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50 Types Of Small Business

John Spacey, updated on August 18, 2023

Small businesses typically operate in industries that don't require economies of scale and adopt business models that allow them to compete with far larger firms such as niche products and local services. The following are common types of small business.

Accounting

Accounting, bookkeeping & tax preparation.

Agents

A professional representative in a business transaction such as a real estate sale.

Agriculture

Farming, fishing and related businesses.

Antiques And Collectables

Sales and appraisals of antiques and collectables.

Arts And Crafts

Artists, artisans and related businesses such as art galleries.

Asset Management

Managing investments and assets such as property.

Automotive

Automotive repair, customization and services.

Beverages

Beverage manufacturing, wineries and distilleries.

Brokers

Buying or selling services such as insurance for clients.

Business Services

Business services such as outsourcing of processes and administrative procedures. For example, asset appraisal services for financial institutions.

Child Care

Licensed child care centers, home child care and preschools.

Cleaning Services

Indoor and outdoor cleaning services.

Construction And Home Improvement

Independent contractors and other businesses related to construction and home improvement.

Design

Design is a broad field that includes the design of digital works such as websites and physical things such as interior design.

Distributor

A business model that involves buying in bulk and selling in smaller units. Often involves importing & exporting.

Ecommerce

Selling goods and services using digital channels such as web.

Education And Training

Schools and training services.

Entertainment

Production and distribution of entertainment such as films.

Fashion

Apparel, footwear and accessories related businesses such as fashion designers and modeling agencies.

Food Services

Restaurants, cafes and catering.

Gardening And Landscaping

Gardening and landscaping services such as tree pruning.

Health And Beauty

Health and beauty services such as hair salons, nail salons and spas.

Information Technology

A broad category of business that includes software development, systems integration, IT consulting, information security and IT services.

Legal Services

Lawyers and legal services such as arbitration.

Maintenance And Repair

Maintenance and repair services for technology, machines, buildings, property and other assets.

Management Services

Managing processes for individuals and businesses such as managing rentals for a property owner.

Manufacturing

Small scale manufacturing such as local souvenirs or a niche product.

Marketing Services

Advertising, promotion, sales and other marketing services.

Media

Production and distribution of media such as graphics and video.

Medical Practitioners

Doctors, dentists and other medical practitioners.

Music

Production, promotion and distribution of music.

Nightlife

Bars, nightclubs and other forms of nightlife such as karaoke.

Personal Services

Personal consulting services such as a personal trainer.

Pet Services

Pet supplies and services such as grooming and training.

Photography

Photographers and photography services.

Professional Services

Consulting and freelancing.

Publishing

Publishing literature or information in physical or digital formats.

Recruiting And Staffing

Recruiters and staffing services.

Rental And Leasing

Renting and leasing of property, vehicles, machines, electronics and other assets.

Research Services

Research services such as market research.

Retail

Selling products from a physical location.

Shipping And Delivery

Shipping and delivery services such as local delivery of takeout or flowers.

Sports And Recreation

Businesses such as sports facilities, sports & recreation training and adventure tours.

Sustainability

Businesses that compete with a far larger competitor by appealing to customers who prioritize sustainable practices.

Toys And Hobbies

Production and distribution of toys and hobby products.

Transportation

Transportation related businesses such as bicycle rentals or taxis.

Travel And Tourism

Hotels, resorts, tours, travel agencies, souvenir vendors and other businesses related to tourism.

Value Added Reseller

A business model that involves reselling an existing product or service wrapped in a value added service. For example, selling software and adding implementation and support services.