30 of The Most Profitable Service Business Ideas in 2021

Last Updated Mar 12, 2021

I’ve been making money by completing services for remote clients for more than five years now. It’s one of the most lucrative and easy ways to break into building a business of your own.

Offering a service online or in your local area is one of the quickest ways to make money from home, too. Whether your goal is to supplement or replace your full-time income, this list of service business ideas offers the fastest solution to your income needs.

Service business ideas typically require few assets, small investment, and little time to launch. You don’t have to rely on a supply chain or stocking products that may never sell.

I’ve earned a great income offering services online and it’s a bonus that the typical pay per hour is more than any local job I’ve ever held.

Starting a service business is simple because so much of the business relies on your talents and hands-on work. If you have been considering starting your own home business and would like to show a profit in the very first year then check out the best service business ideas to get you started.

Most Profitable Service Business

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 these services. The nice thing is that most of these service business ideas are not one-and-done projects but instead they often lead to ongoing work.

1. 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 writing for clients in the last few years. You can pitch content ideas to large publishers or you can start your own freelance writing business and work with all different sizes and types of clients.

I look up to Holly Johnson as the freelance writer guru. She started earning a full-time income on a part-time schedule as a freelance writer early on in her journey. She now offers a course that will teach you how to scale your income as a freelance writer. Check out her free workshop!

2. Proofreading Service

If you love perfecting grammar, spelling and sentence structure, consider starting a proofreading service for online content creators. Poorly written content can often prevent a business from being successful online. But proofreaders can help businesses succeed simply by helping them fix errors and publish professional, well-written content.

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!

If you have a question as to whether or not proofreading is for you, grab a seat right here — Caitlin even walks you through what it takes to be a proofreader, so you won’t be wondering if you really could be successful in the industry or not.

3. Bookkeeping Service

You may not need a college degree to offer bookkeeping services to local businesses, but you do need to be great with numbers. Help businesses in your area 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 in this FREE online workshop.

4. Social Media Manager

Do you enjoy being on social media throughout the day and creating engaging, meaningful posts? If so then you may enjoy offering social media management services to online businesses. Learn how to build communities, encourage engagement, likes and shares and prove to your clients that you can build their business.

5. Graphic Designer

Another service business ideas for the artistic eye is in graphic design. 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 over there. You can start out by using free graphic design tools to keep your start-up costs low.

6. SEO Freelancer

Every online business should focus on optimizing their content for search engines like Google and Bing. This process is known as SEO and requires a few crucial steps. If you have a working knowledge of SEO and enjoy helping others rank their pages on Google, then consider offering SEO freelance services. You can offer keyword research, on-page SEO, or link building services, to name a few ideas.

7. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistance can include all kinds of online services. From scheduling appointments to responding to emails, virtual assistants help clients as needed to run their business smoothly. The nice thing about offering virtual assistant services is that you can quickly fill your schedule with only one to five clients depending on their requirements.

Gina Horkey is a pro virtual assistant who teaches beginners how to pick a service and scale it into a business–you can get her list of 275+ more ideas for free here!

Unique Service Business Ideas

Looking to offer a service that a little less mainstream? If so, these unique service business ideas may interest you. There are so many services that people need but can’t do themselves. Successful businesses will almost always have hired help in different areas because no one person can do everything!

8. Resume Writer

Resumes are the first thing that potential employers see and it’s still important that it impresses at first glance. If you’ve created fantastic resumes in the past and enjoy helping others land their dream jobs, consider offering a resume writing service to college students or those looking to move into a lifetime career. You can use a tool like MyPerfectResume to format gorgeous resumes in just a few minutes.

9. Song Lyric Ghostwriter

Enjoy writing songs by not feeling talented enough to perform them? Offer your services as a song lyric ghostwriter and earn money from your musical talents this way. One great musician could mean a lifetime of partnership using your great lyrics.

10. Online Clothing Consignment Service

Stock up on second-hand clothing 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 with your help, you can both earn money from used clothing.

11. Children’s Book Ghostwriter

Have you ever thought of an epic story for a children’s book but had no idea how to publish or market such a book? Well, consider doing the fun part and ghostwriting the story under an already established author. Sure, you give up the fame, but that doesn’t mean you give up the income! Plus, you can skip the hassle of marketing the book and leave that to your client.

