When choosing a what business you want to pursue, there are not only many different kinds of businesses you can run, but there are also a wide variety of business models that you should consider when deciding what is the right business for you.
A good overview of all the kinds of businesses you could start can be found by looking at how the federal government classifies businesses. All federal data are now collected using the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) of Businesses. This system identifies 1170 industries each of which include a number of specific types of businesses. The 1170 industries are grouped into general categories: construction, education and health services, financial activities, government, information, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, natural resources and mining, other services, professional and business services, transportaion and utilities, and wholesale and retail trade.
Click on the industry links to find out more about the economic outlook of each of the industries. Highlighted businesses describe more about running that particular business. This list is also available with the businesses listed in Alphabetical Order.
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Air Conditioning and Heating Company Commercial Building Construction Drywall Contractors Electrical Contractors Flooring Contractors Framing Contractors Glass and Glazing Contractors Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction Land Subdivision Construction Masonry Contractors New Housing Construction |
Oil and Gas Pipeline Construction Painting Contractors Plumbing Contractors Poured Concrete Foundation Power and Communication Line Construction Residential Remodelers Roofing Contractors Siding Contractors Structural Steel Contractors Water and Sewer Line Construction |
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Adoption Agencies Aircraft Rental Instruction Alternative Health Website Ambulance Services Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency Centers Apprenticeship Training Art School Gallery Automobile Driving Schools Blood and Organ Banks Business Schools Child and Youth Services Chiropractor Offices Colleges Community Food Services Computer Training Cosmetology and Barber Schools Dance Studios Day Care Services Dentist Offices Diagnostic Imaging Centers Educational Support Services Elementary Schools Emergency and Other Relief Services Exam Preparation Family Planning Centers Fine Arts Schools Flight Training HMO Medical Centers |
Home Health Care Services Homes for the Elderly Hospitals Junior Colleges Kidney Dialysis Centers Language Schools Management Development Training Medical Laboratories Mental Health Practitioner Offices Nursing Care Facilities Occupational Therapist Offices Optometrist Offices Outpatient Mental Health Centers Physical Therapist Offices Physician Offices Podiatrist Offices Professional Schools Residential Mental Health Facilities Residential Mental Retardation Facilities Secondary Schools Secretarial Schools Speech Therapist Offices Sports and Recreation Instruction Tutoring Substance Abuse Facilities Temporary Shelters Universities Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
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Aircraft Rental and Leasing Appliance Rental Auto Insurance Claims Claims Adjusting Commercial Banking Consumer Electronics Rental Consumer Lending Credit Card Issuing Credit Unions Direct Health and Medical Insurance Direct Life Insurance Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Direct Title Insurance Carriers Equipment Rental and Leasing Financial Planner Formal Wear and Costume Rental Insurance Agencies and Brokerages Investment Advice General Rental Centers |
Home Health Equipment Rental Investment Banking Lessors of Real Estate Property Mortgage Loan Brokers Nonmortgage Loan Brokers Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers Pension Funds Portfolio Management Property Manager Real Estate Agent Real Estate Appraisers Real Estate Investment Trusts Sales Financing Savings Institutions Securities and Commodity Exchanges Securities Dealing Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities Vehicle Rental and Leasing Video Tape and Disc Rental |
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Administration of Public Programs American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments Correctional Institutions Courts Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities Executive Offices Fire Protection International Affairs |
Counsel and Prosecution Legislative Bodies National Security Parole Offices and Probation Offices Police Protection Public Finance Activities Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities Space Research and Technology |
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Almanac Publishers (except Exclusive Internet Publishing) Archives Book Publishers Art Film Theater Atlas Publishers Cable and Other Program Distribution Cable Programming Cellular Telecommunications Data Processing Directory Publishers Greeting Card Publishers Internet Publishing Internet Service Providers Libraries Mailing List Publishers Motion Picture Production and Distribution Motion Picture Theaters |
Music Publishers News Syndicates Newspaper Publishers Paging Periodical Publishers Radio Networks Radio Stations Recording Studio Satellite Telecommunications Software Publishers Sound Recording Studios Teleproduction Services Television Broadcasting Video Production and Distribution Web Hosting Web Search Portals Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
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Aircraft Equipment Maker Aircraft Manufacturing Animal Food Manufacturing Apparel Manufacturing Arts and Crafts Banner-Making Breweries Canvas Work Cement Manufacturing Chemical Manufacturing Clay Product Manufacturing Commercial Bakeries Commercial Printing Computer Equipment Manufacturing Crocheting Cross Stitch Distilleries Electronic Manufacturing Embroidery Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing Food Manufacturing Foundries Furniture Manufacturing Glass Product Manufacturing Iron and Steel Mills Jewelry Manufacturing Knitting Lace Making Lucet |
Machine Shops Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing Macrame Metal Manufacturing Metalworking Mineral Product Manufacturing Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Needlepoint Paper Product Manufacturing Patchwork Petroleum Refineries Plastics Product Manufacturing Pottery Quilting Retail Bakeries Rubber Product Manufacturing Rug Making Sawmills Sculpture Sewing Spinning Tapestry Textile Product Milling Tobacco Product Manufacturing Tradebinding Weaving Wineries Wood Preservation Wood Product Manufacturing |
