Recently, my son Zac (23 years old) was hunting for a birthday present for my 16 year old daughter, Belle.

He sent me a photo of two records:

Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis and Patti Smith’s Horses.

Both on vinyl.

‘Which one would she like better?’ he asked.

I told him Patti Smith.

‘What! She’s into that already?’ he replied. ‘I thought she was a Swiftie!’

It’s so strange to think that in this digital age, I have a teenage daughter who’d rather listen to a 1970s rock singer than Taylor Swift, and who wants music on vinyl, the same format I was buying at her age in the 1980s!

Youngsters are snapping up old formats right now. Vinyl has grown for nineteen years in a row in the United States, where it passed a billion dollars in sales in 2025. Last year in Britain, vinyl sales were up around 18% in a single year.

Even cassettes have made a comeback!

Zac himself owns a CD player. His headphones are old fashioned wired ones, rather than ‘earbuds’ with those retro orange foam earpieces I remember from my own youth.

It’s not just music. Lately, I keep spotting old arcade games in pubs, Space Invaders built into a tabletop, or Street Fighter II, just like the ones I fed my coins into as a lad.

And I’ve been amazed to see kids wandering around London dressed head to toe in 90s fashions, as though the last thirty years never happened. Not only that but 80s, 70s and 60s fashions are still big too. A

Funny how these things come around, isn’t it?

We assume hot trends will always be found in the new. The latest gadget, the newest innovation, the next big thing. But there is good money to be made from the old, as it comes back into fashion again.

These days, nostalgia is all the rage. An example is the recent buzz about a new book, featured in the Guardian, that collects images of vintage ice cream and lolly wrappers.

The Fab Effect

A few years ago, Jonny Trunk, (a writer, DJ and record-label owner) was granted access to the home of a hoarder who spent his life gathering British ephemera…. fizzy-drink cans, sweet wrappers, crisp packets, cereal boxes, flyers and cigarette cards.

Trunk curated his favourites and published Wrappers Delight (with a foreword by Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker), a book which gathered more than 500 British sweet and drink wrappers from the 1960s to the 80s.

Trunk has followed this up with a selection of wrappers from 1970s ice lollies. Fancy an Ice Cream was published this year and includes images of Fabs, Mini Milks and Nobbly Bobblies, alongside long-forgotten oddities featuring Elvis, the Daleks, and Fonzie from Happy Days.

The acclaimed film director Edgar Wright has even declared it his ‘dream book’. People like him are so excited because these wrappers take a certain generation back to a very particular childhood.

‘Summer in England was always a brilliant time,’ Trunk says, ‘and these wrappers are symbolic of that joy. They reflect that throwaway happiness of getting an ice cream. Because when I was growing up, it was a real treat. We were lucky if we got one. I used to have to beg for 5p to get a Fizz Bang.’

This is not the only example of people turning nostalgic ephemera into popular products…

Back in 2000, bookshop owner Stuart Manley and his wife Mary bought a bunch of Keep Calm and Carry On wartime motivational poster at auction. These drew so much attention that the couple began reproducing their own copies. Within a decade, that poster was absolutely everywhere. On mugs, tea towels, cushions, you name it.

Here in 2026 you can see this trend for nostalgia spreading across a wide range of cultural artefacts.

• Polaroid cameras are back, and workshops on film photography are booming, teaching a new generation about exposure, film types and darkroom developing. Here’s a Google trends chart showing searches for ‘film photography’ in the past 5 years.

• Board games are popular again – the global market is worth 17 billion dollars, heading for 30 billion by 2031. People are actively turning away from screens and back towards the kitchen table, and premium editions with fancy pieces and printed boxes now sell for 18% more than standard ones, often selling out within weeks.

• The retro toy market is growing – the retro toy market hit 1.2 billion dollars in 2025 and is tipped to grow 15% in a year, with searches for vintage toys up 40%. Toy makers have cottoned on, and now sell premium reissues aimed squarely at the grown-up who always wanted that toy as a child and could not have it. Here’s a chart showing the increase in searches for ‘90s toys’ in the past 5 years.

• People are seeking out old video games - The market for old consoles and classic titles is growing at around 10% a year, roughly double the rate of the modern gaming market. Analysts expect it to double again, to around 8.5 billion dollars, by 2033. There has been a craze for the classics of the 8-bit and 16-bit era. Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog. Here’s a chart of the global search on Google for ‘retro games’.

• Vintage clothing is all the rage – thanks to apps like Vinted, which make it quick and easy to buy and sell second hand clothes, this market is booming, driven by financial pressures in the cost of living crisis. The secondhand and vintage clothing market has become a genuine monster, worth around 257 billion dollars worldwide in 2025 and forecast to reach nearly 400 billion by 2030. It is growing three to four times faster than ordinary high-street retail. Just look at the UK trend for the search term ‘Vinted’.

• Old fashioned phones are back – to try and wean themselves off social media addictions, endless distraction and depressing rolling newsfeeds, people are trading their smartphones for old-fashioned “dumbphones,” with sales of basic flip phones booming and Nokia bringing back its classic handsets.

Here’s a chart of increasing searches on google for ‘Dumb phone’.

As you can see, there’s a growing appetite for the past, spread across music, games, toys, clothes, phones and much more besides.

And there are TWO huge audiences…

Why Nostalgia is for Both the Young and Old

The first market is the older generation, including:

• The baby boomers - those in their sixties, seventies and beyond, who are remembering their lives in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This is the world of ice-lolly wrappers, old sweets, seaside holidays, classic cars and wartime memories. For example, the man in his sixties hunting down the football stickers he had as a boy or the couple who dig out the records they courted to

• Generation X, now in their forties and fifties, who are nostalgic for the late 70s, 80s and early 90s. They want to remember the arcade games, the toys, the telly and the raves. Right now, the 80s revival is in full swing, and has been for a while. Generation X have the money and the memories, and programmes like Stranger Things have carried the decade to a whole new audience.

This is the market you’d expect to indulge in nostalgia. People tend to grow wistful for the world of their childhood when they have time to look back, and sense that the world has moved on from the one they grew up in.

But younger people are also a market.

• Millennials, in their thirties and early forties, who pine for the 90s are now entering their nostalgia years, and they are reaching for the toys, games, music and fashion of their youth.

• Gen Z, the twenty-somethings who love the Y2K era, along with the look and feel of the late 90s and early 2000s. The clunky early technology, the fashions, the music of a world just before the smartphone took over.

For young people, nostalgia can be for a time they didn’t actually experienced.

It’s known as anemoia.

A teenager today may feel a fondness for the 1990s or early 2000s, an era they know only through films, photographs and their parents’ stories.

They romanticise it… they dress in its clothes… listen to its music… play its games, and imagine it as a simpler, time than the one they live in… in other words they pine for a way of living that they feel they have been robbed of.

Even the 2010s are coming back.

In early 2026 a craze swept social media under the banner ‘2026 is the new 2016’. Young people began romanticising the middle of the last decade… the era of Tumblr, early Instagram and grainy filtered photos… a more innocent internet before the algorithms and the AI took hold.

In an age of streaming. downloads and AI, people increasingly crave something they can hold, see and display at home. Something solid and tactile in a world that feels increasingly fake and fleeting.

So it’s no accident that the vinyl, the film cameras and the flip phones are booming at the same moment that screen fatigue, digital detoxing and AI anxiety are at their peak.

This is why I’m releasing this trend report now.

There Are Multiple Opportunities to
Profit from Looking Back

There is a huge opportunity here to create a home business or service that taps into the retro boom.

And it isn’t simply about selling retro and second hand products.

But also products that celebrate old eras, films, music and fashion, including t-shirts, mugs, phone cases…

And sources of information that help take people back to older times, like books, newsletters, dedicated social media feeds and yes, Substacks!

What you choose will depend on your levels of free time, your skills and interests, and your starting budget.

They include:

Info-publishing

You could create a book (physical or digital) or run a nostalgia newsletter, website or Substack.

Pick a particular era, a particular place, or a particular theme, and become a go-to voice for it.

For example…

• ‘Do you remember’ eBooks and books, sliced by decade, by region, or by subject, detailing the old sweets, the telly, the toys, the seaside holidays, the school days.

• A local history newsletter, capturing what it was like growing up in a particular town in a certain time.

• Nostalgia quiz and trivia books, the ‘how well do you remember’ format that people love.

Or you could create rewatch and relisten guides, curated lists and retro gift guides.

Collectables and ephemera

You could curate and resell vintage ephemera, wrappers, packaging, postcards, tickets, magazines and catalogues that people love, sourced cheaply from eBay, car boots, house clearances and estate sales.

Or turn that ephemera into new products, framed prints, greetings cards, wrapping paper, posters, tea towels, coasters, calendars, jigsaws and fridge magnets.

There is also the booming craft world of junk journalling, where you sell curated packs of vintage or vintage-style paper, either physically or as printable downloads..

The public-domain

A vast treasure trove of old images, adverts, illustrations and photographs has fallen out of copyright and into the public domain, which means it is free for anyone to use.

Sites like archive.org, along with public-domain libraries and old magazines, are stuffed with the stuff.

You can take these images and repackage them into printables, wall art, digital download packs, colouring books and print-on-demand products. Your cost of goods is close to nothing, and your margins are wonderful.

Physical products and print-on-demand

You could sell retro-slogan and retro-design goods, the ‘born in the 70s’ mugs, the decade tees, the retro-sweet-themed gifts.

Or put together nostalgia gift boxes and hampers, a bundle of retro sweets, a mixtape, a ‘year you were born’ collection, sold as a one-off or a subscription.

You could even go into personalised nostalgia, which people pay a premium for, a print of ‘the day you were born’, a bespoke picture of someone’s childhood street, an era-specific memory book made just for them.

You don’t need to invest in stock either. With print-on-demand, the product is only made when someone orders it, and it is posted out for you.

The analogue-revival

This is where you tap into the backlash against screens and digital devices.

As we have seen, the old physical formats are roaring back, the CDs, cassettes, vinyl, film cameras, board games, wired headphones and digital cameras.

You could source and sell these second hand, offer repair services or create content and products around f it.

Community, experiences and services

You could build nostalgia-themed communities and Facebook groups, and run quiz nights, retro discos and decade parties.

You could go into reminiscence work, providing nostalgia products and sessions for care homes and dementia support, a meaningful, growing and often fundable niche that does real good.

Or you could offer digitising and preserving services, converting people’s fading old photos, cine film, VHS tapes and slides into something they can keep, and turning their memories into beautiful books.

Perhaps you could even write people’s memoirs with the help of AI.

Let’s look at some of the products out there already…

What’s Selling In the Retro Market

eBay is full of nostalgic products. Searches for retro and vintage items run into the millions. And some fetch prices that would make your eyes water.

Old video games and consoles, the things our mums threw out, now change hands for serious money. A boxed, original Game Boy. A sealed Super Mario cartridge. Retro Nintendo, Sega and Atari machines.

Vintage clothing flies off the site, with buyers hunting down the exact styles of the 70s, 80s and 90s. So do old toys, from Star Wars figures to Sindy dolls to Transformers. So do vinyl records, film cameras, retro home computers, old advertising signs, vintage tins, and a thousand other bits of ephemera.

Meanwhile, Etsy is home to millions of buyers seeking:

• Retro-style prints and posters.

• Nostalgic greetings cards.

• Reproductions of old advertisements and travel posters.

• Personalised gifts built around a particular year or decade.

• Vintage-style homeware, tea towels and mugs.

• Reworked and up-cycled vintage clothing.

• Raw material for ‘junk journalling’, where people make beautiful scrapbooks out of vintage paper, tickets, labels and ephemera.

Etsy also sells digital products like vintage-style wall art, printable retro posters, old maps and botanical prints, reproduction advertisements,.

On Amazon, retro sweets are doing a roaring trade, like tubs and hampers of childhood favourites like Sherbet Fountains, Flying Saucers and Wham bars, sold as birthday and Christmas gifts.

Mini arcade machines and handheld retro consoles, preloaded with the old 8-bit and 16-bit games, sell well.

So do reproduction retro items of every kind, the old-style telephones, the jukeboxes, the vintage-look radios, the Roberts-style sets, the diner clocks and enamel signs.

Then there is the huge world of retro-themed gifts and merchandise, much of it print-on-demand.

• ‘Born in the 80s’ t-shirts and mugs.

• Decade birthday cards

• ‘year you were born’ gifts

• Retro-slogan hoodies, tote bags, coasters and posters.

• Nostalgic homeware and wall art.

There are also independent eCommerce sites like Retrofied which sells:

• Consoles

• Gifts & Gadgets

• Case Wraps

• Reproduction Badges & Labels

• CTRLDock Decals & Skins

• Posters & Prints

• Arcade Products

• Mugs

• Decorative Decals & Stickers

• T-shirts

It’s not just products that are doing well…

Information Services In the Nostalgia Market

A hugely popular social media account called ‘Scarred for Life’ gathers and shares content about the dark, scary, and weird pop culture of the 70s and 80s, like public information films, adverts, cult TV shows, comics, toys, and playground crazes

It has built up a massive following, with over 60,000 followers on X, over 32,000 on Instagram, and also sparked a successful podcast. Now it’s also trilogy of physical books, like this one:

There’s blog called Curious British Telly It’s been going since 2012 and – tellingly – it is now on Substack too, and already has over 1,000 subscribers!

Michael Johnston is a curator of British nostalgia who runs a website and creates bestselling books. This one below – A 1980s Childhood has over 1000 Amazon reviews and is still selling well despite being almost 15 years old.

His blurb says: “Do you remember trying to solve the Rubik’s cube whilst dressed in your He-Man pyjamas? Did you try to make ‘cool’ sound effects with your mouth like Jones from Police Academy?”

There’s also Robert Opie. As a teenager in the 1960s he started keeping cereal boxes, the sweet wrappers, the tins and labels. Over a lifetime his collection grew to more than half a million items, and in 1984 he opened a museum for it in Notting Hill (museumofbrands.com).

He has produced twenty books along the way, including Remember When, Sweet Memories, Rule Britannia and The Graphic Design Sourcebook.

There’s a collection of his products here: https://www.robertopiecollection.com/

It now numbers over half a million items, and includes vintage phones and record players, along with:

• Metal Signs

• Postcards

• Shaped Postcards

• Fridge Magnets

• Coasters

• Books

• Memo Boards

• Prints

• Storage Tins

• Posters

• Mugs

• Aprons

Also check out:

· The Retro Millennial by Dan Scott, on retro gaming and vintage computing, with thousands of subscribers and its own podcast.

· The Retroist (retroist.com), a retro podcast and newsletter.

There is also a cottage industry of hyper-niche websites, like Goto 10 Retro for Atari enthusiasts, or The Retrologist by Rolando Pujol, who documents vanishing retro American signage and shopfronts.

But before we go any further….

AN IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTE

For a retro business you will inevitably deal in old images, designs, logos, characters, photographs, songs.

But just because something is decades old, it is not necessarily free to use.

Even a 1970s sweet wrapper, vintage advert, classic album cover, or 1950s logo might be copyright protected. Reproducing these without permission, and selling the result, could land you in trouble.

• Do not use company logos and brand names or famous characters, from Mickey Mouse to Sonic the Hedgehog to the Daleks.

• Do not copy album covers, film posters or book jackets.

• Do not lift photographs that someone else took, even old ones, unless you are certain they are free to use.

• Do not sell ‘fan art’ of copyrighted characters and assume you are safe, because you are not.

The good news is that there’s vast world of material you can use, freely and safely, and it is more than enough to build a business on.

‘Public domain’ means material whose copyright has expired, so that it belongs to everybody and anybody may use it.

As a rough guide, in the UK copyright generally lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years, which means a great deal of genuinely old material, Victorian and Edwardian illustrations, old botanical and scientific prints, vintage maps, old advertisements from the 1800s and early 1900s, classic artworks, is now free for you to use, adapt and sell.

Websites like archive.org, the Public Domain Review, Wikimedia Commons, and the free collections of libraries and museums are treasure troves of this stuff, all clearly marked and ready to go.

There are a few other safe routes too.

• You can create your own original designs ‘in the style of’ an era, capturing the look and feel of the 70s or the 80s without copying anything specific.

• You can use images you have properly licensed, or bought from a stock site with the right permissions.

• You can sell vintage originals second-hand, the actual old wrapper or record or annual, because reselling a real object you own is perfectly legal, even if reproducing its design is not.

• You can always seek permission, or a licence, from whoever owns something, though for a small operator that is usually more trouble than it is worth.

Stick to genuinely public-domain material and to your own original retro-style creations, and you can operate with peace of mind.

If you are unsure about a particular item, especially anything to do with a big brand, take proper advice before you spend money or start selling.

SUBTRENDS AND NICHES

1. Nostalgia by Decade

Pick a decade, know it inside out, and serve the people who long for it.

Niche — The 70s

• Audience: Older people, sixties and up, thinking back to their childhood and youth

• Problem: The world they grew up in has vanished, they miss it and want to recapture it.

• Desire: To relive the sights, sounds and tastes of the decade

Niche — The 80s

• Audience: Generation X, now in their fifties, with money to spend

• Problem: They feel wistful for the synths, the toys and the telly of their youth

• Desire: To celebrate and re-collect the decade that shaped them

Niche — The 90s

• Audience: Millennials in their thirties and forties, in their prime nostalgia years

• Problem: Their childhood feels like a golden age they cannot get back

• Desire: To reconnect with the music, games and fashion of the 90s

Niche — The Early-2000s

• Audience: Gen Z and younger millennials

• Problem: They romanticise an era just before their time, or their earliest years

• Desire: The look, feel and tech of a world before the smartphone

Example ideas:

• Info-publishing: a decade-specific newsletter or Substack; a ‘do you remember the 70s’ book; a decade quiz and trivia book; a ‘best of the 80s’ rewatch and relisten guide with affiliate links

• Ephemera and repackaging: curated packs of that decade’s wrappers, tickets and magazines; framed prints and calendars of the era’s design

• Public domain: repackaged out-of-copyright imagery from the earlier decades into printables and wall art

• Physical and print-on-demand: ‘born in the 70s’ tees and mugs; decade birthday cards; a decade gift hamper

• Community and services: a decade-themed Facebook group; retro discos and decade parties

2. Place Nostalgia

Local nostalgia is powerful. People long for the town, street, shop and holiday destination of their youth.

Niche — The Hometown

• Audience: People who grew up in a particular town or city

• Problem: The shops, pubs and streets they knew have changed beyond recognition

• Desire: To see and remember their home as it was

Niche —Lost-Britain

• Audience: People who miss the vanished high street, the old shops and cinemas

• Problem: The familiar landmarks of their youth have disappeared

• Desire: To preserve and celebrate what has been lost

Niche —The Seaside

• Audience: People with fond memories of the great British seaside holiday

• Problem: That world of piers, deckchairs and saucy postcards is fading

• Desire: To relive the simple joy of the traditional seaside

Example ideas:

• Info-publishing: a ‘growing up in [town] in the 70s’ local-history book or memoir; a lost-shops-and-pubs newsletter; a local nostalgia quiz book

• Ephemera and repackaging: prints and postcards of old local scenes; framed vintage maps of the town; a calendar of old local photographs

• Public domain: old out-of-copyright town photographs and postcards turned into prints and cards

• Physical and print-on-demand: ‘I remember [town]’ mugs and tote bags; personalised prints of someone’s childhood street

• Community and services: a ‘memories of [town]’ Facebook group; local reminiscence talks and events

3. Nostalgia by Theme

Instead of a decade or a place, you look at a specific subject or media type.

