Packed full of exciting future business opportunities, we’ve taken the time to analyze which business trends have already peaked, which are slowly increasing in value, and which business trends are just beginning to show signs of heating up.<\/p>\n
In many cases, we’ve been able to corroborate these business opportunity trends with data from Looka<\/strong>, through a surge of logo purchases in a certain industry, or a rise in website traffic to some of our logo ideas<\/a> pages. Aside from industry-specific traffic increases, Looka also saw an overall rise in site visitors in 2020\u2014indicating an interest in entrepreneurship as a whole.<\/p>\n New business opportunities rushed the market at the start of 2020 due to a spike in demand for certain pandemic-related products or services. Some savvy entrepreneurs started businesses in these areas while supply was low and demand was high. But not all early-2020 business opportunities have staying power.<\/p>\n Let’s take a look at some of the biggest small business trends we saw last year, and discuss whether or not they’re worth going after today.<\/p>\n Nothing swept the small business scene faster, and with hotter demand, than masks and other PPE in 2020. Everyone from 3M to your next-door neighbor rushed to produce masks and hand sanitizer at the end of the first quarter last year.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong>\u00a0 At Looka, masks, and mask-making businesses emerged as an entirely new business category on March 3, 2020. Mask-related logos peaked from September to October and have fallen 44% since the peak.<\/strong> Masks have gone mainstream, and there is less opportunity for small businesses to make money from mask making.<\/p>\n From online parties and social events to virtual workshops and book clubs, almost all forms of social gathering transitioned to the online world for a time in 2020.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong> With Zoom fatigue already reaching a high, we predict people will race back to forms of in-person gathering and recreation when it\u2019s safe.<\/p>\n Loungewear and leggings sales spiked by 1,303 percent in 2020<\/a> according to new data from John Lewis. We saw retail clothing brands race to adjust their \u201cperfect night out\u201d campaigns to \u201cperfect night in\u201d messaging.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong> We’re likely to see an interest in loungewear continue as many workers have shifted permanently to a work-from-home lifestyle. Keep messaging targeted to your audience, and focus on niche interests like sustainability, organic material, and diversity in branding.<\/p>\n Cleaning and sanitation services saw a massive increase in demand. While commercial cleaning was a mature industry, corporations, small businesses, and individuals turned their focus to deep cleaning as COVID swept the globe in 2020.<\/p>\n Stuck at home, folks rushed to happy hobbies like bread baking. In March of last year, searches for banana bread topped 1.5 million in the US<\/strong>, a 276% increase<\/a> from the previous monthly average.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong> Feedback from grocery delivery service, Instacart\u2019s recent Essential Insights Report<\/a> indicates that most consumers are done with the early pandemic bread-making trend. However, food trends come and go, and if you\u2019re plugged in on social media<\/a>, you may be able to get ahead of the next trend.<\/p>\n With schools, camps, and clubs operating remotely in 2020, kids spent more time at home than ever before. While FaceTime calls might have worked in a pinch, they couldn\u2019t replace actual facetime<\/a>. As kids return to the classroom and playground, you can expect at-home and digital kids\u2019 activities to take a timeout.<\/p>\n As many people tried to limit their exposure to others during the pandemic, errand-running services took off. A good indication of this trend comes from retail and grocery delivery service Instacart, which doubled its valuation<\/a> in 2020.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong> Between 2019 and 2020, Looka saw 25% more delivery service logos created and 24% more delivery service logos purchased. However, as infection fears ease, many people will be eager to return to their old routines\u2014even less-than-fun errands.<\/p>\n Not all businesses that emerged in 2020 have staying power. But trends that arose from the pandemic like working from home, virtual social and health connections present business opportunities for 2021 and beyond.<\/p>\n Below is a list categorized by industry, of emerging business ideas that are currently in high demand. We\u2019ve ranked the level of time investment ? and financial investment ? on a scale of 1-5, so you have an idea of which business opportunities require higher or lower investment.