100+ Service Business Ideas For 2024

The most profitable service businesses cover a wide range of industries and areas of expertise, meaning there's something for everyone to try.

If you have a background in social media management or fancy setting up a cleaning service, small business owners come in all categories.

Here's everything you need to know when setting up your own service business that matches your previous work experience and skills.

What Is A Service Business?

A service business is one that offers a range of services for its clients in a personal or business capacity, as opposed to making products.

It's also important to understand the difference between a solopreneur and an entrepreneur, as this will affect your business decisions.

The types of services provided can vary wildly, covering any procedure or activity the customer needs assistance with.

These can be personal services helping clients improve their health and well-being or fulfilling tasks around the home and garden.

Service-based business ideas can also involve working with corporate clients and providing services in administration or content creation.

Some service businesses require specialized training, such as legal services and information technology, which creates higher demand.

The most successful small businesses can generate significant revenue by providing a valuable service that delivers a high standard of work.

Why Start A Service-Based Business?

Running a service-based business has several advantages, with potentially low overhead costs making them easy to set up.

There is a broad range of service-based business ideas you can start, from making money on Fiverr without any skills to offering legal advice.

Service-based business owners can often set their hours, enjoy flexible schedules, and build a talent stack that expands their options.

They also enjoy more independence and control over their professional future, making business decisions and shaping the company.

Service Business Ideas: Our Top 10 Picks

There are plenty of unique service business ideas to choose from, and we've narrowed down some of the most popular ideas.

If you're looking to make money on Upwork or set up a dedicated website for your services, these top ideas are worth considering.

1. Virtual Assistant

2. Personal Trainer

3. Graphic Designer

4. Catering

5. Event Planning

6. Photography

7. SEO Marketing

8. Freelance Writing

9. Legal Consultant

10. IT Systems Consultant

There are many excellent resources to help you get started, from the best virtual assistance services to free programs for editing media.

You can also find potential clients on a variety of online job boards, where you can set your rates and build your reputation over time.

100+ Best Service Business Ideas To Start In 2024

With hundreds of service-based businesses to choose from, it can be tricky to decide which ones match your interests and expertise.

From helping pet owners with their dogs to establishing a consulting business, we've covered a broad spectrum of service business ideas to consider.

This list of the best service business ideas to start in 2024 has been split into the main categories to help you get started:

Food Services

Some of the best small business ideas you can start are focused on providing food and catering services to customers in your area.

It can also involve working at their homes and providing high-quality meals for dinner parties and other special family events.

100. Personal Chef

People with a strong background working in restaurants can use these skills by offering services as personal chefs for their clients.

99. Catering

A larger-scale food service business idea is catering and providing snacks, meals, and buffets for events such as weddings and birthdays.

98. Meal Deliveries

Opening a meal delivery service is another way to distribute food in large quantities, with the possibility of picking up ongoing contracts.

Beauty & Lifestyle Services

Whether you've started a beauty blog that makes money or have a talent for hairdressing, there are plenty of relevant services to offer.

You can merge these services and offer comprehensive ways to help clients achieve their goals and look their best.

97. Life Coach

Working as a life coach is a versatile service business and can involve anything from working with busy professionals to helping new moms.

96. Hair Stylist

Those with a background working as a hairdresser can set up their own business as a hair stylist, working from home or visiting clients.

95. Personal Wardrobe Stylist

If you have a keen interest in fashion and a friendly personality, you can earn money as a personal wardrobe stylist choosing outfits.

94. Makeup Artist

If you're considering offering this service, you can learn how to start a makeup line and use this product with clients.

93. Online Dating Consultant

A great way to make money as a stay-at-home mom is to offer relationship advice and set up an online dating consulting business.

92. Public Speaking Trainer

Corporate professionals and other roles that require public speaking often hire public speaking trainers to help them hone their presentations.

91. Productivity Coach

People with a background in management can help clients improve their productivity by setting up their own consulting business.

Personal Health & Wellness Services

The personal health and well-being service sector is increasingly popular, with thousands of small businesses in these fields.

Here are some of the best personal health and wellness services you can set up to start building regular and high-paying clients.

90. Personal Trainer

Keeping fit is a high-demand life skill that requires access to a personal trainer and other such services from service businesses.

