31 of The Most Profitable Service Businesses to Start Now

It’s been 10 years since I broke free from the 9-to-5 grind, and let me tell you—there’s nothing like the freedom of controlling your own time and income. Today, I’m going to show you how you can start earning on your own terms, beginning right now.

If you’ve been looking for a way to bring in extra money—or even replace your full-time income—offering a service is one of the quickest and most profitable ways to do it. You don’t need a big investment, a huge following, or a fancy degree to get started. You just need a skill people are willing to pay for (and trust me, there are plenty).

The truth is, every successful business follows the same formula:

1. Learn the service inside and out. Regardless of what you offer to others in exchange for money, you need to know it well.
2. Present yourself as the go-to pro. When people need the service, they should think of you.
3. Deliver high-quality work. Happy clients mean more referrals, better pay, and long-term success.

I’ve followed this exact process to build a consistent income from service-based businesses, and I’ve seen countless others do the same. And you can too.

If you’re ready to start making money from home—without the overhead of selling products or dealing with inventory—this list of in-demand services will give you everything you need to get started. One of them could be the key to unlocking your financial freedom.

31 Profitable Service Businesses

Some of these services are common, but there never seems to be a shortage of demand for them. If you network with small businesses and bloggers, you can typically find clients who need the below services. Most of these ideas are not one-and-done projects, but often lead to ongoing work.

Related: How To Create A Business Website [Tutorial For The Non-Tech-Savvy]

1. Proofreading Service

If you love perfecting grammar, spelling and sentence structure, consider starting a proofreading service for online content creators. Poorly written content can prevent a business from achieving online success. Proofreaders can help businesses succeed by simply fixing their errors and assisting them in publishing professional, well-written content.

AI-powered grammar and spell-check tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid can help you catch errors quickly and improve sentence structure. These tools also provide readability suggestions, making your proofreading work faster and more thorough, while you focus on refining tone and clarity.

Caitlin Pyle has my full attention when it comes to proofreading tips and support. She earns more than $50,000 per year as a proofreader and teaches others how to do the same in her FREE 76-minute workshop by Proofread Anywhere!

If you want to know more about this type of field, grab a seat at Proofread Anywhere; Caitlin will walk you through everything it takes to be a proofreader, so you won’t be left wondering if you really could find success in this industry.

2. Personal or Business Consultant

If you are passionate about and talented in a certain area that others would pay to learn, offer your personal or business consulting services to help these people achieve their goals.

Break into consulting in the mom niche by becoming a baby sleep consultant. Depending on the time you put into building your business and working with clients, you could earn a solid six-figure income by offering this lucrative service to tired parents.

Related: Best Sleep Consultant Training Online Courses to Get Certified

3. Permanent Jewelry Welding

Service-based businesses have endless potential, as long as they are trendy and profitable. It would be incredibly defeating to start a business from an idea you believe is great, only to find out that there’s no need for your services. The permanent jewelry business isn’t going anywhere, and is sure to make you money quickly. You can become a permanent jewelry welder with just a weekend’s worth of study.

Permanent jewelers weld pieces – including necklaces, bracelets, and anklets – onto their customers. While this isn’t a new trend, it has gained an overwhelming amount of traction during recent years. Permanent jewelry welders are in high demand at events like birthday parties, bridal showers, ladies’ nights out, and other vendor-style gatherings. This service can be performed in as little as 10 minutes per customer at $40-$80 per piece, depending on the specific type of jewelry.

Take an online permanent jewelry training course and learn how to earn more in one weekend than many people earn in two weeks of full-time work. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make money in this booming field; get started now with the LINKED Permanent Jewelry Training certification course.

4. Microblading

Microblading has also risen in popularity during the past several years, and is now a booming industry for both customers and artists interested in making this their career. Thanks to the ability to create flawless eyebrow designs and also give happy clients the convenience of not needing to fill in their brows every day, microblading technicians have quickly found this to be a lucrative service business.

If you are interested in joining this part of the beauty space, take the steps to become a microblade technician and set up a microblading space inside your house. You can offer microblading services and make money right from the comfort of your own home.

As a microblade technician, you could potentially make hundreds of dollars from a single session. Get paid to help others become more confident in themselves with eyebrows they can’t wait to show off.

5. Freelance Writer

Freelance writing will always be near the top of my list of suggested service businesses, because I have personally earned tens of thousands of dollars during the last few years, writing for clients. Pitch content ideas to large publishers, or start your own freelance writing business and work with large and small clients of all types.

AI writing assistants like ChatGPT or Jasper can help with brainstorming ideas, generating outlines, and even drafting sections of content to speed up the writing process. They can also be used to rephrase text, enhance creativity, and ensure reader-friendly content for clients.