12. Children’s Book Illustrator

Maybe you struggle to come up with a story, but creating artwork for a children’s book is something you could do. Many authors partner with illustrators like you to create the perfect children’s book. Illustrators retain the credit for their work and typically earn a royalty on each copy that sells.

Online Service Business Ideas

Ready to start an online service business but not quite sure where to start? These ideas can be offered fully online and can lead to some lucrative remote opportunties.

13. Audio Transcription Service

Clients are ready to pay you to listen to their recorded audio and type it into readable documents. This service is known as transcription and can lead to a nice income. List your services online or look for existing online transcription jobs waiting for you to apply.

14. Email Marketer

If you have a persuasive yet entertaining way of writing, then perhaps offering email marketing services to various clientele is for you. As an email marketer, you would be responsible for setting up email campaigns and newsletters to bring subscribers back to your client’s product or service.

15. Personal or Business Consultant

Are you passionate about and talented in a certain area that others would pay to know? Consider offering your personal or business consulting services to help others learn.

16. Business Coach

Build ongoing relationships with businesses within your expertise and provide coaching services to help them grow. There are all kinds of small business owners who struggle to find success in their niche and need someone like you to coach them.

17. Sales Support

Many online businesses need additional help in their sales department. Whether it’s email customer service throughout the sales process or after-sale support, an online business service in this area is viable. Offer your sales support to businesses within your expertise to help them successfully grow.

18. Web Designer

Do you have an eye for design and you’re tech-savvy? Consider starting a website design business and creating beautiful websites for your clients. Website pricing can range from $1,000 to $50,000 per design and often leads to ongoing website management services to continue earning money from a single client.

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 something that interests you. These 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 want to be an animal lover for this local service business. So many people understand the importance of walking their dogs daily but do not have the time to do so. Whether they work long hours throughout the day or cannot walk well themselves, there are always people who could benefit from a dog walking service. You can list your services on Rover to get started with your first local clients.

20. Room Rental Service

Have an extra room in your home that would make a great rental space? It’s simple to start a room rental service using a trusted service like Airbnb. Simply clean up, take some great pictures and list your space for a competitive rate. A private entrance and well-maintained living area help improve your income possibilities as a room rental service.

21. Housesitting Service

Leaving town can lead to nervous homeowners when no one is nearby to watch their home. As a responsible business owner, you could offer house sitting services to help ease the nerves of people in your area. A clean background check and some great local reviews will help your local service business take off in no time.

22. Childcare Service

Offering childcare in your home or your clients’ homes is a great local service business to start in your area. You don’t have to start a daycare in order to offer childcare services, but you can also go that route if desired. Be sure to check local laws and requirements for starting a daycare service.

23. Laundry Service

Laundry is an often hated but always necessary task on the to-do list but not everyone wants to do it. If you have a functioning washer and dryer you can have clients drop off and pick up laundry from your home. You can also offer pickup services in your area and take the clothes to a local laundromat before returning to your client’s home.

24. Cleaning Service

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

25. Organizing Service

If you enjoy organizing but don’t like to get your hands dirty, skip the cleaning steps and go straight to organizing. People are willing to pay for organization services to help them get their homes and property in shape.

26. Music Instructor

Teaching others to play an instrument or sing is something you may enjoy offering as a service. If you have a talent in music and you’re able to give clear instruction, consider making money with music as a music instructor.

27. Transportation Service

You can sign up with Uber or Lyft to offer personal transportation services in your area. Whether you’re looking to earn extra money on the weekends or replace your full-time job, transportation is something that many people need on a day-to-day basis.

Related:Best Delivery Driver Apps

28. Storage Service

Do you have extra storage space in your home or garage? People are willing to pay monthly for storage service like this. You don’t need to build 100 storage units to make money from your extra space.

29. Party Planning Service

If you enjoy planning fun events, a party planning service is something that might be needed in your area. You can plan birthday parties, baby showers and office parties of all types with this type of service.

30. Wedding Planning Service

You may only ever plan one wedding of your own, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy planning additional weddings as a wedding planning service. Help brides enjoy their special day by planning the perfect day.

How To Start A Service Business

These service business ideas only scratch the surface of what you can offer online and locally to earn money as a small business owner. If you’re ready to start your own business, it’s easy to get started.

To start a service business you’ll need to know: