We are living in an age of ideas and business world is also not left untouched by these ideas. People are not satisfied with merely doing business in the traditional sense of the word, or solely focused on earning profits and serving customers better. There has to be something more to it. Something that adds greater meaning or simply blows away your mind.
Here we present a few business ideas that fall in this off-beat category but which might emerge as the next big thing before anyone realizes.
Sustainable Financing Solutions:
It involves the idea of financing for the fulfilment of social development goals and to minimize or control the impact of climate change through sustainable practices.
BBVA is an excellent example that raised €40 Billion for its Eco Pledge to fulfil the goals outlined above and is offering sustainable financing solutions to businesses. BBVA Microfinance Foundation is already providing solutions to promote social and economic development for at-risk communities in Latin America.
These kinds of initiatives go beyond the conventional ideas of offering home loans, car loans or doorstep loans for unemployed and instead support and promote sustainable practices to help build a better environment and future. Such initiatives are set to take off in a big way in the coming years and force businesses to think about going sustainable.
Virtual Women’s Startup Schools:
Selfmade is a 10-week virtual startup school which is the brainchild of Brit + Co, that focuses on developing entrepreneurial skills of women. Founded by Brit Morin and Anjelika Temple, the course is aimed at teaching upto 200 women for free. There will be a particular focus on women of colour and women from underrepresented communities.
The online program includes hours of live instruction, group coaching with a personal touch and access to several other resources that could be useful for these women to meet the challenges they are faced with.
Inculcating entrepreneurial skills in underprivileged women is aimed at improving the financial lives of families, living conditions of communities they come from and build new confidence that enables them to do more and achieve their individual potential.
And that is not all; a part of the proceeds from this virtual program would go towards supporting digital undivided, taking the cause of women further.
Special Campaigns like #eBayedits Are Making Waves
On its 25th anniversary of business operations, the e-commerce giant eBay started a unique campaign tagged as #eBayedits. This was aimed at bringing to shoppers curated selection of goods, carefully selected by people like Amber Mac, who curated some of her favourite person and home tech products.
As a tech specialist, she focused on refurbished tech for several reasons. First, refurbished technology promotes reuse of stuff like phones and smart home devices that would otherwise end up as electronic waste. Another important aspect is the affordability. Refurbished tech is available at much lower prices than their brand new counterparts while offering competitive functionality.
Focused-Venture Capital for People of Colour:
BLCK VC took up an initiative to promote venture capital for people of colour. The initiative is named the Black Venture Institute aimed at creating a network of black investors over three years. It would take up 300 young black business owners and offer angel investments where possible.
The founders insist that this educational initiative is aimed at filling the gap created by existing closed venture capital networks that rarely offer fair opportunities for black-owned businesses.
Often they would end up looking for 100% guaranteed loans to promote business which can be a challenging task. This initiative is a step towards creating a sense of equality and build confidence among black business owners to soar higher in a new and competitive world.
Local Line Connects Consumers Directly with Farmers
Cole Jones in Canada launched the local Line as an innovative and sustainable e-commerce platform. It enables consumers to pre-order farm produce directly from farmers and allows online prepayment as well. This works well for both farmers as well as consumers by doing away with the need to browse markets or for farmers to worry about payments.
Along with assuring freshness of produce bought directly from farmers, it offers excellent ease of use. It does away with the need for long-term storage facilities and the use of preservatives.
Naturally, after the onset of a pandemic, the online platform witnessed accelerated growth and farmers coming onboard at almost nine times that of pre-pandemic rates. Consumers can easily choose from the online store, schedule delivery and pick-ups, manage their orders and products better that offers a holistic and satisfying user experience.
Another advantage is sustainability, of course, by eliminating the need for farmers to worry about prices of their products, taking them to markets or selling at lower prices to wholesalers or the need to store produce till they can find the right price.
They can directly sell at retail price, and consumers can take pride in, is supporting a sustainable model that eases the burden on farming communities and promotes their financial and business outreach.
Conclusion:
Sustainability is a big word these days and is taking the business world by storm. These business ideas might come from different places but are universal in their appeal and application. This is precisely what might make them trendsetters faster than anyone can imagine.