Niche — Sweets and Food

• Audience: Anyone who remembers the treats and tastes of childhood

• Problem: So many beloved sweets, snacks and drinks are long gone

• Desire: To taste, see and reminisce about the food of their youth

Niche —Old-Telly and Film

• Audience: People nostalgic for the programmes and films they grew up on

• Problem: The shows of their childhood feel forgotten

• Desire: To celebrate and revisit the telly of the past

Niche —Vintage Toys and Games

• Audience: People who cherish the toys and games of their youth

• Problem: Their childhood playthings are long thrown out

• Desire: To rediscover, collect and celebrate them

Niche — Old-Adverts and Packaging

• Audience: Design lovers and nostalgics drawn to vintage graphics

• Problem: The everyday design of the past is being lost

• Desire: To preserve and enjoy the look of a bygone age

Example ideas:

• Info-publishing: a ‘sweets we loved’ book or newsletter; a classic-telly trivia book; a curated ‘greatest toys of the 80s’ rundown with affiliate links

• Ephemera and repackaging: framed prints of old wrappers, adverts and packaging; greetings cards and jigsaws from vintage graphics; tea towels and coasters

• Public domain: out-of-copyright vintage advertising turned into wall art and download packs

• Physical and print-on-demand: retro-sweet hampers; theme-based decade gifts; toy-inspired retro-slogan tees

• Community and services: a themed collectors’ Facebook group; quiz nights built around old telly or sweets

4. Ephemera and Repackaging

This is the art of taking the throwaway scraps of the past and turning them into things people treasure.

Niche — The Ephemera Curator and Reseller

• Audience: Collectors and nostalgics hunting for the genuine old article

• Problem: The wrappers, tickets and postcards they want are scattered and hard to find

• Desire: To buy authentic pieces of the past, curated and ready

Niche — The Junk Journal and Craft Crowd

• Audience: The booming community of crafters and scrapbookers

• Problem: They need a steady supply of vintage and vintage-style paper

• Desire: Beautiful ephemera packs to make their journals and collages

Niche — The Retro Print and Homeware Buyer

• Audience: People who want the look of the past on their walls and shelves

• Problem: They love vintage design but cannot find or afford originals

• Desire: Affordable prints, cards and homeware with a nostalgic feel

Example ideas:

• Ephemera: curated lots sourced from car boots and clearances; framed prints, wrapping paper, calendars and fridge magnets made from vintage material

• Public domain: printable junk-journal packs and digital ephemera downloads built from out-of-copyright paper (remember, Cottagecore ephemera searches were up 240% in a year)

• Physical and print-on-demand: retro-design tea towels, coasters and posters

• Info-publishing: a ‘how to start junk journalling’ guide or course; a newsletter for ephemera collectors

5. The Analogue Revival

This is where you tap straight into the backlash against screens. Old physical formats are roaring back, and much of the demand comes from people far too young to remember them first time around.

Niche — The Vinyl and Physical Format Fan

• Audience: Music lovers, young and old, buying vinyl, CDs and cassettes again

• Problem: Streaming feels weightless, and they crave something to hold and own

• Desire: The ritual and warmth of physical music

Niche — The Film Photography Convert

• Audience: Mostly younger people drawn to old cameras and film

• Problem: Digital photos feel throwaway, and they want something real

• Desire: To shoot, develop and hold actual photographs

Niche — The Boardgame and Tabletop Revivalist

• Audience: Families and young people turning back to games around a table

• Problem: They are tired of screens and want proper time together

• Desire: The fun and connection of analogue play

Niche — The Analogue Hobby Beginner

• Audience: Young people entering these hobbies with no idea where to start

• Problem: They do not know which player to buy, where to find records, or how to care for it all

• Desire: A friendly guide to getting started

Example ideas:

• Info-publishing: a ‘getting started with vinyl’ guide; a film-photography beginners’ course; a newsletter reviewing the best board games; relisten guides and gear round-ups with affiliate income

• Analogue-revival crossover: sourcing and reselling second-hand records, cassettes, cameras and consoles; a repair or servicing sideline for turntables and cameras; curated mixtapes and personalised compilations

• Physical and print-on-demand: analogue-themed merchandise, ‘long live vinyl’ tees, mixtape-design cards and prints

• Community and services: a record-swap or listening-club community; retro-gaming and board-game meet-ups

6. Nostalgia Gifting and Personalisation

Nostalgia makes the perfect present, and people will always pay more for something made just for them. This is print-on-demand and personalisation territory, ideal for a beginner with no stock.

Niche — The Milestone Birthday

• Audience: People buying for a 40th, 50th, 60th or beyond

• Problem: They want a present that feels personal and meaningful, not generic tat

• Desire: A gift that celebrates the year and era the person was born

Niche — The ‘Year You Were Born’

• Audience: Anyone marking a birthday, anniversary or special year

• Problem: Ordinary gifts feel flat and forgettable

• Desire: Something that captures a specific year in a person’s life

Niche — The Nostalgic Treat

• Audience: People wanting to give a hit of pure childhood joy

• Problem: Modern gifts do not carry the warm glow of the past

• Desire: To give the sweets, tastes and treats of someone’s youth

Niche — The Personalised Memory

• Audience: People wanting something bespoke and heartfelt

• Problem: Mass-produced gifts feel impersonal

• Desire: A one-of-a-kind piece built around a person’s own life

Example ideas:

• Physical and print-on-demand: ‘born in the 80s’ mugs, tees and cards; a print of the number-one song on the day someone was born; a bespoke print of a childhood street; era-specific memory books

• Ephemera and repackaging: a framed newspaper front page or magazine cover from a chosen year; a ‘year you were born’ collage

• Public domain: personalised prints built from out-of-copyright imagery of the right era

• Physical products: retro-sweet hampers and ‘year you were born’ gift boxes, as one-offs or subscriptions

• Info-publishing: a personalised memory book or ‘this was your year’ keepsake, made to order

7. Nostalgia Communities and Experiences

There is money and great reward in bringing people together around a shared past.

Niche — The Online Reminiscer

• Audience: People who love swapping memories and old photos online

• Problem: They want somewhere friendly to share and belong

• Desire: A community of people who remember the same things

Niche —Retro Nights

• Audience: People who enjoy a proper night out built around the past

• Problem: Modern nightlife leaves them cold

• Desire: The music, dress and fun of their favourite decade

Niche —Nostalgia Quizzes

• Audience: People who love testing their memory of the past

• Problem: Ordinary pub quizzes do not scratch the itch

• Desire: A quiz built entirely around the era they love

Example ideas:

• Community and services: a paid or ad-supported nostalgia Facebook group; retro discos, decade parties and themed club nights; nostalgia quiz nights, live or online

• Info-publishing: a nostalgia quiz book or a ‘run your own retro quiz’ pack to sell to hosts

• Physical and print-on-demand: merchandise, decorations and party kits for decade events

• Ephemera and repackaging: themed props, prints and giveaways for retro events

8. Memories and Preservation

This is about helping people hold on to their memories, and helping elderly and vulnerable reconnect with theirs.

Niche — The Reminiscence and Care Market

• Audience: Care homes, dementia support and the families of older people

• Problem: Older and vulnerable people can become isolated and lose touch with their past

• Desire: Tools and sessions that spark memory, comfort and connection

Niche — The Family Memorykeeper

• Audience: People wanting to capture a parent’s or grandparent’s life story

• Problem: The stories and voices will be lost if nobody records them

• Desire: To preserve a life before it is too late

Niche — The Old Media Hoarder

• Audience: People with boxes of fading photos, slides, cine film and VHS tapes

• Problem: The memories are trapped on formats they can no longer play, and slowly rotting

• Desire: To rescue and preserve them for good

Example ideas:

• Community and services: reminiscence sessions and products for care homes and dementia groups; a digitising service for old photos, slides, cine film, VHS and cassettes; turning people’s memories into beautifully made books

• Info-publishing: a ‘capture your family’s story’ guide; a memory-prompt journal; a ‘how to record your life’ workbook; memoir writing service.

• Ephemera and repackaging: bespoke memory books and photo restorations; framed keepsakes from old family material

• Physical and print-on-demand: printed memory books, photo calendars and keepsake prints made from a family’s own images

First Steps: How to spot the next retro trend

To tap into a thriving market with high demand and lowish competition, try to spot resurgent fads and fashions before they hit the mainstream.

Here are a few pointers…

• Look at Old Cultural Cycles: Trends often move in cycles, so studying past cycles can provide insights into what might resurface next. Look at trends from 20-30 years ago (or even further).

• Keep an Eye on Movie and TV events - Many of the nostalgia trends seem to be generated by major films and shows, so look for anything set in the past and anything that comes with a retro soundtrack,

• Monitor Social Media: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest can offer early signals of emerging trends. Reddit hosts thousands of communities (subreddits) on nearly every conceivable topic. Trending topics on Reddit often become mainstream, making it a valuable resource for spotting emerging trends.

You can also try these tools…

· Exploding Topics - scans the internet to find trending or about-to-trend topics. It covers a wide range of areas, from technology and health to culture and fashion.

· BuzzSumo - The free version allows you to see the most shared content across social media platforms for specific topics or keywords. This can help identify what content is resonating with audiences and spot potential trends.

You should also choose a target age group and relevant nostalgic time period.

People tend to recall more memories from roughly ages 10-30 than from any other period of life. Those years contain the experiences that shape our identity… school, first jobs, first relationships, music, television, fashion obsessions and holidays.

So for someone aged 65 today, that means memories from the 1970s and early 1980s. Or for someone aged 50, that could mean the late 80s and early 90s.

Or you can focus on a specific form of culture or experience as a subject, eg:

• TV and advertising (Tiswas vs Swap Shop… the test card girl… “Shake n’ Vac” )

• Toys and games (the Chopper bike… Space Hoppers… Stylophones)

• Comics and magazines (Jackie, Shoot! the Doctor Who Christmas annual)

• Fashion and style (flares, tank tops. platform shoes, snorkel parkas)

• Food and drink (Frey Bentos pies, Angel Delight, pink custard at school)

• Travel and transport (the Ford Cortina, package holidays to Spain, seaside trips to Margate)

• Architecture and geography (Woolworths pick’n’mix · the red phone boxes, lidos)

• Sport (Grandstand. Dad doing the pools, Ski Sunday)

• Home life (newspaper rounds, power cuts and candles, the milkman)

To stand out, consider going for a subculture or a narrower niche interest. Drilling-down to an ‘ultra-niche’ can give you a unique angle and a smaller market that’s easier to dominate.

For example, ‘70s nostalgia’ is very broad, but ‘the dark side of 70s children’s telly’ is something that turned Scarred for Life into a hit.

So you might look at it a specific subculture like Northern Soul, rockabilly, CB radio, heavy metal, or the rave scene. Or a region like the northeast, coastal towns of the south coast or London.

It could even be a specific object like bus stops, arcades, motorways, or old shop fronts.

The key is to make it narrow enough to stand out – but to have enough of an audience who share those memories, with the potential for sharing plenty content over a long period of time.

For more help, try Chat GPT, Claude or Perplexity.

PROMPT: “I want to build a small business around nostalgia for a particular slice of the past. Here are the things I remember most fondly from my own childhood: [list them]. Suggest 5 target niches with strong demand but not too much competition.”

PROMPT: ‘Find me evidence of retro trends that could make a comeback in 2027 and beyond. Not only fashion. Include toys, games, gadgets, philosophies, ideas, hobbies.’

Or…

PROMPT: ‘Act as my researcher. I want you to go back in time to [YEAR]. Give me a rundown of the top trends of that year.

Follow that up with: ‘Which of those trends and fashions should I consider for revival today for my own products, services and marketing?’

Whatever you do, always think about your target customer. What is it that’s likely to trigger nostalgic feelings in them, based on their cultural experience?

To help you, use this prompt: ‘My target customer is [AGE]. Born in the UK in around [YEAR]. What experiences, trends, fashions, music, film and other cultural ideas might trigger nostalgia in this person?

Above all, I recommend you start with what you love and know, whether it’s 1980s football, or 1970s tv comedy. This will give you an advantage, because your passion will shine through and draw more people in.

Enjoy!

Nick

This is going to sound slightly odd, but…

“What do you KNOW how to do?”

By that, I don’t mean what qualifications you’ve earned…

What letters can you put after your name…

Or what impressive job title you’ve had in the past.

It doesn’t even mean that you’re some kind of expert.

This is not about whether you could confidently stride onto a stage in front of hundreds of people and deliver a detailed three-hour lecture on your chosen subject.

I mean simply:

“What can YOU do that someone else
would like to be able to do?”

Perhaps you can grow fantastic tomatoes in a small space…

Take beautiful landscape photographs…

Restore and upholster old furniture….

Cook amazing vegan cakes…

Play jazz guitar….

These could be hobbies you’ve started recently, or ones you’ve been pursuing for 20 years – it doesn’t matter!

If nothing springs to mind, then let me ask you this instead…

“What have you done in the past?”

It could be something you learned to do at some point in your life - just once - in order to overcome a problem or reach a goal.

For instance, you cleared a big lump of debt…

Researched your family tree…

Trained an unruly rescue dog….

Reduced your cholesterol naturally..

Got fit enough to run a marathon…

Or maybe there’s something you learned to do in your professional life, like using spreadsheets…

Training staff in health and safety…

Catering for large groups of people…

Organising shifts and rotas…

Running a pub, café or restaurant…

And if none of those are lighting up any thoughts in your head, let me ask one more question.

“What are you experiencing in life right now?”

There could be something you’re in the process of doing right now, like a challenge you’re undergoing, a change in your circumstances or a major life experience.

You might be looking after an ageing parent…

Planning for retirement…

Looking for a new job…

Starting a home business…

Learning how to overcome distraction and procrastination.

Investing in gold, cryptos or the stock market.

If so…

There’s potentially a profitable side business sitting, right now, inside your brain!

All you need is to share something that you already know – or can do – which another person would find very helpful to know.

Something where you could offer your own perspective, experience and guidance

So that they can reach the same goal quickly and easily, without any of the worries, hassles and pitfalls.

If you offer that to them, there’s a reasonable chance that they will PAY you.

But you won’t need to sit in front of them to do it.

You could put all that guidance online in the form of a digital training course, so that they access the information automatically, day or night.

Meaning that you could earn a passive income, over and over again, from knowledge you already have.

How does that sound to you?

It might seem too good to be true, but thousands of people are already doing this, and it has never been easier to set something like this up.

Once Difficult, Now Easy…

Until fairly recently, turning what you know into a digital course was a daunting undertaking.

You needed to research it… plan it… structure it…

Then you had to write all the content yourself.

Next, you’d have to work out how to make video presentations…

Not to mention worksheets and downloads.

If that wasn’t enough, you’d have to get all that material onto a good-looking website in a way that a customer could easily access.

That would mean building webpages… coming up with a design… setting up a payment system… creating autoresponder welcome emails…

Even when you’ve done that, there was the challenge of finding potential customers and getting them to actually see your course.

Which meant writing, designing and uploading a sales promotion…

Along with ‘sales funnels’ to draw people in from social media, advertising or Google.

Quite the challenge, right!?

Which is why millions of people who know useful things will never consider creating their own course.

And it’s why many who HAVE tried it have given up at some point.

Just too many moving parts, too many tools, and too many challenging processes.

At some point, they hit a snag and then… GAME OVER.

But that’s all changed.

One reason is that there are now platforms specifically designed for ordinary people with no tech or design skills to create, deliver and market a course.

For instance, Kajabi and Podia are ‘all in one’ solutions that allow you to incorporate a course AND the marketing on one platform.

Or Teachable provides the tools you need to create, deliver and sell your online course without building your own webpages.

These platforms come with readymade templates…

And allow you to add audio, video, pdfs and quizzes at the click of a button, using easy drag-and-drop tools.

So they make course creation very simple.

You don’t need to grapple with lots of apps and plugins, or connect different moving parts together.

It’s now instant, and seamless, and ‘done for you’.

But the biggest change by far is the arrival of AI

Tools like Chat GPT, Gemini and Claude remove the need for skills in research, planning, writing and design.

You can give AI the raw, unformed ideas in your head…

Your experiences… your methodology… your insights… your mistakes…

Then ask it to structure it into a logical course.

Within a matter of minutes it can help you:

• plan the modules

• structure individual lessons

• turn rough notes into readable explanations

• suggest exercises

• create worksheets

• draft quizzes

• help create presentations…

• write summaries…

• and even help with the sales and marketing material.

The major online learning platforms are even building AI directly into their course-creation tools.

Teachable, for example, now uses AI to generate curricula, course content and sales-pages, while Kajabi can generate course outlines, modules and lessons.

So now there’s nothing stopping you.

Except, perhaps, for this major objection…

“BUT I’M NOT AN EXPERT!”

Mention the idea of teaching or training and you might imagine you need to be some sort of world authority.

You absolutely don’t.

For example, let’s imagine you decide tomorrow that you want to start playing golf.

Who could help you?

Well, international golfer Rory McIlroy certainly could.

But so could the friendly bloke at your local club who’s been playing for 25 years and knows exactly how to help a nervous 60-year-old beginner get around 18 holes.

In fact, he may be BETTER suited to the job.

Because he remembers the problems beginners have.

He knows the silly mistakes.

He can explain things simply.

And understands what you actually need to know first when you’re at this early stage.

So you don’t need to be the world’s leading expert.

Quite often you simply need someone who has travelled a little further down the road than another person has.

Ask yourself:

• What do people already ask me for help with?

• What can I do easily today that I once struggled to understand?

• What mistakes have I made that I could help someone else avoid?

And you’ll probably come up with at least ONE idea from this that could potentially become a course.

With AI doing the hard parts for you!

Even then, you might have another doubt in your mind…

“BUT EVERYTHING IS ALREADY
AVAILABLE FREE!”

On the surface, this sounds reasonable.

After all, why would anybody buy a course about photography when YouTube contains thousands of photography videos?

Why pay to learn Excel when Google can find the answer?

Why buy a gardening programme when there are millions of gardening websites?

Why learn anything from you when ChatGPT will answer almost any question in seconds?

Well, the answer is simple.

People aren’t short of information these days.

The bigger problem is that we’re drowning in the stuff.

For instance, suppose you want to learn to take better photographs with your iPhone.

You could spend the next three months watching random YouTube videos.

One might explain exposure.

Another will talk about composition.

Another might review camera apps.

Another could be a 47 minute lecture about something called RAW format.

You disappear down a rabbit hole…

…and at some point realise you know considerably more about image sensors but your photographs are still rubbish.

Truth is, there is so much information out there, it’s hard to know what to choose, who to trust and how to get guidance from an actual human that’s ‘like them’ and who knows their struggles.

People want someone relatable and genuine to take them through the essential steps without jargon… without bland platitudes…without hidden agendas or bias.

For example, if someone said to that person:

“Give me two hours and I’ll show you the seven things that will make the biggest difference to your photographs.”

Then they’d feel relief – finally, someone who will personally show them what they needed to know!

Even better if you then said,

“I’ll take you through it step by step, in easy-to-follow instructions, from start to finish, so that you can get results immediately”.

This is why, when online course platform Teachable surveyed students recently, 66% of them said that clear milestones and progress tracking were the biggest factors helping them actually finish a course.

So the widespread availability of AI has not killed off digital courses.

Quite the contrary…

The e-learning market has grown by 900% since 2000 and is projected to grow 14% each year.

Leading online course platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX have reported an exponential growth in enrolment.

And the MOOC market (Massive Open Online Courses) has a projected annual growth rate of 32% for the next two years.

This is because AI can NEVER replace real human knowledge.

Yes, ChatGPT knows more facts than any of us ever will.

Ask it how to grow tomatoes and it can tell you.

Ask it about photography and it can tell you.

Ask it about Excel and it can probably explain a formula before you’ve finished typing the question.

But there’s something AI doesn’t automatically have.

There’s No Substitute for
Real, Lived Experience

AI draws from a general well of knowledge, based on what it has learned online.

It cannot replace your lived experience.

The things you’ve tried…

The things that went wrong….

