Home servicesmoderate liability
Cleaning business
Residential or commercial cleaning with equipment, insurance, transportation, and working-capital planning.
- Startup range
- $650-$18,000
- Typical monthly
- $180-$5,200
Business startup cost desk
Business startup costs, built around the business you actually want to run
Model equipment, vehicles, employees, insurance, marketing, working capital, and state LLC fees. Then turn the estimate into a formation and compliance plan.
Not sure what to start?
Explore business ideas inside this startup directory
Use budget, location, staffing, overhead, and regulatory filters to narrow the same business models listed below.
01Most Profitable Small Businesses: 20 Models to Compare
Compare small-business models with recurring revenue, pricing control, and manageable overhead—plus the costs and risks that affect real profit.
Compare ideas →02Businesses You Can Start With $1,000Business ideas whose lean planning estimate can fit near $1,000 when the owner already has essential equipment and keeps fixed costs low.
Compare ideas →03Businesses You Can Start With $5,000Compare service, online, creative, and route businesses with a lean startup path at or below roughly $5,000.
Compare ideas →04Businesses You Can Start With $10,000Explore business models with a structured lean launch estimate at or below $10,000 and compare monthly overhead and licensing complexity.
Compare ideas →40 launch guides
Find the business you want to build
40 guides
Home serviceshigher liability
Pressure-washing business
Exterior cleaning with equipment, vehicle, property-damage, chemical, and seasonal cash-flow planning.
- Startup range
- $1,800-$32,000
- Typical monthly
- $260-$6,200
Home servicesmoderate liability
Lawn-care business
Recurring mowing and yard maintenance with vehicle, equipment, fuel, and seasonal reserve planning.
- Startup range
- $1,400-$28,000
- Typical monthly
- $260-$6,200
Home serviceshigher liability
Landscaping business
Lawn maintenance or full-service landscape work with trucks, trailers, tools, crews, storage, and seasonal cash needs.
- Startup range
- $2,500-$65,000
- Typical monthly
- $450-$12,500
Home serviceshigher liability
Handyman business
Repair and maintenance work with tools, vehicle, insurance, materials, and highly variable contractor rules.
- Startup range
- $1,100-$26,000
- Typical monthly
- $250-$5,700
Home serviceshigher liability
Painting business
Interior or exterior painting with ladders, sprayers, vehicles, insurance, materials, and crew planning.
- Startup range
- $1,200-$29,000
- Typical monthly
- $280-$6,500
Home serviceshigher liability
Junk-removal business
Hauling service with truck or trailer, disposal fees, insurance, labor, and route economics.
- Startup range
- $2,600-$48,000
- Typical monthly
- $700-$12,000
Home serviceshigher liability
Moving company
Local moving with vehicle, labor, cargo protection, licensing, insurance, and claims reserves.
- Startup range
- $4,500-$90,000
- Typical monthly
- $1,300-$26,000
Home servicesmoderate liability
Mobile auto-detailing business
Mobile vehicle care with water, power, chemicals, transport, insurance, and weather planning.
- Startup range
- $1,500-$30,000
- Typical monthly
- $320-$6,200
Property serviceshigher liability
Property-management company
Tenant, vendor, rent, inspection, and compliance operations with software, insurance, and state licensing questions.
- Startup range
- $2,200-$36,000
- Typical monthly
- $450-$8,500
Professional servicesmoderate liability
Consulting business
Expert services with a lean home-office option, contracts, professional insurance, software, and client acquisition.
- Startup range
- $500-$18,000
- Typical monthly
- $120-$4,800
Professional servicesmoderate liability
Bookkeeping business
Financial-record services with secure software, professional insurance, contracts, and data-protection planning.
- Startup range
- $700-$19,000
- Typical monthly
- $160-$4,500
Online businessmoderate liability
Digital-marketing agency
Client marketing services with software, contractors, contracts, media-spend controls, and recurring delivery capacity.
- Startup range
- $700-$24,000
- Typical monthly
- $240-$7,200
Online businessmoderate liability
Web-design business
Project-based website work with hardware, software, contracts, hosting boundaries, and client acquisition.
- Startup range
- $500-$18,000
- Typical monthly
- $120-$4,200
Education and creativemoderate liability
Photography business
Client photography with cameras, lenses, lighting, editing, insurance, contracts, travel, and storage.
- Startup range
- $1,200-$30,000
- Typical monthly
- $180-$4,800
Online businessmoderate liability
Ecommerce business
Online product sales with inventory, platform, payments, shipping, returns, tax registration, and acquisition costs.
- Startup range
- $900-$45,000
- Typical monthly
- $250-$9,500
Online businessmoderate liability
Social-media-management business
Client content and account management with software, contracts, security, production, and approval workflows.
- Startup range
- $450-$16,000
- Typical monthly
- $120-$4,200
Education and creativemoderate liability
Tutoring business
One-to-one or group instruction with curriculum, technology, screening, insurance, location, and student-safety planning.
- Startup range
- $350-$14,000
- Typical monthly
- $80-$3,200
Professional servicesmoderate liability
Notary business
Commission-based document service with state fees, bond or insurance, journal, supplies, travel, and optional signing-agent training.
- Startup range
- $250-$8,500
- Typical monthly
- $60-$2,200
Online businesslower liability
Virtual-assistant business
Remote administrative services with secure tools, contracts, professional insurance, and a lean home-office setup.
- Startup range
- $300-$12,000
- Typical monthly
- $80-$3,000
Retail and facilitiesmoderate liability
Laundromat
Self-service laundry planning with machines, utility capacity, leasehold work, payment systems, and repair reserves.
- Startup range
- $75,000-$750,000
- Typical monthly
- $6,500-$65,000
Care and educationhigher liability
Daycare business
Child-care launch planning with licensing, staffing ratios, facility safety, insurance, and enrollment ramp-up.
- Startup range
- $10,000-$450,000
- Typical monthly
- $5,000-$160,000
Food and hospitalityhigher liability
Food truck business
Mobile food-service planning with vehicle, commissary, kitchen equipment, health permits, inventory, and route economics.
- Startup range
- $45,000-$300,000
- Typical monthly
- $8,000-$80,000
Tradeshigher liability
HVAC business
Heating and cooling contracting with licensing, tools, service vehicles, refrigerant compliance, inventory, and payroll.
- Startup range
- $12,000-$240,000
- Typical monthly
- $3,500-$95,000
Beauty and wellnessmoderate liability
Nail salon
Salon planning with licensed professionals, ventilation, stations, sanitation, leasehold work, and appointment capacity.
- Startup range
- $12,000-$260,000
- Typical monthly
- $3,500-$70,000
Food and hospitalityhigher liability
Bakery business
Retail or production bakery planning with ovens, kitchen buildout, food permits, inventory, labor, and waste control.
- Startup range
- $5,000-$350,000
- Typical monthly
- $2,500-$90,000
Retail and facilitieshigher liability
Car wash business
Fixed-site vehicle washing with land or lease, water systems, equipment, environmental review, and maintenance reserves.
- Startup range
- $180,000-$4,500,000
- Typical monthly
- $12,000-$240,000
Beauty and wellnesshigher liability
Gym business
Fitness-facility planning with leasehold work, equipment, member acquisition, staffing, insurance, and presale runway.
- Startup range
- $35,000-$900,000
- Typical monthly
- $9,000-$180,000
Food and hospitalityhigher liability
Catering business
Event food-service planning with licensed kitchen access, transport, equipment, staffing, deposits, and food safety.
- Startup range
- $8,000-$220,000
- Typical monthly
- $3,500-$75,000
Retail and facilitiesmoderate liability
Vending machine business
Automated retail planning with machines, location agreements, inventory, payment hardware, route service, and permits.
- Startup range
- $2,500-$90,000
- Typical monthly
- $500-$22,000
Beauty and wellnessmoderate liability
Hair salon
Salon planning with licensed practitioners, chairs, plumbing, leasehold work, inventory, and chair-rental or payroll models.
- Startup range
- $10,000-$300,000
- Typical monthly
- $3,000-$85,000
Tradeshigher liability
Plumbing business
Licensed plumbing contracting with service vehicles, tools, parts, permits, insurance, bonds, and technician payroll.
- Startup range
- $15,000-$280,000
- Typical monthly
- $4,000-$100,000
Retail and facilitiesmoderate liability
Florist business
Floral retail and event planning with refrigeration, perishable inventory, delivery, design labor, and seasonal cash flow.
- Startup range
- $6,000-$190,000
- Typical monthly
- $2,500-$60,000
Beauty and wellnessmoderate liability
Massage therapy business
Licensed bodywork planning with treatment space, professional liability, linens, booking, and practitioner capacity.
- Startup range
- $3,500-$140,000
- Typical monthly
- $1,200-$42,000
Home serviceshigher liability
Pest control business
Regulated pest management with applicator credentials, vehicles, chemicals, safety equipment, insurance, and route density.
- Startup range
- $12,000-$230,000
- Typical monthly
- $3,500-$85,000
Home serviceshigher liability
Pool cleaning business
Recurring pool service with route vehicles, water testing, chemicals, repair scope, insurance, and seasonal demand.
- Startup range
- $5,000-$110,000
- Typical monthly
- $1,800-$48,000
Beauty and wellnessmoderate liability
Barber shop
Barbershop planning with licensed practitioners, chairs, leasehold work, sanitation, payroll or booth rental, and client ramp-up.
- Startup range
- $10,000-$240,000
- Typical monthly
- $3,000-$65,000
Food and hospitalityhigher liability
Coffee shop
Café planning with espresso equipment, food-service buildout, lease, labor, inventory, throughput, and working capital.
- Startup range
- $45,000-$650,000
- Typical monthly
- $12,000-$150,000
Food and hospitalityhigher liability
Restaurant business
Full-service food operation planning with site, kitchen, permits, labor, inventory, technology, and opening runway.
- Startup range
- $120,000-$1,800,000
- Typical monthly
- $35,000-$500,000
Home serviceshigher liability
Tree service business
High-risk arboricultural work with trucks, chippers, climbing systems, licensing, insurance, crews, and equipment maintenance.
- Startup range
- $25,000-$600,000
- Typical monthly
- $7,000-$160,000
Lower-cost starting points
Businesses that can start lean
Sorted by the typical editorial planning estimate, not by profitability or guaranteed outcomes.
01Notary business
Commission-based document service with state fees, bond or insurance, journal, supplies, travel, and optional signing-agent training.
$250-$8,50002Virtual-assistant businessRemote administrative services with secure tools, contracts, professional insurance, and a lean home-office setup.
$300-$12,00003Tutoring businessOne-to-one or group instruction with curriculum, technology, screening, insurance, location, and student-safety planning.
$350-$14,00004Social-media-management businessClient content and account management with software, contracts, security, production, and approval workflows.
$450-$16,000Connected planning
The estimate is the start of the decision
A useful budget should lead to the right next question: how to structure the business, what the state charges, which permissions apply, and what must happen after formation.
Startup cost FAQ
Questions first-time owners ask
What counts as a startup cost?
We separate one-time setup, recurring operating expenses, state LLC fees, and working capital. Each business guide shows the included records and assumptions.
Are the estimates exact?
No. Equipment condition, location, business model, insurance quotes, and local requirements vary. Ranges are more honest and editable than a single number.
Does every business need an LLC?
No. Each guide explains when a sole proprietorship may be reasonable for a small test and when risk, contracts, workers, or customer expectations may make an LLC more useful.
Which state pages are available?
The initial state rollout covers Texas, Florida, California, New York, and Georgia for cleaning, pressure washing, landscaping, handyman, and consulting businesses.
Where do state filing fees come from?
They use the same state calculator records as the rest of this website. The startup section does not maintain a second fee table.