What Business Should You Start?

If you're looking for ideas, we've compiled an alphabetical listing of potential businesses you can start. The items below with a link lead to information on how to start that particular business. Additional resources are also available in our library.

A , B , C , D , E , F , G , H , I , J , K , L , M , N , O , P, Q , R , S , T ,
U ,V, W , X Y Z

A

Accounting and/or tax preparation service
Adult day care
Advertising service
Air charter service
Air-conditioning and/or heating and cooling contractor
Air purification and/or cleaning service
Starting an Alternative and Complementary Health Care Business
Ambulance service
Amusement arcade
Amusement and/or water park
Animal breeder
Animal clinic
Antique shop
Appliance store
Appraisal service
Aquarium maintenance and/or leasing service
Archery and/or Target and/or Shooting range
Art gallery
Art supplies store
Association management service
Auctioneer
Auto supply store
Auctioneer and/or broker
Automobile detailing and/or painting service
Automobile and/or truck leasing service

B

Bait and tackle shop
Bakery and/or Donut Shop
Bar and/or cocktail lounge
Starting a Beauty Salon/Barber Shop/Esthetics/Tanning
Beauty supply center
Starting a Bed and Breakfast 
Beekeeping
Beeper and/or paging service
Bicycle shop
Billiards hall
Blacktop surfacing business
Body care shop
Book publishing
Bookbinder
Bookstore
Bottled water service
Bowling alley
Brewery operation
Bridal shop and/or bridal consultant
Building and/or home inspection service
Building maintenance and/or custodial service
Bulletin board service
Business broker service
Business consulting service
Butcher shop

C

Calligraphy service
Camera shop
Campground management
Candy and/or chocolate shop
Car alarm and stereo shop
Car inspection service
Car towing service
Car wash
Career counseling
Carpentry service
Catering service
CD-ROM developer and/or producer
Cellular phone and/or telephone business
Charter boat service
Check cashing service
Children's apparel shop
Children's day care center
Chimney sweeping business
Christmas decoration store
Christmas tree farm
Clipping service
Clothing designer
Clothing store
Coffee service
Coin and/or stamp dealer
Comedy club
Comic book and/or collectibles store
Commercial and/or graphic art business
Commercial mail receiving agency
Compact disc and/or record store
Computer data storage company
Computer learning and/or training centre
Computer maintenance and repair service
Computer programming and/or data processing service
Computer store
Computer system integrators
Computerized billing service
Computerized matching service
Concession stand business
Consignment shop
Construction company
Starting a Consulting Business
Consumer electronics store
Starting a Convenience Store
Cooking school
Copy shop
Cosmetics business
Costume shop
Craft artisan
Craft and/or hobby shop
Credit repair service
Credit reporting and collection service

D

E

Editorial and/or freelance writing business
Electrical contractor
Electronics
Electrical lighting supply store
Employee leasing service
Employment agency
Engraving and/or monogramming service
Environmental consultant
Environmental store
Executive recruiting agency

F

Fashion accessories business
Fax service
Film and video production operation
Financial planning service
Fish and seafood store
Fish farm
Floor covering and/or restoration business
Florist
Food delivery service
Formal wear rental business
Freight forwarding service
Fundraising consultant
Funeral service
Fur farm
Fur store
Furniture restoration service

G

Genealogy service
Gift basket service
Gift and/or card shop
Glass repair and replacement service
Golf shop
Gourmet coffee and/or tea house
Greenhouse and/or garden center and/or nursery business
Greeting card publishing
Grocery store
Gunsmith and/or gun shop

H

Hair replacement and/or electrolysis clinic
Hair salon and/or barber shop
Handwriting analysis consultant
Hardware store
Hat store
Hazardous waste disposal business
Health Services
Health food store
Hearing aid testing and fitting service
Herb farm
Home accessory store
Home furnishings store
Home health care service
Horse riding academy
Hotel and/or motel and/or resort operation
House-sitting service

I

Ice cream and/or frozen yogurt shop
Image consultant
Import and/or export service
Incubator
Information broker
Insulation contractor
Insurance agency
Interior design service
Internet and/or online service provider
Investment securities broker

J

Jewelry store

K

Kiosk and/or pushcart and/or vendor business

L

Landscaping service
Lawn maintenance service
Limousine service
Lingerie shop
Liquor store
Literary agency
Locksmith
Luggage and leather goods store
Lumberyard

M

Machine shop and/or metalworking shop
Magic shop
Mail Order Business
Management Consulting
Manufacturer's representative
Marine shop
Martial arts studio
Masonry, stonework, and plastering contractors
Massage therapist
Mediation service
Medical and dental instrument manufacturing
Medical claims service
Medical laboratory service
Medical supplies store
Medical transcription service
Messenger and/or delivery and/or subpoena service
Miniature golf course operation
Mobile home and/or trailer park
Modeling school and/or agency
Mortgage broker
Motorcycle and/or moped store
Movie theatre operation
Moving service
Music school
Music shop
Musical instrument repair and/or piano tuning service

N

Nail salon
Nanny service
New age services and supplies
New and used care dealer
Newsletter publishing
Novelty items business
Nursing home and/or long-term care center
Nutritional consultant and/or diet planner

O

Office design service
Office supply and/or equipment store

P

Paint and/or wall covering center
Painting contractor
Party entertainment service
Party and/or reunion planning service
Pawnbroker
Payroll preparation service
Periodical and/or newspaper publishing
Starting a Personal Care Home for Seniors
Personal shopping service
Pest control service
Pet boarding and/or grooming service
Pet cemetery
Pet obedience school
Pet shop
Pet sitting service
Photo finishing center
Photographer, Commercial
Photographic studio
Physical fitness center
Physical therapy clinic and/or practice
Pizzeria
Plant leasing service
Plumbing service
Porcelain refinishing service
Power washing service
Prepaid phone card business
Print and/or frame shop
Printing business
Private investigation and/or personal security service
Private label product manufacturer and/or retailer
Professional organizer
Property management
Public relations consultant
Public warehousing and/or mini-storage operation

Q

 Quick oil change service

R

Radio station
Radon testing service
Real estate agency
Real estate investment service
Recording studio
Recreational vehicle dealer
Recycling business
Rental service
Starting a Restaurant
Resume service
Roofing contractor

S

Satellite dish service
Screen printing business
Security systems service
Seminar planner and/or lecturer
Service station and/or auto repair and service shop
Sewer and drain cleaning business
Sewing center
Shoe repair shop
Shoe store
Sign shop
Silk plant shop
Skating rink operation
Ski shop
Software publishing
Solar energy design and/or contracting business
Specialty foods and/or wine shop
Sporting goods store
Surveying service
Swimming pool and/or hot tub business

T

Tailor shop
Talent agency
Starting a Beauty Salon/Barber Shop/Esthetics/Tanning
Tattoo parlor
Taxicab and/or van shuttle service
Taxidermy service
Teacher supply store
Telecommunications
Telemarketing service
Telephone answering service
Television and/or radio repair service
Television station
Temporary employment agency
Tennis court and/or racquet club operation
Tire dealer
Tobacco shop
Tour guide operation
Toy business
Trade show and/or conference management service
Translating and/or interpreting service
Travel agency
Trucking business>
Tutoring service
Typesetting business
Typing and/or stenographic service

U,V,W

Upholstery and/or carpet services
Vending machine merchandising and service business
Videocassette rental store
Vision center
Voice mail service
Water conditioning service
Weight reduction and/or control center
Welcome service
Window dressing service
Word processing service

XYZ