business.
Given that they provide one of our most basic needs, water refilling stations are considered an essential business. This has allowed them to remain open even while the nation is under strict community quarantine, delivering to customers who otherwise have no access to clean and safe drinking water. So if you’re looking for a steady and stable business franchise that can weather the effects of a pandemic, this may just be the best option for you.
Due to many dine-in and take-out establishments closing down during the quarantine period, more Filipinos are choosing to stock up on ingredients and cook their meals at home. As a result, this has caused many grocery stores to experience a large surge in customer demand. But given the need to practice social distancing within store premises, groceries are required to limit the number of people they let in at any While existing companies continue to adjust to the new normal, aspiring entrepreneurs may feel apprehensive about starting a business, especially during these challenging times. But as history has shown time and again, an economic downturn is actually a good time to do so.
For one thing, there is far less competition when it comes to resources. Also, the lasting changes caused by the pandemic have given birth to new customer needs that businesses can fulfill. More than that, budding entrepreneurs can expect lower interest rates when borrowing start-up capital. And with landlords scrambling to fill up unrented spaces, it’s possible to negotiate for a much cheaper lease.
That said, it’s important to choose a business that’s likely to thrive even during these trying times. In this case, going for reputable franchises may be a safe bet. That’s because a franchise offers a tried and true business model, minimizing the time required to get it up and running.
But with so many different types of businesses on the market, it can be difficult to determine which kind of business you should choose, especially one that’s likely to survive in a post-COVID-19 world. To get some ideas, we can turn to certain industry sectors that weathered the storm, with some even experiencing an uptick in sales throughout the lockdown. If you’d like to learn more, read on for 15 of the best franchise businesses to consider investing in:
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That said, it’s safe to say that a grocery franchise would be a lucrative business investment. After all, food has always been a basic need even before the pandemic hit the nation. And to widen your customer reach, you may even want to invest in a franchise that offers online grocery shopping and delivery services.
As medicines are considered essential, most drugstores and pharmacies not only survived the pandemic, but they also increased their sales as a result of it. These establishments have also expanded their services by offering prescription deliveries, catering to the more vulnerable population such as the elderly and immunocompromised. Hence, a drugstore or pharmacy franchise may potentially be a worthwhile investment for years to come.
Many bars and other nightlife venues saw a huge decrease in customers, as these businesses were considered potential breeding grounds for spreading the corona virus. It wasn’t long before these establishments had to close down due to quarantine guidelines and the liquor ban, leaving many people without access to their favorite alcoholic beverages.
So once the liquor ban was lifted in certain cities, it’s of little surprise why wine and liquor stores experienced a huge spike in sales. While alcohol isn’t technically a basic need, this just goes to show what types of products people highly value, even during unprecedented times. So if you’re considering investing in a wine and liquor franchise business, it may be a good idea to offer online deliveries to adapt to a post-pandemic society.
Since the corona virus has a higher chance of infecting immunocompromised persons, many have become more conscious of their health. More people have started watching what they eat and exercising more often at home. As Filipinos start adopting a healthier lifestyle, franchises that sell supplements, healthy food, and fitness equipment may do quite well in the years to come.
Scientific research has found that COVID-19 droplets can survive for an extended period on various types of surfaces, depending on the type of material they’re made of. For example, the virus can potentially stay active for up to four hours on copper, a material that is known to be highly effective at killing most types of bacteria. However, the corona virus has been shown to live for up to one day on cardboard, three days on plastic and stainless steel, 4 days for wood, and 5 days on glass surfaces.
Because the virus can last for so long outside the human body, regular and thorough sanitization of our environment is key to combatting the spread of the virus. So it’s no wonder why the demand for professional cleaning services spiked throughout the pandemic. And as the country transitions into the new normal, the need for deep cleaning and disinfection won’t be going away anytime soon, making cleaning services a viable franchise business option.
Similar to how baking grew in popularity during quarantine, many Filipinos have also taken to gardening to cope with stress. But they are not only growing flowers and cacti; they’ve also started learning how to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs at home. And with lingering fears of contracting the corona virus at the grocery store, gardening as a means of securing food may be a trend that continues into the new normal. With this in mind, starting a gardening franchise may be worth your time.
While keeping clothes clean isn’t an issue for those with washing machines at home, regular laundering may not be as feasible for people who cannot afford enough space to own one. And while some self-service laundromats have stayed open during the quarantine, going out just to take care of laundry still puts them at risk of contracting the virus.
Thus, many have turned to laundry pick-up and delivery services instead, greatly increasing their customer base from pre-COVID-19 numbers. And as businesses begin to re-open across the country, people will have less time to take care of their own laundry, making this a feasible franchise business opportunity.
As hospitals and clinics continue to treat COVID-19 patients, they have unfortunately become hotbeds for the virus. This has discouraged many Filipinos from getting medical check-ups for fear of getting infected. Fortunately, people can still turn to telehealth services, which allow patients to consult with their doctors over the Internet. This technology also eliminates the need to commute to and from the hospital. Hence, telehealth franchises are a viable business idea, given the worsening traffic conditions in the metro.
To contain the spread of the corona virus, washing your hands regularly is a must. And in situations without easy access to soap and water, using alcohol or hand sanitizer is equally as effective. Because practicing good personal hygiene is crucial to keeping COVID-19 at bay, manufacturers and distributors had to scramble to fulfill the sudden spike in consumer demand.
Though some believe that these increased sales are only a temporary trend, many experts believe that people will continue practicing vigilant handwashing even in a post-pandemic world. Hence, it may be worthwhile to start a franchise business that focuses on providing personal hygiene products.
During the lockdown, pet stores saw a surge in sales thanks to pet owners opting to have their goods delivered to their homes. In fact, pet stores generally enjoy revenue growth even during recessions. This is because owners typically opt to spend less on themselves to maintain their pets’ standard of living. With this in mind, you may want to look into starting a pet store business franchise, as they generally remain profitable regardless of the economy’s performance.
With many hair, nail, and face salons closing for business during the lockdown, sales of cosmetic products have gone up, with people looking for beauty regimens that they can do while confined in their homes. And with the transition to general community quarantine, some have started seeking in-home beauty services to get their pampering fix, making a health and beauty franchise a compelling business idea. And given the otherwise steady growth of the beauty industry in the last few years, it would only be a matter of time before it bounces back after the pandemic is over.
The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Philippine economy cannot be understated. So if you’re planning to invest in a franchise business anytime soon, you may want to consider the examples listed above, as they stand a good chance of performing well in a post-pandemic world. Though it’s unlikely that the world will return to its pre-COVID-19 state, it’s still more than possible to start a successful business as we make our way toward the new normal.
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