The shortcuts you discovered…

The traps you fell into…

The times when the official advice didn’t quite work…

The little techniques you’ve developed…

And it cannot replicate your unique identity, which is made up of so many elements…

Your opinions…

Your judgement…

Your strengths and flaws..

Your sense of humour…

Your particular way of explaining something.

This is becoming more important as the internet fills with cheap, generic information.

So this is a great opportunity for you.

Because you could take years of knowledge that is sitting inside your head, and turn into something unique, in-demand and that has a paying audience.

It’s especially true if you’re in your 50s, 60s or beyond.

Because you have something a 22-year-old cannot possess.

You’ve loved a long time, so you’ve made lots of mistakes… and solved lots of problems…

You’re tried new things – failed at some, succeeded at others.

You’ve had relationships, worked with difficult people and perhaps raised a family.

You’ve had jobs and a career…

You’ve made money and lost money.

You’ve endured hardship…

And probably you’ve discovered that quite a lot of what you were confidently told when you were younger turned out to be complete nonsense.

So your experience could save another person months of frustration, dead ends and heart-ache.

It could stop them from making an expensive mistake.

It could help them achieve something that has been frustrating them for years.

And it’s likely that they will be perfectly happy to pay you for that help.

Here’s How to Find that Hidden Course Within You

If you like the idea of turning what you know into a passive income from your own digital course, here’s what I’d like you to do this weekend.

Just take ten minutes with a piece of paper.

Write down:

1. What have I become good at?

2. What do friends, colleagues or family ask me for advice about?

3. What have I learned at some point in my life?

4. What problem have I solved for myself that other people still struggle with?

5. What could I teach a complete beginner to do?

And one final question…

What do I know now that I desperately wish somebody had taught ME 10 or 20 years ago?

If you come up with any potential ideas, do send them over - I’d be fascinated to see what you come up with!

Best regards

Nick

I’ve reached a strange point in my life.

My parents are both well into their eighties.

They’re still going strong but inevitably getting frailer… and needing a bit more looking after than they’d admit to.

Meanwhile, my own children have become adults.

One of them is finishing University and the other is applying to go there next year!

Which means that I’m somewhere in the middle.

So it feels like I’ve got a lot of responsibility, suddenly.

I find myself worrying about my mum and dad.

Are they secure? Are their financial affairs sorted? What will happen when they pass away

But then I’m also thinking about my kids.

Will they need support with finding a flat, or living in an expensive city with a meagre salary?

So I’m right there in the middle of two generations!

Then I catch myself thinking about my own end of things.

Because I turn 59 next year and I’m going to be moving up into that older generation soon.

It won’t be long before my kids are having these same anxious thoughts about me.

It’s a little unsettling, if I’m honest.

But it turns out I am very far from alone.

Millions of us, all at the same time, are arriving at exactly this crossroads...

And, yes, this is just the way of things…

It’s been like this for decades.

Except… not quite.

Because something has changed since I was young…

A radical demographic and financial trend means that the issues of wealth and inheritance are more complex and urgent than at any other time in British history.

And this has created a series of interesting side-business opportunities.

Baby boomers are the most financially fortunate generation Britain has ever produced…

Born during the years following the Second World War, they entered the workforce at a time when secure jobs, final-salary pensions and steadily rising wages were far more common. Many went to university without taking on tens of thousands of pounds in student debt.

Above all, they bought property before prices began to skyrocket.

In 1970, the average UK home cost less than £5,000.

By 1990, it was worth around £58,000.

Today, the average price is close to £270,000 – and considerably higher in London and the South East.

So a perfectly ordinary house bought several decades ago has been transformed into an asset worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. And millions of older homeowners no longer have a mortgage attached to it.

This helps explain why British wealth is overwhelmingly concentrated among older generations. The Office for National Statistics has found that average personal wealth peaks among people aged 60–64… which is roughly nine times the level held by people aged 30–34.

Homeowners aged 60 and over hold approximately £2.89 trillion of net housing wealth in owner-occupied homes alone. Widen this group to homeowners aged over 55 and this equates to £3.7 trillion in property wealth.

That’s around 68% of all privately held housing equity. In other words, more than two-thirds of our private housing wealth is concentrated among people who have already passed their fifty-fifth birthday.

Meanwhile, households that own their homes outright have median total wealth of around £647,400. That’s more than fifteen times the wealth of a typical renting household.

Whatever you think about how this happened, and whether it’s deserved or not, the fact is that older Britons now control an enormous share of the nation’s accumulated assets.

But now time is catching up with them, and they’re having to think about what to do with that wealth when they’re gone.

Now the money tied up in homes, savings accounts, pension pots, investment funds, businesses and share portfolios has begun to move down the generations to children and grandchildren…

Increasingly, this money is being given to relatives while their parents and grandparents are still alive.

A Change In the Way We Think About Inheritance

The old model of inheritance was simple.

You held on to everything until you died, then it passed to your children, who by then were usually well into middle age themselves.

But that’s changing fast.

More and more older people are choosing to give away money before they die, so that they can actually see the good their money does.

Researchers have estimated that more than £5.5 trillion will pass between the generations during the next 30 years through inheritances and lifetime gifts.

That works out at an average of more than:

• £183 billion every year…

• £15 billion every month…

• Or around £500 million every single day.

Those figures give you an idea of the sheer scale of what’s been called Britain’s new “inheritance economy”.

The ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’… now increasingly the Bank of Grandma and Grandad too… has become one of the biggest lenders in the country.

Between 2021 and 2024, family members provided an estimated £38.5 billion in gifts and loans to help loved ones buy homes…

That’s 71% more than the £22.5 billion provided during 2017–2020.

In 2024 alone, 52% of first-time buyers received family assistance, with the average contribution reaching £55,572.

In part, this is because parents see their children struggling with house prices and rents. They would rather help now, when it is needed most, than leave money that arrives too late to change anything.

But part of it is a change of heart about what our savings are for.

A growing number of older people have embraced the idea, captured in the popular book Die With Zero, that we should spend, enjoy and give away wealth while you are alive, rather than hoarding it to the end.

One survey found that only around a fifth of boomers now plan to leave a large inheritance at all. The rest intend to help their families along the way, or simply to enjoy the fruits of their labour while they still can.

This means the opportunity has created two markets running side by side.

• There are the givers, the older generation, wrestling with how, when and how much to pass on – as well as looking for exciting and rewarding ways to spend what they have.

• And there are the receivers, the younger ones, trying to prepare for, cope with and make good use of what comes their way.

Both are anxious, unprepared, and looking for advice.

These aren’t the ‘super rich’. They include retired teachers, factory workers, civil servants, shopkeepers and office workers. Ordinary people who happen to own a family home in Brighton, Bristol, Guildford, Edinburgh, Manchester or the London suburbs.

A home they may have bought for £20,000, £30,000 or £40,000…

Which is now worth £400,000, £600,000 or even £1 million.

And that wealth will eventually have to go somewhere.

This is why The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that people born in the 1980s will inherit substantially more than earlier generations relative to their lifetime earnings.

However, because more people are living until their 80s and 90s much older people will be among those suddenly receiving money.

For instance, it might be a 60-year-old who has already bought a home, raised a family and spent most of their working life worrying about money.

Their inheritance might instead be used to:

• Pay off the final chunk of a mortgage…

• Clear debts…

• Help adult children onto the housing ladder…

• Top up an inadequate pension…

• Start a small business…

• Fund home improvements…

• Or pay for a few long-delayed pleasures while they are still healthy enough to enjoy them.

All good news for people who receive this money.

But it comes with anxieties.

Challenges and Problems In this Great Transfer

Tax us a huge worry for many…

Inheritance Tax is currently charged at 40% above the relevant allowances, although spouses and civil partners can generally transfer assets to one another free of it.

However, despite its reputation, only a minority of estates actually pay the tax. In 2023–24, approximately 30,400 estates produced an Inheritance Tax bill – around 4.72% of UK deaths.

But those that paid faced an average bill of approximately £231,000.

And the number affected is expected to grow as house prices and asset values rise while the main tax thresholds remain frozen.

From April 2027, inherited pension funds are due to be brought within the Inheritance Tax system, potentially adding further assets to the taxable value of some estates.

This creates an extraordinary mixture of money, fear and confusion.

Older parents wonder:

• Should I give some of it away now?

• Can I afford to?

• What happens if I later need residential care?

• Will my children waste it?

• How much can I give without creating a tax problem?

• Should I downsize, release equity or stay where I am?

Their children have a different set of anxieties:

• Is it rude to bring the subject up?

• Do my parents even have a will?

• Where are their financial records?

• Who is supposed to deal with the house?

• What if my brother or sister disagrees with me?

• What should I do if a six-figure sum suddenly arrives in my account?

It’s also worth appreciating that an inheritance often arrives in one of the worst tines of someone’s life.

The recipient may be grieving, exhausted and overwhelmed by probate paperwork. They might suddenly have to deal with estate agents, solicitors, banks, insurers, tax forms, house clearances and dozens of possessions loaded with memories.

This is precisely the moment when they’re least able to make a calm decision.

What’s more, they may suddenly be asked to decide what to do with more money than they have ever possessed before.

• Save it?

• Invest it?

• Give some away?

• Pay down the mortgage?

• Start a business?

• Help the children?

Sometimes they leave it sitting in a current account – becoming less and less valuable by the year –because doing anything else feels too frightening.

This is where the opportunity lies.

Large numbers of people now face a complicated, emotional and unfamiliar problem.

Millions will need help discussing inheritances, organising family records, clearing and selling homes, preserving memories, understanding unfamiliar terminology, supporting elderly parents and deciding what questions they need to ask the professionals.

So you could create information, tools, directories, organisational services, practical products and specialist support that help them.

The Growing Hunger for Information

To show you how hungry the market is for information, here are some UK results for keywords searches over the past 5 years.

UK searches on Google for ‘Inheritance tax’ are up 70% on the previous 5 years …

People are not only searching for the broad subjects like “inheritance tax”.

They are also searching for the practical steps like how to give money away, For example ‘Gifting money’ is up 30%...

They want to know how to release wealth from a home, which is why ‘Equity release’ is up by 9%...

In 2023–24, more than 1.37 million applications were made for Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales. Yet over 50,000 applications were rejected, often because of simple errors involving names, signatures, dates or the order in which forms had been completed.

Unsurprisingly, ‘Lasting power of attorney’ is up 50%...

Or they want to know what to do when someone dies - another growing source of confusion and frustration. Government guidance suggests that probate should normally take around 16 weeks.

However, the number of cases taking more than a year rose from 737 in 2020–21 to 2,040 in 2024–25, an increase of 177%.

Meanwhile, inheritance disputes are becoming more common.

Court claims made under the Inheritance Act rose from only eight in 2004 to 205 in 2024. During one three-month period in 2024, more than 3,000 applications were made to block probate while a disagreement was investigated.

Which is why ‘Probate’ is up by 30%...

Research from the government-backed Money and Pensions Service found that 53% of UK adults aged 50–64 did not have a will. Even among people aged 65 and over, more than one in five had not made one.

The upshot is, millions of people are approaching a period in life when inheritance planning becomes increasingly important.

However, here’s something to bear in mind.

Important Legal Considerations

Money, tax and inheritance are in ‘regulated’ territory.

Giving people specific advice about what to do with their money, how to invest it, how to dodge a tax bill or how to write a will is a job for qualified, regulated experts like solicitors, accountants and financial advisers.

That is absolutely NOT what you are going to be doing.

The regulated professionals handle the technical, legal end. But there is an enormous amount of ground which they do not touch at all, which ordinary families find just as baffling and stressful.

Think about everything that surrounds an inheritance that is not, strictly speaking, financial advice.

• Assisting a family find the words to start the conversation in the first place.

• Helping someone gather and organise a lifetime of scattered paperwork before it is too late.

• Explaining, in plain English, what on earth ‘probate’ or ‘power of attorney’ actually mean, so people know what they are dealing with before they walk into a solicitor’s office.

• Supporting a grieving family clear and sell a home full of memories.

• Helping people preserve those memories, the stories, the photographs, the family history, before they are lost.

• Enabling someone to work out the right questions to ask the professionals, so they do not waste money or feel foolish.

None of that is regulated advice, which means you could step in to offer help.

So here are the three simple rules.

• Never pretend to be something you are not. You are not a solicitor, an accountant or a financial adviser, and you must never present yourself as one.

• Inform and organise, but never advise. There is a world of difference between ‘here is a checklist of questions to ask your solicitor’ and ‘here is what you should do with your mother’s estate’.

• Point people towards the proper professionals for the big decisions.

Follow those three rules and you’ll sidestep the pitfalls.

Share

Key Experts In the Wealth Transfer Market

Martin Lewis is the major expert on this topic. In this country, no one has done more to make ordinary people comfortable talking about money than the founder of MoneySavingExpert.

He takes dry, jargon-riddled subject matter and makes it clear. He offers guides on inheritance tax, on writing a will cheaply or for free, and on making a ‘death plan’. Meanwhile, his television explainers pull in enormous audiences, and barely a month goes by without him warning people about the rules on gifting money or the looming pension tax change.

You should also check out Die With Zero by Bill Perkins.

This book has helped shift how people think about passing on money. Perkins, a former hedge-fund manager, argues that hoarding your wealth until you die is a mistake, and that it is far better to spend, enjoy and give it away while you are alive to see the good it does.

Why leave your children a windfall in their sixties, when the money could have transformed their thirties?

There are also plain-English guides that walk people through the maze, and their titles tell you exactly what people are frightened of.

• Wills, Probate and Inheritance Tax For Dummies – by Julian Knight.

• Who Will Get My Money When I Die? – by Stuart Richie.

And there are plenty of websites with information, like these:

• MoneyHelper — the government-backed free and impartial money and pensions guidance service (over 700 pages of guides, plus tools and calculators, including inheritance tax and bereavement).

• Pension Wise — free government pension guidance for the over-50s, run through MoneyHelper.

• Which? — trusted consumer guides on wills, probate, inheritance tax and estate planning, plus its own will-writing and probate services.

• Unbiased — a directory for finding regulated financial advisers, and a big publisher of wealth-transfer and inheritance content.

• GOV.UK — the official source for the actual rules, forms and fees on inheritance tax, probate, wills and power of attorney. (key pages: /inheritance-tax, /wills-probate-inheritance, /power-of-attorney)

• Age UK — excellent free guides and information on wills, probate, inheritance tax, power of attorney, “what to do when someone dies”, and its LifeBook organiser.

• Citizens Advice — free, impartial help on wills, dealing with a deceased person’s financial affairs, and probate.

• The Law Society — find a solicitor, including wills and probate specialists (England and Wales).

• CILEx (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) — another route to find qualified wills-and-probate lawyers.

• Will Aid — the scheme where solicitors write your will in return for a charity donation.

• Octopus Legacy (formerly Guardian Angel) — a modern, friendly wills, probate and end-of-life planning service,

• Farewill — a large online wills and probate service.

While these offer broad advice for people, the opportunity for you is in drilling down into a niche.

Let’s take a look…

Subtrends and Niches

PART A: Helping the Givers

This is where you serve the older generation who are wrestling with how, when and whether to pass their wealth on.

Preparing for Inheritance

Families find it hard to discuss death and finances. This silence causes problems down the line, especially in complex family setups.

Niche — The blended-family

• Audience: People with second marriages, step-children and complicated families

• Problem: The usual advice does not fit their tangled situation

• Desire: To be fair to everyone and avoid a family war

Niche — The worried parent

• Audience: Parents agonising over how to divide things between children

• Problem: They fear favouritism, resentment and lasting rifts

• Desire: To share things out in a way that keeps the peace

Niche — The scattered-paperwork parent

• Audience: People whose accounts, policies and documents are all over the place

• Problem: Nothing is in one place and no one else knows where to look

• Desire: To get it all organised and findable

Niche — The digital-life organiser

• Audience: People with online accounts, subscriptions, photos and passwords

• Problem: So much of life is now digital and locked behind logins

• Desire: To make sure their digital life can be found and handled

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘how to talk to your family about money and wishes’ guide or course; a newsletter on later-life family conversations; an eBook of scripts and gentle ways to raise it; a ‘get your affairs in order’ course or guide; a newsletter walking people through it one step at a time; an eBook on organising your digital life

• Digital products: a ‘family conversation’ starter kit; printable question cards to work through together; a ‘what I’d like you to know’ letter template; printable or fillable ‘in case of emergency’ organiser; a document-and-password checklist; an ‘important information for my family’ template pack

• No-code app: a guided conversation tool that walks a family through the topics one at a time; a secure ‘life admin’ organiser that stores what matters and shares it with a trusted person

• Services: gentle facilitation of family conversations; a ‘family meeting’ planning service; group workshops for parents on broaching it; a hands-on ‘get you organised’ service; a ‘digital legacy’ setup service; done-with-you organising sessions

Understanding Wills & Probate

This subject is wrapped in frightening, old-fashioned language that makes ordinary people feel stupid and stuck.

Niche — The ‘I still haven’t made a will’ procrastinator

• Audience: The millions who know they need a will but keep putting it off

• Problem: It feels daunting, morbid and confusing

• Desire: A gentle push and a clear explanation of how to get started

Niche — The jargon-baffled

• Audience: People lost in the language of probate, intestacy and executors

• Problem: They do not understand the words, so they freeze

• Desire: Plain-English explanations of what it all actually means

Niche — The DIY-curious

• Audience: People weighing up doing some of it themselves

• Problem: They do not know what is safe to do alone and what needs a professional

• Desire: To understand their options before spending money

Niche — The executor-in-waiting

• Audience: People named as an executor who dread the job

• Problem: They have no idea what will be expected of them

• Desire: To understand the role before they ever have to do it

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘wills and probate in plain English’ guide or course; a jargon-busting newsletter; an eBook on ‘what being an executor really involves’

• Digital products: a plain-English glossary of terms; a ‘questions to ask your solicitor’ checklist; an executor’s step-by-step checklist

• No-code app: a ‘what does this word mean?’ explainer tool, or a simple ‘do I need a solicitor for this?’ quiz

• Services: plain-English explainer sessions; a signposting service that points people to the right professional; beginner workshops on getting a will sorted

Giving While Living

The modern shift from hoarding wealth to giving it away while alive comes with many emotional factors and practical questions.

Niche — The ‘should I help now or later?’ parent

• Audience: People weighing giving now against leaving it in a will. People wanting to be generous but frightened of running short

• Problem: They are torn between helping when it is needed and keeping security. They do not want to give away money they may later need

• Desire: A framework for thinking it through. To feel confident about what they can safely give

Niche — The Bank of Mum and Dad giver

• Audience: Parents and grandparents helping with deposits, weddings and grandchildren. People wrestling with the Die With Zero dilemma

• Problem: They want to help but worry about doing it wisely and fairly. They fear giving too much, too soon, and sapping ambition

• Desire: To give in a way that genuinely helps and does not backfire

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘giving while living’ guide or course; a newsletter on the emotional side of gifting; an eBook exploring the Die With Zero philosophy for ordinary families

• Digital products: a ‘thinking it through’ gifting workbook; a family-values-and-money reflection guide; a ‘conversations about a gift’ template

• No-code app: a reflective ‘should I give now?’ decision-helper (framed as thinking-aid, not advice)

• Services: values-and-legacy coaching; workshops on giving thoughtfully; facilitated family discussions about gifts

Downsizing and the Family Home

For most families the wealth is the house, and at some point it has to be dealt with.

Niche — The reluctant downsizer

• Audience: People rattling around in too much house, but attached to it

• Problem: The home is full of memories and the move feels overwhelming

• Desire: To downsize calmly, without the heartache taking over

Niche — The overwhelmed declutterer

• Audience: People facing decades of accumulated belongings. Families sorting a lifetime of possessions together

• Problem: They do not know where to begin, and it paralyses them. Sentiment, disagreement and sheer volume make it hard.