6. Social Media Manager

Those who enjoy spending time on social media throughout the day, creating engaging, meaningful posts, should consider offering social media management services to online businesses. Learn how to build communities, encourage engagement, likes, and shares, and show your clients that you can help their businesses succeed.

AI scheduling tools like Buffer and Hootsuite can automate post scheduling, while AI analytics tools help track engagement and optimize content strategies. Tools like Canva’s AI-powered design features and ChatGPT’s caption generators can also help create eye-catching posts and engaging copy

7. Graphic Designer

Graphic design is another service business idea for someone with an artistic eye. If you can create beautiful images with fitting text overlay, then offering graphic design services might be an option for you. Pinterest is a highly visual platform, and bloggers and business owners often need graphic design help in order to be successful on that site. Start out by using graphic design tools like Canva to keep your startup costs low.

AI design platforms like Adobe Firefly and Canva’s Magic Design can generate design ideas, remove backgrounds, and suggest layouts instantly. This allows designers to focus on refining and personalizing visuals rather than spending hours on repetitive tasks.

Related: How to Become a Pinterest Manager Without Experience

8. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistance includes all types of online services, from scheduling appointments, to responding to emails; VAs help their clients run their businesses smoothly on an as-needed basis. If you choose to offer virtual assistant services, you can quickly fill your schedule with just a few clients, depending on their needs.

AI chatbots and automation tools like Zapier, ChatGPT, and Notion AI can help streamline scheduling, email responses, and data entry. By integrating AI into your workflow, you can handle more tasks efficiently and provide faster, more accurate support to clients.

Pro virtual assistant Gina Horkey teaches beginners how to pick a service and scale it into a business; check out her free resource at Fully Booked VA.

9. Bookkeeping Service

You may not need a college degree to become a bookkeeper and offer your services to local businesses, but you do need to be great with numbers. Help local organizations learn how to organize their finances by offering a bookkeeping service that comes to them as needed.

Learn more about starting your own bookkeeping business for free at Bookkeepers.com.

Related: Best Work-From-Home Finance Jobs

Unique Service Business Ideas

These out-of-the-box ideas will interest anyone who wants to offer a service that’s a little less mainstream. Many people need help with tasks that they aren’t able to do themselves. Successful businesses will almost always have hired help in a variety of different capacities, because no one person can do everything!

10. Song Lyric Ghostwriter

Anyone who enjoys writing songs but doesn’t feel talented enough to perform them can earn money from their musical talents by becoming song lyric ghostwriters. Even just one great musician could use your inspired lyrics and provide you with a lifetime of partnership.

Related: How to Become a Makeup Artist

11. Online Clothing Consignment Service

Stock up on secondhand clothing gathered by others in your local neighborhood and offer your online consignment services for a cut of the profits. People often trash or donate clothing because they don’t have time to sell them online, but if you offer to help, you can both earn money from used clothing.

12. Children’s Book Ghostwriter

Many people have thought of an epic story for a children’s book, but had no idea how to publish or market it. Do the fun part and ghostwrite the story under an already-established author’s name. You may have to give up the fame, but you won’t have to relinquish the income. Plus, you can skip the hassle of marketing the book, and leave that responsibility to your client.

Related: Top 10 Stay at Home Mom Jobs

13. Children’s Book Illustrator

Even if you struggle to come up with a story, you could still create artwork for a children’s book. Many authors partner with illustrators like you to create the perfect story for kids. Illustrators retain the credit for their work, and typically earn royalties off of each sold copy.

14. Resume Writer

Resumes are the first thing that potential employers see, and they need to impress at first glance. If you’ve created fantastic resumes in the past and enjoy helping others land their dream jobs, offer a resume-writing service to college students or those looking to move into a new career. Use a tool like MyPerfectResume to format gorgeous resumes in just a few minutes.

Related: Work from Home Jobs that Hire Immediately

Online Service Business Ideas

Maybe you’re ready to start an online service business, but aren’t quite sure where to start. The following ideas can be offered fully online, and can lead to some lucrative remote opportunities.

15. Business Coach

Turn your existing business expertise into coaching services that will help you build ongoing relationships with your clients. Many small business owners struggle to make progress in their niche, and need someone like you to coach them to success.

16. Sales Support

A lot of online businesses are on the hunt for additional help in their sales departments, whether it’s for emailed customer service to assist in the sales process, or for after-sale support. Create an online business service by offering your sales support to businesses within your expertise to help them successfully grow.

17. Web Designer

Those who are tech-savvy and have an eye for design can start a website design business and create beautiful websites for their clients. Website pricing can range from $1,000 to $50,000 per design, and often leads to website management services’ continuing to earn money from a single client.

18. Email Marketer

If you have a persuasive, yet entertaining, way of writing, begin offering email marketing services to various clientele. As an email marketer, you would be responsible for setting up email campaigns and newsletters to bring subscribers back to your clients’ products or services.

