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For decades, the U.S. economy has seen steady growth in businesses that don't sell goods but services, anything from cybersecurity to lawn care to event planning. These businesses can cater to individuals — personal service businesses may target homeowners, tourists and families — or businesses that hire consultants, advisors and subject-matter experts. Service businesses also account for more than 75% of the country's gross domestic product, and they're especially attractive for entrepreneurs looking to start a new venture. The cost of entry and overhead is generally low, and there's room to scale. That means more flexibility and higher profit margins for business owners.
But what type of service businesses should you start? Begin with an honest assessment of your skills. Do you have a former (or current) career you could parlay into a personal business? What hobbies do you have? Does your personality lend itself to certain lines of work, like childcare (easygoing, playful) or website design (meticulous, creative)? Lean on your existing skills and traits and explore potential roles that align with them. Below, you'll find 85 service business ideas to get you started.
Personal Services
1. Mobile Pet Grooming
Snip, clip and brush your way to success as a mobile pet groomer. The global mobile pet care market is valued at more than $640 million, and pet owners are always looking for ways to streamline messy tasks like bath time. Fido and his owner will both appreciate the convenience of a "doorstep" doggie grooming service. If you're not trained, enlist in courses from the National Dog Groomers Association of America and get certified to perform professional services. With the proper training and experience, a van and some grooming tools, start barking up the right tree by marketing your pet business in your neighborhood and others.
2. Niche Collecting
If your niche interests include rare collectibles or trinkets, turn that passion into income by becoming a collectibles searcher — carefully canvasing thrift stores, auctions, flea markets and garage sales and collecting objets d'art for clients. Whether your niche is antique lunch boxes or grandfather clocks, advertise your services in collectibles stores and hobbyist publications, engage with relevant Reddit communities and build a following on social media platforms. Soon, you'll be taking up a collection of your own.
3. Diaper Delivery
Who said cloth diapers couldn't be convenient — and user-friendly? Velcro diaper "wraps" replace awkward pins, and pickup and delivery take the dirty work out of diapering. Equipped with a "clean," propane-fueled delivery truck and some washing machines, you can provide an environmentally friendly alternative to disposables. Talk about a change for the better!
4. Dry Cleaning Pickup and Delivery
Dry cleaning is an essential service for many blue- and white-collar professionals, but those without cars or access to public transit might have a harder time finding a storefront. That's the void you can fill. Form a relationship with a nearby dry cleaner, and look for the types of customers most likely to use your service: college students, busy professionals, frequent travelers, elderly or disabled people. Consider starting small, with one apartment building or complex, and grow from there.
5. Mobile Locksmith
The margins for mobile locksmiths are lucrative as long as you're willing to be on call 24 hours a day. Community colleges and vocational schools can provide affordable training, and you can be up and running with a few essential pieces of equipment. The industry is largely recession-proof (people always need locks), and when interest rates drop, home purchases rise — meaning a higher demand for services such as rekeying and consultation.
6. Graffiti Removal & Abatement
Equipped with some paint, a power washer and other preventive treatments, you're set to serve residential as well as commercial clients with your own graffiti removal business. City governments, schools and businesses want nothing to do with unsightly graffiti, and you can provide swift and spotless removals for them — no special training required.
7. Self-Defense Instructor
Self-defense skills are valuable for people of all ages, and a background in martial arts can be a great starting point for instructors. No matter your specialty — karate, taekwondo, judo, mixed martial arts, boxing — the discipline and basic safety-awareness skills will serve your clientele. Start by advertising your services to larger groups (fraternities/sororities, identity-based organizations, seniors, corporate clients) and earn goodwill by providing the occasional free class for at-risk groups.
8. Adventure Tours
We travel to escape, but we also travel to experience, be it exploring South American caves or touring English teahouses. Turn your passion for travel into a career by doing the footwork first — coordinating transportation, food and lodging. Promote your excursions with enticing social media posts, and build relationships with local travel guides, businesses and restaurants. Your clients only need to worry about one thing: having fun.
9. Pet Sitting
When it comes to creature comforts, most canines would choose a backyard over a kennel any day. Pet sitters, who take care of pets while their owners are out of town or busy, can provide this comfort for our furry friends. Start on a service like Rover or Wag!, and move off the apps once you have an established client base to avoid fees that cut into your profits.
10. Mobile Massage Service
Massage therapy training can be expensive — anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 for certification, according to the American Institute of Alternative Medicine — but the opportunities bring plenty of financial upside. Advertise your stress-relieving services at local workout clubs, spas and physical therapists' offices, and build a roster of clients to fill your schedule. Then, bring your trained hands — and a portable massage table — to their homes or places of work.
11. Court Paper Serving
You can't beat the legal system … as a great resource for business, that is. Private attorneys, who barely have time to do their own invoicing and none for serving summonses to elusive people, often turn to registered court paper processors. Come judgment day, you'll be courting success.
12. Mobile Mechanic
If you're the type who grew up fixing your own car, consider turning that passion into a career. With a background in an auto shop or proper training, you can start with neighbors and friends, eventually growing along with your referrals. Research pricing at local body shops and bring in new customers with special deals. Your relationship with clients depends on trust, so make a point to explain every cost and service — no surprise fees!
