Leaning into DIY: How Your Business Can Take Advantage of This Rising Trend

Between the limitations of social distancing and the restrictions on normal business operations, consumers may have more time on their hands than in the past. With many businesses looking for creative approaches to replace the revenue they’ve lost from regular business disruption, some have discovered a market for DIY kits and services that give consumers the tools and materials they need to tackle certain projects and services on their own.

Local businesses continue to discover new outlets for serving their customers and overcoming the limitations created by the public health crisis. Here are just a few examples of services that have seen high demand among local customers, creating a new brand experience to help businesses weather this period of economic uncertainty.

RESTAURANT MEAL PREP KITS

Many restaurants across the company have turned to take-home meal kits to supplement their loss of in-person dining—and to give their loyal customers access to menu items and drinks that they can’t currently enjoy in a restaurant.

These meal prep kits can include take-and-bake items, such as lasagna, as well as other items from the restaurant menu that may not travel well as a takeout item. Nacho and salad prep kits, for example, can be provided to customers with easy instructions for assembling their favorite menu items at home.

Some restaurants are even selling DIY kits for specialty items like mimosas. Even if alcohol sales aren’t permitted for your local restaurants, those businesses can sell their specialty mixer ingredients to generate some profit off of drink sales, and to help you enjoy your favorite beverage at home.

DIY HOME CLEANING PACKAGES

The public health crisis has elevated sanitation concerns among many consumers. But those worries over cleanliness have come at a time when some in-home cleaning services have been restricted—and when consumers are more worried than ever about the risk of having service professionals enter their home.

Some cleaning services have responded to this sudden demand by creating DIY cleaning kits that feature appropriate cleaning solutions to sanitize your home. Two Bettys cleaning services in Minneapolis, Minnesota has launched a “Back to Business” cleaning kit that comes with all of the cleaning products required to keep your home safe and clean.

Customers can even receive video-based training to ensure they’re using those cleaning products properly. In the absence of in-home cleaning, this has become a valuable source of revenue for the business.

AT-HOME CAKE AND COOKIE KITS

Local bakeries may still be able to sell their products with certain health and safety prescriptions, but some have noticed increased customer demand for immersive baking experiences. With families seeking out entertainment options to help them pass the time, some local bakeries have introduced cake and cookie decorating kits that give their customers everything they need to create a beautiful, professional-looking DIY dessert.

These kits come with the ingredients and any special tools required to create cakes and cookies from scratch. For kids forced to adapt their birthday celebrations to the demands of social distancing, this interactive activity could be a thrilling surprise.

DIY INTERIOR DESIGN CRAFTING

Social distancing and stay-at-home orders have sparked a dramatic rise in home improvement and interior design projects—and many homeowners are choosing to take the DIY approach. While online video tutorials are a useful resource to help master the steps of various DIY projects, some companies are putting together special home improvement and interior design kits that provide the necessary supplies for new features in your home.

These kits not only provide step-by-step instructions for affordable new creations, but they can give consumers access to building materials that may be difficult to come by—especially if your access to local stores is limited.

BECOME A DIY PARTNER FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

In normal circumstances, increased DIY activity could be seen as a threat to certain local business models. But given the challenges both businesses and their customers are facing in this public health crisis, DIY experiences can be a great option to address your customers’ current needs and improve overall customer service.

If your business is offering new DIY services, you need a strategy to promote them to existing customers as well as an audience of potential new customers. Let Cox Media help you build a strategy that advertises your recent changes to a local audience.