There’s never been a better time to start a mobile service business!
If you’ve been wondering how to start a service business, consider these growing industries:
Whether it’s a haircut or drywall patch-up, people will always need in-home services performed.
We highly recommend offering mobile and virtual services to reduce operating costs and reach more customers. And with e-commerce tools like MarketBox, you can set up your mobile service business so that clients can self-book and scheduling is easy, which means more flexibility and free time for you.
With this in mind, let’s dive right into the top 10 mobile business ideas you can start today!
If you’re a beautician who believes in providing personalized, convenient services, then starting a mobile beauty business may be for you!
Did you know that in traditional beauty salons, up to 80% of revenue goes towards operating the store? While you’ll have to consider a budget for gas and transportation, going mobile means you save money on rent, utility bills, and salon upkeep.
Taking your business mobile means you can offer in-home services, further enhancing an already personalized experience. It also eliminates long wait times and unnecessary check-ins.
By 2024, the beauty industry is expected to be valued at $190.81 billion, with millennials and members of Gen X receiving beauty and grooming services approximately nine times per year.
The startup cost of a brick and mortar beauty salon can range from $40,000 to $250,000, which does not include basic equipment or tools.
Start-up costs for an in-home beauty services business range from $ 2,000 – $10,000. Add on your expected transportation and travel costs to estimate what your mobile beauty service business’s start-up cost might be.
Thinking about starting a service business in the pet industry? Then you might want to consider launching a mobile veterinary clinic!
A traditional, location-based clinic can cost up to $1,000,000. This is mostly due to overhead, including multiple staff (receptionists, kennel managers and attendants, facility supervisors, and other team members). However, mobile veterinary clinic start-up costs are far less, about $250,000 (including vehicle and equipment cost).
Many veterinary clinics already offer house calls to farms. With mobile clinics, you can batch your availability to specific regions on certain days so you’re not travelling back and forth. And while you’ll need at least one veterinary technician to travel with you, there’s no need for a team of groomers, attendants, and receptionists.
Going mobile also reduces a common customer pain point: busy wait rooms where cats clash with dogs. Since you’re travelling to owners’ homes, there’s no need to confine animals in waiting rooms anymore!
With MarketBox’s veterinary software, you can also offer more than just in-home appointments. Your services can include virtual consultations or simple check-ups that happen over Zoom. This means you don’t have to travel for every appointment and customers and their pets can connect with you conveniently.
With pet ownership steadily increasing, there’s no shortage of pets who require accessible care, so consider starting a mobile veterinary clinic!
If you have a background in healthcare, there’s no need to confine yourself to a physical practice. Consider providing remote services, virtual services, or in-home health services to cut down on overhead and transportation expenses and reach new patients.
Some professions that may benefit from going mobile include:
As more and more healthcare providers realize the benefits of moving away from brick and mortar establishments, the telehealth industry is growing.
Telehealth refers to healthcare-related services that are provided virtually. This industry is expected to reach $185.6 billion by 2026.
Common patient and client complaints within the in-home health services industry have always been a lack of accessibility and choice when it comes to providers, as well as high fees. But starting a telehealth business or even offering a hybrid between virtual and remote appointments reduces this problem.
Startup costs for home health services vary depending on the sector. For example, starting an independent home care agency requires at least $35,000 to $45,000 and a home care franchise requires an initial investment of $25,000 to $150,000. While a mobile senior home care business for a single provider can be set up for as little as $900.
The demand for in-home personal training is increasing at a higher-than-average rate of 10%. While most personal training happens in gyms or fitness facilities, there are a growing number of businesses veering away from this model.
Many personal trainers are leveraging scheduling software that enables them to offer in-home personal training, remote training (in parks, for example), or virtual sessions. This is a great way to offer a stress-reducing and health-conscious service.
Starting a mobile fitness training business also means your clients can cut back on hefty gym memberships and receive safer, more personalized training.
As with the mobile veterinary and home health industries, virtual fitness training can open up another revenue stream. Consider leveraging scheduling tools that also offer integrations with Zoom or other video-conferencing software. Virtual fitness training provides the same personalized experience as face-to-face sessions from the comfort of home.
The start-up costs for a gym range anywhere from $50,000-1,000,000 depending on whether you’re opening a small studio or one fully loaded with amenities.
On the other hand, the start-up cost for a mobile fitness training business is around $2,000 per instructor.
In 2018, home repair and renovations in the U.S were over $350 billion. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, remote employees have begun placing a greater value on making their space comfortable and functional.
Starting a mobile service business in the handyman and home repair industry not only means you’d get to be your own boss and choose the type of services you want to offer, but you could charge less than home repair companies that operate out of brick and mortar locations. This makes you more competitive, while still being able to pocket a bigger piece of the pie!
Starting your own mobile home repair business means you’ll get to set your service region, so you can organize and schedule projects based on location, reducing travel time and transportation cost.