• Desire: A gentle, manageable way through the mountain of stuf. : A calm system for deciding what to keep, sell, give and clear

Niche — The right-sizing planner

• Audience: Older people wanting to move early, on their own terms

• Problem: They want to plan ahead rather than leave it as a crisis for others

• Desire: To make a considered move while they are fit and able

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘downsizing without the stress’ guide or course; a newsletter on later-life moving and decluttering; an eBook on sorting a lifetime of belongings

• Digital products: a room-by-room downsizing planner; a ‘keep, sell, gift, clear’ sorting system; a moving-and-downsizing checklist

• No-code app: a downsizing progress tracker, or a belongings-and-memories inventory tool

• Services: hands-on decluttering and downsizing help; a ‘sort and move’ project service; help finding house-clearance and selling routes
  

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PART B: Helping the Receivers

This is where you serve the children, grandchildren and relatives who inherit money.

What To Do When Someone Dies

A family reeling from loss is suddenly buried under an avalanche of admin they have never faced before.

Niche — The newly bereaved

• Audience: People who have just lost a loved one, People who must administer an estate and have never done it

• Problem: They are grieving, exhausted and drowning in things that must be done. The responsibility is huge and they have no idea where to start

• Desire: Someone to tell them, gently, what to do. With a clear roadmap through an unfamiliar, frightening process

Niche — The probate-and-paperwork navigator

• Audience: People wrestling with probate forms and estate admin…. facing the endless list of who needs informing.

• Problem: The forms are baffling and the stakes feel high. They need to deal with banks, pensions, utilities, insurers, the lot.

• Desire: Plain-English help understanding what each step involves. A simple checklist so nothing gets missed

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘what to do when someone dies’ step-by-step guide or course; a gentle newsletter series for the recently bereaved; an eBook on the first weeks after a death

• Digital products: a ‘first 30 days’ bereavement checklist; a ‘who to notify’ master list and template letters; a probate step-by-step tracker

• No-code app: a guided ‘what do I do now?’ companion that walks a grieving person through the tasks in order

• Services: a compassionate ‘admin support’ service; help co-ordinating the notifications and paperwork; signposting to probate and bereavement professionals

Handling a Windfall

A large sum of money arrives at the worst possible moment. This is where people make expensive mistakes, or freeze entirely.

Niche — The ‘don’t want to waste it’ inheritor

• Audience: People determined to do right by the money and the person who left it. Sometimes they’re so overwhelmed they do nothing at all. They have to make big financial decisions while deep in grief

• Problem: They are in no state to decide, yet feel pressure to do so. They fear frittering away something meaningful. The money sits in a current account because acting feels too scary

• Desire: Calm reassurance and a sensible way to make thoughtful, considered choices

Niche — The debt-laden receiver

• Audience: People juggling debts, a mortgage and the sudden windfall

• Problem: They do not know how to weigh up the competing pulls

• Desire: A clear-headed way to think through their priorities

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘you’ve inherited, now what?’ guide or course (education, not advice); a newsletter on handling a windfall calmly; an eBook on the emotional side of sudden money

• Digital products: a ‘decision-free zone’ waiting-period guide; a ‘questions to ask a financial adviser’ checklist; a priorities-and-goals workbook

• No-code app: a reflective ‘think before you act’ windfall planner that helps people slow down and get organised before seeing a professional

• Services: ‘sudden money’ coaching focused on mindset and preparation; workshops on getting windfall-ready; signposting to regulated advisers

Clearing and Selling the Home

The single biggest, most daunting practical job an heir usually faces. An entire house, full of a life, to be emptied, valued, and sold, often by people who live miles away and are grieving as they do it.

Niche — The ‘house full of a lifetime’ clearer

• Audience: People facing a home stuffed with decades of belongings

• Problem: The sheer volume, and the emotion attached, is overwhelming

• Desire: A calm, practical system for working through it

Niche — The distance-inheritor

• Audience: People dealing with a property far from where they live

• Problem: Managing it all from afar is exhausting and expensive

• Desire: Help co-ordinating a clearance and sale at a distance

Niche — The siblings-selling-together

• Audience: Brothers and sisters handling a property jointly

• Problem: Differing views and old tensions make decisions hard

• Desire: To co-ordinate smoothly and avoid a family fallout

Niche — The ‘is this worth anything?’ valuer

• Audience: People unsure what the contents are worth

• Problem: They fear binning treasures or wasting money storing junk

• Desire: To know what to sell, keep, donate or clear

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘clearing and selling an inherited home’ guide or course; a newsletter on the practical steps; an eBook on valuing and selling contents

• Digital products: a house-clearance checklist and timeline; a ‘keep, sell, donate, clear’ decision system; a contents inventory template

• No-code app: a clearance project-planner that tracks rooms, tasks and decisions

• Services: a house-clearance co-ordination service; help finding valuers, auctioneers and estate agents; a project-managed ‘sort the property’ service

Preserving Memories and Legacy

An inheritance is not only money and property. It is stories, photographs, history and memory, and so much of it is lost forever if nobody captures it in time.

Niche — The memory-keeper

• Audience: People who want to record a parent’s or grandparent’s life story, often with boxes of old photos and mementoes

• Problem: They are disorganised, undated and at risk of being lost. The stories are fading and will vanish if not captured

• Desire: To preserve a life, in their own words, before it is too late. To share the family’s visual history

Niche — The legacy-letter creator

• Audience: People wanting to leave, or help a parent leave, words behind

• Problem: They do not know how to begin or what to say

• Desire: To create something heartfelt to pass on

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘capture your family’s story’ guide or course; a newsletter of prompts and interview questions; an eBook on recording a life

• Digital products: a ‘life story’ interview-question pack; a photo-organising system; a legacy-letter and memory-book template

• No-code app: a guided life-story recorder that prompts questions and stores the answers

• Services: a personal-history interviewing and writing service; memory-book and photo-book creation; helping families record elderly relatives

Family Fairness and Keeping the Peace

Money and grief together bring out the worst in families, and inheritance is one of the great causes of lasting rifts between siblings.

Niche — The squabbling siblings

• Audience: Brothers and sisters at odds over who gets what

• Problem: Old rivalries and grievances resurface around the estate

• Desire: To resolve things without destroying the relationship

Niche — The ‘it’s not about the money’ peacemaker

• Audience: The executor trying to be fair while relatives pull in all directions A family member trying to hold everyone together

• Problem: They are caught in the middle and running out of patience. They face pressure, suspicion and blame from every side

• Desire: Tools and calm to keep the peace. To handle it fairly, calmly and by the book

Niche — The left-out or short-changed relative

• Audience: People who feel they have been treated unfairly

• Problem: Hurt and resentment with nowhere to go

• Desire: To process it, and understand their options, without a war

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘keeping the peace over inheritance’ guide or course; a newsletter on family and money dynamics; an eBook on avoiding inheritance disputes

• Digital products: a ‘fair division’ discussion framework; a family-agreement template; a communication-and-ground-rules guide

• No-code app: a shared family tool for logging wishes, decisions and who-gets-what, out in the open

• Services: family mediation-style facilitation (clearly non-legal); workshops on preventing disputes; a calm ‘go-between’ support service

Spending The Money

A great many inheritors, especially those who receive it in their fifties and sixties, do not need to invest it for the future. They want to use it to actually improve their lives, now, while they are well enough to enjoy it. But they feel guilty, unsure and paralysed about spending ‘someone else’s’ money.

Niche — The guilt-ridden spender

• Audience: People who feel wrong about enjoying inherited money or want to honour the person who left it

• Problem: They are unsure how to use it in a way that feels right. Guilt and grief stop them using it for anything good

• Desire: Permission and a framework to spend it meaningfully in a way that would have made their loved one glad

Niche — The bucket-list spender

• Audience: Older inheritors keen to enjoy life while they can

• Problem: They do not know where to start, or fear being frivolous

• Desire: To fund the trips, experiences and pleasures they have put off for decades

Niche — The ‘do some good with it’ giver

• Audience: People who want part of it to help others or a cause

• Problem: They want it to mean something beyond themselves

• Desire: To give, help family, or support a cause that matters

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘spend it well, without the guilt’ guide or course; a newsletter on making inherited money meaningful; an eBook inspired by the Die With Zero idea, aimed at inheritors

• Digital products: a ‘values and money’ reflection workbook; a ‘what would matter most’ planner; a memorial-giving or bucket-list template

• No-code app: a reflective ‘make it meaningful’ planner that helps people match the money to what they care about

• Services: ‘meaningful money’ coaching (mindset, not investment); planning workshops; helping people design a trip, project or gift in memory of a loved one

Improving the Home With Inheritance

One of the most common uses of an inheritance is the family home, the long-dreamed-of renovation, the extension, the new kitchen, or adapting a house to last them into old age.

Niche — The ‘finally do the house up’ inheritor

• Audience: People using the money for the renovation they always wanted

• Problem: They have never taken on a big project and fear the pitfalls

• Desire: To improve their home well, without being fleeced or overwhelmed

Niche — The future-proofer

• Audience: People adapting a home to see them through later life

• Problem: They want to stay put as they age but do not know what to change

• Desire: To make the house safe, comfortable and manageable for years to come

Niche — The ‘add value’ improver

• Audience: People wanting the money to improve the home and its worth

• Problem: They do not know which improvements are worth doing

• Desire: To spend wisely on changes that genuinely pay off

Niche — The nervous first-time renovator

• Audience: People daunted by builders, quotes, planning and project managing

• Problem: The whole process feels risky and full of ways to get stung

• Desire: Confidence, and a plan, to manage it without disaster

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘renovate without the nightmares’ guide or course; a newsletter on home projects and how to manage them; an eBook on future-proofing your home for later life

• Digital products: a renovation planner and budget tracker; a ‘questions to ask a builder’ checklist; a home-adaptation room-by-room guide

• No-code app: a home-project planner that tracks quotes, budgets, tradespeople and stages

• Services: renovation project-planning support; help finding and vetting tradespeople; ‘age-proof your home’ planning sessions

Starting a Small Business

For some, an inheritance is the once-in-a-lifetime chance to do the thing they always dreamed of, start a little business of their own.

Niche — The cautious first-timer

• Audience: People who have always wanted to start something of their own but wary of risking inherited money on a venture

• Problem: They finally have the funds but no idea where to begin. They fear losing something precious and irreplaceable

• Desire: To turn the money and the dream into a real little business without gambling it all

Niche — The later-life founder

• Audience: Older inheritors starting a business in their fifties, sixties or beyond

• Problem: They worry they are too old, or too green, to begin

• Desire: Reassurance and a path suited to their age and stage

Niche — The ‘turn a passion into a business’ inheritor

• Audience: People wanting to build something around a hobby or skill

• Problem: They do not know how to turn what they love into an income

• Desire: To create a business that is meaningful, not just profitable

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘start a small business with your inheritance’ guide or course; a newsletter for later-life founders; an eBook of low-risk business ideas

• Digital products: a business-start checklist; a ‘test it before you risk it’ planner; a simple costs-and-budget template

• No-code app: a ‘which business suits me?’ quiz, or a start-up progress tracker

• Services: group coaching for cautious first-time founders; a ‘start small, start safe’ membership; workshops on turning a passion into an income

Where to Start

There’s a huge opportunity here, because the great wealth transfer touches millions of people from all walks of life. Some will be givers. Some will be receivers. Some will be both.

They might include your friends, neighbours and colleagues. Possibly even yourself.

For instance, have you sorted a parent’s estate, cleared a family home, sat through the awkward will conversation, or watched money tear relatives apart?

If so, you already know where the pain points are, and what you wish someone had done to ease the problem.

Or are you someone grappling with the prospect of handing down wealth? If so you’ll know the challenges very well.

Whether you start with your own life or not, the trick is to pick one person and get to know them better than anyone else does. Not a general target like ‘people dealing with inheritance’, but someone you can actually picture.

• A recently bereaved daughter trying to deal with inheritance with an estranged sibling

• An executor who has never done it before,

• A widow who cannot handle the paperwork

• A son clearing a house two hundred miles away…

• A couple too awkward to raise the subject with elderly parents over Sunday lunch.

To get a clear idea of their goals and problems, you can use an AI chatbot like ChatGPT or Claude:

“Act as [description of target customer]. Tell me your three biggest worries, your daily frustrations, and the one thing you wish someone would make easier.”

Just remember that you’re not a solicitor or professional money expert. You are the calm, kind hand on the shoulder at one of the hardest and most bewildering times in a family’s life.

Your aim is lighten the load for people at the very moment they need it most. Which could make this a highly rewarding side business that makes you money and does some good in the world, too.

Best regards

Nick Laight

Have you noticed how, all of a sudden, more and more people seems to be neurodivergent?

Your friend’s niece has just been diagnosed with ADHD at thirty-four.

A bloke at the pub reckons he’s ‘a bit autistic’.

And half the people on TV cheerfully mention their diagnosis as if they were telling you their star sign.

It can feel, if you are of a certain age, faintly baffling.

Didn’t we all just used to get on with things?

Weren’t these just called ‘personalities’?

Well, this is not, as some of the panicky headlines suggest, some strange modern epidemic. There is no bug in the water making us wired differently.

You see, for most of history, we assumed the human brain came in one standard model.

There was ‘normal’, and then there was everything else, which we unfairly described as odd, difficult or a bit slow.

If you struggled to sit still, to read, to concentrate, to cope with noise, to read people’s facial expressions…. well, that was because there was something wrong with you.

We now know that brains come in different varieties.

Some are wired for intense focus, some for restless energy, some see patterns others miss, some find bright lights and loud rooms unbearable.

This is what people mean by ‘neurodiversity’.

The idea is that these are not faults to be fixed, but different operating systems, each with its own strengths and its own struggles.

Around 10 million people in the UK, roughly 15% of us, are now thought to be neurodivergent in some way. It’s a term that covers autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and more. So this includes a huge number of people in every workplace and every family… including, possibly, your own.

For many of these people, this discovery is life-changing.

After years of struggling in silence, thinking they were lazy, or stupid, or broken, they finally have an explanation.

With this comes a hunger to understand themselves, find others like them, and get their hands on the tips, tools, stories and support that make life a little easier.

It means that there are millions of people, newly aware of neurodiversity, who are deeply interested in the topic, and actively searching for help.

A Market That’s Rising Fast

The demand for information and advice is exploding.

Referrals for autism and ADHD assessments have rocketed. For example, here in England, the number of people waiting for an autism assessment has hit record highs, with well over 170,000 stuck in the queue at one point, and the referral rate for children more than doubling in just a few years.

The biggest surge is not among children. It is among adults.

Grown men and women, often in mid-life, suddenly recognise themselves in descriptions of neurodivergent minds, and go looking for answers. One of the fastest growing of these groups is women.

For decades, these conditions were thought of as something that affected boys. The fidgety lad at the back of the class. The nerdy boy lost in his train spotting timetables. So the criteria and the tests were built around males.

This meant that countless girls and women slipped through the net. They learned to mask, to cope, to blend in, all the while feeling secretly that they were failing at a life everyone else seemed to find easy.

Now the penny is dropping.

ADHD diagnoses among women in their early twenties have more than doubled compared with before the pandemic. And this includes women in their forties, fifties and beyond. Often this happens after one of their own children is diagnosed and they suddenly see themselves in the description of their children’s psychology.

So why this sudden flood of diagnoses?

Well, it comes down to a few things all arriving at once.

• Awareness has gone through the roof, driven by social media, by celebrities speaking openly, and by a wave of popular books.

• The criteria doctors use have broadened, so more people now fit on the scale somewhere.

• The pandemic played its part too, as lockdowns stripped away people’s usual routines and coping mechanisms and left their traits suddenly exposed.

• And, quite simply, the stigma has faded. People are no longer ashamed to ask the question.

Now, I’ll be honest with you. Not every self-diagnosis off the back of a thirty-second Instagram video is the real thing, and there are those who worry the whole thing has been stretched too far.

Even the experts are still debating exactly what’s behind all this.

Is it that more people genuinely have these conditions?

Is it that we are, in some cases, over-diagnosing?

Or is it, as most believe, that there was a huge amount of hidden need all along, and it is finally coming to the surface?

The honest answer is that it is probably a bit of all three.

But for you and me, the debate barely matters. Because whichever way you cut it, the result is the same. Millions upon millions of people, newly curious about how their minds work, actively hunting for information, tools, support and connection.

However, if you want to help these people in an ethical way, you need to understand what is actually going on in their lives.

The Needs of the Neurodiverse Person

Imagine going through your whole life feeling out of step.

Everyone else seems to manage the ordinary business of living… keeping the house tidy… answering emails… remembering birthday… sitting through meetings…. making small talk at parties.

Yet you find it strangely, exhaustingly hard.

You start things and never finish them.

You lose your keys, your train of thought, your temper.

You feel too much, or too little, or the wrong thing at the wrong time.

And all the while you assume that all of this is your fault. That you are lazy, or difficult, or just not trying hard enough.

Then one day, you get an answer. And suddenly it all makes sense.

That’s the experience of a great many neurodivergent people, and it explains the emotional drivers behind this trend. It’s the key that finally unlocks a lifetime of confusion.

So no wonder they fall on every book, video and forum they can find!

Neurodivergence tends to bring a cluster of related struggles with it, and each one of those is a need. Things like:

• Anxiety, which so often rides shotgun with a neurodivergent brain

• Burnout, from years of trying to keep up and mask the effort

• Overwhelm and that horrible ‘too many tabs open’ feeling

• Executive dysfunction, the maddening inability to start or finish tasks

• Poor organisation skills and a tendency to get distracted or head off on side missions

• Rejection sensitivity, where the smallest slight lands like a blow

• Sensory overload, where noise, light and crowds become unbearable

• Poor sleep, racing thoughts

• Brain fog, forgetfulness and losing your thread mid-sentence

• Trouble with focus, organisation, time and money

• And, underneath a lot of it, a bruised sense of self-worth from years of feeling like a failure.

Every one of these issues is something people are desperate for help with.

Calming the anxiety... Beating the overwhelm… Getting things done….

They seek solutions from AI or Google at midnight, and hunt online bookshops for anything that might inform them, and ease the problem.

Just look at these charts…

In 5 Years, Searches Have Skyrocketed
By 300% and More…

Here are UK google search results for the past 5 years…

Searches for the term ‘ADHD’ is up by 300%

‘ADHD women’ across the same period up by 1,150%

One for ‘Neurodiversity’, up by 900%.

Here’s one for ‘Neurodivergent symptoms’, up by 5,000%.

And for ‘overwhelm’, up by 130%.

And for ‘executive dysfunction’, up by 300%.

While ‘brain fog’ is up by 180%.

It’s not only neurodivergent people who are searching for this stuff.

It also includes parents trying to help a child who’s just been diagnosed.

The husband or wife trying to understand a partner who is wired differently.

The grandparent who wants to be a help rather than a hindrance.

These people are all looking for guidance too.

When you add it all together, you are not looking at one market. You’re looking at a sprawling web of them. These include dozens of specific conditions, each with its own worries and needs.

The Market Size

The market for neurodiversity-friendly workplace tools is reckoned to be worth around $9.9 billion in 2025, and is estimated to more than double to nearly $21 billion by 2032.

The neurodiversity hiring market (platforms and services that help firms recruit neurodivergent talent) is estimated at $1.4 billion and forecast to almost treble to over $4 billion by 2032.

Then there is the broader ‘neurodivergent strengths’ market, which refers to the wider world of support and services built around these conditions.

One report values it at $3.2 billion heading for over $11 billion by 2032. Another has it going from $3.2 billion to $7 billion by 2033. The exact numbers vary depending on who is counting and what they include, but they all tell the same story of a rising market, one that’s growing by 16% to 18% a year.