13. Personal Chef
Are you a talented line cook looking to start your own hustle? A culinary school grad searching for flexibility? An epicure hoping to professionalize a passion? Those with culinary competence can likely find a hungry clientele among the ranks of America's busy working families, especially wealthy ones (think: local professional athletes and Fortune 500 C-suiters). Clients may also hire you out for special occasions when they prefer to dine in — complete with restaurant-quality food and service
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14. Seamstress / Tailoring
With quality fabric scissors, a proper sewing machine and plenty of pins, needles and skill (be it through years of practice or specialized training), you can start a seamstress or tailoring business with friends and family. Then, spread the word at local boutiques and dry cleaners. Build a reliable client base and watch your work pile up.
15. Porcelain Repairing
Fixing unsightly chips and cracks in porcelain accessories can be lucrative for self-starting entrepreneurs. And although it's a niche market, porcelain repair of rare objects can bring in big profits. To succeed, you need to be calm, steady-handed and knowledgeable about the materials you work with. With a porcelain-repair kit in hand, you can transform those chipped pieces into something that looks brand new.
16. Cover Letter/Resume Service
Not everyone knows how to look good on paper. With your editing and basic layout skills, a laser printer and some high-quality stationery, you're set to start showing clients how to put their best foot forward in their resumes and cover letters — and how to get in the door of potential employers' businesses for an interview.
17. Career or Life Coach
If you have a background in hiring, you can help clients showcase their skills when applying for jobs. In addition to advising on job applications, brainstorm with your clients about possible career shifts. As a coach, you can lead them to make the best decisions in times of transition.
18. Mystery Shopping
With a background in market research and a love of shopping, you can get paid to help companies improve customer experience. Rate local retail stores' employees on attitude, friendliness and overall quality of service, then report back to managers about the experience. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association can connect you to research groups and brands looking for shoppers.
19. College Admissions Counseling
From editing essays to advising on best Common App practices, private college admissions counseling has become big business in the U.S. Counselors help students put their best foot forward when submitting applications, which might mean incorporating standardized test prep (SAT, ACT) for students.
20. Tax-Form Preparation
The demand for tax-preparers is constant. Each spring, businesses and individuals alike need help preparing tax forms and understanding the latest regulations. Equipped with preparation software, you can start building your career as a tax-preparer. And be sure to get a Preparer Tax Identification Number from the IRS before you start submitting.
21. Mobile Car Wash and Detailing
With the right equipment and a little elbow grease, you can quickly start up a dynamic mobile car wash business. At the very least, you'll want a pressure washer, vacuum cleaner, generator, soap, brushes and waxing supplies, in addition to your own vehicle and trailer to carry them. Build your business by marketing your services to car dealers, rental fleet owners and corporations.
22. Used-Car Inspection
Steer clients away from lemons by inspecting and evaluating used cars. With a background in mechanics and a keen attention to detail, you can start building a client base that will rely on your expertise when making purchasing decisions. Lean on referrals and encourage clients to leave positive reviews online.
23. Professional Organizing
Marie Kondo helped the role of professional organizer and declutterer become mainstream in 2019, and demand has only risen in the years since. If you've got a knack for neatness, why not help the organizationally challenged? Messy closets, home offices and commercial offices could all benefit from a more efficient setup, so put some order into other people's lives.
24. Golf-Club Cleaning
If you're a regular at the course — as a caddy or a player — consider offering club-cleaning services for the most ardent golfers. Not only will you be offering them a clean edge to improve their game, but you're also protecting their investment from the rusting, pitting and discoloration of dirty clubs. Reach out to local courses and country clubs to advertise your services.
25. Tutoring
Thought your proficiency in high school algebra was all for naught? Think again. As a tutor, you can help students excel in the classroom, be it in reading, writing, math, science or history. Tutors can also parlay the work to support students with college applications — essays and standardized test prep, for example. With ample possibilities for referrals (siblings, friends, classmates), tutors can quickly build a profitable and consistent client base.
Read this: Start Your Own Tutoring and Test Prep Business by Entrepreneur Press and Rich Mintzer | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
26. Power Washing
Oily driveways, mud-caked semi trucks or barnacle-ridden boats — you name it, and entrepreneurs equipped with specialized power-washing equipment can probably clean it. For spotless results, target commercial as well as residential customers. Marketing your services is essential, so diversify your public-facing image: Advertise at local auto shops, purchase Google ads and post regularly on social media — ideally, videos of power washing, which have the tendency to go viral.
27. Windshield Repairing
To find potential clients for your windshield-repair business, canvas local parking and used-car lots for cars with cracked or chipped windshields. Set up a website with an online booking service (such as Calendly) and grab yourself a professional repair kit with all the essentials: sealant, resin, curing strips, razors, syringes, brushes and a drill. This offers clients a better — and cheaper — alternative to costly glass replacement.
28. Private Investigating
Are you sly, intuitive, curious and diligent? Consider putting those skills to use as a private investigator. Clients include attorneys gathering evidence for a case or collecting payment or individuals seeking information about a significant other. If you have a clean criminal record and the proper licensing (this depends on your state), you can start getting paid for your private eye services.
