The global coronavirus pandemic threw the business world into turmoil, boosting niche areas of the economy while decimating others. As recovery begins – and experts say it will take until 2025 for some business sectors to fully recover, especially those in the travel and hospitality fields – let us take a look at the eight business areas expected to be growing this year.
Home Furnishings
Perhaps on the counterintuitive side, this industry’s relative health compared with others can easily be explained by the rise of remote working. If you are going to be working and living at home, you will notice your surroundings even more! As well as buying furniture and lamps to set up a suitable home office, people want a nicer place to live in too!
Communications
Everything from company intranet to mobile networks to domestic broadband has become even more vital in a world that was already increasingly online and always available. These fields are expected to continue with the sharp uptick already seen, with more permanent remote working connections sure to loom large in the business world.
Online Delivery
While online shopping was already gaining on in-person shopping, the pandemic saw a lot of people, who otherwise clung determinedly to their mistrust or dislike of the cyberworld, realise that not only was online shopping not as bad as they thought, but that it was positively better in so many ways. No more sore feet, so much more variety at the click of a mouse and a wider range of customisable options – many of the newly converted will stay loyal to online, even after they are allowed back in to shops. Niche offerings like very local deliveries of urgent ingredients, milk or bread – to be dropped at the door within half an hour of the order being placed – and other things not previously considered for third-party delivery, have also sprung up, and such is their convenience that it is unlikely that they will be banished completely once lockdown is over.
Construction
Construction work was only suspended down during the initial lockdown, with construction workers being deemed less at risk because of the primarily outdoor nature of their work. However, it did slow down as the impact of the virus in other areas interfered with the flow of money into the construction industry. Now that things are moving more freely once again, construction is sure to boom, especially with the new high demand for housing outside of large urban centres – the pandemic saw many families fleeing the city in search of open spaces, more greenery and lower costs.
App Development
Just as it is now a must for companies to have a website, it will soon be de rigueur for businesses to have an app, if having one can improve customer service and product provision. London headhunters always have listings in the IT world, and app development is one of the largest fields and it is hungry for skilled workers.
Cleaning
While many companies, pre-pandemic, were cutting down on external cleaning contracts and, instead expecting their employees to spend a few moments per day cleaning and tidying around the office, this trend has abruptly reversed, with cleaning contracts now including things like regular telephone and computer keyboard sanitation and deep kitchen and bathroom cleans on a more frequent basis.
Health and Safety
Likewise, health and safety is no longer dismissed as a bore and unnecessary, and companies producing health and safety signage are booming, as are jobs in the sector. Any business which involves some element of risk should have a health and safety-trained staff member to advise on risk assessment and enforce safety processes and procedures.
Entertainment
We have been deprived of film, theatre, even popping into the pub for a drink for far too long. People are looking to have a good time once again, albeit a good time that can be had safely! Businesses offering high levels of entertainment in conjunction with sensible precautions are doing very well, as people rush to place their booking and get out of the house for the first time in a while!
