One Person Businesses on the Rise

Over at the Small Business Trends blog, Anita Campbell looks at the rise of one person businesses, as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Anita has a nice chart and a link to more detailed statistics. In addition to just proving to yourself that you’re on the leading edge of a national movement, you might be able to use the statistics to help you target new business.

In a quick review of the numbers I saw that the following three categories account for about 7 million one-person businesses:

1. Professional, scientific, and technical services—This includes services such as:
   • legal advice and representation
   • accounting
   • bookkeeping
   • payroll services
   • architectural
   • engineering
   • specialized design services
   • computer services
   • consulting services
   • research services
   • advertising services
   • photographic services
   • translation and interpretation services
   • veterinary services
   • other professional, scientific, and technical services
2. Other services—This includes:
   • equipment and machinery repairing
   • promoting or administering religious activities
   • grantmaking
   • advocacy
   • drycleaning and laundry services
   • personal care services
   • death care services
   • pet care services
   • photofinishing services
   • temporary parking services
   • dating services
3. Construction—This includes:
   • contracting
   • remodeling
   • carpentry
   • cabinetmaking
   • painting and wallpapering
   • plumbing
   • stonemasonry and tilesetting
   • electrical
   • landscaping
   • flooring installation
   • roofing
   • solar energy contracting

It’s possible that you’re in one of these lists, probably the first list above. Take a look at the other types of businesses. Do a quick search through your local phone directory and see how many of each of these businesses are listed.

• Can you provide bookkeeping services to people in the construction trades?
• Can you write web pages and brochures for people in the verterinary, personal care, or engineering businesses?
• Can you provide engineering services to contractors?
• Or can you provide landscaping services to engineering firms to offer to their clients?

If you find plenty of companies in a niche industry locally, you can create an identity for yourself as an authority in that niche. Serving a particular niche makes it easier to market to and maintain a solid client base. You become the expert to call for your services, whether writing, bookkeeping, web design, paralegal services, or other offering, in the target niche.