Now, these stats are focused on the corporate end, which isn’t where your business will be placed. But they are proof that there is serious money being spent on neurodiversity issues, and that this is not a passing fad.

However, this is one of those topics where you need to be sensitive…

A Note Of Caution

Neurodivergence has become fashionable.

For some people, a diagnosis has turned into a badge of honour.

Something to add into the social media bio.

This has a good and bad side…

The good side is that all this openness has removed a lot of stigma and helped millions feel less alone.

The bad side is that this has also led to a certain amount of, shall we say, casual self-diagnosis. Someone watches a snappy video, ticks a few boxes, and declares themselves ADHD by teatime.

Now, sometimes that is the start of an important journey.

But sometimes it is just ordinary human life, being tired, distracted, scattered in a noisy, overstimulated world, getting reframed as a medical condition.

There is also the matter of the online ‘diagnosis factories’ that have sprung up, handing out assessments and even prescriptions after the briefest of video calls. That worried a lot of serious clinicians, and it is easy to see why. Because when the label gets handed around too freely, it risks trivialising the serious end of the spectrum, where people and their families genuinely struggle.

So where does that leave you? Actually, in a rather good place, as long as you follow three simple rules.

• First, stay well clear of the serious, clinical end. That is the world of doctors and specialists, and it is not where your little business belongs.

• Second, never, ever set yourself up as a medical expert, or offer anything that looks like diagnosis or treatment. You are not curing anyone. You are simply offering helpful information, handy tools, a bit of support and a sense of community, from one person who understands to another.

• Third, be respectful and balanced. Don’t sneer at the sceptics, and don’t get swept up in the hype either. The people who will trust you, and buy from you, are the ones who feel you are being straight with them.

Do that, and you sidestep all the pitfalls. In fact, being the calm, kind, sensible voice in a noisy and sometimes overheated conversation is one of the most valuable things you can possibly be.

Voices In the Neurodivergent Market

There are numerous bestsellers on this subject…

• Unmasking Autism by Dr Devon Price. A huge seller that struck a chord with the very people driving this trend, the late-diagnosed adults who spent years hiding their true selves.

• Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life by Emily Katy: Emily writes about the years leading up to her diagnosis. How books and imagination became her refuge as she sought to escape the increasing anxiety and unbearable stresses of school life; how her OCD almost destroyed her; how a system which did not understand autism let her down.

• How to ADHD by Jessica McCabe, which grew out of one of the most popular ADHD channels on YouTube and became a runaway bestseller.

• Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg, focused squarely on how these conditions show up in women, one of the hottest corners of this whole subject.

• NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman, the big, serious book that did much to change how the world thinks about autism.

• How Not to Fit In by Jess Joy and Charlotte Mia, two late-diagnosed British women who built a fast-growing online community and turned it into a book.

• Unmasked by Ellie Middleton, a young British writer and campaigner whose book and busy LinkedIn and Instagram following have made her one of the country’s most visible neurodivergent voices, and who has since branched into podcasting.

• Different Minds: How We Can Help Our Autistic School Children Thrive by Pete Wharmby, an autistic author, speaker and advocate. Diagnosed as autistic in 2017 at the age of 34, Pete has published two other books - 2022’s What I Want to Talk About and 2023’s Untypical, both about autistic experience and how the world can be improved to help autistic people fit in.

Plenty of guides are available on Amazon that focus on specific problems and challenges, with titles like How to Keep House While Drowning, a guide to cleaning and organising for people who find it overwhelming, and Order from Chaos, on staying organised with adult ADHD. And there are guides like these for kids.

There are plenty of online organisations that provide information and support.

• The National Autistic Society (autism.org.uk) is the UK’s largest autism charity, supporting the roughly 700,000 autistic people and their families.

• ADHD UK (adhduk.co.uk) is the national ADHD charity, focused on awareness, diagnosis and practical guidance.

• The ADHD Foundation (adhdfoundation.org.uk) covers the whole neurodiversity family (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, DCD, dyscalculia, OCD and Tourette’s)

On top of these there are condition-specific bodies

• The British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk)

• The Dyspraxia Foundation (dyspraxiafoundation.co.uk)

• The PDA Society (pdasociety.org.uk) covers Pathological Demand Avoidance, a profile on the autism spectrum.

• Tourettes Action (tourettes-action.org.uk) is the main UK body for Tourette’s.

• Ambitious about Autism (ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk) a national charity for autistic children and young people

• The Society for Neurodiversity (S4Nd.org)

• The Curly Hair Project (thegirlwiththecurlyhair.co.uk) an organisation that helps people on the autistic spectrum and the people around them, founded by autistic author Alis Rowe. It built a following through animated films, comic strips and simple diagrams, a brilliant model of turning clear, friendly explanation into a business.

For peer community conversations, there are Reddit groups r/ADHDUK and r/AutismUK, plus a host of moderated Facebook groups.

What’s Selling Right Now

There is a booming market in physical products aimed at neurodivergent people (and families), including clothing, accessories, toys and tools.

Club Neuro (clubneuro.com) is the world’s first functional fashion brand for neurodivergent people. They make hoodies with in-built features that are designed to calm the nervous system.

Senseational You (senseationalyou.com) was founded by a neurodivergent creator. They sell compression shirts, sound-reducing hoodies and fidget-built-in clothing for autistic and ADHD kids and adults.

Another popular business in this field is The Autism Store - a US based online supermarket for all kinds of products.

Their bestsellers include:

• Cotton Sensory Swing –A sensory product with strong appeal for children who enjoy movement, pressure and calming spaces.

• Mystery Squishy Dumpling – as a tactile fidget toy.

• RideSafer Vest | Travel Car Seat - A higher-priced travel product for families who need a portable alternative to a conventional car seat.

• Taba Squishy Mushmeez Water Pets A low-cost sensory toy

• The 3-in-1 Waterproof Undies: Nappy, Trainer and Swim Nappy
  A problem-solving product for families dealing with toilet training, swimming and continence needs.

• Genius Gummy – a plant-based gummy with calming botanicals

Amazon.co.uk is also full of popular products aimed at this market. For example, this Spinning Chair

This visual timetable:

And fidget tubes…

Other popular products linked to neurodiversity include:

Sensory & Neurodivergent Support Products

• Fidget tools – e.g. spinners, cubes, twistable toys, clickers, stretchy bands (popular for ADHD and ASD)

• Weighted blankets – known to reduce anxiety and help with sensory processing issues

• Compression vests or lap pads – used to soothe and calm

• Chewable jewellery – for oral sensory seekers

• Noise-reducing earplugs or headphones – to combat sensory overload

• Blue light blocking glasses – for people with sensory sensitivity or trouble focusing

• Kinetic sand or putty – satisfying textures for calming play

Focus, Productivity & Organisation Tools

• Task timers (Pomodoro timers) – for people who struggle with executive function and time-blindness

• Visual schedules or routine boards – ideal for people with ADHD or autism

• Whiteboards, diaries or planners – to help with organisation and memory issues.

• Sticky notes in different colours/shapes – for colour-coded memory and attention tools

• Habit trackers or motivational desk pads – paper-based tools to encourage structure

Emotional Regulation & Anxiety Relief

• Aromatherapy products – essential oil rollers, sleep sprays, diffusers

• Massage tools – hand rollers, scalp massagers, neck pillows

• Tapping tools (EFT) – such as fingertip guides or tapping point charts

• Anxiety relief kits – small bundles with affirmation cards, grounding tools, worry stones

• Journals for anxiety, self-esteem, gratitude, trauma healing – beautifully designed and themed

• Affirmation decks – cards with daily prompts for positivity, self-talk or mood boosting

Sleep Support Products

• Weighted eye masks – helps with insomnia, anxiety, and sensory regulation

• Melatonin-free herbal sleep patches – non-medical sleep aid

• Calming teas and adaptogenic drink powders – chamomile, valerian, reishi blends

• Nightlights with gentle colour-changing settings – good for sensory soothing

• White noise machines or calming sound devices – helps with overstimulation or sleep issues

Creative Therapy Aids

• Adult colouring books – especially themed for stress relief, neurodivergent minds, or mental wellness

• Craft kits – such as paint-by-numbers, cross-stitch, or mindful DIY sets

• Mood journals with prompts – e.g. “My Daily Emotional Check-in”

• Mindfulness or meditation card decks – great for short daily practices

• Emotion wheel magnets/posters – tools to help with alexithymia or teaching kids about emotions

Teen-Specific Products

• Sensory toys or classroom fidget packs – especially for children with ADHD/autism

• Social story books or flashcards – helps children understand social cues and emotions

• Therapy dolls or plush toys with weighted elements – great for emotional grounding

• ‘Calm Down’ kits – boxed sets with soothing tools for children

And on Etsy.co.uk there are accessories, clothing, home décor, toys and ADHD printables for sale.

Planners..

Gifts and homeware…

Clothing, including humorous t-shirts, badges, keyrings and awareness cards.

Toys and accessories like sensory batons, picky pads and fiddle toys….

These quirky Etsy product work well because a lot of people take pride – or find humour – in their neurodivergent brains.

For many, self-diagnosis or formal diagnosis brings a huge sense of relief and self-acceptance that can be life-changing. So they’re often quite happy to shout about it to the world, and connect others who feel the same.

But it’s not only physical products that you could consider.

Information Products You Can Create and Sell

There are popular information products aimed at specific audience niches or specific challenges and goals.

For example, Substack and social media are popular platforms for sharing information about neurodiversity.

• Dr Megan Anna Neff runs Neurodivergent Insights on Substack, a popular newsletter on autism and ADHD that grew alongside her books and digital workbooks.

• Lyric Rivera writes NeuroDivergent Rebel one of the best-known neurodivergent voices online, and the author of a bestselling book on neurodiversity at work.

Over on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, creators like @neurodivergent_lou have built enormous followings, and research shows the audience for this content has grown especially fast among younger and neurodivergent users.

You could consider…

• Micro-Manuals – these are PDF files that are short and quickly digestible. They can include checklists, quick start guides, or single solutions to a problem or goal. You can sell them for anything from £10-£50

• Digital planners and tools – these are downloadable resources that people can print out, which could include diaries, habit trackers, goal-setting planners, recipe cards. These can sell on marketplaces like Etsy.

• eBooks – these are ‘how to’ guides that offer practical advice and insights. They could be from 5,000-20,000 words, using AI to write and edit them, and sold on marketplaces like Amazon.

• Email newsletter – a regular (at least once a week) personal email sharing information in a friendly informal way.

• Digital Courses – a step by step guide through a particular challenge or goal. They can range from short ‘quick start’ courses, to spotlight courses that go deep into a single step, or signature courses that tackle multiple topics and processes.

• Membership and Subscription Services – people can sign up to get regular online content, special resources, coaching videos and access to private groups (forum or Facebook Group, for example).

These could also be combined. You could start very simply with a micro-manual that you sell to build a small list of customers, then move onto more complex products like an email newsletter or digital course.

Subtrends and Niches

1: The Late-Diagnosed Adult

People who reach mid-life and suddenly get an answer that explains everything. They are hungrier for help than almost anyone.

Niche - The newly diagnosed

• Audience: Adults who have just received a diagnosis

• Problem: They are flooded with relief, questions and ‘what now?’

• Desire: To understand themselves and what to do next

Niche - The self-suspecting

• Audience: People who suspect they are neurodivergent but are not sure

• Problem: They see themselves in the descriptions but do not know where to start

• Desire: Honest guidance on exploring their minds and analysing their brain wiring

Niche - The ‘it explains my whole life’ processer

• Audience: People working through the emotional weight of a late diagnosis

• Problem: A lifetime of struggle suddenly seen in a new light, which is a lot to carry

• Desire: To make peace with the past and move forward

Niche - The reinventer

• Audience: People rebuilding their lives around a new understanding of themselves

• Problem: They want to do things differently now, but do not know how

• Desire: To build a life that finally works with their brain, not against it

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘just diagnosed, now what?’ newsletter or eBook; a course on understanding your late diagnosis; a Substack sharing the journey; a membership community for the newly diagnosed

• Digital products: a ‘first 90 days after diagnosis’ workbook; a self-reflection journal; a printable ‘understanding my brain’ guide

• Physical and POD: a ‘newly diagnosed’ welcome or self-care box; journals and affirmation cards; ‘late-diagnosed and thriving’ mugs and tees

• No-code app: a guided ‘understand your diagnosis’ companion with prompts and resources

2: Women and Neurodivergence

The fastest-growing segment of the market is women who spent decades masking, feeling like failures, and now finally getting answers.

Niche - The late-diagnosed woman

• Audience: Women discovering in mid-life that they are neurodivergent

• Problem: A lifetime of masking has left them exhausted and confused

• Desire: To understand themselves and stop pretending

Niche - The ‘I only realised through my child’ mum

• Audience: Women who saw themselves in their child’s diagnosis

• Problem: They are juggling their child’s needs and their own dawning realisation

• Desire: To help their child and themselves at the same time

Niche - The burnt-out high-masker

• Audience: High-achieving women worn out from holding it all together

• Problem: The effort of appearing ‘fine’ has finally caught up with them

• Desire: To stop masking and recover

Niche - The mid-life woman

• Audience: Women hitting menopause and neurodivergence at once

• Problem: The two collide and the coping strategies stop working

• Desire: Help navigating both together

Example ideas:

• Information products: a newsletter or Substack for late-diagnosed women; a course on unmasking and self-acceptance; an eBook on ADHD or autism in women; a women-only membership or community

• Digital products: a masking-and-energy tracker; a self-compassion journal; a ‘know your patterns’ workbook

• Physical and POD: a self-care and recovery box; calming and sensory items; ‘late-diagnosed woman’ journals, tees and tote bags

• No-code app: a burnout-and-energy check-in tool aimed at women who mask

3: The ADHD World

This aspect of neurodivergence is big enough, and distinct enough, to stand entirely on its own.

Niche - The time-blind and disorganised

• Audience: Adults who cannot manage time, tasks or money

• Problem: Life feels like a constant losing battle against chaos

• Desire: Simple systems that actually work for an ADHD brain

Niche - The ‘too many tabs open’ adult

• Audience: Scattered, distractible, permanently overwhelmed people

• Problem: They start everything and finish nothing

• Desire: To quieten the mental noise and get things done

Niche - The ADHD entrepreneur or freelancer

• Audience: Self-employed people wrestling with their own wiring

• Problem: Their brain is both their superpower and their downfall

• Desire: To harness the strengths and manage the chaos

Niche - The newly medicated

• Audience: People who have just started ADHD medication

• Problem: They want lifestyle support and habits to go alongside it

• Desire: To build good routines that make the most of it

Example ideas:

• Information products: an ADHD-focused newsletter or Substack; a course on ADHD-friendly organisation; an eBook of systems and hacks; a coaching membership

• Digital products: ADHD planners, habit trackers and ‘brain dump’ templates; a body-doubling session guide; a money-management workbook

• Physical and POD: fidget tools, timers and visual planners; desk kits; ‘my brain has too many tabs open’ mugs and tees

• No-code app: a task-and-focus tool built for ADHD, with timers and gentle nudges

4: The Autism World

You could go into distinct autism subcategories like these…

Niche - The late-identified autistic adult

• Audience: Adults who have recognised they are autistic

• Problem: They are rethinking their whole life through a new lens

• Desire: To understand themselves and live more authentically

Niche - The socially exhausted

• Audience: People drained by the demands of socialising and masking

• Problem: Ordinary social life leaves them depleted

• Desire: Ways to manage social energy and recover

Niche - The sensory-sensitive

• Audience: People overwhelmed by noise, light, textures and crowds

• Problem: The everyday world is physically hard to bear

• Desire: Tools and strategies to make life more comfortable

Niche - The routine-and-structure seeker

• Audience: People who need predictability to feel calm

• Problem: A chaotic, unpredictable world leaves them anxious

• Desire: Structure, routine and a sense of control

Example ideas:

• Information products: an autism-focused newsletter or Substack; a course on autistic self-understanding; an eBook on managing sensory and social life; a community for autistic adults

• Digital products: an energy-and-spoons tracker; a routine and visual-schedule builder; a sensory-needs planner

• Physical and POD: ear defenders, sunglasses and sensory kit; comfort and stim items; sensory-friendly and slogan clothing

• No-code app: a social-energy and sensory-load tracker to help plan the week

5: Specific Conditions and Needs

There are narrower subcategories that have specific needs, like these:

Niche - The dyslexic adult

• Audience: Adults who struggle with reading and writing

• Problem: A lifetime of workarounds, embarrassment and lost confidence

• Desire: Tools, confidence and to play to their strengths

Niche - The dyscalculia sufferer

• Audience: People who struggle deeply with numbers

• Problem: Everyday maths, money and time feel impossible

• Desire: Practical help and reassurance they are not ‘stupid’

Niche - The dyspraxic adult

• Audience: People wrestling with coordination and organisation

• Problem: Daily tasks others find easy are a genuine struggle

• Desire: Strategies to manage the practical side of life

Niche - The ‘AuDHD’ and combined-profile crowd

• Audience: People with more than one condition at once

• Problem: The advice out there rarely fits their mixed, contradictory needs

• Desire: Help that understands the whole, complicated picture

Example ideas:

• Information products: a condition-specific newsletter or guide; a course on thriving with dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia; an eBook of practical strategies; a combined-profile ‘AuDHD’ resource

• Digital products: reading-and-spelling aids; a money-and-numbers toolkit; a daily-tasks organiser; a ‘my mixed profile’ workbook

• Physical and POD: coloured overlays and reading rulers; organisation tools; ‘dyslexic and brilliant’ slogan gifts

• No-code app: a condition-specific helper, such as a numbers-and-money assistant for dyscalculia

6: Focus, Organisation and Getting Things Done

A lot of people suffer from executive-function problems. People do not always search for their diagnosis. Instead they search for ‘how to stop procrastinating’ and ‘why can’t I finish anything’.

Niche - The chronic procrastinator

• Audience: People who cannot make themselves start, or finish

• Problem: Tasks pile up, guilt builds, and nothing gets done

• Desire: A way to actually get going and see things through

Niche - The disorganised and forgetful

• Audience: People forever losing keys, threads and deadlines

• Problem: Life feels like a losing battle against their own memory

• Desire: Simple systems to keep on top of things

Niche - The time-blind

• Audience: People with no real sense of time passing

• Problem: They are always late, always misjudging how long things take

• Desire: Tools to make time visible and manageable

Niche - The overwhelmed-by-admin

• Audience: People buried under paperwork, money and life logistics

• Problem: The boring but essential stuff quietly spirals out of control

• Desire: A calm, doable way to handle the admin of life

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘get things done’ newsletter for scattered minds; a course on executive-function-friendly systems; an eBook of anti-procrastination strategies; a body-doubling membership where people work ‘together’

• Digital products: planners, checklists and ‘brain dump’ templates; a time-blocking toolkit; a bills-and-admin organiser

• Physical and POD: visual timers, whiteboards and planners; colour-coded sticky notes and desk pads; ‘ask me about my executive dysfunction’ gifts

• No-code app: a task-breakdown tool that chops big jobs into tiny steps, or a visual countdown timer

7: Calm, Anxiety and Emotional Regulation

The emotional challenges of a neurodivergent life include big feelings, frayed nerves, and a constant search for calm.