89. Yoga Instructor

Becoming a yoga instructor is another popular service business idea for those involved in personal health and wellness for their clients.

88. Masseuse

One of the best home-based business ideas for moms is a masseuse, helping their clients manage sporting injuries or relax.

87. Meditation Instructor

If you have experience with the various meditation techniques, you can set up a small business as an instructor offline or online.

86. Nutrition Consultant

Many people are looking for the best advice on improving their diet, with lots of opportunities for nutrition consultants available.

85. Relationship Coach

Relationship coaches can help clients handle all types of relationships, from marriage advice to dealing with difficult work colleagues.

84. Parenting Coach

Some of the best mom YouTube channels are great references for anyone considering setting up a service business as a parenting coach.

83. Home Baby Proofing Consultant

First-time expecting mothers sometimes use home baby-proofing consultants to help them prepare the environment for their new baby.

82. Mindset Coach

Corporate managers and entrepreneurs looking to streamline their workflow and improve outcomes hire mindset coaches to help.

Event Planning Services

If you have a good rapport with customers and like dealing with people face to face, becoming an event planner is a great business idea.

You can pick up some of the best Upwork jobs for beginners as an event planner, and it's one of the most profitable service business ideas.

81. Corporate Event Planning

If you have industry connections or just want a challenge, becoming a corporate event planner is a rewarding small business idea.

80. Wedding Planning

Event planners who enjoy helping put on colorful and vibrant weddings can pick up regular work in their local areas wedding planners.

79. Children's Party Planning

A more lighthearted service business idea is setting up a children's party planning business and managing the food and entertainment.

78. Private Event Planning

Anniversaries, graduation celebrations, and club events are just some of the activities a private event planner can expect to be involved in.

Creative Skills Services

People with the skills and experience to create eye-catching visuals and crafts can set up a successful business offering their creative services.

There are lots of great craft business names you can reference for inspiration to help you successfully launch your creative skills service.

77. Personal Shopper

Shopaholics with a keen eye for spotting the best deals can consider setting up a service business offering personal shopping services.

76. Fashion Designer

Creatives with a background in the clothing industry often branch out and advance their careers by working as a fashion designer.

75. Crafts Teacher

Many of the best craft ideas for moms working from home can be used to earn money by teaching these skills to your clients.

74. Portrait Photographer

There are several ways you can turn your hobby into your own photography business, including working as a portrait photographer.

73. Illustrator

Whether you're providing artwork for children's books or creating images and assets for marketing, an illustration business could be for you.

72. Art Consultant

More experienced artists with a background working on large projects can set up a service business working as an art consultant.

71. Writing Coach

Freelance writers or English teachers who understand the finer points of spelling and grammar can work as a writing coach for clients.

70. Wedding Photographer

Another popular type of photography business is working as a wedding photographer, preparing your shoot, and processing the results.

69. Dance Instructor

A great hands-on service business for people with a background in tap, jazz, salsa, and other techniques can offer dance instruction services.

68. Music Teacher

If you can play an instrument well and understand the basics of music theory, there's lots of potential work offering music teaching services.

67. Baking Coach

Baking coaches help individuals and professional chefs master the core baking techniques, from savories and snacks to desserts.

66. Children's Entertainment

Birthday parties and other events often hire children's entertainment services, including singers and clowns, to enhance the special occasion.

Academic Services

Some of the best solopreneur business ideas can be found in academia, with flexible working hours and the possibility of working from home.

This includes a variety of tutoring situations for all levels of education, as well as other services helping people with their future prospects.

65. Homeschool Teacher

With an increasing number of parents choosing to homeschool their kids, the demand for great homeschool teachers has never been higher.

64. SAT Preparation & Tutoring

Children preparing for their SATs often use relevant services to help them get ready or provide specific test-based tutoring.

63. Online Tutoring

If you're a tutor who would prefer to work from home through your service business, you can offer online tutoring to international students.

62. College Application Consultant

Choosing the right college and creating a strong application is another service business area with consistent demand.

61. Academic Tutoring

Tutors with a degree or other higher education qualification can use this knowledge to set up a small business offering help to academics.