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Agriculture Farm Business Agriculture Fruit Farm Business Agriculture Produce Farm Business Apiculture Apple Orchards Coal Mining Farming Fishing |
Logging Metal Mining Nonmetallic Mineral Mining Nursery / Greenhouse Oil and Gas Operations Ranching Support Activities for Mining Timber Tract Operations |
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Animal Daycare Appliance Repair and Maintenance Aquarium Services Astrology Tarot Card Business Auto Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance Auto Decal Business Auto Detailing Automobile Inspection Business Automobile Restoration Automotive Glass Replacement Shops Automotive Oil Change and Lubrication Shops Automotive Repair Barber Shops Beauty Salons Business Associations Car Wash Cemeteries and Crematories Civic and Social Organizations Conservation Organizations Diet and Weight Reducing Centers Electronics Repair and Maintenance |
Environment Organizations Equipment Repair and Maintenance Funeral Homes Grantmaking Foundations Household Goods Repair and Maintenance Human Rights Organizations Labor Unions and Organizations Laundries and Drycleaners Linen Supply Machinery Repair and Maintenance Parking Lots and Garages Personal Goods Repair and Maintenance Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services Photofinishing Laboratories Political Organizations Private Households Professional Organizations Religious Organizations Social Advocacy Organizations Voluntary Health Organizations Wildlife Organizations |
Professional and Business Services
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Accounting Firm Administrative Service Business Advertising Agency Advertising Consulting Advertising Material Distribution Services Agricultural Consultant Architectural Engineering Architectural Services Armored Car Services Art Packaging Installation Art Shipping Auditing Services Automated Accounting Systems Building Inspection Services Business Support Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services Certified Public Accountants Cleaning Service Collection Agencies Computer Related Services Convention and Trade Show Organizers Convention and Visitors Bureaus Copy Shops Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices Court Reporting Credit Bureaus Drafting Services Employment Agencies Engineering Services Environmental Consulting Services Exterminating and Pest Control Services Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services Graphic Design Services Hazardous Waste Collection Human Resources Consulting Services Industrial Design Services Interior Design Services |
Investigation Services Janitorial Services Landscape Architects Landscaping Services Lawyers Locksmiths Marketing Consulting Services Marketing Research Notaries Office Administration Services Packaging and Labeling Services Payroll Services Photography Studios Private Mail Centers Public Opinion Polling Public Relations Agencies Repossession Services Research and Development Agencies Security Guards Security Systems Services Septic TankServices Solid Waste Collection Sports Tour Operators Stenotype Services Surveying and Mapping Services Tax Preparation Services Telemarketing Bureaus Telephone Answering Services Temporary Services Testing Laboratories Title Abstract and Settlement Offices Travel Tour Operators Translation and Interpretation Services Travel Agencies Veterinary Services Web Design |
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities
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Aircraft Charter Services Air Traffic Control Aircraft Weighing Systems Airport Shuttle Service Airport Taxi Bus Transit Systems Charter Bus Industry Couriers Employee Bus Transportation Freight Transportation Arrangement Limousine Service Local Delivery Local Messengers Marine Cargo Handling Motor Vehicle Towing Natural Gas Distribution |
Packing and Crating Pipeline Transportation Port and Harbor Operations Postal Service Power Generation Railroads Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation School Bus Transportation Sewage Treatment Facilities Special Needs Transportation Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply Taxi Service Trucking Warehousing and Storage Water Supply and Irrigation Systems Water Transportation |
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Antiques Dealer Art Dealers Art Sales Custom Framing Art Supply Store Artificial Flowers Importers Athletic Shoe Stores Automobile Dealership Automotive Parts and Accessories Store Boat Dealers Book Stores Building Material Dealers Business to Business Electronic Markets Clothing Stores Commercial Equipment Wholesalers Construction Material Wholesalers Crafts Stores Department Stores Durable Goods Wholesalers Electronic Auctions Electronic Parts Wholesalers Electronic Shopping Electronics Stores Equipment Wholesalers Farm Product Wholesalers Farm Supply Stores Florists Fuel Dealers Garden Centers Gasoline Stations Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores Grocery Wholesalers Hardware Wholesalers Health and Personal Care Stores Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
Home Centers Home Furnishing Stores Home Furnishing Wholesalers Household Appliance Stores Industrial Wholesalers Internet Auctions Jewelry Stores Liquor Stores Luggage and Leather Goods Stores Mail-Order Houses Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers Motor Vehicle Dealers Motor Vehicle Wholesalers Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores New Parts Wholesalers News Dealers and Newsstands Nurseries Office Supplies and Stationery Stores Outdoor Power Equipment Stores Personal Service Wholesalers Pet and Pet Supplies Stores Pharmacies and Drug Stores Prerecorded Tape, Compact Disc, and Record Stores Professional Equipment Wholesalers Retail Store Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Stores Sporting Goods Stores Supermarkets Supplies Wholesalers Tobacco Stores Used Merchandise Stores Vending Machine Operators Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
If you are interested in finding out what industry a business is in so you can learn more about the industry as a whole, you can search the NAICS database with a word from the business name and it will give you a variety of possibilities for businesses and where they fit in the industry classifications.
