Sports coaches and psychologists will switch to a new online mode of operation, based on this, an office can be established anywhere in the world. We have selected foreign trends that will soon appear in Russian business.
Digital fitness
Fitness centers follow educational institutions and move online. US-based Entrepreneur sees three reasons for this trend to intensify:
- The first is audience loyalty. Even supporters of the usual offline format, in self-isolation, ventured into online training;
- The second reason is convenience: you can train at any convenient time and with any coach who is ready to go on the air;
- The third reason is gamification. It is very easy to integrate various elements of games into online training: for the correct execution of the exercises, you get points, and you can immediately share your successes on social networks. Modern smartphones and fitness bracelets have evolved into companions that track and guide workout results and keep people enthusiastic.
The above trends were used by the founder of the “Salut” startup Matthew di Pietro and attracted $ 1.25 million in investment for development. The developed application for iOS and Android allows fitness trainers to carry out virtual classes.
On the part of the trainer, the platform makes it possible to create a schedule, conduct online broadcasts and recruit students. And potential students are given the opportunity to choose a coach without being tied to a gym membership. At the moment, payment is made for the number of classes, but in the future, the service plans to switch to a subscription monetization model – payment for access to the platform.
Smart buildings
The Smart Home or Smart Building system is an advanced technology integrated into a room that allows you to automate home devices, various gadgets and connect various types of systems, for example, video surveillance. These systems provide safety, resource conservation, and comfort for those living in the house or visitors in an office building. Automation has reached such heights that a talking clock reminds you that it’s time to wake up, a smart oven prepares breakfast on its own, and a weather station reports that it’s bad weather outside and it’s raining.
The concept itself is no longer new; in the 1990s, buildings began to acquire video surveillance and access control systems. The pandemic accelerated the development of the direction, now it is necessary to control not only electricity and water supply, but also air quality and temperature. Fortune Business Insights predicts the global smart building market will grow to $ 110 billion by 2026, up from $ 44 billion in 2018.
Startup “Infogrid” in the fall of 2020, it attracted $15.5 million in investments; the startup’s leaders said that they would make buildings not only smart, but also environmentally friendly. The company produces sensors based on artificial intelligence. The product is able to analyze air quality, water and electricity consumption, and also signal the appearance of bacteria in the water supply.
Telemental services
Telemedicine is gaining popularity, and services for mental health, for example, online consultations with a psychologist, are increasingly relevant. Telemental services have combined these two trends. Remote psychological assistance has become more in demand than ever during self-isolation. Foreign researchers and analysts expect that the global telemental medicine market will grow to 15 billion US dollars by 2026.
Singapore-based startup “Intellect” Intellect has developed a telematic service that can be used not only by individual users, but also by entire groups. This is a kind of corporate online psychologist. As a result of the launch, about a million users were registered on the platform in six months. The founders of the startup noted that against the backdrop of the pandemic, companies began to pay special attention to the psychological climate in the team. Large numbers of employees were on the verge of burnout, and self-isolation exacerbated loneliness. One month of work with the Intellect service allows you to reduce the stress level in the team by 35%.
Services for digital nomads
Digital nomads are people who do not depend on a physical place of work, they combine their activities with constant movement around the world. You shouldn’t compare them with downshifting, which boomed in the 2000s. In this case, residents of large cities leave high positions with a decent salary and leave to look for themselves in warm countries. Nomads are satisfied with their work, their goal is to see the world, broaden their horizons and make new acquaintances.
The pandemic has pushed many to switch to telecommuting. Twitter, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Spotify, Shopify, Salesforce, PayPal, Uber have allowed their employees to work online. And in countries such as Iceland, Estonia, Georgia, Anguilla, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, special visas have been introduced for remote specialists, in some cases, the visa includes paid testing for COVID-19.
What are the nomads missing? Services that will make relocation (relocation) comfortable. This direction was taken up by the startup Flown. The company, which attracted $ 1.5 million in investment in the fall of 2020, offered several products:
- Flown Away is a service for the selection of houses, hotels and just places for seclusion. These floating offices are fully equipped to work online;
- Flown Here is an online platform that brings together useful tools to get you productive. The company expects to receive income not only from nomads, but also from the owners of the proposed real estate. The latter will benefit from diversifying their income.
Corporate VR training
In recent years, the distance between employer and employee has increased. Many services and resources have been created to carry out operational tasks – from team planning to tracking results. However, the field of apprenticeship has not managed to adapt to the post-covid world. It is still important to practice manual skills in many areas.
The current situation was decided to change by the company “Transfr“, which created virtual production workshops and laboratories. The development of the company began as an educational virtual reality programming game. After Transfr sold its simulators in various business areas, for example: medical students mastered surgery in virtual lecture halls. In the face of a pandemic, Transfr proposed using services for mass training.
The startup uses Facebook’s Oculus for Business headset. This device is intended for the implementation and scaling of virtual reality in various segments of business. The company receives cash inflow from the implementation of training programs and software licensing.