60. College Essay Editor

Like SAT preparation, a college essay editor is another excellent example of service business ideas for people with an education background.

Home & Pet Services

Another great service business idea for those who prefer to be out and about is offering various services around the home.

It can also involve pet service business ideas with lots of Fiverr jobs for beginners in this category so that you can start earning money.

59. Pet Walking

People who enjoy the fresh air and spending time with animals can earn money by setting up a service business walking pets.

58. Cleaning services

Cleaning service businesses can work for business owners to clean office space or provide cleaning services for residential customers.

57. Interior Designing

Homeowners looking to revamp their kitchen or other rooms in the house often hire interior designers to help create a great look.

56. Gardening

With work available all year round, small businesses offering gardening services are popular among people fond of nature.

55. Professional Organizer

A service business idea similar to a mindset coach is a professional organizer working with a variety of clients.

54. Landscape Designing

Gardeners with a flair for creativity and landscaping knowledge can set up a service business designing gardens and patios.

53. Mobile Veterinary Services

If you have a background in veterinary services, you can start independently by offering mobile veterinary services in your local area.

52. Mobile Pet Grooming

A mobile veterinary service can be combined with pet grooming, visiting your client's homes, bathing, and combing their dogs.

Finance Services

Automated financial management tools make these services some of the best business ideas that run themselves and in your spare time.

If you have a gift with numbers and managing financial systems, here is a selection of relevant service business ideas to consider.

51. Financial Planning

A background in short- and long-term financial projections and business budgeting is a strong foundation for financial planning services.

50. Personal Finance Coach

For a more personal alternative, working as a finance coach for individuals can be a rewarding service business helping others with money.

49. Insurance Brokerage

As an insurance broker, your service business will help company owners and individuals find the best deals for their insurance requirements.

48. Tax Preparation

If you have a solid background in accountancy and understand the various tax codes, you can set up a service company to assist with tax preparation.

47. General Accounting

Accountants with broad experience in the field can offer general accounting services to help individual and commercial clients.

46. Loan Broker

Like insurance brokers, loan broker services help clients to get the best possible deal on their loans with low-interest repayment rates.

Business Services

If you have a business background and are looking for a profitable service business idea that uses your skills, there are plenty of options.

Check out the best consulting websites and draw some ideas that you can use when deciding what information your clients will be looking for.

45. HR Consulting

Human resources departments frequently outsource work to consulting businesses to help them manage various internal processes.

44. Corporate Coach

People with extensive experience in the corporate world can set up a company offering coaching services for managers and executives.

43. Workshop Instructor

Large and small businesses often use workshops to help train their staff, making instructors in high demand in many industries.

42. Virtual Assistant

There are lots of great virtual assistant services you can use to pick up clients and discover what other virtual assistant businesses offer their clients.

41. Payroll Processing

Another great service-based business for people who are good with numbers is payroll processing, which can deliver regular work.

40. Business Plan Consultant

Becoming a business plan consultant is a great way to earn additional money while helping people achieve their professional goals.

39. Data Entry & Analysis

One of the most common freelance jobs available, data entry and analysis services can attract large contracts with established organizations.

38. Project Management

Former managers looking to start their own company can offer a range of project management services for their clients.

37. Office Support Services

A more general approach to supporting businesses, office support companies offer a broad range of administration and management tasks.

36. Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping is one of the best side hutles to pay off debt, with flexible hours and the option to work from home or while traveling.

35. Online Course Consultant

With many employees learning new skills online, online course consultancies are popular service business ideas to try.

34. Researcher

Many companies hire the services of small companies to help with research, covering everything from product development to marketing.

33. Customer Service Operator

If you have a talent for communicating with customers and resolving complaints, you can set up a service offering customer support.

Marketing & Sales Services

With most companies advertising online, there's a huge demand for marketing services and sales expertise from small business owners.

If you have experience with an e-commerce website builder, you'll have another core skill to help your business bring in a revenue stream.

32. PR Consultant

Public relations are a core aspect of marketing and sales, making it a great business idea to offer services in this field.

31. Email Marketing Manager

A key component of most digital marketing campaigns, email marketing services can be found with companies worldwide.

30. SEO Strategist

Digital marketing services also include search engine optimization, helping businesses choose the best keywords to drive traffic to their sites.

