Personal Services

This type of business is very dependent on the local market place. It is vital to find out if the local market place is large enough to support the business and to justify its start up costs. In smaller communities, several services are often offered from the same household. Franchises are often available. Direct sales to households is provincially regulated.

• Barber
  
• Barter middleman
  
• Beauty salon
  
• Book Bindery - professionals, schools, and public libraries are other markets.
  
• Body Care Boutique
  
• Bronzing service
  
• Cheque cashing service - often combined with several related services.
  
• Chauffeur
  
• Credit counselling.
  
• Dry cleaning service (or take orders and handle deliveries for communities too small to support a dry cleaning service).
  
• Educational Consultant.
  
• Engraving service - marking household goods for identification in case of theft.
  
• Family hair salon.
  
• Finder service/swap magazine.
  
• Foot massages
  
• Funeral service
  
• Gift and package wrapping services.
  
• Home delivery service.
  
• Hospital or home care.
  
• Image transfer service to imprint names, images, or pictures on mugs, t-shirts, key chains.
  
• Introduction service - putting together people with similar interests (ie. Dating service, business networking, sporting clubs, etc.)
  
• Laundromat - could be combined with home delivery services, ironing service or on site social activities.
  
• Local map (is there a good map of your community?). If not, create one for local distribution and sell space on its margins to local businesses.
  
• Locksmith
  
• Manicurists, massage or electrolysis service.
  
• Neighbourhood concierge
  
• New age service (ie. Book store, mail order, memorabilia, personal consultations, psychic advice, dream analysis, astrology, palm reading, etc.)
  
• Odd job agency - supplying people to do small, odd jobs for households.
  
• Personal chef
  
• Personal fitness trainer
  
• Picture framing shop - often combined with an print/art gallery.
  
• Private post office, mail box service and home delivery.
  
• Remembrance service - reminding people of anniversaries, etc.
  
• Romantic adventures.
  
• Sharpening service for knives, skates, lawn mower blades, etc.
  
• Shopping service - shopping, errands and home deliveries for others.
  
• Skin tanning service.
  
• Social get together organizer/professional host and toastmaster.
  
• Special event organizer (ie. Weddings, office parties, conferences).
  
• Taxi , Limousine service or local bus service.
  
• Tattoo parlour
  
• Transportation coordinator
  
• Videotape and CD rental shop
  
• Water testing, water conditioner sales and installation.
  
• Welcome wagon service.