The 5 Most Profitable Industries for Small Business Owners in 2017

Auto Repair

Taking a car to the shop for simple repairs can be a challenge. After all, most of us use our cars to get from place to place! That means taking a car in for repairs often either involves a long wait at the repair shop, renting a vehicle for the day, or coordinating a ride with a friend or spouse. Unless…

While some repair jobs do require the equipment of an auto shop to complete, there are plenty of maintenance and repair services that need just a few simple tools to complete. If you’re skilled as a mechanic, consider going mobile with your services—offering oil changes, fluid refills, battery swaps, headlight repair and more right in your customer’s driveway or office parking lot.

Food Trucks

The foodie movement continues to grow in 2016, with more and more styles of cuisine offered in unique venues. But as rent in major cities increases, it’s becoming more difficult for up-and-coming specialty food artisans to finance a brick-and-mortar location in the bustling centers of town—where their customers are most likely to be.

The answer? Food trucks! Hit the road and park yourself at local events, farmer’s markets, the local town square—wherever you’re likely to draw a crowd. The lower overhead and increased geographic versatility of a food truck means you can turn your grandma’s famous dumpling recipe or that off-the-wall dessert idea into its own thriving business.

Keep in mind that bigger, trendier cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Boston already have a pretty saturated food truck market—so you might be more successful in a smaller heartland metropolis. Food trucks also tend to have their own special set of ordinances and safety compliance standards, so contact your local health department to find out what will be required.

Car Wash Services

Who wants to drive across town to get their car washed when you could be on your couch binge-watching House of Cards? As a mobile car wash and auto detailing service, you wouldn’t only benefit from the unique value proposition of being mobile, but you’d also avoid the significant overhead and startup cost of having a physical location.

Not sure how to start your own mobile car wash service? Don’t panic! There are a variety of online wholesalers that offer auto detailing start-up kits as well as training for those interested in starting their own business in this niche industry.

Electronics Repair

If you’ve looked up from your own mobile device lately, you’ve probably noticed that most Americans these days are more than a little bit obsessed with our electronics. This widespread tech addiction means that when something goes wrong, people tend to freak out.

Enter… You! The solution for every broken iPhone screen, WiFi card, and laptop battery. And if you’re willing to travel to your customer? You’ve got an instant hit! (Because who really wants to stand around by a kiosk in the mall?)

While a mobile electronics repair business involves some overhead in the form of purchasing supplies, keeping your business mobile saves you from the high overhead cost of a physical location. That means more profit in your pocket!

IT Support

As you probably know from hours spent with your grandparents, electronics that don’t seem to be working are usually actually not in need of repair. Not everyone in the world is naturally tech savvy, and when things go wrong, often the free customer phone support provided by manufacturers doesn’t exactly feel supportive.

If technology comes easily to you—and you’re a relatively patient person—then consider hitting the road, at least in your neighborhood, with mobile IT support. All you need is time, transportation, and your own know-how—so this low-overhead business model is almost pure profit.

Personal Trainers

Turning your love of fitness into a career doesn’t have to mean working for a big corporate gym—nor do you need the overhead of have your own location to train clients. Throw a few weights, bands, and yoga mats into the trunk of your car, and take your fitness show on the road!

Offer one-on-one sessions in your clients’ homes or advertise group classes at a local park or community center. Making fitness more available to your clients might just be the ticket to helping both of you achieve your goals.

Newborn and Post-Pregnancy Services

With new babies being born at record rates, the need for post-pregnancy and newborn related services continues to grow. Doulas and lactation consultants, in particular, are in demand for new mothers, and both business options have relatively low overhead requirements beyond education and certification.

Enrichment Activities

While the number of children in the United States grows, shrinking budgets for education mean that both traditional academics and enrichment subjects like music, art, and athletics have taken a significant hit.

As a result, more parents are turning to private businesses for enrichment activities outside of school. Business is looking good for gymnastics centers, music schools, swimming instructors, kids’ yoga teachers, and more. If you have a skill that could be easily taught to young students, you might already have a profitable business in the making!

Mobile Apps and Entertainment

If your interests lie closer to tech or entertainment, consider gearing your technology toward the youngest of consumers. Research shows that regardless of expert recommendations, demand for tablets, apps, and mobile entertainment for children is on the rise.