29. Social Media Manager

One of the best freelance business ideas you can begin is in social media management, creating posts and interacting with comments.

28. Web Designer

People with web design experience can offer a service-based company to help businesses and individuals create visually compelling websites.

27. Proofreader

Clients who produce lots of written content often use proofreading services to ensure this content is free from spelling and grammatical errors.

26. Editor

If you have more in-depth experience in publishing, you can work as an editor for online websites or traditional print magazines and books.

25. Technical Writer

Writers with specialist knowledge covering technical issues can use this niche experience to perform technical writing such as manuals.

24. Instagram Influencer

Social media is great for promotion, with the best mom influencers on Instagram providing excellent examples of what content works.

23. Influencer Marketing Strategist

For a broader approach to influencer marketing, you can work as a strategist and help businesses coordinate with multiple influencers.

22. Google Ads Consultant

With Google Ads among the most popular ways to promote products and services, it's a great small business idea offering digital services.

21. eBook Writer

While blog and article writing can be done in a relatively short period, eBook writing requires more in-depth research to perform.

20. Graphic Designer

A graphic design business can work in traditional print media and design visual assets to use online.

19. Copywriter

Becoming a copywriter requires a great freelancer portfolio to attract new clients and outline your skills and experience in this field.

18. Content Writer

Writing for business websites and blogs, content writers can earn more money if they have any specialist knowledge.

17. Brand Photographer

While some photography services require working away, a brand photographer can set up a home studio to photograph products.

16. Content Marketing Strategist

Content marketing strategists work with writers and SEO specialists to craft an overall approach to marketing drives.

15. Brand Ambassador

A brand ambassador shares similarities to online influencers, although with more expectations for in-person activities.

Media Services

Some of the best international business ideas revolve around the media since these services can be provided with just an internet connection.

If you have a content creation or media production background, these service business ideas will draw on your range of skills.

14. Podcast Production

Arranging interviews, creating schedules, and testing equipment are some core tasks of producing podcasts.

13. Video Editing

With many free video editing programs, it's a popular service business for those who enjoy working with video footage.

12. Sessions Musician

Highly skilled musicians can pick up work in recording studios or supporting acts at gigs through the role of a session musician.

11. Voice Acting

Radio commercials, video games, and children's cartoons are just some forms of media that frequently work with voice actors.

10. Videography Services

While the initial set-up costs for videography can be expensive, creating promotional videos can be a lucrative service business.

9. Sound Engineering

Sound design and engineering businesses work with all types of clients, from film production companies to local singers and bands.

Technical Services

With the continuing growth of mobile apps worldwide, small business owners with technical knowledge can access many potential clients.

People who understand coding languages, artificial intelligence, and IT can earn money by offering the following services.

8. Mobile Apps Developer

Programmers and coders with prior industry experience can offer their services in developing mobile apps for a wide range of businesses.

7. Online Security Consultant

Like mobile app developers, online security consultants typically have a background in this field before going it alone with their own company.

6. IT Systems Consultant

Setting up and maintaining computer networks for companies is a common service business for those with experience managing IT systems.

5. Artificial Intelligence Developer

A more recent addition to the many types of service businesses is working in artificial intelligence and developing the technology.

Legal Services

While some service business ideas require no skills, others, such as offering legal services, draw upon more in-depth education and training.

If you're offering legal services, you can use the best tools for freelancers to manage your schedule, handle communications, and perform other tasks.

4. Paralegal Services

A great entry-level legal service to provide is working in paralegal services and offering general assistance to lawyers.

3. Legal Tutor

Experienced legal experts can offer their services to help up-and-coming lawyers by tutoring them through online classes.

2. Court Transcriber

People with an eye for detail and the ability to type quickly can offer legal services working as a court transcriber in their city.

1. Legal Consultant

Lawyers with a strong background in the legal system can help solve business challenges as legal consultants to other firms

Summary

There is a vast selection of great business ideas you can start, and we hope this guide has helped you narrow down your options.

Whether you're proficient with writing or prefer a more hands-on approach to working with clients, there's a service business idea for your talents.

Remember, as you pick up more clients and learn new skills, you can branch out and introduce additional services to your own business.