Niche - The anxious and overstimulated

• Audience: People whose nervous system feels permanently switched on

• Problem: They are wired, tense and easily overwhelmed

• Desire: Ways to feel calmer and more settled

Niche - The emotionally dysregulated

• Audience: People who feel emotions intensely and suddenly

• Problem: Small triggers cause big reactions they struggle to control

• Desire: Tools to steady and manage their feelings

Niche - The rejection-sensitive

• Audience: People for whom the smallest slight lands like a blow

• Problem: Criticism and perceived rejection are crushing

• Desire: To soften the sting and protect their peace

Niche - The meltdown-and-shutdown prone

• Audience: People who hit overwhelm and boil over, or switch off

• Problem: These episodes are frightening, exhausting and shaming

• Desire: Ways to prevent, manage and recover from them

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘finding calm’ newsletter; a course on emotional regulation for neurodivergent minds; an eBook on managing meltdowns and overwhelm; a supportive membership

• Digital products: a mood-and-trigger tracker; a ‘calm down’ toolkit; grounding and coping-strategy cards to print

• Physical and POD: anxiety-relief kits, worry stones and grounding tools; aromatherapy and sensory-calm items; affirmation decks and journals

• No-code app: an in-the-moment ‘calm down’ companion with grounding exercises and breathing guides

8: Sensory Needs and Overload

You could focus on the physical, sensory reality of neurodivergence…

Niche - The sensory-overloaded

• Audience: People for whom noise, light and crowds are unbearable

• Problem: The everyday world is physically overwhelming

• Desire: To dial down the assault and feel comfortable

Niche - The sensory-seeker

• Audience: People who crave movement, pressure and stimulation

• Problem: They need sensory input to feel settled and focused

• Desire: Satisfying, calming ways to get that input

Niche - The clothing-and-texture-sensitive

• Audience: People who cannot bear certain fabrics, tags and textures

• Problem: Ordinary clothes cause genuine daily discomfort

• Desire: Comfortable, sensory-friendly things to wear

Niche - The overwhelmed-in-public

• Audience: People who struggle in shops, offices, travel and events

• Problem: Leaving the house can be draining or distressing

• Desire: Tools and strategies to cope out in the world

Example ideas:

• Information products: a sensory-living newsletter; a guide to building a ‘sensory toolkit’; an eBook on making your home and life sensory-friendly; reviews of sensory products

• Digital products: a sensory-needs profile and planner; a ‘sensory-friendly days out’ guide; a home sensory-audit checklist

• Physical and POD: ear defenders, loop earplugs, tinted glasses; weighted and compression items; fidgets, chewables and stim toys; functional and sensory-friendly clothing

• No-code app: a sensory-load planner that helps people prepare for overwhelming places and events

9: Sleep, Energy and Burnout

A side effect of neurodivergent minds is exhaustion. Racing minds… empty tanks… and the deep fatigue that comes from years of masking.

Niche - The racing-mind insomniac

• Audience: People who cannot switch their brains off at night

• Problem: They lie awake for hours, then drag through the day

• Desire: To quieten the mind and sleep properly

Niche - The burnt-out masker

• Audience: People worn out from years of holding it all together

• Problem: They have hit a wall and cannot keep going as before

• Desire: To recover, and to build a gentler way of living

Niche - The brain-fogged and depleted

• Audience: People with no focus, no energy and no clarity

• Problem: They feel foggy, forgetful and permanently tired

• Desire: To lift the fog and get their energy back

Niche - The ‘recovering from pushing through’ adult

• Audience: People realising they have run on empty for years

• Problem: They do not know how to rest or pace themselves

• Desire: To learn to recover and protect their energy

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘sleep and energy’ newsletter; a course on recovering from neurodivergent burnout; an eBook on pacing and rest; a gentle wind-down programme

• Digital products: a sleep-and-energy tracker; a ‘spoons’ and pacing planner; a wind-down routine builder

• Physical and POD: weighted blankets and eye masks; calming teas and nightlights; white noise machines; ‘running on empty’ self-care kits

• No-code app: an energy-pacing tracker that helps people spot burnout before they hit the wall

10: Self-Worth, Identity and Thriving

This is not about fixing problems, but healing years of feeling like a failure, and learning to play to the strengths a neurodivergent brain brings.

Niche - The bruised-self-worth adult

• Audience: People carrying years of feeling stupid, lazy or broken

• Problem: A lifetime of struggle has battered their confidence

• Desire: To rebuild their self-esteem and be kind to themselves

Niche - The unmasker

• Audience: People learning to drop the exhausting act they have kept up

• Problem: They have hidden their true selves for so long they have lost sight of who they are

• Desire: To unmask safely and live more authentically

Niche - The strengths-focused thriver

• Audience: People who want to harness the upside of their wiring

• Problem: They have only ever heard about the deficits, never the gifts

• Desire: To lean into their strengths and thrive

Niche - The belonging-seeker

• Audience: People who long to be understood by others like them

• Problem: They feel alone and unseen among neurotypical friends and family

• Desire: Community, connection and a sense of belonging

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘thriving, not just coping’ newsletter or Substack; a self-worth and unmasking course; an eBook on neurodivergent strengths; a warm membership community

• Digital products: a self-compassion and strengths journal; an ‘unmasking’ workbook; affirmation and reframe cards to print

• Physical and POD: affirmation decks and journals; ‘proudly wired differently’ and ‘not broken, just limited edition’ tees, mugs and pins; identity-and-pride gifts

• No-code app: a daily affirmation and reflection companion built around neurodivergent strengths

11: Parents of Neurodivergent Children

The most motivated buyers in the whole market. A parent worried about their child will gladly pay anyone who makes their life easier.

Niche - The newly-diagnosed child’s parent

• Audience: Parents whose child has just been diagnosed

• Problem: They are frightened, grieving and completely at sea

• Desire: Reassurance, understanding and a clear path forward

Niche - The sensory-and-fussy-eater parent

• Audience: Parents dealing with sensory struggles and food battles

• Problem: Mealtimes, clothes and daily routines are a constant fight

• Desire: Practical strategies that actually work

Niche - The school-struggles parent

• Audience: Parents fighting to get their child the right support

• Problem: The school system is a baffling, exhausting maze

• Desire: To understand their rights and get their child what they need

Niche - The meltdown-management parent

• Audience: Parents coping with a child’s meltdowns and overwhelm

• Problem: The episodes are distressing and they feel helpless

• Desire: Calm-down tools and strategies to handle and prevent them

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘parenting a neurodivergent child’ newsletter; a course on the newly-diagnosed journey; an eBook on managing meltdowns or school support; a parents’ membership or Facebook group

• Digital products: visual schedules and reward charts; a ‘calm down’ plan and emotion cards; a school-meeting and EHCP prep pack

• Physical and POD: children’s sensory toys and ‘calm down’ kits; chewables, fidgets and weighted items; social-story cards and emotion tools

• No-code app: a child-friendly routine-and-reward builder, or a meltdown-tracker to spot patterns

12: Partners, Families and Supporters

You could approach husbands, wives, grown-up children, friends and grandparents, who want to understand and help – but need guidance.

Niche - The partner trying to understand

• Audience: People with a neurodivergent spouse or partner

• Problem: They love them but find some things baffling or hurtful

• Desire: To understand their partner and strengthen the relationship

Niche - The neurodivergent couple

• Audience: Couples where one or both are neurodivergent

• Problem: Their wiring creates friction, misunderstandings and strain

• Desire: To navigate it together and get along better

Niche - The wants-to-help family member

• Audience: Parents, grandparents and friends of a neurodivergent adult

• Problem: They want to support, but fear saying or doing the wrong thing

• Desire: To be a genuine help rather than a hindrance

Niche - The adult child of a late-diagnosed parent

• Audience: People whose parent has been diagnosed late in life

• Problem: It reframes their whole childhood and family story

• Desire: To make sense of it, and perhaps of themselves

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘loving someone neurodivergent’ newsletter; a course for partners; an eBook on neurodivergent relationships; a supporters’ community

• Digital products: a couples’ communication toolkit; a ‘how to support them’ guide; conversation-starter cards

• Physical and POD: relationship and connection journals; thoughtful ‘I get you’ gifts; supporter-themed cards and keepsakes

• No-code app: a shared couples’ tool for communication, needs and ‘how can I help today’ check-ins

13: Neurodivergence at Work

Neurodivergent people spend their working lives in environments rarely built for them, and they are hungry for help to cope (and thrive).

Niche - The struggling employee

• Audience: People battling to cope in an unsuited workplace

• Problem: Open offices, meetings and deadlines work against their brain

• Desire: Strategies and adjustments to make work bearable

Niche - The ‘should I disclose?’ worker

• Audience: People weighing whether to tell their employer

• Problem: They fear judgement, but struggle in silence

• Desire: Guidance on if, when and how to disclose

Niche - The neurodivergent self-employed

• Audience: Freelancers and small-business owners

• Problem: They must run everything, including the bits their brain resists

• Desire: To build a working life that fits their wiring

Niche - The career-changer

• Audience: People seeking work that finally suits them

• Problem: They have burned out in roles that fought their nature

• Desire: To find a career that works with their strengths

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘thriving at work’ newsletter; a course on neurodivergent-friendly working; an eBook on workplace adjustments and disclosure; a self-employment membership

• Digital products: a workplace-adjustments request template; a ‘know your working style’ toolkit; a focus-and-workflow planner

• Physical and POD: desk fidgets, timers and noise-reducing kit; focus and organisation tools; work-from-home comfort items

• No-code app: a work-planning and focus tool, or a ‘reasonable adjustments’ builder

So, Where Do You Start?

At this point, your head is probably swimming a bit.

Thirteen sub-trends… dozens of niches… more product ideas than you could shake a stick at. It is a lot to contend with.

But with this subject, it’s important to come from a position of empathy and understanding. So I highly recommend you pick the subcategory that’s closest to your personal experience. This is a topic where lived experience beats qualifications every time. You’re more likely to be able to attract and build an audience if you have ‘skin in the game’.

Are you neurodivergent yourself, or do you suspect you might be? Did you spend forty years struggling with something that only now has a name?

Or do you have a child, a grandchild, a partner, or very close friend who is neurodivergent?

If so, you already understand this market from the inside, and that’s worth more than any amount of research.

So begin there, then go and spend some time looking at Reddit groups like r/ADHDUK and r/AutismUK, or search for Facebook communities and conversations on TikTok, X, or Instagram. Perhaps even order one or two of the books I listed in the section on ‘voices’ – one that matches up with your experience (or a loved one’s).

A chatbot like ChatGPT or Claude can help too. Feed it a description of your own particular brain wiring, then use a prompt like this:

“I want to start a small home business helping neurodivergent people. Here is a bit about me. I am [autistic / ADHD / dyslexic / self-suspecting / a parent of a neurodivergent child, and so on]. The things I personally struggle with most are [for example: starting tasks, sensory overload, anxiety, organisation, sleep]. The things I am actually rather good at are [for example: explaining things simply, being patient, spotting patterns, making people feel understood]. In my life or work I have experience of [for example: teaching, nursing, admin, raising a neurodivergent child]. Based on all of that, suggest 10 specific niches and business ideas that would suit me, where my own experience would help me connect with the audience.”

Or you can use Chat GPT to analyse a fictional customer:

“Pretend you are a woman of 52 who has just been diagnosed with ADHD after a lifetime of struggling. Tell me, in your own words, your three biggest worries and the one thing you wish someone would help you with.”

Whatever you choose, remember that you are not a doctor. You are not diagnosing or curing anybody. The idea is that you are a relatable human being, who understands something of this world. And you are offering a bit of help, a useful tool or a sense of belonging.

Get that right and you could build a business that not only builds something that earns you money, but that helps make other people’s lives a little easier.

Howdy!

Every Friday, I do something slightly different in my What Really Makes Money (non Substack) email newsletter.

Rather than talk about business trends, success strategies or the psychology of making money…

I focus on ONE specific extra income opportunity.

Something you could potentially investigate, test and turn into a small home business or useful second income.

And because we’re now halfway through the year, I thought this would be a good moment to look back at everything I’ve covered during 2026 so far and share it with you.

So I’ve gone through all those Friday editions…

Picked out some of the strongest and most interesting opportunities…

And brought them together in one bumper special report:

A Collection Of The Best Extra Income Opportunities Of 2026… So Far!

You can read the entire report online here:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SPECIAL REPORT

It contains more than 100 pages of ideas, examples, potential niches and practical steps.

You’ll discover…

• How to get paid to find “free money” — by tracking down grants, funding, awards and competitions that most people never hear about… then turning that publicly available information into a potentially profitable service.

• Why companies are actively looking for people in their 50s, 60s and beyond to create simple product videos

• The new Print on Demand opportunity that isn’t based on tired slogans and generic T-shirts - and how AI is helping people create personalised gifts, pet portraits, family prints, children’s books and other higher-value products

• How “eBook stacking” could turn a collection of short, interlinked titles into several different income streams

• How tiny publications about mushrooms, sea glass, canal boats and other wonderfully specific subjects can sometimes be easier to sell than products aimed at huge, overcrowded markets.

• Thirty-three everyday jobs people in your local area will pay to have done — plus the “lazier” way to turn them into a service business without necessarily doing all the physical work yourself

• How old books, illustrations, maps, photographs and cartoons can be legally repurposed into themed journals, planners, guides and other products people will pay for.

And, of course…

There is a substantial section on SUBSTACK.

I make no attempt to disguise the fact that Substack is my favourite opportunity of 2026 so far. (Yes, I know this is a bit meta talking about Substack … on Substack!)

If you are interested in a fast track way to take advantage of this incredible platform, check out my NEW IkigAI Automated Income System.

As I’m sure you know, Substack has become a thriving, all-in-one publishing platform where you can build an audience around your knowledge, interests, experiences or personality…

Deliver your content as both a website and email newsletter…

And potentially earn through paid subscriptions, affiliate recommendations and your own products.

You don’t need millions of followers.

You don’t need to be a famous author.

And, by using AI properly (not producing slop!), you don’t even need to consider yourself a particularly accomplished writer.

You need a worthwhile subject…

A clearly defined group of readers…

And useful, interesting content they will look forward to receiving.

The report includes examples of successful newsletters covering everything from salad and gardening to camper vans, local news, retirement, creativity and narrowboat living.

Some of the niches will surprise you.

Of course Substack won’t suit everybody as a place to make money (although I struggle to think why!).

That’s why I’ve included plenty of completely different opportunities in this Special Report - online and offline, practical and creative, immediate and longer term.

I’m certainly not suggesting you try all of them.

In fact, please don’t!

Read through the collection, see which ideas catch your attention, and then investigate the one or two that seem to fit your circumstances, abilities and interests.

Here’s the link again:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BEST INCOME OPPORTUNITIES OF 2026 SO FAR

You might discover an idea you missed the first time around…

Or see an old opportunity in a completely different light.

Best regards

Nick

P.S. The report is presented as a Google document, so there’s nothing to download or install. Just click the link, dip into the sections that interest you, and save the link so you can return to it later.

PPS: If you want an easy way to get started on Substack right now, then check out my NEW IkigAI Automated Income System.

As I write this in the middle of July, a large part of Britain is hot, tired and thoroughly fed up.

And the less said about England’s exit from the World Cup the better! ;-(

People are trying to sleep in bedrooms that still feel like ovens at midnight.

They’re moving fans from one room to another… opening windows… closing curtains… opening the windows again… and wondering whether they should finally invest in portable air conditioning.

Outside, it is much the same story…

Flowerbeds are wilting.

Hanging baskets need watering constantly.

Once-green lawns have turned brown and brittle.

People who previously regarded prolonged extreme heat as something that happened in Spain, southern France or Greece are starting to accept an uncomfortable truth:

What If This Is Something We Need
To Prepare For Every Year?

Now, before I go any further, I should stress that what follows is really a collection of my initial notes.

This is a mini Mega Trend Alert rather than one of my full reports.

The changing climate is going to create opportunities across almost every conceivable market: food production, farming, construction, insurance, energy, clothing, travel, health, workplace design, transport, water management and many others.

The UK Government has just published research estimating that climate adaptation could represent a £154 billion to £355 billion market opportunity for UK businesses over the ten years from 2026 to 2035.

Globally, it estimates that around £3.5 trillion could be spent adapting to physical climate risks over the same period.

That is a vast subject.

I will be digging much more deeply into it and developing these early ideas into a larger report.

For today, however, I want to concentrate on one relatively accessible corner of the trend:

Information and products that help ordinary householders adapt their homes and gardens to hotter, drier and more unpredictable weather.

These are opportunities that someone could potentially pursue from home through:

• An email newsletter or Substack publication

• Digital information products

• Affiliate marketing

• An Amazon business

• A Shopify store

• Carefully chosen white-label products

• Sponsorship and advertising

• Or some combination of the above

And while the current heat may already have created a stampede for fans and air conditioners, I believe the larger and more sustainable opportunity is only just starting to emerge.

Why The Summer Of 2026 Feels Different

Britain has had memorable hot summers before.

Those of a certain age still talk about 1976.

We had the record-breaking 40°C heat of 2022.

The summer of 2025 was exceptionally warm.

But there is something about 2026 that feels different.

The heat began remarkably early.

Western Europe experienced an intense heatwave during the second half of May, with parts of England, Wales and western France recording daily average temperatures more than 10°C above the seasonal norm.

June then became the warmest June on record for western Europe. England recorded its warmest June since records began, with exceptionally high overnight temperatures as well as high daytime temperatures.

By July, many areas of Britain were experiencing their third heatwave of the year.

For the first time in the UK’s weather record, temperatures of 35°C or higher had been recorded during May, June and July of the same year.

Britain is far from alone…

Much of western and central Europe has experienced the same pattern, while the United States has also seen exceptional heat during 2026. March was the warmest March recorded across the contiguous US in a temperature record going back to 1895.

No single hot day or isolated heatwave proves anything by itself.

But when record temperatures keep arriving earlier… lasting longer… and affecting large parts of Europe and North America at the same time…

People begin to recognise that something fundamental may be changing.

More importantly from a business perspective: people begin changing their behaviour.

A Problem Becomes Real
When You Feel It

Most people don’t change how they live because they have studied a climate graph.

They change when a problem arrives in their bedroom, sitting room or back garden.

Climate change can feel abstract when it is presented as a forecast of what may happen by 2050.

It becomes painfully real when

• You cannot sleep because your bedroom is still unbearably hot at one o’clock in the morning.

• An elderly parent cannot get comfortable.

• Your dog spends the day panting on the kitchen floor.

• The loft conversion you spent thousands of pounds creating becomes unusable for weeks at a time.

• Plants you have spent years nurturing begin to wilt.

• You have to water your pots and hanging baskets twice a day merely to keep them alive.

• You decide you finally need a decent fan, only to discover that everyone else has had exactly the same idea.

That deep psychological and societal shift matters.

Once people have experienced a painful problem, they start looking for ways to prevent it happening again.

We Can Already See A Change
In Buying Decisions

During one of the recent hot weekends, Currys reported that sales of fans increased by nearly 3,000% compared with the previous weekend.

Sales of air-conditioning units rose by approximately 330%.

Supplies became tight because demand rose so rapidly.

UK shoppers also moved more of their spending online during June. Online non-food sales increased while physical store sales declined, with heat-related purchases including fans and paddling pools helping to drive demand.

This is what a new market often looks like in its early stages.

It doesn’t necessarily begin with people calmly deciding to embrace a new lifestyle.

It begins with discomfort.

They can’t sleep.

Their home is too hot.

Their children are complaining.

Their garden is suffering.

The product they suddenly want is out of stock.

Pain turns a vague concern into an urgent buying decision.

But I don’t think the real opportunity is simply to sell more fans.

Fans are merely the most obvious and immediate expression of a much wider change.

The larger opportunity lies in helping people prepare their homes and gardens for a type of weather they increasingly expect to experience again.

The Problem With Chasing A Heatwave

There is one rather large catch.

By the time everyone feels the pain, it may already be too late to build an income around it.

Here we are in the middle of July 2026.

You could certainly create a quick article comparing fans or portable air conditioners and earn some affiliate commission.

You could publish advice on cooling a bedroom or saving a wilting garden.

You might even find a simple cooling product they could sell through Shopify.

