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10 Crazy Profitable Service Businesses No One Is Talking About (Yet!)

Turn overlooked ideas into income—discover simple services with massive potential.

Author

Ark
August 22, 2025

10 Simple and Profitable Service Businesses You Can Start Today

In a world obsessed with complex online ventures and passive income schemes, simple service businesses are quietly thriving. These businesses leverage basic skills, hard work, and smart strategies to generate impressive profits—sometimes millions—without the need for complicated tech or overseas sourcing. Drawing from real-world examples and industry insights, this article explores 10 straightforward service businesses that are crushing it, including how much they earn and how you can get started.

1. Crime Scene and Hoarding Cleanup

What It Is: This business involves cleaning and restoring properties affected by crime scenes, hoarding, or hazardous conditions like meth labs.
Example: Laura Spalding, owner of Spalding Decon, combines cleanup services with real estate. Her company cleans distressed properties, often buying or selling them afterward. In 2019, Spalding Decon generated $4.5 million in revenue, and by last year, it hit $10 million.
Why It Works: Distressed properties are hard to sell, creating a niche demand. Cleanup services command high fees, and pairing them with real estate creates synergy.
How to Start:

  • Training: Obtain certifications in biohazard cleanup (e.g., OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens training).

  • Networking: Build relationships with police departments, real estate agents, and property managers.

  • Equipment: Invest in protective gear, cleaning supplies, and waste disposal systems.

  • Marketing: Target property owners and investors via local ads and referrals.
    Earnings Potential: Thousands per job, with annual revenues in the millions for scaled operations.

2. Personalized Santa Letters

What It Is: A seasonal business sending customized letters from Santa Claus to children, complete with North Pole-themed stamps.
Example: Byron Reese’s Santa Mail reached $1 million in sales by 2005, sending 500,000 letters at $14.95 each, totaling $7.475 million. Upsells like fake snow add revenue. Reese likely earns $300,000–$500,000 annually, working primarily during the holiday season.
Why It Works: Parents love unique, personalized gifts for kids, and the business scales easily with low overhead.
How to Start:

  • Setup: Create a website for orders and design customizable letter templates.

  • Supplies: Source high-quality paper, stamps, and optional add-ons like stickers.

  • Marketing: Use social media ads and SEO to target parents during the holiday season.

  • Logistics: Partner with a printing service for bulk mailing.
    Earnings Potential: $300,000–$500,000 per year for a few months’ work.

3. Extreme House Cleaning with YouTube Monetization

What It Is: Cleaning heavily soiled homes and monetizing the process through YouTube videos.
Example: Ari of Clean Queen turned cleaning “nightmare” houses into a million-dollar business. Her YouTube channel, with 1.23 billion views, earns an estimated $641,000–$2.1 million, plus additional income from sponsorships and products.
Why It Works: Dirty houses are a consistent demand, and entertaining cleaning videos attract massive audiences.
How to Start:

  • Skills: Learn deep-cleaning techniques and safety protocols for hazardous messes.

  • Equipment: Invest in industrial cleaning supplies and protective gear.

  • YouTube: Record before-and-after videos, edit for engagement, and post consistently.

  • Monetization: Enable ads, seek sponsorships, and sell cleaning-related products.
    Earnings Potential: $10,000–$50,000/month from cleaning, plus YouTube revenue.

4. Professional Bridesmaid Services

What It Is: Acting as a hired bridesmaid for weddings, performing duties like emotional support and event coordination.
Example: Jen Glance’s Bridesmaid for Hire charges $2,500–$10,000 per wedding. With over 200 weddings, she earns over $500,000 annually. She also sells a $47 course on becoming a professional bridesmaid.
Why It Works: Weddings are emotional, and some clients lack close friends, creating demand for professional support.
How to Start:

  • Skills: Develop event planning and interpersonal skills.

  • Networking: Connect with wedding planners and venues.

  • Marketing: Build a website and use social media to reach brides.

  • Upselling: Offer courses or guides to teach others.
    Earnings Potential: $500,000+/year with one wedding per week.

