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Is Starting an Online Business Risky During a Pandemic?

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If you’d like to learn how to start an online business so you can bring in more income, sign up for the free 90-Day Master Class hosted by the founder of Addicted2Success.com, Joel Brown.


With businesses closing left, right, and center, you would be forgiven for thinking that starting an online business during a pandemic is a terrible idea. For some, it may be. However, what you must realize is that it is (mostly) brick and mortar stores that are closing their doors. 

Online businesses, on the other hand, tend to be thriving. Starting up a business of any description is always going to be a risk, but starting up an online business during a pandemic may not be quite as risky as it first appears.

Reasons to Not Consider Starting an Online Business During a Pandemic

As we said before; people are buying online much more in the midst of this pandemic. However, it doesn’t mean that they are spending a lot of money. In fact, a lot of people no longer have the income that they had in the past. This means that they do not have much money to spend online at all. So, while there are sales to gain from an online business, there is going to be a lot of competition for the limited amount of cash. This means that you will need to do something incredibly unique if you want to stand out from the crowd.

You must also remember that starting an online business is a learning process. We are not telling you that you can start up a business right now and be making money hand over fist by tomorrow. It may be weeks, sometimes months before you can see any sort of return on the money you have invested. Even then, there is no guarantee that you will make money with an online business but if you put the work in, you could see a return sooner than you think.

Running your own business takes a dreadfully high amount of motivation too. As in, you really are going to need to knuckle down and do the work. 

Creating an online business is going to demand a lot more time and effort from you than a standard job. If you are not willing to put in all of that hard work, then this is absolutely not going to be a good business for you. The reality is, you can’t get demotivated from your first failure. Heck even your third or fourth. See this as a positive and learn from it.

While we are on the subject of money, you do need to remember that starting an online business is going to involve some investment. It doesn’t matter whether you go down the eCommerce or affiliate marketing route, you are going to need to be spending money at some point. 

Therefore, if you do not have a lot of it to spare and you need something to see you through this pandemic, then you absolutely should not start an online business just yet. Wait till it passes, then consider it.

“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” – Oprah Winfrey

Reasons Why You Should Consider Starting an Online Business During a Pandemic

Right now, you have a captive audience. People are not leaving their homes to buy goods. The vast majority of people are doing their shopping at home. This is fantastic if you are running an eCommerce website or work as an affiliate because people are already going to be naturally searching the internet for goods that they would have normally have gone to their local store for. It is likely that this is something that will continue for the foreseeable future, so if you gain a foothold now, you may profit for a long time to come.

Starting an online business takes a whopping amount of time too. It is likely that you didn’t have the time to spare when you were working a full-time job. However, now you are likely to be stuck at home for the long term so you can really knuckle down and get an online business rolling. This includes doing your research to ensure that you are doing the right thing with your business. You may as well put all those spare hours to use, right?

Of course, starting up an online business now can help you to be a bit more financially independent. If your business is a success, then there is no need to worry about losing your job in the future. You will be working for yourself, and you will have full control over your income. And something like this will happen again. It may not be a pandemic, but there are a whole host of situations that can result in you losing your job. If you sit at the head of a company, then you can probably weather most storms.

To cap it off; starting an online business now will help you to gain skills that you can use if you decide to enter the workforce at a later date. An example of this is you will learn how to do SEO, create content, and run websites. So, even if you are not planning to do this long term, it could help your employability later on. 

If you keep your online business running when you do finally enter full-time employment again, you may even have a nice little bit of side income that can see you through when times get a little bit rough in the future. A better scenario will be to quit your full time job altogether and join many other entrepreneurs in the life of freedom.

“It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” – Scott Belsky

Conclusion

While there is a lot of money to be had in the world of online businesses right now, you have to remember that starting a business does come with some challenges. You will also be starting a business in a financial climate that we have not experienced for a really long time. It is going to be a risk. If you have money to spare, then, by all means, jump on the risk.

It may end up paying you dividends later on down the line. Just be smart about it and if you’ve got some money set aside to invest, it could be the best decision you have ever made. One thing is certain – you’ve got the time so make the best use of it.

How are you spending your time during the coronavirus pandemic? Share your thoughts and stories below!

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The Entrepreneur’s Reading List That Transforms Ideas Into Empires

These must-read titles and writing insights reveal how entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into empire-level success.

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Entrepreneurship is powered by stories—of accomplishment, failure, and decision moments that define businesses. Books are maps, providing insight from individuals who’ve traversed the road ahead. (more…)

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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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