But realistically, it is now too late to:

• Research and develop a strong white-label product range

• Find and thoroughly check reliable suppliers

• Import stock

• Build convincing Amazon listings

• Accumulate customer reviews

• Develop substantial search visibility

• Build a trusted audience

• Create genuinely authoritative information products

• Establish relationships with sponsors and advertisers

There is also a considerable danger in ordering large quantities of seasonal products while temperatures are at their highest.

As we all know, the British weather can change remarkably quickly.

A run of cooler, wetter weeks could leave a would-be entrepreneur with a garage full of cooling towels, sunshades and plant-watering devices until next year.

So I am not suggesting that you rush out and attempt to cash in on the current heat.

That would be chasing the market after it has already taken off.

The smarter play is to study what has happened… identify the questions people are asking… understand what they are buying… and prepare for the next stage of the trend.

Remember How This Summer Felt

The real commercial value of summer 2026 may emerge after the temperature begins to fall.

People will remember:

• The nights they could not sleep

• The rooms that became unusable

• The constant noise of fans

• The elderly relatives they worried about

• The plants they lost

• The brown lawn

• The daily watering

• The hosepipe restrictions

• The cooling products that sold out

• The feeling that their home and garden were completely unprepared

That experience will not simply disappear when autumn arrives.

In fact it opens up new opportunities you can start developing right now.

Opportunity #1:
Keeping British Homes Cool

A great many British homes are extremely good at retaining warmth.

That has traditionally been considered a benefit.

For much of the year, it still is.

But it becomes a serious problem when several days of high temperatures cause heat to build up inside the property.

Bedrooms, loft conversions, conservatories, flats and south-facing rooms can become especially uncomfortable.

In London alone, recent analysis suggests that around one million homes may be at high risk of overheating.

This creates a huge demand for practical, trustworthy information.

People will increasingly seek answers to questions such as:

• How can I keep my bedroom cool at night?

• Should I keep the windows open or closed during the day?

• Where should I position a fan?

• Are expensive tower fans really better?

• Does reflective window film work?

• Which blinds block the most heat?

• How can I cool a loft conversion?

• How can I stop my conservatory overheating?

• Is a portable air conditioner worth buying?

• What does air conditioning cost to run?

• How can I cool a rented flat without making permanent changes?

• Which products are safe for an elderly person’s bedroom?

• How can I keep my pets comfortable?

These questions could support an entire specialist newsletter or information website.

Possible publication ideas might include:

The Climate-Ready Home

The Cool Home Report

Heatproof Your Home

The Cool Bedroom Guide

You could create product comparisons, downloadable guides, heatwave checklists and room-by-room cooling plans.

And you could earn affiliate commissions by recommending:

• Fans

• Air circulators

• Portable air conditioners

• Cooling bedding

• Mattress toppers

• Blackout and thermal blinds

• Window films

• Shade sails

• Awnings

• Indoor thermometers

• Smart plugs

• Pet cooling mats

You could also develop simple non-electrical white-label products.

I would avoid beginning with electrical equipment. Certification, warranties, safety problems and returns make that a much more demanding business.

Simpler opportunities might include:

• Cooling towels

• Reflective window coverings

• Thermal curtain liners

• Cooling pillowcases

• Reusable cooling packs

• Personal heatwave kits

• Bedroom temperature monitors

• Pet cooling accessories

The real value would come from combining products with excellent information.

Instead of placing a logo on another generic cooling towel, you might create a Cool Bedroom Kit supported by a detailed digital guide explaining how to prevent the room heating up in the first place.

That turns a commodity into a specific solution.

Opportunity #2:
The Climate-Ready British Garden

The garden market may ultimately prove even more attractive.

Cooling products tend to generate intense bursts of demand when the temperature rises.

Gardening is seasonal too, of course, but the problems created by a changing climate extend throughout the year.

Gardeners may face prolonged dry spells and intense heat during summer…

Followed by heavy rain, waterlogging and drainage problems during winter.

The RHS predicted before the start of 2026 that climate would become the main driver of activity in British gardens, with increased emphasis on planting diversity, water management and coping with changing weather.

That prediction now looks remarkably well timed.

There is also a powerful emotional element to this market.

A garden is rarely just a collection of plants.

It can represent years of time, effort and affection.

When someone sees a mature shrub wilting or a carefully planted border beginning to fail, they do not merely see damaged leaves.

They see something they have nurtured and invested in slipping away.

That creates an urgent demand for help.

During periods of intense heat, people will search for information such as:

• How can I save a badly wilted plant?

• Which plants should I water first?

• Is my brown lawn dead?

• How often should I water my garden?

• Is it better to water in the morning or evening?

• How can I protect hanging baskets?

• Can I safely use bathwater on plants?

• How do I stop vegetables from bolting?

• How can I shade vulnerable plants?

• How do I keep everything alive while I am away?

• What can I do during a hosepipe ban?

The RHS is already advising gardeners to water deeply rather than constantly, use mulch, collect rainwater and consider carefully managed greywater when stored rainwater runs out.

But the larger opportunity goes well beyond emergency advice.

After this summer, more gardeners will start asking:

• Which plants are best suited to hotter British summers?

• Should I replace some of my lawn?

• How can I store more rainwater?

• Can I create a garden that requires less watering?

• Which plants can cope with both summer drought and wet winters?

• How should I improve my soil?

• How can I create more shade?

• Are self-watering containers worthwhile?

• Which traditional British garden plants may struggle?

• What should I plant instead?

Those questions can generate content and product demand throughout the year.

Several Possible Garden Niches

The broad positioning could be:

The Climate-Ready British Garden

The promise would be to help people create an attractive garden capable of coping with heat, drought, heavy rain and unpredictable conditions.

That could lead to information products such as:

• The Climate-Ready Garden Handbook

• 100 Plants for Hotter British Summers

• The Month-by-Month Resilient Garden Planner

• How to Create a Drought-Tolerant Border

• The Brown Lawn Recovery Plan

• How to Save Your Garden During a Hosepipe Ban

Affiliate products could include water butts, irrigation systems, timers, soaker hoses, soil-moisture meters, mulch, shade cloth, raised beds, self-watering containers and drought-resistant seeds.

Another strong angle would be:

The Water-Wise Garden

This is commercially attractive because the appeal is not limited to people who are especially concerned about climate change.

It offers practical everyday benefits:

Less watering.

Lower water use.

Fewer lost plants.

Less work.

A garden that can survive while its owner is away.

Potential white-label products could include:

• Container watering kits

• Holiday watering systems

• Drip-irrigation starter kits

• Tree-watering bags

• Moisture-meter bundles

• Watering spikes

• Reusable mulch mats

• Rain gauges

• Garden planning journals

A particularly interesting sub-niche could be:

Climate-Ready Container Gardening

This would appeal to people with patios, balconies, courtyards and smaller gardens.

Containers dry out quickly in hot weather, so the problem is obvious and immediate.

A specialist publisher could cover self-watering pots, balcony irrigation, heat-tolerant plants, holiday watering and low-maintenance container displays.

One simple physical product might be a Seven-Day Holiday Watering Kit for Pots and Baskets.

That solves a problem that exists every summer, even when there is no official heatwave.

What About The Brown Lawn?

One of the most visible effects of the current weather is the transformation of green lawns into something resembling straw.

This will lead to a great many searches for lawn treatments, drought-resistant seed and recovery products.

But there is also an opportunity to help people understand what is actually happening.

Established lawns often turn brown and dormant during drought before recovering when rainfall returns. The RHS generally advises against attempting to keep an established lawn permanently green through heavy watering and points towards longer-term maintenance and alternatives such as clover, thyme and wildflowers.

That creates content around:

• Whether a brown lawn is dead or dormant

• How to restore a lawn in autumn

• When to reseed

• Drought-resistant grass varieties

• Reducing the size of a lawn

• Clover lawns

• Thyme lawns

• Gravel gardens

• Wildflower areas

• Lower-maintenance alternatives

Once again, the opportunity is not simply selling a bag of grass seed.

It is helping people make sense of a problem and choose the right response.

A Business That Follows The Seasons

The most promising model would not rely entirely on the few weeks when Britain is experiencing extreme heat.

It would follow the problems people encounter across the year.

During late summer and autumn, content could focus on garden recovery, lawn repair, soil improvement and drought-resistant autumn planting.

During autumn and winter, attention could shift towards rainwater collection, drainage, waterlogging and preparing the garden for more extreme conditions.

From February onwards, the business could begin promoting water butts, irrigation systems, shade products, climate-ready planting and home-cooling preparation.

During the first genuinely hot spell, it could switch into rapid-response mode with:

• Heatwave advice

• Emergency garden guidance

• Updated product comparisons

• Affiliate promotions

• Stock availability

• Cooling checklists

• Watering schedules

This gives the business an evergreen foundation while retaining the ability to capitalise on sudden weather-driven demand.

The Best Home-Based Business Model

Personally, I’d always begin with information.

That could mean a Substack publication, email newsletter or specialist content website.

Building an audience first would provide an opportunity to discover what people actually want before investing heavily in stock.

You could ask readers:

What was your biggest problem during the heatwave?

Which rooms became unbearable?

Which plants suffered most?

What did you try?

Which products worked?

Which products disappointed you?

What do you wish you had bought earlier?

Those answers could then guide the creation of:

• Digital guides

• Product comparisons

• Affiliate recommendations

• Sponsored content

• Own-brand kits

• Amazon products

• A specialist Shopify store

This is a much safer approach than guessing which products will be popular and ordering a container full of them.

It also creates a valuable competitive advantage.

Most Amazon sellers begin with a product and then try to find customers.

An information publisher can begin with the customers… understand their problems… and then create or source the products they are already asking for.

These are only my first notes

As I said at the beginning, this is more of a mini Mega Trend Alert.

I have concentrated mainly on homes and gardens because they provide some of the most accessible opportunities for a small, home-based operator.

But they represent only a fraction of what is likely to emerge.

Changing temperatures and weather patterns will affect what we eat, where food is produced, which crops can be grown, how buildings are designed, where people travel, what they wear, how they work, how they exercise and how they care for older relatives.

There will be new problems to solve, new subjects to publish about and entirely new categories of products.

Some ideas will prove too capital-intensive or technically demanding for the individual entrepreneur.

Others will be highly accessible through information publishing, affiliate marketing and relatively simple physical products.

My aim in the larger report will be to separate the plausible home-based opportunities from the ideas that sound exciting but would be extremely difficult to execute.

For now, however, the central point is this:

The summer of 2026 has transformed extreme heat from an abstract forecast into an uncomfortable personal experience.

People have felt it inside their homes.

They have felt it in their bedrooms.

They have seen it in their gardens.

They have watched products disappear from the shelves.

And once people become painfully aware of a problem, they begin searching for ways to prevent it happening again.

It may be too late to build a serious business in time to benefit from the current heat.

But for someone prepared to start researching the market now, start publishing, build an audience and test the right products… it could pay off in a big way in 2027.

What do you think?

This year, the giant American car maker Ford had a big problem…

It had spent a fortune fitting out its design and manufacturing lines with the latest artificial intelligence… including clever cameras and automated systems meant to spot faults and improve quality.

But the technology kept missing things.

It didn’t have the instinct, the judgement or the hard-won know-how to catch what a truly experienced eye would catch.

So Ford rehired 350 of its retired veteran engineers…

Men and women in their sixties and seventies, brought back in to do a job the machines could not. The company even had a nickname for them: “The greybeards”.

These old hands were not just there to fix the cars. They were there to train humans and AI. Their decades of pattern recognition, troubleshooting and common sense gave them incredible value.

This story is good news for the older population, not just in the States but here in the UK.

We are forever being told that robots and AI are coming for our jobs, and that older workers are for the scrapheap. Bur Ford’s greybeards show us that in a world of machines, human experience is becoming more valuable.

Which means there’s a place for older people to offer their expertise and wisdom – and a good thing too. Because millions of people who would normally have retired at 60-65 either cannot do so… or don’t wish to do so.

Retirement Reinvented

For most of the last century, retirement meant one thing: you stopped work, drew your pension, and saw out your days in a deckchair in your garden.

But that model is falling apart.

People are living far longer, staying fit and sharp for longer.

A man of sixty today can expect, on average, another twenty-five years.

A woman, twenty-seven.

Retirement is no longer a short final chapter. For many it is a second act lasting twenty, twenty-five, even thirty years. And a pension built for a ten-year retirement simply will not stretch that far.

The full new State Pension works out at around £12,550 a year. Yet Pensions UK reckons a single person needs about £13,900 a year just for a ‘minimum’ retirement, and £32,700 for a ‘moderate’ one.

Yet nearly half of all working-age adults are paying nothing into a pension at all. And among the self-employed, just 4%, one in twenty-five, are saving for their old age.

In 2026, a government-backed Pensions Commission warned that at least 15 million Britons are not saving enough, a figure that could climb to 19 million.

It means that only one in ten Britons are on track for a comfortable retirement. Only a quarter are forecast to reach a moderate lifestyle. And the full State Pension does not even cover the minimum standard for a single person.

So older people now find themselves in a troubling position. They may need an extra £300, £500, £1,000 or £2,000 a month to feel safe, independent and in control. Which they can only achieve through finding part-time work, freelance gigs, side hustles, home business projects or selling their advice and consultancy services.

At the same time as millions of older people are seeking ways to share their skills and knowledge to make an extra income, the AI-driven world is rediscovering that their experience is really valuable.

The result is a new movement… Unretirement.

Older people are working longer, returning to work, going self-employed, or building small, flexible income streams around the things they already know. And a need for an income is not the only driver behind this trend.

Why It’s Not Just About Money

A working career gives us far more than a wage. It gives us structure to our days, a reason to get up, people to see, problems to solve, and a sense that we matter to society.

So for many people, retirement is not the blissful release they imagined.

After the first few weeks of lie-ins and long lunches, something can start to feel amiss. The diary is empty. They don’t see as many people as they used to.. And they wonder, what am I actually for now?

Many of these people don’t want to sit around doing nothing. They want to engage in fulfilling activities that keep their minds and bodies active, and which give them a sense of identity and purpose.

This is why so many people are drawn to unretirement. They miss the sense of purpose. They miss having some structure to their days and weeks. They miss being useful. They miss being part of something valuable.

And this presents you with a golden opportunity…

Products and Service for A Growing Older Market

You can show older people how to turn their experience, skills and knowledge into an income, for instance:

· Find profitable freelance gigs

· Make money from side hustles

· Start online and offline businesses

· Coach, consult and teach other people

· Invest and build wealth

· Create services and tools

You can also offer this older market information, strategies and tools that will help them live richer, more active and socially connected lives. Including ways they can:

• Invest and grow their wealth

• Budget and save money

• Stay sharp and engaged

• Remain independent and in control

• Enjoy good relationships

• Partake in meaningful hobbies and pastimes

• Join offline and online communities

• Be creative and find an audience

• Travel and enjoy new experiences.

In this report, I am going to show you the many options available.

First, let’s look at the stats.

The Trend – Wer’re Getting Older!

The country is ageing, and fast.

• The number of people of pensionable age is projected to rise from 12.4 million to 14.2 million by mid-2034… a 14.6% increase.

• The share of the population over 65 is expected to reach 28% by 2075, up from 19% today.

• The over-85s are growing fastest: 1.75 million people were aged 85+ by mid-2024 (2.5% of the population), projected to reach 3.6 million (4.9% of the population) by 2049.

A lot of these older people will continue to work.

A record 1.37 million people aged sixty-five and over are still working in the UK. That’s around 835,000 more than in 2004.

Self-employment among older people is surging too. Analysis of ONS data found a record 991,432 self-employed workers aged sixty or over in the UK in 2023, up 33% in a decade.

People aged sixty and over now make up 23% of the country’s self-employed workforce. Those aged fifty and over make up almost half of it.

And among those nearly one million self-employed over-sixties, more than 223,000 were aged over seventy.

These people are actively seeking information that will help them.

For instance, here is a Google Trend chart showing the trend for the search term “retirement advice.”

It’s even more dramatic when you look at the past 10 years.

And here’s one for ‘best retirement advice’

So there’s clearly a growing market of people who are hungry for advice and information.

Voices and Influencers In this Field

Here are the main voices to be aware of.

• Unretirement by Chris Farrell. The American journalist who did more than anyone to popularise the word. His argument is that the old idea of retirement, a sudden withdrawal from useful life, was a short-lived historical accident, and that older people are now reinventing it as a time of new careers, ventures and contribution.

• How to Have an Epic Retirement: Your ultimate guide to living well, loving life and retiring with financial confidence - by Bec Wilson. This one was a recent bestseller in the ‘financial planning’ category on Amazon.

• How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won’t Get from Your Financial Advisor by Ernie J Zelinski. Ernie Zelinski is an author, innovator, professional speaker, and unconventional career expert with more than 25 years of experience in solo-entrepreneurshp, semi-retirement, and making a living without a real job. His is also the author of The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked (over 225,000 copies sold). His latest works include 101 Really Important Things You Already Know,But Keep Forgetting.

• How to Retire by Christine Benz. A smash hit that shot to number one among new releases. Benz gathered twenty leading experts, each tackling one lesson on money, purpose, relationships and time. It shows just how big the appetite is for clear, trustworthy retirement guidance.

• From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks. A bestseller arguing that the second half of life, handled well, can be more rewarding than the first, as we shift from raw ambition to wisdom, teaching and connection. Perfect for the emotional, purpose-led side of this trend.

A growing number of people now share information about ageing, purpose and reinvention, not only in books but in websites…

• Rest Less - a British website and community built entirely for the over-fifties, covering work, careers, money, health and lifestyle.

There are also Substack accounts that look at ageing…

• Shaping Life https://loublaser.substack.com/about by Lou Blaser, a woman who writes about her experience of ageing. She says: “I write once a week on topics that help me continue becoming the person I want to be. This often includes reflections on reading, learning, the creative life, and an ongoing inquiry into two tensions I’m always navigating: enoughness versus ambition, and control versus surrender.

• The Retirement Newsleter - News, stories and tips from a recently retired academic.

• The Aging Almanac a guide to navigating later life, to help people age with agency, dignity and intention. Blending reporting, expert insight, and practical tools, it explores how we can work longer, plan smarter, care for ourselves and others, and make informed decisions about health, money, housing and caregiving. This gathered almost 500 subscribers in its first 4 months.

But there is plenty more scope for new voices, tackling new niches.

Let’s take a look.

Helping Older People Turn Their
Experience into an Income

You could serve the millions of older people who want, or need, to bring in an income…

SUBTREND:
Freelance and Flexible Work

Many people do not want a business or a full-time job. They want a bit of flexible, paid work on their own terms. But they do not know where to look or how to present themselves, and they worry their age counts against them. That is where you come in.

Niche — The flexible-hours seeker

• Audience: Older people who want to work a little, on their own terms

• Problem: They do not know where to find realistic, flexible work

• Desire: Part-time or freelance work that fits around their life

Niche — The ‘my skills still count’ returner

• Audience: Experienced people wanting to sell their skills freelance

• Problem: They do not know how to package, price or market themselves

• Desire: To turn a career’s worth of expertise into freelance income

Niche — The CV-and-confidence rebuilder

• Audience: People returning to work after retirement or a long break

• Problem: Their CV is dated and their confidence has slipped

• Desire: To present themselves well and feel capable again

Niche — The ageism-wary jobseeker

• Audience: Older people afraid of being overlooked for their age

• Problem: They fear the door is quietly shut to them

• Desire: To find age-friendly work and employers who value experience

How you could help them:

• Information products: a ‘flexible work after 60’ newsletter; a course on finding freelance and part-time work; an eBook on landing age-friendly roles; a beginner’s guide to the freelance platforms

• Digital products: CV and freelance-profile templates; a rate-setting calculator; an interview-and-application toolkit

• Services: CV and confidence coaching; interview practice sessions; a job-finding support group

• No-code app: a curated directory of age-friendly employers and flexible-work openings

SUBTREND:
Side Hustles

A huge number of older people simply want a bit extra each month, without the risk or commitment of a proper business. They are crying out for simple, honest, low-risk ideas, and someone to cut through the get-rich-quick noise.