5. Grave Care and Maintenance

What It Is: Cleaning and decorating gravesites to honor loved ones.
Example: Services like Grave Groomers and PlotKeepers charge $35–$100 per visit. Millennial Stone Cleaner earns additional income via YouTube. Gravecarebusiness.com estimates $200–$800/day for part-time work.
Why It Works: Families value maintaining gravesites, and the service is low-skill but meaningful.
How to Start:

  • Research: Study local cemetery regulations.

  • Equipment: Purchase cleaning supplies and decorative items.

  • Marketing: Advertise to families via local churches and funeral homes.

  • YouTube: Record cleaning videos for extra income.
    Earnings Potential: $200–$800/day part-time.

6. Goat Lawn Mowing

What It Is: Using goats to mow grass for eco-friendly landscaping.
Example: Mike Canada’s Rent a Goat, featured on Shark Tank, manages 3,500 goats and generates $2 million annually, serving large clients like federal lands and firebreaks.
Why It Works: Goats are eco-friendly, can access tough terrain, and appeal to environmentally conscious clients.
How to Start:

  • Livestock: Source healthy goats and learn basic animal care.

  • Equipment: Invest in portable electric fencing.

  • Clients: Target municipalities, farms, and eco-conscious homeowners.

  • Marketing: Highlight eco-benefits on a website and social media.
    Earnings Potential: $2 million/year for large operations.

7. Virtual Animal Appearances

What It Is: Providing virtual appearances of animals like goats or llamas during video calls for entertainment.
Example: Goat to Meeting charges $50 per half-hour, generating $250,000 across 30 affiliate sanctuaries with 3,000 corporate bookings.
Why It Works: Remote work has increased demand for unique, stress-relieving experiences.
How to Start:

  • Animals: Partner with local farms or sanctuaries.

  • Tech: Set up reliable video conferencing tools.

  • Marketing: Pitch to corporate HR departments and event planners.
    Earnings Potential: $50–$100/hour per session.

8. Chicken Rental

What It Is: Renting egg-laying hens, coops, and supplies for fresh egg production.
Example: Phil and Jyn Tompkin’s Rent the Chicken generates $10–$17 million annually by renting chickens for 5–6 months.
Why It Works: Urban farming and fresh eggs are trendy, and rentals lower the barrier to entry.
How to Start:

  • Livestock: Source healthy hens and learn poultry care.

  • Equipment: Provide coops, feed, and supplies.

  • Marketing: Target urban and suburban families via social media.
    Earnings Potential: Millions annually for scaled operations.

9. Garage Floor Epoxy Coating

What It Is: Applying durable, glossy epoxy coatings to concrete garage floors.
Example: Alex from Palm Springs earns $60,000–$500,000/month by coating garage floors, with jobs priced at $500–$2,500.
Why It Works: Homeowners value durable, attractive garage floors, and the service is quick to perform.
How to Start:

  • Training: Learn epoxy application techniques.

  • Equipment: Purchase epoxy kits and application tools.

  • Marketing: Target homeowners through local ads and home improvement stores.
    Earnings Potential: $60,000–$500,000/month.

10. Solar Panel Cleaning

What It Is: Cleaning solar panels to maximize energy efficiency.
Example: Juan Paneda Sanchez’s Finn Models Lab earns $200,000/year. PV Works made a a $46,000 profit cleaning a 53-megawatt solar farm.
Why It Works: Dirty panels reduce efficiency, creating steady demand from solar farm operators and homeowners.
How to Start:

  • Training: Learn safe cleaning methods for solar panels.

  • Equipment: Invest in deionized water systems and soft brushes.

  • Clients: Target solar farms and residential solar users.

  • Marketing: Use SEO and local networking with solar installers.
    Earnings Potential: $46,000–$200,000/year.

Why Service Businesses Are a Hidden Gem

Service businesses thrive because they solve real problems with minimal startup costs. Many of these examples show entrepreneurs combining their core service with a secondary income stream, like YouTube or online courses. This synergy amplifies profits and builds personal brands. Unlike trendy online schemes, these businesses rely on tangible skills and consistent demand, making them accessible to “normal” people.

Final Thoughts

The best business for you depends on your skills, interests, and local market. Whether it’s cleaning graves or renting chickens, these 10 ideas prove you don’t need a tech startup to make millions. Pick one, start small, and consider adding a digital component like YouTube to scale your income. What’s stopping you? Get out there and start building your empire today.