Time is the most valuable, irreplaceable resource. This is particularly acute during these times of rapid changes. This is the main factor that made online businesses so relevant and successful.
Nowadays, almost every regular business has moved online entirely or partially. Any brand not only has its website but also permanent presence and activity in social networks has become a mandatory rule (regardless of whether the specifics of the business are generally related to communication with the client or not.)
So, let’s observe some business fields, which not only have their online counterparts or online versions but also completely changed after moving online. It is fascinating, how along with it, our everyday lives have changed too.
1. Mobile Banking
A modern customer of a bank does not have to go to the bank to receive services. The mobile banking system allows you to enjoy bank services via the Internet. You can transfer money, replenish your account, and even open a deposit remotely with the help of a smartphone.
In addition to mobile apps designed to facilitate customer access to physically existing banks, innovative banking products are being developed. This is about the internet-only banks – that is, without physical bank branches.
One of the first “virtual” financial institutions is the American first security bank, which began its activities back in 1995. In about a year and a half, his assets reached $40 million and the number of open accounts – $10 000.
Also Read: Must-Haves When Starting an Online Business
2. Carsharing Services
Carsharing is on the rise these days. It is believed that millennials prefer to rent everything and own nothing. It is not surprising that the carsharing model is considered extremely auspicious and timely.
Carsharing is a per-minute car rental for short-term trips within a settlement. The service is intended for people who need a vehicle only for a limited time to get to a specific place.
Unlike standard car rental, car sharing via mobile apps is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can rent a car and return it any day and time of the day, while rental companies accept customers only during business hours.
The bottom line is that the process of booking and returning vehicles is fully automated. You can rent a car for several minutes, hours, days in just a couple of clicks, using the mobile app, and return it similarly.
Car return during carsharing can occur anywhere with the parking closest to the client, while in case of using a rental company, the customer must bring the car at the place where he or she rented it.
3. Online Booking
Online booking of whatever – trains, planes, hotels, concerts, exhibitions, cinema, any other events – is actually the same as regular booking, but much easier. Now, it is hard to imagine that buying a plane ticket bypassing the human factor and with no need to go to the ticket office is a relatively new opportunity.
The client is only required to fill out a form and provide information about himself: name, contacts, type of bank card with which payment will be made, its number. First, money on the card is blocked, but when the client confirms that all fields of the form are filled out correctly, they are deducted from the account.
According to stats, only concerning hotel reservations, the share of online bookings in the total sales of travel services is about 70% in the US and more than 40% in Western Europe. For incidental, impulse, or just urgent purchases (for example, concerts, festivals, games) this share is even more significant.
Also Read: 4 Ways to Make Your Social Media Posts Seen
4. Online Divorce
Undoubtedly, legal services remain to be the prerogative of the state apparatus. However, some related businesses move online too.
For example, some private providers allow getting all the needed court forms without attending the clerk’s office and interacting with the court staff and tonnes of papers.
Online divorce is one of the most rapidly developing of such businesses. Using the help of one of the numerous online drafting services, one can get the completed divorce paperwork kit and avoid annoying bureaucracy issues at all. Besides, in many US states, electronic filing for divorce is also available. So, you can get divorced entirely online if your divorce case is simple enough.
For more complicated cases, there are plenty of legal firms which also provide online assistance and legal advice.
5. Distance Education
Interest in distance education has been growing in recent years, but a real boom is yet to come.
Studies show that in ten years, the number of students in the world will double. In addition, the education market will have to adapt to the needs of people born in the digital age, focusing on technology. Online education seems to be a logical solution.
The indisputable advantage of distance learning courses, training, lectures, and online universities is that education can be obtained at any time and with no linking to a specific location. Mobility gives freedom of choice, inclusiveness, and comfort: all you need to start the process is a convenient room with wi-fi and your favorite gadget.
Among online educational platforms providing mass open online courses are such well-known projects as Coursera, EdX, FutureLearn, Prometheus. Most modules are developed by reputable universities as analogues of offline education. The courses offered are varied, materials are available free of charge, and they can purchase a certificate of completion for about $40-$90.
Also Read: Hyperlocal Business Model – The New Entrepreneurial Buzzword
6. Online Media
Online media beat the classical press in the competition for many parameters: efficiency, multimedia, inclusiveness, ease of access, and, most importantly, the flow rate of information.
It responds to severe incidents within half an hour. After 30 minutes, you can read and see, make your own judgment.
There are a lot of doubts about the reliability and objectivity of information and the exclusivity and quality of the content itself. Both users and creators of this content are aware of this — however, the consumer votes by their actions.