Filip Boksa

Co-Founded BookingKoala and King of Maids. Grew his first business (cleaning service) to over 5 million and 100 workers by 22 with $6,000 and no outside funding. Today focuses on helping services through BookingKoala.

27 Small Business Ideas You Can Start Today With BookingKoala!

With all the small business ideas and options of starting a business today, it’s sometimes hard for us to decide what path we want to choose. Everything from e-commerce and drop shipping to subscription box based businesses, the options and business ideas are everywhere.

But one industry that is often overlooked is the service industry. But why? You don’t need a lot of money to get started, you can have recurring clients coming in right away and you get paid right after the service is completed. The best part of all, now there is a platform where you can not only start your service business, but you can expand it to a nationwide company all-in-one place. All of the online business ideas listed here can easily be started all in a few hours with BookingKoala. Industries and business ideas we go over:

  1. Home Cleaning
  2. Mobile Car Wash & Detailing
  3. Airbnb Cleaning
  4. Mobile Pet Grooming
  5. Dry-Cleaning Pickup & Delivery
  6. Pet Sitting
  7. Personal Chef
  8. Animal Waste Removal
  9. Power Washing
  10. Mobile Tech Repair
  11. Private Driver
  12. Catering
  13. Valet
  14. Real Estate Photographer
  15. Event Planner
  16. Makeup Artist
  17. Junk Removal
  18. Music Teacher
  19. Sports Coaching
  20. Waiting In Line For Others
  21. Holiday Light Decorating
  22. Video Game Training
  23. Basic Car Maintenance
  24. Private Dance Instructor
  25. Online Marketer
  26. Pool Cleaning
  27. Personal Security

Now let us go over each one of these business ideas one by one so you can determine which idea is best for you. I also included some success stories so you can hear other entrepreneurs and their thoughts on their respective business models.

1. Home Cleaning 

Starting a cleaning business can be a great idea because it doesn’t cost much to get started. I started in the home cleaning industry before co-founding BookingKoala. My partner, who was my best friend from high school, and I started when we were around 19 years old. Both of us invested $6,000 and grew the business to over $5,000,000 in combined revenue in 3 years. We had no experience, no degrees, no connections, and no funding.

Starting a home cleaning business can be very straightforward with the right plan. Since many people do not like cleaning or do not want to clean their homes, obtaining a few recurring clients is relatively easy. We used a free channel to secure a few recurring clients when we started, which gave us revenue coming in each month—from there, scaling the business to over $2,000,000 per year wasn’t that hard as long as we were pushing.

Personally, we never did any cleanings ourselves. Everything was outsourced from the first cleaning, while we focused only on marketing. Of course, this isn’t the only way you can do things, but I do believe it’s a great way because if you start doing the jobs yourself, you may get stuck doing them for a long time. It is very easy to get caught up in saving some money at first and continue to do the jobs when you see money rolling in. Since when you are outsourcing, you lose a lot more on the job, but the trade-off is that you learn how to market, hire the right people and focus on what matters, which is growth. After you get enough jobs to occupy several cleaners, you make the same amount of money, and you are free to focus on growth. I always recommend not doing the jobs if possible. This goes for any industry on the list, not just home cleaning.

Today the home cleaning industry is the most popular industry on the BookingKoala platform, and new entrepreneurs are launching a home cleaning business every day.

Home cleaning business website example – view here.

Below are some fantastic success stories of entrepreneurs who started a cleaning business as a business idea:

The first one is my story of how I started a home cleaning business when I was 19. Together with my business partner, we invested $6,000 and grew the business to over $5,000,000 in combined revenue. That first business changed my entire life and kickstarted my career as an entrepreneur.

To view the entire story click here.

Sergio and Johnny started Mary & A Mop in Orange County, California. They opened the business with $0 out of pocket in January 2022. Within four months of opening their fully remote home cleaning company, they are on track to $150,000 in revenue for the year. In the first month of January, they secured $12,000 in revenue with $4,000 in profit.

To view the entire story click here.

Kacper, who works remotely for a tech company as his 9-5 job decided he wanted to start Stress Free Maids as a way to earn extra income for his traveling endeavors around South America. Living in Buenos Aires, he started his business with just under $1,500 and put that towards marketing, business formation fees, website and branding as well as BookingKoala as his maid service software.

Stress Free Maids generated $4,000 in revenue in the first month and currently have $9,000 in booked cleanings for their third month. What Kacper has done by starting a service business remotely is not uncommon. In fact, more and more people are learning how to start a cleaning business remotely because it gives you the freedom to work from anywhere in the world.

If you’d like to learn more about his story, you can click here.

To help you get started in the home cleaning industry, check out these helpful blog posts:

2. Mobile Car Wash & Detailing

The traditional car wash has already proved that people wash their cars. Today the business model is shifting, and people will pay an additional charge to have someone come to them. Back in 2013, when I was starting my home cleaning company, I’d analyze Yelp often. I knew the platform inside out, from all the categories to its algorithm. There was no search term ‘Mobile Car Wash’ on the Yelp platform during that time. Today when you visit their site, you’ll find that section which means people search for it and its growing popularity and demand. If you are not familiar with Yelp, Yelp is an extensive search engine filled with restaurants and service businesses. In short, they help you find the service and experience you need based on customer reviews.

