Business Services Ideas You Can Start in Australia

347 ideas

Business services are about solving problems for other businesses and busy households, so they suit people with a trade, a professional background or strong organisational skills. This page covers 347 ideas, from a small business tax and planning practice and a home-based accountant for small businesses to a boutique rental property manager or a small team back-office outsourcing service.

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1k to 5k5k to 20kOver 20kFrom homeOut and aboutOwn premisesOnline
A transcriptionist wearing headphones typing clinical notes at a computer.

Home-based medical transcriptionist

Type up doctors' dictation and clinical notes into accurate letters and reports from your home office.

  • A$600-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
A transcriptionist wearing headphones typing clinical notes at a computer.

Medical transcription bureau with a small team

Run a small remote team that handles dictation and reports for several clinics under one contract.

  • A$3k-12k
  • Part-time
  • Online
Notary stamping and signing a legal document on a desk at an office.

Mobile notary public

Travel to homes, workplaces and hospitals to witness and certify documents for people who need them accepted overseas.

  • A$1.5k-5k
  • Side hustle
  • Out and about
Notary stamping and signing a legal document on a desk at an office.

Notary public with a small office

Run a by-appointment notary service from a small office, focused on documents for overseas use.

  • A$3k-15k
  • Part-time
  • Own premises
Scientific instruments and glassware arranged on a laboratory bench with a researcher.

Online niche lab supplies shop

Sell a focused range of lab consumables and small instruments online to schools, clinics and small labs.

  • A$2k-10k
  • Side hustle
  • Online
Scientific instruments and glassware arranged on a laboratory bench with a researcher.

Local lab supplies and equipment supplier

Stock and deliver lab instruments and consumables to schools, councils and businesses in your region.

  • A$15k-60k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
Assessor with clipboard examining storm damage to a house roof.

Independent field loss adjuster

Inspect damaged homes and businesses and report on claims, taking jobs from insurers and adjusting firms as a contractor.

  • A$2k-8k
  • Part-time
  • Out and about
Assessor with clipboard examining storm damage to a house roof.

Home-based desktop claims assessor

Assess smaller or straightforward claims from home using photos, quotes and policy documents, working for insurers and adjusting firms.

  • A$1k-4k
  • Part-time
  • From home
Stacks of printed mailshot envelopes and leaflets ready for posting.

Letterbox drop and mailshot delivery service

Deliver flyers and brochures to targeted suburbs for local businesses, with a small team of walkers.

  • A$300-2k
  • Part-time
  • Out and about
Recruitment consultant meeting a job candidate across a desk in an office.

Niche recruiter working from home

Find permanent staff for local employers in one field you know well, working from a home office.

  • A$1.5k-6k
  • Part-time
  • From home
Recruitment consultant meeting a job candidate across a desk in an office.

Small temp and contract staffing agency

Supply short-term and contract workers to local businesses and earn a margin on every hour worked.

  • A$10k-40k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
A small team planning sales growth and client partnerships around a table.

Outsourced business development for small firms

Act as a part-time sales and partnerships lead for small businesses that need new customers but can't hire one.

  • A$300-2k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
A small team planning sales growth and client partnerships around a table.

Commission-based partnerships and referrals broker

Introduce buyers and partners to businesses you know well and earn a commission on the deals that close.

  • A$200-1.5k
  • Side hustle
  • Out and about
People working at shared desks in a bright modern coworking space.

Neighbourhood coworking space

Fit out a small shopfront or office with desks and a meeting room for local freelancers and remote workers.

  • A$20k-100k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
People working at shared desks in a bright modern coworking space.

Small shared office with rentable desks

Lease a modest office and rent out desks and a meeting room by the month or day, keeping the fit-out simple.

  • A$5k-25k
  • Part-time
  • Own premises
Two people shaking hands over documents during a company sale agreement.

Independent business broker

Run your own broking practice from home, helping local owners sell their businesses and finding buyers.

  • A$3k-15k
  • Full-time
  • From home
Two people shaking hands over documents during a company sale agreement.

Business broker with an established brokerage

Join an existing brokerage as a commission-based agent and use its brand, listings and training to start selling businesses.

  • A$1.5k-6k
  • Part-time
  • Out and about
Bookkeeper recording figures in ledgers at a desk with a laptop.

Home-based bookkeeper for small businesses

Keep the books up to date for local tradies, cafes and shops from your home office, paid monthly.

  • A$500-3k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
Bookkeeper recording figures in ledgers at a desk with a laptop.

Visiting bookkeeper for local trades and shops

Visit small businesses on a regular day to sort receipts, payroll and accounts in person.

  • A$1k-4k
  • Part-time
  • Out and about
A property manager handing keys to tenants outside an apartment building.

Boutique property manager, run from home

Manage a small portfolio of rental homes for local owners, with personal service and low overheads.

  • A$5k-20k
  • Part-time
  • From home
A property manager handing keys to tenants outside an apartment building.

Local property management agency with a small team

Open a small office and grow a rent roll of local rentals with one or two property managers.

  • A$20k-60k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
Customer service agents wearing headsets taking calls at desks in an office.

Home-based call answering service

Answer calls and enquiries for tradies and small businesses who can't pick up the phone.

  • A$500-2.5k
  • Side hustle
  • From home
Customer service agents wearing headsets taking calls at desks in an office.

Small outsourced customer support team

Run a small team handling customer calls and enquiries for businesses on contract.

  • A$8k-40k
  • Full-time
  • Own premises
Smiling estate agent handing house keys to a new homeowner.

Boutique real estate sales agency

Run your own licensed agency selling homes in your local suburbs, earning commission on each sale.

  • A$8k-30k
  • Full-time
  • Out and about

About these ideas

Some can start from a spare room with a laptop. Others, like a local real estate agency with a shopfront, need premises and more capital. Before you pick one, think about who would pay you and how you would reach them. Also check whether the work needs a licence, registration or professional membership, and whether you need insurance such as professional indemnity. Start with the ideas closest to skills you already have.

More ideas

Questions

Do I need a licence or qualification to start a business services company in Australia?

It depends on the service. Areas like tax advice, property management, real estate and finance-related advice are often regulated, so check licensing, registration and qualification requirements with the relevant state or federal regulator before you take on clients or advertise.

What insurance should I look at for a service business?

Many service businesses consider professional indemnity and public liability insurance, since clients rely on your advice or work. Check whether your industry body, clients or any licence conditions require specific cover, and ask a broker what suits your risks.

Can I run a business services idea from home?

Many can, such as bookkeeping, accounting or consulting, and some like fingerprinting by appointment. Check your local council rules on home-based businesses, your lease or strata by-laws if relevant, and how you will handle client privacy and secure data storage.