Niche — The extra-income seeker

• Audience: Older people who just need a few hundred pounds a month

• Problem: They do not want a job, but do not know what else to do

• Desire: Simple, realistic side hustles that fit their life

Niche — The ‘too old to start?’ doubter

• Audience: People who fear they have missed the boat

• Problem: They assume side hustles are only for the young and techy

• Desire: Proof, and a path, that shows it is never too late

Niche — The low-risk starter

• Audience: Cautious people wary of losing money

• Problem: They are put off by stock, costs and complication

• Desire: Ways to earn with no stock, no premises and little outlay

Niche — The overwhelmed-by-choice beginner

• Audience: People drowning in online ‘make money’ noise

• Problem: They cannot tell the honest ideas from the nonsense

• Desire: A trustworthy guide to what genuinely works

How you could help them:

• Information products: a ‘simple side hustles for the over-60s’ newsletter; a course on starting a low-risk earner; an eBook of realistic income ideas; a myth-busting guide to the honest options

• Digital products: a side-hustle idea finder; a ‘first 30 days’ start-up planner; simple income-tracking templates

• Services: beginner group coaching; a supportive ‘start your side hustle’ membership; accountability cohorts

• No-code app: a ‘which side hustle suits me?’ quiz based on skills, time and budget

SUBTREND:
Small Business

For those ready to go further, starting a small business, online or off, can be daunting at any age, and more so if you fear the technology and the risk.

Niche — The over-60 start-up hopeful

• Audience: Older people drawn to running their own little business

• Problem: They fear risk, technology and getting it all wrong

• Desire: Low-risk, plain-English guidance built for their age and stage

Niche — The online-business beginner

• Audience: People wanting to earn online but baffled by how

• Problem: The tools and jargon feel overwhelming

• Desire: A simple, step-by-step path into an online income

Niche — The offline-business starter

• Audience: People who would rather build something local and hands-on

• Problem: They do not know how to set it up or find customers

• Desire: To start a small local service or trade

Niche — The tax-and-admin nervous

• Audience: The newly self-employed in later life

• Problem: The paperwork, tax and admin frighten them off

• Desire: Simple, reassuring help with the practical side

How you could help them:

• Information products: a ‘start a small business after 60’ course; a newsletter for older founders; an eBook of low-risk business models; a plain-English guide to self-employment admin (general information, not regulated advice)

• Digital products: a start-up checklist; a simple business-plan template; a bookkeeping-made-easy spreadsheet

• Services: group coaching for older founders; a membership community; one-to-one setup help

• No-code app: a ‘business readiness’ quiz or a simple income-and-expenses tracker

SUBTREND:
Coaching and Consultancy

This is one of the most natural earners for older people. After a lifetime of doing something, they can be paid to guide, advise and teach others. But most do not realise their experience is valuable, or know how to sell it.

Niche — The ‘I’m not an expert’ doubter

• Audience: People with decades of experience who undervalue it

• Problem: They assume nobody would pay for what they know

• Desire: To see their experience as the asset it truly is, and sell it

Niche — The would-be consultant

• Audience: Former professionals and managers

• Problem: They have left the workplace but their expertise is still wanted

• Desire: To advise and consult a few days a month for good money

Niche — The would-be tutor or teacher

• Audience: Knowledgeable people and former educators

• Problem: They want flexible, rewarding work using what they know

• Desire: To tutor, teach or run courses from home

Niche — The later-life mentor

• Audience: Seasoned people who have ‘been there’

• Problem: Younger people want their guidance but there is no obvious route

• Desire: To mentor others and be valued for their wisdom

How you could help them:

• Information products: a course on turning experience into a coaching or consulting income; a ‘become a tutor’ guide; a newsletter on building an expert business.

• Digital products: coaching and consulting templates; a ‘find your expertise’ workbook; session-plan and pricing tools

• Services: coaching people to launch their own coaching or consultancy; a mastermind or membership; done-with-you setup

• No-code app: a booking-and-scheduling tool, or an expert-and-client matching page

SUBTREND:
Passive Income Services and Tools

Some people want to build something that earns while they sleep, or offer a simple service, rather than trade every hour for money.

Niche — The ‘earn while I sleep’ seeker

• Audience: People who want income that does not eat all their time

• Problem: They only know how to swap hours for money

• Desire: To create products that sell again and again

Niche — The knowledge-packager

• Audience: People whose careers ran on systems, processes and know-how

• Problem: That valuable knowledge left with them when they retired

• Desire: To turn it into templates, guides and tools people will buy

Niche — The service-builder

• Audience: People who would rather offer a simple, useful service

• Problem: They do not know what to offer or how to set it up

• Desire: To build a small, steady service business

Niche — The AI-curious creator

• Audience: Older people intrigued by AI but nervous of it

• Problem: They assume the tools are beyond them

• Desire: To use simple AI tools to create and sell things faster

How you could help them:

• Information products: a course on creating and selling digital products; a newsletter on building tools and services; an eBook on turning know-how into products; a gentle ‘AI for the over-60s’ guide

• Digital products: template and worksheet packs they can adapt; a ‘productise your knowledge’ workbook; prompt packs for the AI-curious

• Services: done-with-you product creation; a membership for older creators; workshops on building a first product

• No-code app: a simple builder or starter template that lets them launch their own tool

SUBTREND:
Turning Hobbies Into Income

You can show hobbyists how to earn money from what they love doing.

Niche — The lifelong hobbyist

• Audience: Devoted gardeners, crafters, model-makers, anglers, cooks and more

• Problem: They see it as ‘just a hobby’, never a source of income

• Desire: To earn a little from the thing they love most

Niche — The maker who cannot sell

• Audience: People who make lovely or useful things by hand

• Problem: They have no idea how to sell what they make

• Desire: To sell their creations, or their designs, online

Niche — The hobby-teacher

• Audience: Skilled hobbyists others would love to learn from

• Problem: Beginners want a patient guide but cannot find one

• Desire: To teach their pastime through classes, clubs or videos

Niche — The collector and dealer

• Audience: People with deep knowledge of a collectable field

• Problem: Their expertise sits idle

• Desire: To buy, sell, value and advise within their niche

How you could help them:

• Information products: a ‘turn your hobby into income’ course; a newsletter of ideas and examples; an eBook on the best hobby-based earners; a guide to selling handmade goods

• Digital products: a ‘price your craft’ calculator; a selling-online starter kit; a hobby-business planner

• Services: coaching hobbyists to launch; a membership for creative older earners; setup help for online shops

• No-code app: a simple shopfront or class-booking tool for their pastime

SUBTREND:
Writing and Publishing

Many older people have a lifetime of knowledge or stories worth sharing, and would love to write, publish and build a following, but do not know where to start.

Niche — The would-be newsletter writer

• Audience: Knowledgeable people with something worth saying

• Problem: They have expertise but no idea how to earn from it

• Desire: To build a paid newsletter or Substack around what they know

Niche — The ‘I could write a book’ dreamer

• Audience: People with deep knowledge or a story to tell

• Problem: They never saw themselves as an ‘author’ and feel daunted

• Desire: To write and self-publish an eBook or guide

Niche — The memoirist and family historian

• Audience: People with rich life stories or local knowledge

• Problem: The stories risk being lost, and they lack the know-how to capture them

• Desire: To preserve and share them, and perhaps sell them

Niche — The audience-builder

• Audience: People with a passion or message to share widely

• Problem: They do not know how to build a blog, channel or following

• Desire: To find an audience for what they love or know

How you could help them:

• Information products: a course on starting a paid newsletter or Substack; a ‘write and self-publish your first eBook’ programme; a memoir-writing guide; a newsletter on building an audience

• Digital products: writing templates and outlines; a self-publishing checklist; a content-planning calendar

• Services: coaching writers to launch; ghostwriting and memoir services; a writers’ membership or group

• No-code app: a simple publishing companion or resource library for their readers

Older Years Enrichment

These are opportunities to help the huge and growing population of older people with what they need.

SUBTREND:
Wealth and Investment

Some older people want to grow a pot of savings, some want to make it last, and many simply want to stretch a tight pension a little further. What unites them all is confusion and anxiety, and a hunger for plain, honest guidance.

Niche — The nervous investor

• Audience: People with savings, a pension pot or a lump sum from a house sale

• Problem: They know their money should be working harder, but investing feels complicated, risky and full of jargon

• Desire: To understand the basics, in plain English, and feel more in control

Niche — The ‘make it last’ worrier

• Audience: People trying to make their money see them through a long retirement

• Problem: They are frightened of running out, or of making a costly mistake

• Desire: To understand how to turn a pot into a lasting income

Niche — The fixed-income stretcher

• Audience: People living on a pension that does not stretch far enough

• Problem: Every month is a squeeze, and prices keep rising

• Desire: Practical ways to spend less and make their money go further

Niche — The ‘entitlements’ misser

• Audience: Older people not claiming what they are due

• Problem: They have no idea about the discounts, benefits and allowances available

• Desire: To claim everything they are entitled to

How you could help them:

• Information products: a ‘plain English money for later life’ newsletter; a jargon-free course on how investing works; an eBook on making your money last; a guide to the discounts and benefits older people miss; a budgeting-in-retirement course

• Digital products: a budget planner and bills tracker; an investing glossary; a ‘questions to ask a financial adviser’ checklist; a ‘benefits I might be missing’ checklist

• Services: educational workshops and Q&A sessions; a money-saving membership; budgeting coaching; group ‘cut your bills’ challenges

• No-code app: a household budget tracker; a ‘how long will my money last?’ calculator; a ‘benefits I might be missing’ checker

A word of caution. Personal recommendations about money and investments are regulated. Always point people to a qualified, regulated adviser for personal decisions.

The opportunity here is in education, explaining and demystifying, and in the money-saving and budgeting side, which is free of that restriction.

SUBTREND:
Tech and AI Confidence

Millions of older people feel left behind by technology, and would happily pay a patient, friendly guide to help them catch up.

Niche — The tech-nervous beginner

• Audience: Older people baffled by phones, tablets, laptops and apps

• Problem: They feel foolish, frustrated and left behind

• Desire: Patient, kind, jargon-free help to get comfortable

Niche — The AI-curious over-70

• Audience: Older people who have heard of AI and are quietly intrigued

• Problem: They assume it is far too complicated for them

• Desire: A gentle introduction that shows them it is not

Niche — The ‘keep me safe online’ learner

• Audience: Cautious older people wary of the internet

• Problem: They want to use it but are frightened of getting caught out

• Desire: To go online safely and with confidence

Niche — The catching-up worker

• Audience: Older people who need digital skills to keep earning

• Problem: The working world has gone digital and left them behind

• Desire: The practical skills to stay employable or self-employed

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘technology made simple for the over-60s’ course; a friendly step-by-step newsletter; an eBook of plain-English how-to guides; a gentle ‘AI for beginners’ course

• Digital products: printable step-by-step guides; large-print cheat sheets; a ‘how to do it’ video library

• Services: one-to-one patient tech help; small friendly classes; a phone-a-friend support line

• No-code app: a simple, big-button ‘how do I...?’ help directory for common tech tasks

SUBTREND:
Scams and Digital Protection

Older people are the prime target for scammers, and they know it. Fear of fraud is widespread, and trustworthy help to stay safe is genuinely valued.

Niche — The scam-worried

• Audience: Older people anxious about being targeted by fraudsters

• Problem: The scams are cleverer than ever and they feel vulnerable

• Desire: To recognise the tricks and protect themselves

Niche — The protective family member

• Audience: Adult children worried about an older parent

• Problem: They fear a relative will be caught out while they are not looking

• Desire: Simple ways to safeguard their loved one

Niche — The already-been-stung

• Audience: People who have lost money to a scam

• Problem: They feel shaken, ashamed and wary

• Desire: To recover their confidence and never be caught again

Niche — The fraud-aware learner

• Audience: Sensible older people who want to stay one step ahead

• Problem: The tactics keep changing and are hard to keep up with

• Desire: To understand the latest tricks and stay protected

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘scam alert’ newsletter breaking down the latest frauds; a course on staying safe online; an eBook of the most common scams and how to spot them; talks for community groups

• Digital products: a printable ‘scam-spotter’ checklist; a family ‘safety setup’ guide; a fraud-response action plan

• Services: one-to-one ‘safety check’ sessions; talks to clubs and groups; a family safeguarding service

• No-code app: a ‘is this a scam?’ checker or reporting guide

SUBTREND:
Health, Strength and Staying Capable

The single biggest wish of later life is to stay well, strong and independent..

Niche — The strength-and-mobility seeker

• Audience: Older people determined to stay strong and steady

• Problem: They fear frailty, falls and losing their independence

• Desire: Gentle, safe ways to build strength and stay mobile

Niche — The brain-sharpness worrier

• Audience: People anxious about memory and mental decline

• Problem: They dread losing their sharpness

• Desire: Ways to keep the mind active and engaged

Niche — The energy-and-vitality seeker

• Audience: Older people who want to feel well, not just avoid illness

• Problem: They feel tired, sluggish and older than they would like

• Desire: To feel energetic, capable and alive

Niche — The ‘stay independent’ over-70

• Audience: Older people set on managing life on their own terms

• Problem: They worry about becoming a burden or losing their freedom

• Desire: To stay capable and independent for as long as possible

Example ideas:

• Information products: a ‘strong and steady after 60’ newsletter; a gentle at-home strength course; an eBook on staying sharp; a vitality-and-energy programme (with the clear note to check with a doctor before starting anything new)

• Digital products: printable exercise routines and progress trackers; a brain-training puzzle pack; a weekly wellbeing planner

• Services: online gentle-exercise classes; a supportive membership; group challenges

• No-code app: a movement-and-habit tracker with simple daily prompts

SUBTREND:
Downsizing, Home and Later-Life Admin

A whole industry is emerging around the great later-life sort-out. Moving to somewhere smaller, making the home safe, and getting one’s affairs in order.

Niche — The downsizer

• Audience: People moving from the family home to somewhere smaller

• Problem: A lifetime of possessions and a daunting, emotional move

• Desire: A calm, practical way to downsize without the stress

Niche — The home-adapter

• Audience: Older people wanting to stay put safely

• Problem: The house is becoming harder to manage

• Desire: To adapt their home to stay independent in it

Niche — The organiser of affairs

• Audience: People wanting to get everything in order

• Problem: Wills, paperwork and admin feel overwhelming and morbid

• Desire: To sort it all out and gain peace of mind

Niche — The overwhelmed sorter

• Audience: People facing a houseful of stuff and clutter

• Problem: They do not know where on earth to begin

• Desire: A simple, step-by-step way through it

Example ideas:

• Information products: a downsizing newsletter or course; an eBook on decluttering a lifetime’s belongings; a ‘get your affairs in order’ guide (general information, not legal advice)

• Digital products: a downsizing checklist and room-by-room planner; a ‘important documents’ organiser; a home-safety audit sheet

• Services: hands-on decluttering and downsizing help; a ‘sort your paperwork’ service; home-safety assessments

• No-code app: a downsizing progress tracker or belongings inventory tool

SUBTREND:
Connection, Loneliness and Community

Loneliness is one of the great blights of later life, especially after leaving work or losing a partner.

Niche — The lonely retiree

• Audience: People who lost their whole social world when work ended

• Problem: The days are quiet and the phone rarely rings

• Desire: New friends, contact and a reason to get out

Niche — The newly single or widowed

• Audience: People rebuilding life after losing a partner

• Problem: Their social life was built around two, and now they are one

• Desire: To rebuild a warm, connected life

Niche — The community-seeker

• Audience: Older people craving belonging and companionship

• Problem: Clubs and groups have dwindled and feel hard to find

• Desire: To belong to something and make friends

Niche — The purpose-seeker

• Audience: People wanting meaning as well as company

• Problem: They feel adrift without a role to play

• Desire: To find purpose through groups, causes and volunteering

Example ideas:

• Information products: a warm community newsletter; a course on rebuilding your social life after 60; a guide to making friends in later life; a ‘find your purpose’ programme

• Digital products: a local groups-and-activities directory; a ‘things to join’ planner; conversation-starter and connection prompts

• Services: running clubs, meet-ups and social groups (online or local); a friendship or pen-pal membership; group activities

• No-code app: a local-groups directory or a members’ community hub

SUBTREND:
Later-Life Living (Travel, Dating, Lifestyle)

Not all of later life is about coping. A great many older people have time, a little money, and a real appetite to enjoy themselves and try new things.

Niche — The solo traveller over 60

• Audience: Older people wanting to see the world, often alone

• Problem: They worry about doing it safely and confidently

• Desire: To travel boldly, safely and well

Niche — The later-life dater

• Audience: Older single people back on the dating scene

• Problem: It has all changed, and they feel nervous and unsure

• Desire: To find companionship or love with confidence

Niche — The reinventing retiree

• Audience: People treating later life as a fresh start

• Problem: They are not sure what their new chapter should look like

• Desire: New hobbies, a new identity, a new lease of life

Niche — The ‘make the most of it’ spender

• Audience: Comfortable older people keen to enjoy their time

• Problem: They do not want to waste these good years

• Desire: Ideas and inspiration for a rich, full later life

Example ideas:

• Information products: a solo-travel-after-60 newsletter or guide; a later-life dating course; a ‘reinvent your retirement’ programme; a bucket-list ideas eBook

• Digital products: travel planners and packing checklists; a dating-profile and safety guide; a ‘new chapter’ workbook

• Services: group trips and travel clubs; dating coaching; hobby-and-reinvention workshops

• No-code app: a travel-planning tool or a later-life bucket-list tracker

SUBTREND:
Caring and Family Support

Millions of older people are carers themselves, often for a partner or an elderly parent, and the strain is immense. So you could offer practical and emotional support.

Niche — The family carer

• Audience: People caring for a partner or parent

• Problem: They are exhausted, isolated and overwhelmed

• Desire: Practical help and a little relief

Niche — The sandwich-generation carer

• Audience: People caring for children and ageing parents at once

• Problem: They are pulled in every direction and stretched to breaking

• Desire: Ways to cope and keep all the plates spinning

Niche — The practical-help seeker

• Audience: Carers lost in the maze of care, benefits and services

• Problem: The system is baffling and hard to navigate

• Desire: Clear, plain guidance on how it all works

Niche — The emotional-support seeker

• Audience: Carers struggling with the emotional weight of it

• Problem: They feel alone, guilty and worn down

• Desire: Understanding, reassurance and a sense of not being alone

Example ideas:

• Information products: a carers’ support newsletter; a course on navigating the care system; an eBook on looking after yourself while caring; a guide to care, benefits and services (general information, not formal advice)

• Digital products: a carer’s planner and medication tracker; a ‘benefits and services’ checklist; a self-care journal for carers

• Services: a carers’ support membership or group; one-to-one navigation help; respite-planning support

• No-code app: a care-organising tool for appointments, medication and tasks

Mega Trend Bottom Line

The old idea of retirement is finished. Millions of people living longer, staying sharper, and discovering that they still have a great deal to offer.

With pensions not quite covering their costs, or allowing them to live comfortably, they are looking for ways to make an income in older age… an extra few hundred or few thousand pounds a month to feel safe and independent.

You can either help them turn their own experience into an income. Or you can build a business that offers them advice, tools and help for living a better life in retirement.

If I had to point you towards the richest seams, they would be these:

• Helping people turn a lifetime of expertise into a paid newsletter, course or consulting offer.

• Teaching older people to use technology and AI with confidence. A huge, patient, grateful market.

• Helping people stay strong, sharp, safe and connected in later life.