I am also a big fan of the mobile car wash industry because, like home cleaning, it is thriving mainly due to its recurring model. A car cleaning is not required just once, and many people will subscribe to get their car washed and detailed every so often. I also like the idea that it’s an attractive job for young adults and anyone is capable of learning how to clean a car. When I was a teen, I would wash my parent’s car for extra money, and it wasn’t that hard, nor did it take too much time. Finding young adults who go to high school or college can be very rewarding because they typically need a side hustle to earn money, and washing cars is not a bad job.

Currently, this industry is also our second most popular business model. Ironically, the first person who ever signed up for BookingKoala in 2018 started a mobile car wash and detailing business, despite the software being initially built for my home cleaning business. (One of BookingKoalas’ favorite business ideas)

Car cleaning business example – view here.

Below are fantastic success stories of entrepreneurs who started a mobile car wash and detailing business as a business idea:

David Bui, an entrepreneur from Sydney, Australia, started a mobile car cleaning service to help those who don’t have time to clean their vehicles. In less than 24 months, Schmicko managed to reach $20,000 in monthly revenue.

To view the entire story click here.

To help you get started in the mobile car washing and detailing industry, check out these helpful blog posts:

3. Airbnb Cleaning

Airbnb, where you can rent out extra rooms, apartments, condos and even homes to tourists. With this kind of business, you will need to keep up with the cleanings. This can be tricky as there is no set schedule as to when Airbnb guests come. Costs are cheap as all that is needed is cleaning supplies and if you are doing the work yourself then you keep all the revenue. With this niche market if you figure out a good system with clients then you can have huge upside potential with little to no competition knocking on your doors. (One of BookingKoalas’ favorite business ideas)

Airbnb cleaning business example – view here.

4. Mobile Pet Grooming

business ideas - Mobile Pet Grooming

Being able to cater to people who have pets that need grooming from home is great for someone who doesn’t want the costs of owning a fixed location. This also helps in being able to reach more customers. Expenses for this service business can be nice and low for a long time which can help you with expanding.

Mobile pet grooming business example – view here.

5. Dry-Cleaning Pickup & Delivery

Do you have a car? That’s pretty much all you need to start along with a website and online booking. You can have recurring clients in no time and if you start a partnership with a local dry cleaner you can have discounted rates for bringing your constant business to them. This is great for college students or anyone who has time at different periods of the day.

Dry-cleaning pickup & delivery business example – view here.

6. Pet Sitting

While Fido’s mom and dad are out of town you can step up to the plate and pet sit for them. Whether you watch them at your place or theirs, this is a great market for people who are animal lovers. Very low to almost no start-up costs and you can get started right away. If you plan on doing this yourself you are limited to how many customers you can take on but if you plan on hiring other experienced pet sitters then you are looking good!

Pet sitting business example – view here.

7. Personal Chef

If you like spending your time in the kitchen making food then why don’t you make it into a business? You can hire more cooks to help you at your side or even to expand. Some culinary experience may be required for potential customers but if you get rave reviews then business should be coming in no time!

Personal chef business example – view here.

8. Animal Waste Removal

This is a job that pretty much everyone hates doing and that is why it makes for a perfect business. You can set up one-time visits or even have clients book for daily visits. Imagine you have 10 houses on a block that all request your service daily and you charge $5 for the front yard and $5 for the back. Let’s say that it takes you 10 minutes to do the job per house, that means that you are making $100 a day in a little more than an hour and a half. Not bad! (One of BookingKoalas’ favorite business ideas)

Animal waste removal business example – view here.

9. Power Washing

Power washing businesses can be a great investment because you can have customers wishing to have anything from their homes to cars to even driveways cleaned. It doesn’t take much skill to master how to pressure wash something you just need to be familiar with what you are cleaning and how it needs to be cleaned.

Power washing business example – view here.

10. Mobile Tech Repair

If you’re handy with technology and like to tinker with things, then starting your own mobile tech repair center may be just what you are looking for. Someone is always looking to fix their phone or computer and this would be great for anyone from college students looking to make a little extra money to a full out company. The recurring clients will not be around often but if you provide a great service with great pricing then the word will spread about you and your business.

Mobile tech repair business example – view here.

11. Private Driver

If you were meant to be behind the wheel of a car then perhaps starting a personal driver business is it! Clientele can vary from one time to every Friday or even every day. The price to start this depends on the market you plan on going after. If you own a minivan and want to be a driver to businessmen in the city then you might want to get a different car or change the strategy. Either way, this can be successful for people who aren’t comfortable with Uber or Lyft and want a personal and familiar face. You can start yourself and then start hiring other drivers to expand.

Private driver business example – view here.

12. Catering

Similar to a personal chef, catering events can bring in serious money. If you want to simplify your menu, you can create pre-made packages for your clients to choose from. That way you already know how much you need of certain items. This will help keep your costs in check without any surprises.

Catering business example – view here.