Expected start-up costs for a handyman business are about $2,000-$4,000, with some maintenance and repair workers reporting incomes of $3,000 per week.
If you’re looking for an example of a home services business to start, check out our article on how to start a lawn care business!
Similar to our other mobile business ideas, one of the best things about starting a service business in the cleaning industry is the low start-up cost. Many cleaning services are actually started in garages, so you won’t have to worry about renting out office space.
Starting a mobile cleaning service also doesn’t require any experience!
In 2020, the sanitation industry was valued at $48 billion. Twenty-four percent of facilities managers report that they outsource cleaning.
Examples of mobile cleaning services you can start:
Startup costs for a cleaning business can be as low as $1,000-$2,000.
If you want to start a service business in the music industry, consider offering private lessons!
Depending on which instrument you plan on offering private music lessons for, the startup costs are quite low, especially if you choose to teach in-home music lessons. Or, you could operate as a hybrid service business and offer lessons in clients' homes and virtually.
The money you save on overhead costs could go towards paying for transportation, lesson materials like music stands and sheet music, and scheduling software like MarketBox that lets clients self-book their lessons with you.
Taking a private music lesson business mobile is extremely appealing to clients because it eliminates transportation time and they don’t have to lug around their instruments.
Expected start-up costs for a private music lesson business ranges from $300 to $2,000.
There will always be students who require assistance in a variety of subjects. To start your own private tutoring business, you don’t technically need a certification or degree. What you do need is a deep understanding of the subjects you’re teaching and the ability to explain them in a way that’s easy to learn.
Private tutoring rates range from $75-125 per session.
Similar to in-home music lessons, you could also offer private tutoring sessions from your own home, clients’ homes, or virtually. Starting a hybrid private tutoring business has never been easier.
Did you know that to start a service business in the yoga industry, you don’t have to be a seasoned yogi?
What you do need is to complete a minimum of 200 hours of training with a registered yoga school and decide whether you’d like to offer private yoga classes in your home, at clients’ homes, virtually, or all three.
The best part about teaching private yoga classes is the option to hold sessions in clients’ homes. This reduces stressful commute times, so clients have the most relaxing experience all-around.
A common concern among yoga instructors who offer private classes is the awkwardness of payment collection. Do you have clients pay per session? In packages? Do you collect at the beginning or end of classes? The good news is, there are plenty of sales and scheduling solutions that eliminate this hassle.
With MarketBox, all it takes is the click of a button to charge a client at the end of a one-off session. Or, clients can purchase a package of sessions where they’re charged once up front.
Offering private at-home yoga classes is a relaxing and convenient option for both you and clients.
The demand for in-home chefs has risen dramatically since the beginning of COVID-19. It’s a great choice for foodies still craving a unique dining experience and a potential new revenue stream for chefs who work in traditional kitchens.
The start-up costs for a private chef business are generally under $2,000, since you have no overhead costs. It’s also a very flexible business that you can start as a side hustle by operating on a part-time basis.
Rather than working at a brick-and-mortar restaurant, you can offer fully-cooked meals to busy professionals, at corporate events, or for special occasions (e.g. anniversaries, birthdays).
More and more personal chefs are starting to offer virtual cooking classes, a great and delicious alternative to in-person lessons. With MarketBox’s Zoom integration, customers can easily book in-home and virtual cooking classes with you!
Anywhere there’s a kitchen, you can offer your private chef services!
If you have a medical background, you could consider starting a mobile COVID testing service.
This includes recruiting a team of medically-trained professionals (e.g. regulated nurses, advanced care paramedics, and allied health professionals) to travel to patients’ homes, office buildings, or other facilities to perform COVID-19 tests.
Offering mobile COVID testing means you’re able to service clients with busy schedules, those who cannot access testing sites easily (like the elderly or disabled), and those who simply don’t want to wait in line at collection centers.
Start-up costs range depending on how you plan to dispatch providers. You could purchase a fleet of vans so multiple providers can service corporate clients or have providers use their personal vehicles to commute to individual patients. Costs also include FDA-approved PCR tests and personal protective equipment. Lastly, you’ll have to partner with a laboratory to analyze and provide results for COVID testing.
Mobile COVID testing is a crucial emerging service in high demand and a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs willing to get going quickly.
Before you begin wondering how to start a service business, let’s focus on what service business you want to launch.
Play to your strengths if you’ve already got certifications or a background in a specific industry. If you’re just looking for ideas, lean in to your passions and don’t forget to put together a business plan!
There’s never been a better time to start a mobile service business. So leverage platforms that will not only enable you to grow and scale, but are designed specifically for hybrid businesses that offer mobile, remote, and brick and mortar services.
If you’re looking for the quickest way to get your service business off the ground, reach out to MarketBox and book a demo today!
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