Business services ideas with a startup cost over £20,000
69 ideas
These 71 business services ideas need more than £20,000 to get going, usually because they involve premises, stock, equipment or regulated activity. They suit people with savings, a loan option or an investor, and who are comfortable committing capital before the first sales arrive.
Boutique executive search firm
Build a small team that runs retained searches for leadership roles, with a serviced office and a few repeat clients.
- £8k-35k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Local office supplies trade counter and delivery
Run a small stockroom supplying offices, shops and resellers in your area with desk accessories and stationery.
- £8k-35k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Independent high street letting agency
Open a local office and manage rental homes for landlords, with a small team looking after tenants and properties.
- £15k-50k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small forklift hire fleet
Buy a few used forklifts, keep them serviced and hire them with delivery to local warehouses and builders.
- £15k-60k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Forklift hire with driver
Run one forklift and drive it yourself for businesses that need a certified operator and a machine for a day or a project.
- £8k-30k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
Independent high street estate and lettings agency
Open a local branch selling and letting homes, with a small team and a shop window people know.
- £15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Your own life insurance brokerage
Set up a small FCA-authorised protection firm with your own brand, local client base and referral partners.
- £6k-30k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small plant hire, delivered to site
Hire out mini diggers, dumpers and compactors to builders and homeowners, delivered by trailer from a home or yard base.
- £8k-40k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
Local plant and tool hire yard
Run a small yard or unit hiring plant, power tools and access equipment to local trades and DIYers over the counter.
- £30k-120k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small self-storage in a converted unit or barn
Divide a spare industrial unit or farm building into lockable storage rooms and rent them out monthly.
- £10k-50k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Independent financial planning firm
Set up your own FCA-authorised advice firm from a small office, with your own clients, fees and brand.
- £15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small scrap metal yard
Run a small yard where the public and trades bring metal, and sell sorted loads on to processors.
- £15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Marina-based yacht brokerage
Run a small brokerage from an office at a marina, with boats on display and a local reputation.
- £8k-30k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Local business records storage unit
Rent a small secure unit and store boxed paperwork for local firms, with retrieval on request.
- £5k-25k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Local packing and parcel shop
Run a small high street unit that packs, labels and sends parcels for locals and businesses.
- £8k-35k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Local coworking space in your town
Lease a small unit or floor and rent desks and meeting rooms to local freelancers and small firms.
- £15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Self-storage container yard
Rent out secure storage containers on a small yard to households and local traders.
- £15k-75k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Pallet storage for small businesses
Lease a small industrial unit and rent out pallet space and caged areas to local sellers and traders.
- £10k-40k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Local insurance broker with a small office
Run a walk-in broker office arranging home and contents cover for local households, with your own FCA authorisation.
- £15k-50k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Local bureau de change shop
Run a small exchange counter for travellers and local businesses, earning a margin on every transaction.
- £15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Online currency order and delivery service
Take foreign currency orders online and deliver or hold them for collection, without a busy high street shop.
- £5k-25k
- Part-time
- Online
Small-town coworking and office space
Lease a building, fit it out and rent desks and small offices to local freelancers and start-ups.
- £30k-100k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Local accountancy office with a small team
Open a local accountancy office offering accounts, tax and payroll to businesses in your town.
- £5k-25k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Local banner and sign print shop
Run a small unit printing banners and signs in-house for local businesses, events and councils.
- £8k-40k
- Full-time
- Own premises
About these ideas
Examples include a local coworking space in your town, a self-storage container site and a wholesale importer with a small unit. Before choosing, work out your total outlay, including deposits, fit-out, insurance and several months of running costs. Check whether you need planning permission, a lease you can live with, or authorisation from a regulator, as with some brokerage work. Then test demand locally by talking to likely customers, because a larger budget makes a wrong guess more expensive. Compare how quickly each idea could pay back what you put in.
More ideas
- Local commercial lettings office for shops
- Local independent insurance broker office
- Local temp agency with a small office
- Small regulated debt collection agency
- Local independent insurance agency
- Independent mortgage brokerage firm
- Buy-to-let property company
- Home-based care staffing agency
- Specialist nurse agency with a small office
- White goods trade wholesaler from a small unit
- Local print and copy shop
- Furniture packs for landlords and tenants
- Independent fee-based financial planning firm
- Income protection brokerage with a small team
- Local valuation practice
- Bulk mailing and print-to-post unit
- Used equipment buy-and-ship exporter
- Local property auction house with live sales
- Independent motorcycle insurance brokerage
- Small industrial property agency with an office
- Tool and plant hire yard
- Customs clearance office near a port or airport
- High-street car insurance broker
- Cinema equipment supplier with stock and install crew
- Vehicle graphics and sign workshop
- Export trader with a small stockroom
- Stocked scientific instrument supplier
- Commercial laundry machine reseller from a small unit
- Paper wholesaler with a small stock unit
- Local packaging supplies trade counter
- Refurbished lab equipment reseller
- Local trade wholesaler with a small unit
- Local bag wholesaler with a small unit and van
- Trade supplier of water treatment kit and chemicals
- Container yard with own delivery lorry
- Used shop fixtures supplier with a unit
- Paper trader buying and shipping overseas
- Local medical supplies distributor with a stock unit
- Container yard with sales and hire
- Private wine storage in a small unit
- Bonded wine storage for merchants and investors
- Local office supplies wholesale and delivery
- Equipment importer with a stocked unit
- Wholesale importer with a small unit
- Coffee vending route with a van
Questions
How should I plan the finances for a business costing over £20,000?
Build a budget covering startup costs, running costs and a cash buffer for slow months. Compare funding options such as savings, bank loans or the Start Up Loans scheme, and check the repayment terms, security required and any personal guarantees before committing.
Do these business services ideas need licences or permissions?
It depends on the idea. Self-storage or container sites may need planning permission or business rates checks, while brokerage can involve Financial Conduct Authority authorisation. Check with your local council, the relevant regulator and an adviser before spending money.
Is it better to lease or buy premises for a higher-cost business?
Leasing usually keeps upfront costs lower, but check the term, rent reviews, break clauses and permitted use. Buying ties up more capital. Get a solicitor to review any lease or purchase, and model both options against realistic income.