13. Valet

All you need is insurance, a few signs, a good driving record, and a comfortable pair of shoes and you can start your own valet service. From local restaurants to condo complexes and hotels you can start getting jobs pretty quickly and the business is always recurring. You can even manage to have jobs to private events and parties. Once you start getting contracts and expanding you’ll just need to hire!

Valet business example – view here.

14. Real Estate Photographer

Houses are being put on the market daily and with that comes a lot of work from the realtors. If you have a good camera and like to take pictures, setting up professional stills for listings can get you tons of business. You can also have videos as an extra up-sell or even overhead drone footage of the property to really show everything!

Real estate photographer business example – view here.

15. Event Planner

Do you love to throw parties? Why not make a career out of it? Starting your own event planning business can be fun and exciting. You get to meet new people constantly and you get to be the one who makes sure they have the time of their life at the event. Costs can be moderate and with the right business model and some partnerships with other businesses, you can really get moving!

Event planner business example – view here.

16. Makeup Artist

Have you ever been told you do makeup very well? Maybe this is your chance to show the world what you can do! Weddings, dances, or even a night on the town you can be sure to glam up somebody’s life. Whether you choose to do it at your home or travel to them you have plenty of options. Costs can be moderate at the start depending on the makeup brands you buy. 

Makeup artist business example – view here.

17. Junk Removal

One persons trash is another persons treasure, right? Well, however you structure this business, hauling away customers unwanted items can turn a big profit. Whether you charge only by the hour or by however many items are taken away, you can have very happy clients and a profitable business. (One of BookingKoalas’ favorite business ideas)

Junk removal business example – view here.

18. Music Teacher

If music is your passion then teaching others can make for a fun service business. Whether you set up individual or group lessons you can have recurring clients weekly. Seeing as you’re already a music lover and wanting to teach, you probably already have the instruments so your initial costs are very low.

Music teacher business example – view here.

19. Sports Coaching

If you love playing sports then maybe you should try your hand at coaching as a service. Whether you are dedicated to one sport or know the fundamentals of many, you can have recurring clients coming to you in no time. You can either set it up as individual one-on-one training or group sessions to get the most clients in as possible.

Sports coaching business example – view here.

20. Waiting In Line For Others

Most people hate waiting in line for pretty much anything. So why not get paid to do it! This is great because there are absolutely no start-up costs associated. The fastest way to set it up would be to simply have your customers choose the number of hours you are gonna wait in line for them and charge them per hour. Simple as that! (One of BookingKoalas’ favorite business ideas)

Waiting in line for others business example – view here.

21. Holiday Light Decorating

New Business Ideas - Holiday Light Decorating

No matter the holiday it is always nice to see decorations out and about. The problem is scaling the side of your house to get those lights up. So why not start a business where you are putting up the decorations for everyone. You can charge extras that would consist of trees and bushes or anything else that you may think of. (One of BookingKoalas’ favorite business ideas)

Holiday light decorating business example – view here.

22. Video Game Training

Video games have only grown in popularity over the years and there is no slowing down in sight. Actually, the video game industry is expected to be almost a $180 billion dollar industry by 2023. This is the perfect opportunity for anyone who is an experienced gamer looking to make some extra money by teaching others. This can be done in several ways for example, you can have students come to your home, you can go to theirs, or you can even set up web-sessions where you teach them online over a video conference.

Video game training business example – view here.

23. Basic Car Maintenance

Do you know how to change the oil in your car or maybe even do a brake job? This is great for someone who has extra garage space and loves to work with their hands. Costs can be moderate at the start when buying the proper tools that you need for the jobs but over time they will pay for themselves.

Basic car maintenance business example – view here.

24. Private Dance Instructor

Do you move to the groove and love doing it? Becoming a private dance instructor can make you some serious money. A great plus for this is if you don’t have a space you can meet someone at their home or even a park for the time being until you save up enough money for a studio.

Private dance instructor business example – view here.

25. Online Marketer

There are over 28 million businesses in the US alone and securing just 20 of them can bring in a lot of money for you and your business. Lock them in as recurring clients every month and set yourself up on autopilot with the help of a few software. This can be a 7 figure business in no time!

Online marketer business example – view here.

26. Pool Cleaning

If you live in a warm climate where most homeowners have pools, then you can find a pool cleaning business very profitable. Just like home cleaning, people just don’t seem to want to clean their pool themselves making this a great recurring business. Mixing in packages for hot tubs as well can give you more avenues for revenue. (One of BookingKoalas’ favorite business ideas)

Pool cleaning business example – view here.

27. Personal Security

If you like action and have a soft spot for helping people then starting a personal security business can be an exciting one. Having some experience in self-defense will most likely be a must for this niche but the potential revenue that can be generated can prove to be rewarding.

Personal security business example – view here.

All in all, these are just some of the examples of service business ideas that you can start with BookingKoala. You can come up with many ideas when you learn the software and get creative. There have been business models created on BookingKoala, that I’d never even think of myself, which means that the platform is an open book for any creative person. Learn the software, get creative, and get started today!

Helpful resources

Here are some other helpful blog posts to help you get started:

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