The business services industry is a massive field that covers everything from information technology and consulting to marketing, advertising, facilities management, security, travel, food services and waste management. Companies in the sector offer a wide range of support functions to help businesses run efficiently and focus on their core products.
As the name suggests, business services are services provided to other businesses (B2B). There are a variety of reasons why a company would use B2B service providers, some obvious and others not so obvious. Some of the more visible reasons are to cut costs and to access new technologies that a company may not be able to develop on its own. Another reason is to improve the quality of a company’s work by outsourcing certain tasks.
Some of the more obvious business services include things like printing, shipping, janitorial and cleaning. However, other types of services can be considered as well. For example, a private fitness instructor or life coach could provide a business service to their clients in person at their home or office. This type of business is often called a ‘consulting’ or ‘freelance’ type and can be very flexible.
Other less apparent business services include things like the production of small runs of something for a client, engineering services such as testing electronics for standards compliance and design services such as a graphics firm that produces logos, signs, packaging, publications or web graphics for business customers. There are also a number of other categories such as business travel, event services and supply related services that can be considered part of the B2B space.
Companies providing business services typically operate on a global basis but are often headquartered in the same city as their clients. In the US, there are over 420,000 single-location and multi-site companies with combined annual revenue of over $950 billion.
Many of the largest companies in this sector are human resources or staffing firms that provide services to other businesses such as payroll, hiring, and placement, security services, travel arrangement and cleaning and waste management. Other large firms include consulting and advisory services, IT solutions, and financial services such as insurance.
The low barriers to entry for this sector mean that anyone with the right skills and knowledge can start a business providing business services. This can lead to competitive markets and a large number of small businesses offering similar services. The most successful businesses are those that can differentiate themselves through the quality of their service, price, customer service and the speed at which they deliver their service. This can be achieved by creating a clear value proposition, understanding the needs of your target market and providing a solution that meets those needs. By doing this, you will create loyal customers that are happy to refer you to their friends and colleagues. This can be done through a variety of methods including social media, online marketing and word of mouth referrals. By using this approach you can increase sales and grow your business.
