The purchasing behavior of consumers has changed significantly due to the sharp rise in prices for many products. In a recent study, the Cologne retail research institute ECC speaks of “consumer behavior on the back burner”. Because almost two thirds of people (64%) want to save more when shopping in the near future (external link). This also has an impact on many companies, which lose customers and sales as a result. At the same time, many start-ups fear further losses due to new corona regulations.
In order to support start-ups and entrepreneurs and to offer them a platform for presenting their business ideas, we at “Deutschlandstart” have created the “7 interesting business ideas briefly presented” format.
service tip: Subsidies can be applied for for the (further) development and implementation of the business idea, the creation of a business plan or advice on setting up a business: Go to our free subsidy check service!
Our business ideas
Here is some business idea from us:
- Charles: Special software enables shopping via chat apps
- revoltech: Vegan leather for car seats and sofas
- desk: Airbnb for jobs
- Teppana: washable carpets
- Edrixx: digital tip solution
- recycle hero: Collection service for used glass and returnable bottles
- green spin: daily updated harvest forecasts
Special software enables shopping via chat apps
Whatsapp was able to establish itself as a sales channel, especially during the pandemic-related lockdowns. Two entrepreneurs took advantage of this moment and developed a business idea. They developed the Charles software to support retailers in customer exchange via messenger. This is a new “Conversational Commerce-as-a-Service software” for retailers and consumer goods brands. Online retailers can use this to market their products via Whatsapp and other chat apps offer and advise customers. Customers can also track their deliveries and post returns. All this takes place in a continuous and personalized chat without login. The software thus combines service, sales and even newsletter functions for chat apps.
Vegan leather for car seats and sofas
The hemp market is booming. The natural product is penetrating more and more markets and sectors. Numerous companies use the hemp trend and its various properties as part of their products and services: while the food and beverage industry enriches juices, smoothies or energy drinks with hemp seeds, the cosmetics industry relies on creams and other care products with hemp seeds, CBD and hemp oil.
The start-up Revoltech has also discovered the crop hemp for its business idea. With a process they developed themselves, the founders process hemp fibers into one leather substitutewhich can be used to cover sofas or car seats.
The founders of the company cooperate with the Technical University in Darmstadt as part of the production process. With this, the methods and machines that form a bridge between agriculture and the textile industry are developed. For the production should only raw material waste only available from the region. Nothing extra should be added. In addition, the end result is 100% biodegradable and climate-neutral.
Airbnb for jobs
Many commercial areas are not used and are empty. Nevertheless, these have to be paid for. This can be expensive for companies. Three entrepreneurs from the Münsterland have found a solution to this problem and developed a way to unused commercial space to sublet.
If you are looking for a meeting room or workplace, you will find a large selection on the Desknow platform. It is possible to book these directly either on the website or via the app.
Providers can use the administration software to manage and analyze their room allocation. This makes it easy for landlords to get an overview and keep an eye on occupancy.
Washable carpets
In every household, stains need to be removed from time to time. Removing stains is part of everyday life, especially for families with children and pets. High-quality furnishings such as carpets are then often the target of annoying food and drink stains. While clothes or curtains can simply be washed in the washing machine, this is not possible with many carpets. Especially when it comes to high-quality products with complex designs.
A founder from Hamburg has developed a solution to this problem: carpets that can be easily washed in the washing machine. This is possible as each carpet is made two parts consists of: a detachable design and a non-slip mat. For cleaning, the upper part is removed from the mat and washed in the washing machine.
Digital tipping solution
Whether it’s a visit to a restaurant or food delivery – especially since the corona pandemic, more and more people in this country are making cashless payments. However, when it comes to tipping, there are many questions such as: Does the digitally paid money really reach the staff? And how do you tip properly? This this is a crucial income factor in the service area.
Three start-ups from Munich are starting their business here and want to ensure that the service employee actually receives the tip. To do this, they have developed a web app that makes it possible to tip using Apple Pay/Google Pay or a credit card – directly to the service employee’s account. To do this, either a NFC tag touched or scanned a QR code, then selected the desired tip amount and confirmed the payment via Apple Pay, Google Pay or credit card by double-clicking.
Collection service for used glass and returnable bottles
For many people, especially in cities, disposing of returnable bottles, used glass and other recyclables such as paper can easily become a major challenge, as the containers are often far from home. A start-up from Hamburg found a solution here and developed a recycling pick-up service for private individuals and companies. The employees of the start-up collect the recyclables with e-cargo bikes and take them to the appropriate disposal points.
Around 300 restaurants and retailers are now using the pick-up service on a regular basis. This can be used both as a subscription and as a one-time collection. In order to plan the routes sensibly, customers are asked for their zip code during the booking process. Our own software then calculates routes from house to house and to the next free container.
However, the founders do not only focus on the topic of sustainability. Because with the business idea there should also be a social approach tracked: They give half of the proceeds they earn from returning deposit bottles in the supermarket to the homeless.
Daily harvest forecasts
Globally functioning supply chains are important in order to ensure an adequate range of goods. The current war in Ukraine shows us this. Because of this, there were supply bottlenecks in particular for vegetable oil and grain.
A start-up from Würzburg has developed an AI-based application with which daily updated automated harvest forecasts for cultivation areas worldwide are possible. These are made with the help of satellite images and other data generated several times a week and compared to other available estimates.