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70 Examples of the Service Economy

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A service economy is a nation that generates more value from services than other sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. Advanced economies are locked in a long term trend whereby services are becoming a greater percentage of economic output. This resembles the 19th century process of industrialization whereby manufacturing replaced agriculture as the largest sector of the economy in developed nations. The following are common types of value produced by a modern service economy.
Accounting services
Airlines
Banking services
Business outsourcing
Cafes
Childcare
Cloud computing
Communication services
Concerts
Construction services
Consulting
Cybersecurity services
Data services
Delivery
Design services
Digital advertising
Ecommerce services
Education
Elderly care
Energy production
Entertainment venues
Environmental remediation
Events
Film production services
Financial services
Funeral services
Gyms
Hair salons
Healthcare
Home improvement services
Hospitality industry
Hotels
Infrastructure as a service
Insurance
Internet services
Investment banking
IT services
Janitorial services
Landscaping
Legal services
Logistics services
Maintenance services
Marketing services
Mobile apps
Movie theaters
Music streaming
Night economy
Personal services
Pet care services
Product as a service
Professional services
Real estate agents
Recreation facilities
Recruiting services
Recycling & reuse
Rentals & leasing
Repair services
Restaurants
Retail services
Security services
Software services
Spas
Streaming media
Theme parks
Training
Transportation
Travel services
Utilities
Video games
Waste management services

Design

The design of virtual environments and physical things. In theory, the design of things could produce more value than their manufacturing.

Marketing

Marketing services in areas such as branding, promotion and distribution.

Ecommerce

Services that produce value electronically such as a payment service or online retailer.

Software & Computing

Software and computing that are offered as a service. This is a large industry with a high growth rate.

Media & Information

Media and information are increasing shifting towards services such as a streaming media service or ebook service that allows you to check out several books at a time for a monthly fee.

Entertainment

Entertainment such as a film or video game.

Restaurants

Restaurants offer meals as a service.

Night Economy

Things to do at night such as a bar or opera.

Culture

Cultural experiences such as a streaming music service or art museum.

Club Goods

Providing access to assets for a fee. For example, a theme park or gym.

Product as a Service

Wrapping products in intangible elements such as support, maintenance and operations.

Transport

Transport such as a high speed train.

Public Services

Public services in areas such as education, healthcare, wellness, community programs and public space.

Non-Profits

Organizations set up to do good, as they see it, as opposed to making a profit. Non-profits usually produce services such as feeding the poor.

Business Services

Business services such as consulting and process outsourcing.

Professional Services

Offering your labor as a service.

Consumer to Consumer

Services provided by consumers for consumers without much involvement by a business. For example, a babysitter.

Financial Services

Financial services such as borrowing, investing and foreign currency.

Insurance

A service that accepts risk for a fee.

Manufacturing as a Service

Manufacturing itself is often provided as a business or consumer service. Automation potentially allows unique items to be manufactured on demand by providing a design.

Energy

Energy production and distribution is increasing viewed as a service such as an electrical utility as opposed to a product such as gasoline.

Construction & Maintenance

Services that construct things or maintain them.

Operations

Services that operate things. For example, a facility management service that operates data centers on behalf of corporate clients.

Summary

The following are common examples of the service economy:

Overview

A service economy is economic activity based on intangible value such as a restaurant that doesn't just offer a physical food product but adds something that is intangible such as customer service, comfort, convenience and experience.

Notes

It is possible that some developing countries will become developed countries without developing a large industrial base. In other words, a nation may progress directly from being an agrarian economy to a service economy.
Manufacturing in one form or another will remain an important industry just as agriculture remained an important industry throughout the industrial period. It may become highly automated with few jobs.
The knowledge economy is highly related to the service economy. Service jobs tend to require more knowledge and they often produce knowledge. For example, most designers, doctors and software developers work in the service sector.
Overview: Service Economy
Type
Definition
A nation that generates more value from services than other sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.
Related Concepts
Next: Service Industry

Business Models

This is the complete list of articles we have written about business models.
Added Value
Aftermarket
Agent
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Augmented Product
Bespoke
Bricks And Clicks
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Business Services
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