BUILDING BUSINESSES THAT COULD OPERATE WITHOUT PHYSICAL CONTACT

The Contactless Business Programme was developed by TAC Foundation during the COVID-19 period.

Lockdowns and social-distancing restrictions made conventional ways of working, selling and serving customers difficult or impossible. TAC Foundation responded by helping people develop business ideas that could continue operating without face-to-face physical contact.

The central challenge was: HOW CAN YOU CREATE, SELL AND DELIVER VALUE WITHOUT HAVING TO MEET YOUR CUSTOMER FACE TO FACE?

Participants developed businesses that could operate from home or remotely, including digital businesses, online services, home-based businesses, remotely ordered products, products sent through dispatch riders, courier-delivered products, contactless food businesses, doorstep deliveries, designated collection arrangements, remote professional services, online education, coaching, training, consultancy, creative products, non-food businesses and digitally delivered products and services.

Food was only one example. The programme encouraged participants to redesign the entire customer journey: market remotely, receive enquiries remotely, take orders remotely, receive payment remotely, produce or fulfil from home where appropriate, deliver through dispatch riders or couriers, deliver digital services online and use safe contactless collection or delivery.

At the time, TAC Foundation deliberately called this CONTACTLESS BUSINESS. Today, many of those same principles would be described as remote business, online business, digitally enabled business, home-based business, e-commerce and remote service delivery.

The programme was designed to help people adapt, remain economically active, create income opportunities, innovate, continue trading and start new businesses despite lockdown restrictions.