These are all businesses and markets that I love. The competition is weak. The market is growing. The costs and risks are low. The odds are good. You can analyze the market and make accurate decisions on where there is opportunity to thrive. You can win.
Start small. Start low skilled and low risk if you don’t have any capital or experience. As the opportunities grow and you get momentum your business can evolve. If you have capital and are willing to invest the time and money you can find very profitable niche services. The more specialized you can get the better the margins and the better the chances of success.
These are not commodities. You can always add more value and avoid competing on price and racing to the bottom. There will always be customers willing to pay a premium for better and faster services. The biggest gap in most of these industries is speed. Service providers are overloaded so they are booked out 1-2 weeks. They have more business than they can handle. If you can deliver a consistent service tomorrow you can charge 50%-100% more.
If you have a tech background or can apply basic tech you have a huge competitive advantage in these spaces. The companies that currently dominate don’t have the tech to get you quick quotes. They don’t have the tech to manage employees or schedules or billing.
Interested in getting started? Here is my take on an analytical approach to starting a low risk business. Don’t forget a market analysis. Have a job? Get started while working. Here are some low cost tools you can use to get started.
This list will be growing and changing and evolving. Check out the businesses I hate here.
Home services:
- Lawn mowing / trimming / landscaping
- Pest control
- Firewood delivery
- Residential Painting
- Pressure washing / concrete cleaning
- Thermal imaging – utility saving
- Vacation rental management
- Custom closet build-outs
- Mobile car detailing /washing
- Mobile car mechanic
- Window cleaning
- Tree trimming / arborist
- On demand irrigation
- Green home consultation
- On demand holiday decorations
- Pool / hot tub services
- Deck staining
- Gutter Cleaning
- Maid services
- Laundry services
- Carpet cleaning / steaming
- Deep kitchen cleaning
- HVAC system cleaning
- Chimney cleaning
- Graffiti removal
- Mold removal
- Water damage remediation
- Fire damage remediation
- Home deodorization / perfuming
- Interior painting
- Exterior painting
- Trim staining
- Interior design
- Home office build out
- Countertop epoxy design
- Epoxy flooring
- Custom furniture refinishing
- Mirror installation
- Custom lighting installation
- Custom wallpaper installation
- Garage door service / installation
- Gate and keypad entry installation
- Cabinet making / refurbishing
- Aquarium installation
- Secure package delivery box installation
- Pet grooming
- Pet care / walking / boarding
- Dog underground fence installation
- Trophy animal mounting
- Private investigating
- Manned home security services
- Limo / transportation services
- Moving/Hauling
- Smart home Installation
- Hot tub wiring / installation
- Privacy fence installation
- Decorative retaining wall design / build
- Security installation
- Solar panel installation
- Putting green installation
- Home cinema installation
- Irrigation system installation
- Acoustic insulation installation
- Lighting rod installation
- Awning installation
- Pool safety alarm installation
- Storm shutter installation
- Foundation repair
- Hurricane prep service
- Septic service / pumping
- Boat cleaning
- Boat shrink wrapping
- Boat repair/maintenance
- RV / boat winterizing
- RV cleaning
- RV pickup/delivery
- Home appliance repair
- Golf cart service / repair
Vehicle Services
- Mobile oil change
- Mobile tire sales/service
- Mobile glass repair
- Mobile mechanic
- Mobile dent repair (paintless)
- Mobile decal and wrap services
- Locksmith
Event/Seasonal services:
- Off premise bartending
- Catering
- Specialty food trucks (keep it simple and very fast)
- Event DJ
- Event management
- Photography
- Videography (wedding or corporate)
- Photo booth rental
- Porta Potty rental
- Tents/Party rental
- On demand cleanup crews
- On demand junk removal / hauling
- Casino tables and dealer rentals for events
Entertainment:
- Hunting guides
- Hiking tours
- Biking tours
- Event management
- Party rentals
Personal care:
- Mobile haircuts
- Mobile makeup
- Mobile hair styling
- Mobile massage
- Mobile Pedicure / Nails
Training / Coaching / Consulting
- Hunting dog training
- Domestic pet training
- Special needs pet training
- High end athletic coaching / training
- Remote athletic coaching
- College acceptance consultation
- Credit repair consulting
- Personal style consulting
Trades/construction:
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- Carpenter
- General Contractor
- Heating and air HVAC
- Civil engineering
- Structural engineering
- Architecture
- Asphalt / Concrete
- Door/Window installation
- Painting
- Bridge Painting
- Masonry
- Carpet/Flooring installation/refinishing
- Ceramic Tile installation
- Fence installation
- Auger Boring
- Surveying
- Septic tank install and service
- Insulation installing (spray and standard)
- Elevator installation and service
- Asbestos removal
- Welding
- Warehouse storage rack installation
- Roofing
- Siding
- Epoxy flooring / counter tops
- Fire sprinkler system installer / detector installation
- Excavation
- Equipment operation
- Pipe fitting
Business Services
- Videography
- Drone Pilot
- Customer service
- Bookkeeping
- Mobile Headshots
- Cleaning
- Bartending/Catering
- Mobile fencing for festivals or construction sites
- Porta potty rentals
- Dumpster rental services
- Junk removal
- Training video creation
- Liquidation services
- Furniture building (dorm, office, hospital, hotel, etc)
- Slushy machine servicing
- Parking lot power cleaning
Real estate transactions:
- Home inspection / thermal imaging (utility analysis)
- Realtor
- Moving services
- Appraiser
- Loan officer
- Property manager
- Vacation rental management
- House staging
Retail / Hospitality
- Simple and efficient food trucks
- Mobile retail pop ups
- Mobile brick and mortar (any brick and mortar business, except mobile)
- Linen washing
- Beer line cleaning / keg tap services
- Deep cleaning restaurants
Niche carpentry:
- Building gun safes into walls
- Closet build out
- Home bar building
- Egress window framing/installation
- Home office build out
- Wine cellar building
- Sauna Building
- Steam shower installation
- Hidden safes and secret entry construction
- Cubical building
- Patio building
- Fence building
- Dock building
- Fireplace building
- Cistern / water gatherer installation
- Home sound room or studio build
- Home stairlift installation
- Urban farming systems
- Custom beekeeping builds
- Murphy bed building/installation (NYC)
Have your own concept you are interested in exploring? Email me and I’ll feature an analysis on my podcast.
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