The most common small businesses in the US are professional service firms, transportation businesses, local service shops, construction firms, and real estate businesses.
That may surprise anyone picturing a restaurant or store. Those businesses are easy to see. They are not the biggest groups by business count.
The United States has about 36.2 million small businesses. The SBA says 99.9% of U.S. businesses are small, and most have no employees. The SBA Office of Advocacy reports the latest national totals here.
This ranking uses the SBA Office of Advocacy’s 2025 national profile. It combines employer firms and nonemployer businesses. The groups are broad industry sectors, not ten exact business ideas.
The 10 Most Common Small Businesses in the US
Rank | Industry | Small businesses |
1 | Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4.88 million |
2 | Transportation and warehousing | 4.09 million |
3 | Other services (except public administration) | 3.86 million |
4 | Construction | 3.66 million |
5 | Real estate and rental and leasing | 3.51 million |
6 | Administrative and support and waste management services | 3.19 million |
7 | Health care and social assistance | 2.95 million |
8 | Retail trade | 2.81 million |
9 | Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 1.83 million |
10 | Accommodation and food services | 1.20 million |
Source: SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile for the United States. Counts are rounded.
Together, these ten sectors contain about 32 million businesses, or roughly 88% of all U.S. small businesses. But one firm can mean one self-employed consultant or a company with hundreds of workers. This table counts businesses, not revenue, profit, or jobs.
What Each Industry Really Includes
1. Professional services
Consultants, IT workers, lawyers, bookkeepers, accountants, architects, engineers, designers, and marketers. Many are one-person firms built around a skill.
2. Transportation and warehousing
Owner-operator truckers, delivery drivers, movers, couriers, freight brokers, and small storage businesses. Many start with one truck, van, or route.
3. Other services
Auto repair shops, salons, barbers, nail shops, laundries, pet groomers, repair businesses, and funeral homes. This is a broad group of local services that do not fit neatly elsewhere.
4. Construction
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, painters, roofers, remodelers, concrete crews, framers, and small general contractors. Most are trade businesses, not giant builders.
5. Real estate and rental
Real estate agents, brokers, landlords, property managers, appraisers, storage operators, and equipment rental businesses. Agents and small property owners help make this group large.
6. Administrative, support, and waste services
House cleaners, office cleaners, lawn care companies, pest control firms, temp agencies, security services, junk removal companies, and small waste haulers. Cleaning and lawn care make the official name easier to understand.
7. Health care and social assistance
Doctor and dental offices, therapists, chiropractors, home care providers, day care businesses, and small clinics. Small offices and care businesses are common. This sector also employs more people than its rank by firm count might suggest.
8. Retail trade
Online sellers, small grocery stores, clothing shops, beauty stores, auto parts stores, gas stations, hardware stores, and thrift shops. A retail business does not need a storefront. Many sell online.
9. Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Artists, writers, musicians, coaches, gyms, fitness studios, golf facilities, theaters, and recreation businesses. Many are solo creators, instructors, or small studios.
10. Accommodation and food services
Restaurants, fast-food shops, coffee shops, bars, caterers, food trucks, motels, inns, and campgrounds. You see these businesses everywhere, but they are fewer in number than the service sectors above.
Why Restaurants and Stores Feel More Common
The ranking counts firms, not how often you see them. One consultant working from home counts as one business. So does a restaurant with 20 employees, a large kitchen, and a busy storefront.
Restaurants and stores are more visible because customers visit them. Professional services, trucking, real estate, and home services can operate from a laptop, vehicle, job site, or spare room.
What the Most Common Types of Small Businesses Have in Common
Most of the biggest groups sell a skill, a service, or access to one useful asset. They often have a lower cost to start than a restaurant, factory, or stocked retail store.
- A skill you can sell, such as bookkeeping, design, law, consulting, or IT
- A vehicle, route, or delivery service
- A licensed trade, such as plumbing, electrical work, or HVAC
- Real estate sales, management, ownership, or rental
- A repeat local service, such as cleaning, lawn care, pest control, or home care
What This List Does Not Tell You
Common does not mean easy, profitable, or right for you. A large category may have strong demand. It may also have heavy competition.
- Which businesses earn the highest profit margins
- Which businesses survive the longest
- What customers need in your local market
- How much cash, training, insurance, or licensing you will need
- Whether the work fits your skills and the life you want
Four Questions to Ask Before You Start
- Can one person deliver the product or service at the start?
- Do customers nearby or online already pay for it?
- Can you begin without a long lease, a large inventory order, or a full payroll?
- Can you get your first paying customer within 30 to 90 days?
If the answer is yes, you may be looking at the same kind of practical service business that already makes up much of the U.S. small business economy. The next step is to test demand before you spend much money. Use this guide to starting a business to work through the idea, market, plan, and first sale.