Related: How to Make Money Fast

Local Service Business Ideas

If you’re not quite ready to start an exclusively online service, perhaps a local service business is the route to take. The following business ideas are perfect to offer locally, and can easily be promoted online to reach your local target market.

19. Dog-Walking Service

You’ll need to be an animal lover in order to start a local service business and get paid to walk dogs. Many pet owners understand the importance of walking their dogs daily, but don’t have the time to do so themselves, whether it’s because they work long hours throughout the day or cannot walk well themselves. There are always potential clients who could benefit from your dog-walking service. List your business on Care.com to get started with your first four-legged clients.

20. Doula Services

Doulas who stay at birthing mothers’ sides as they deliver their babies provide one of the most miraculous services. The opportunity to help moms in their most vulnerable states bring their babies earthside is an incredible experience that you are unlikely to grow tired of performing, time and time again.

Offer doula services to expecting mothers in your area and start growing your own business. The clear training and knowledge that give doulas the expertise to help moms transition from pregnancy into motherhood is a special service that not everyone can provide. Charge a fee for your presence and advocate for your clients when they need your voice.

21. Housesitting Service

Needing to leave town can lead to nervous homeowners, if they have nobody available to watch their properties. As a responsible business owner, you could offer house-sitting services and get paid to live in someone else’s home, helping to ease local people’s nerves. A clean background check and some great local reviews will help your service business take off in no time.

22. Childcare Service

Another great local service-based business involves providing childcare in your home or your clients’ homes. You don’t have to start a daycare in order to take care of children, but you could also go that route, if desired. Check local laws and requirements for starting a daycare service.

23. Laundry Service

An untold number of families could benefit from a laundry service. Simple tasks like swapping loads from the washer to the dryer or folding the clothes can be extremely helpful to overworked parents.

Laundry tends to accumulate quickly, and as a mother myself, I know that the faster the laundry piles up, the more overwhelming it becomes to tackle it. Start your own laundry service business for people like me, and make money helping others. Charge per hour or per task. Take on as many clients as you want, and keep a consistent weekly schedule to bring in the most income.

24. Cleaning Service

Get your hands dirty and your wallet full by offering your cleaning services to local neighbors and businesses. Cleaning is something that everyone needs, but rarely wants to do themselves. Start a cleaning business, pick up reoccurring jobs, and build relationships with people in your area.

25. Organizing Service

If you enjoy a tidy space but don’t like to get your hands dirty, skip the cleaning steps and go straight to organizing. Many homeowners and business owners alike are willing to pay for organization services to help them whip their homes and properties into shape.

26. Music Instructor

You could also teach others to play an instrument or sing. If you are musically gifted and can give clear instructions, consider offering your services as a music instructor.

Related: How to Get Paid to Sing

27. Transportation Service

Sign up with Uber or Lyft to offer personal transportation services in your area, or get paid to drive cars across the country. Whether you’re looking to earn extra money on the weekends or replace your full-time job, transportation is something you could offer to the many people who need it on a daily basis.

Related: Best Delivery Driver Apps

28. Storage Service

Those with extra storage space in their homes or garages can open it up to people who need a spot to rent out by the month. You don’t need to build 100 storage units to make money from your extra space with Neighbor.

29. Party Planning Service

Put your party-planning skills to good use for others in your area who are gearing up for their next events. Plan birthday parties, baby showers, and office parties of all types. One of the prime benefits of this service business is that you can get paid to attend the events and parties that you organized.

30. Wedding Planning Service

You may only ever plan one wedding of your own, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy organizing additional celebrations with your wedding-planning service. Help brides and grooms create and enjoy their special days.

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31. Room Rental Service

Those who have an extra room in their homes that would make a great rental space should look into starting a room rental service using a trusted site like Airbnb. Clean the space, take some great pictures, and list it at a competitive rate. A private entrance and well-maintained living area will help improve your income possibilities as a room rental service.

Related: How To Get Free Airbnb Stays (Plus Make Money In The Process)

How To Start A Service Business

Getting started is simpler than you might think. First, choose a service that aligns with your strengths or interests. You don’t need to be an expert right away—many of the most successful service providers started as beginners and learned as they went. Take some time to research, take a course if needed, and practice until you feel confident offering your service to paying clients.

Next, focus on visibility. Whether you market your skills online, in your local community, or both, positioning yourself as a go-to professional is key. Create a simple website or social media page, reach out to potential clients, and don’t be afraid to start small. The most important step is just starting. With each new client, you’ll gain experience, build your reputation, and increase your earning potential.

The freedom that comes from working for yourself is worth the effort. Whether you’re looking for a side income or a full-time career shift, offering a service is one of the fastest ways to create financial independence. So why wait? Pick a service, start learning, and take that first step today. Your future self will thank you.