Just as no one could predict COVID-19, no one could predict some of its long-term effects. Among perhaps the most surprising is a boom in the number of entrepreneurs. Most of us wouldn’t think of a pandemic as a good time to open a business, but many startups that launched during this period have experienced unexpected success.
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Whether it was through innovation, adapting to changing market conditions, or taking advantage of novel opportunities brought about by the pandemic, these businesses have seen growth that was difficult to pull off even pre-COVID-19. These post-COVID startups have defied the odds and contributed to an economic revitalization that the New York Times called “a record surge in new businesses,” which has “helped drive job growth and could have longer-term benefits.”
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Economic Resilience
The pandemic laid the groundwork for an entrepreneurial boom by giving millions of people more time at home. This contributed to a shift in employment, and businesses that formed between 2020 and 2022 had collectively created 7.4 million jobs by the end of 2022 alone.
This kind of job growth underscores an economic resilience that startups can take advantage of. Entrepreneurs who can adapt and thrive can tap into the needs of this new market. Despite ongoing challenges like supply chain disruptions and labor shortages, new businesses can fill a niche and find success.
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Startups Can Leverage Lasting Market Shifts
As the global health crisis kept so many of us home for extended periods, we also had time to change our consumer behaviors. Successful startups that emerged during the pandemic were able to capitalize on these changes, notably with many consumers opting for e-commerce and other online services.
These shifts didn’t end with the quarantines but have instead become changes with real, lasting power. How consumers now interact with the market has forced changes in traditional business models. Startups are uniquely situated to provide innovative solutions to meet these demands and benefit from early adopter status.
Startups Can Harness the Power of Innovation
Entrepreneurs have always been innovators. The pandemic gave many people considerably more time than when they faced daily commutes, and this time allowed them to pursue new ideas. Those who used that free time to launch startups were part of a wave of creativity and experimentation.