29. Travel Agency
Provide clients with lifelong memories and take the friction out of travel by running your own agency — setting up flights, itineraries, hotel stays and daily excursions for travelers. Travel agents are organized, adventurous and love working with people, and you'll need to connect with guides all around the world. By helping clients manage frequent flier miles, book low-price tickets and keep expense records, your successful business will expand with every successful trip.
30. Carpet Dyeing
For a fraction of the cost of replacing unsightly or stained carpeting, carpet-dyeing professionals provide hotels, community centers, nursing homes and other businesses an attractive alternative. Online courses can teach the basics of the work, and you can get an Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification so clients know to trust your services.
31. Hospital Bill Auditing
One of the few things worse than a hospital stay is the pile of confusing bills that follow. The remedy? Hospital bill auditors, who — thanks to their billing savvy and attention to detail — make way for their clients' smooth recovery. If you've worked within the healthcare industry or in hospital billing, your expertise could help save clients thousands.
32. Solar Panel Installation
As more companies and individuals transitioned to clean energy sources over the past decade, solar panel sales and installations have skyrocketed. At the end of 2023, the Solar Energy Industries Association reported that domestic solar capacity in the U.S. was great enough to power 33 million homes. It's not too late to get in on the profits. With a desire to break into the industry and a little formal training, you can connect with solar sales reps to install panels on clients' homes.
33. Translating
The rise of online translation tools can never replace the quality and expertise of a human translator. With fluency in foreign language(s) under your belt, you can serve as a real-time translator (think: international business, international relations, immigration services) or work as a textual translator, helping businesses, writers and individuals do anything from publishing a manuscript to applying for a visa. You can also get certifications from groups like the American Translator Association to bolster your resume.
34. Home Staging
Move in on the housing market with some basic painting, caulking, scrubbing and — most importantly — decorating skills. When homes go up for sale, agents want them to look perfect for the open house: nice furniture, decorations and lighting, in addition to a sparkling space. With an eye for design and connections with rental companies and real estate agents, you can help home sellers make their space shine.
35. Catering
With a commercially approved kitchen and quality chef skills, you can cook up profits as a professional caterer. Create tasty meals for weddings, holiday parties, birthdays and other festive gatherings, and ask early clients to leave positive online reviews on sites like Google and Yelp. Word-of-mouth will go far, but so will corporate connections, a history of delicious events and an easy-to-work-with demeanor.
36. Seminar Promotion
If there's one thing consumers can never get enough of, it's information. Connect with corporate and educational clients to plan seminars on any number of topics. You don't need to be an expert yourself; just schedule the speakers, reserve a location, promote the event and watch as your profits grow. A background in event planning or management is a solid foundation to start.
37. Valet Parking
Many fancy restaurants, country clubs, theaters and classy establishments offer valet parking, and with equipment like a cabinet for keys and nice uniforms, your company could land the next contract. Having your own team of drivers is essential to keeping clients' customers — and their cars — safe and on the move.
Business Services
38. Mortgage/Debt-Reduction Service
By explaining alternative payment structures to clients (which can result in a smaller total payment in a shorter period of time), mortgage and debt-reduction service professionals are helping to relieve Americans' debts. You must have expertise in financial planning, and be sure to check with your state's finance office to see if you need special accreditation.
39. Debt-Collection Service
With your knowledge of debt-collection law and some persistence, you can collect debts for clients. Track down delinquent debtors and get paid when you deliver for your clients. Cast a wide net by advertising to law firms, banks, hospitals and credit card companies. Your state may require special licenses or permits, so check out local regulations.
40. Wind Farm Consulting
Wind energy is a growing sector of the green economy; it provided 10% of total nationwide electricity in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. With a background in running or working on wind farms, your expertise will be in demand for new projects. Advise on anything from land use rights to building codes, and help spur a more eco-friendly energy revolution.
41. Office Management Consulting
It's one thing to spend a day at the office and another altogether to run the office. As a professional office management consultant, oversee responsibilities such as insurance, supply restocks, office cleanings, calendar management and data entry for small offices housing lawyers, doctors and other specialists. Let them handle their professional work while you take away the headaches of actually running an office.
42. Business Consulting
Not only is a business plan crucial when obtaining bank financing, but it's an invaluable tool for anticipating — and tackling — a business's inevitable ups and downs. Take an honest assessment of your professional background. Is there an industry you know inside out? Show clients how to present and execute their best-laid plans with your specific expertise.
43. Office Plant Maintenance
Set your roots in the growing business of office plant management. Regular watering, light pruning and fertilizing are all in a day's work, and the growth prospects are positive: The indoor plants market is worth some $18 billion, according to Data Bridge Market Research, and it's only growing. A green thumb and passion for plants are essential for this work.
44. Executive Search Services
As an executive search specialist, help busy clients make the best hire for important C-suite roles. Your job involves tapping into your executive network, conducting interviews to screen potential employees and advising clients on how to court and land the best prospects. A deep Rolodex of business connections can be your make-or-break differentiator.
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