<\/strong><\/p>\n Lipstick sales took a nose-dive in the early pandemic months, but skincare is massively in demand right now. Check out this infographic from McKinsey\u2019s 2021 beauty report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since mask-wearing has normalized, the urge to wear makeup decreased (half of your face is covered after all) but the need to prevent \u201cmaskne\u201d<\/a> (that\u2019s acne resulting from constant mask-wearing) has provoked a heightened interest in skincare products.<\/p>\n The beauty industry relies heavily on in-store purchases, so take time to connect with customers online and focus on building an online presence while the pandemic continues.<\/p>\n Financial investment:????<\/p>\n Time investment: ????<\/p>\n People spent a lot of money creating at-home-gyms, and while many eagerly await a rush to regular gym workouts, 9 out of 10 Americans<\/a> plan to continue working out from home in 2021 and beyond. As our lives and routines changed drastically, consumer interest in fitness equipment during the first year of the pandemic increased 175%<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong> \u00a0Starting a business selling fitness equipment looks to have a sustainable future, especially when paired with a service offering like virtual fitness, or online personal training. Dropshipping is a great way to make this business opportunity more affordable.<\/p>\n Financial investment: ??<\/p>\n Time investment: ???<\/p>\n The $4 billion success of Peleton shows us one thing: branding is everything<\/a>. Peleton\u2019s brand is responsive to the changing circumstances, they listen to their customers, they engage with their community on all social media channels, and they offer branded products. It’s a fail-safe business.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong> Small businesses have a shot at maintaining virtual fitness classes and training if they focus on niche markets. Research niche audiences: working moms, post-partum, people suffering from burnout, frontline workers, teenagers, etc. Target your local area and occasionally move to outdoor workouts to generate a sense of community.<\/p>\n Financial investment: ???<\/p>\n Time investment: ???<\/p>\n As many people turn to safe, at-home entertainment, the US has spent $1.8 billion on gaming<\/a> and gaming hardware. Videogames are now a bigger industry than movies<\/a> and North American sports combined, thanks to the pandemic.<\/p>\n At Looka, interest in gaming logo design grew 91% YoY from March 2020 to March 2021<\/strong>. This interest appears to be sustained, with 16% continued growth<\/strong> from September 2020 to March 2021.<\/p>\n Financial investment: ???<\/p>\n Time investment: ???<\/p>\n Home renovation plans in Canada rose 40% in 2020<\/a>, according to a survey by TD Bank. As more workers stay at home post-pandemic, the reality of more time spent at home means investing in how home looks and feels.<\/p>\n Our prediction:<\/strong> We\u2019re seeing many more home styling and interior design businesses emerge. As well as real-estate staging, and Airbnb styling once traveling and the real estate market open up.<\/p>\n Financial investment: ???<\/p>\n Time investment: ????<\/p>\n From the fear of lack of food supply to an increase in home gardening for pleasure, the gardening industry experienced several sales spikes throughout the pandemic. In the US, sales revenue increased nearly 9%<\/a> from Spring 2019 to Spring 2020. Online searches for home gardening saw a massive spike during the Spring of 2020, as the graph below shows.<\/p>\nNew businesses that emerged in 2020<\/h2>\n
Masks, hand sanitizer, and other medical equipment<\/h3>\n
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![\"mask](\"https:\/\/cdn.logojoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20201120104752\/size13-logo-600x462.png\"){kind=logo}
\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl>\n\t\t\t
![\"mask](\"https:\/\/cdn.logojoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20210414164030\/43482657_padded_logo-600x600.png\"){kind=logo}
\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl>
\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nVirtual recreation<\/h3>\n
Sleepwear and loungewear<\/h3>\n
Deep cleaning and disinfection services<\/h3>\n
At-home food trends (Dalgona coffee kits, banana bread, sourdough equipment)<\/h3>\n
At-home kids activities<\/h3>\n
Errand-running services<\/h3>\n
\nEmerging business ideas for 2021 and beyond<\/h2>\n
Skincare and beauty treatments<\/h3>\n
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![\"Chart](\"https:\/\/cdn.logojoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20210414165247\/DIY-Self-Care--1024x747.png\")
<\/p>\nFitness equipment and accessories<\/h3>\n
Virtual fitness classes and training<\/h3>\n
All-things gaming<\/h3>\n
Home decor and improvement<\/h3>\n
Garden and yard care<\/h3>\n