Guides &amp; Research

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How to Start a Lawn Care Business

Everything you need to start a lawn care business: equipment, licensing, insurance, pricing, and building a route that pays.

Avg. startup cost: $3k–$10k

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How to Start a Mobile Auto Detailing Business

Everything you need to start a mobile auto detailing business: equipment, licensing, insurance, pricing, and finding your first customers.

Avg. startup cost: $3k–$8k

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How to Start a House Cleaning Business

Everything you need to start a house cleaning business: licensing, insurance, supplies, pricing, and finding your first clients. Free guide from Home Guild.

Avg. startup cost: $500–$3k

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Starting a Handyman Business: Licensing, Insurance, and Getting Customers

Everything you need to start a handyman business: licensing, insurance, equipment, pricing, and finding your first customers. Free guide from Home Guild.

Avg. startup cost: $1k–$9k

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How to Start a Pressure Washing Business

Everything you need to start a pressure washing business: equipment, licensing, insurance, pricing, and finding your first customers.

Avg. startup cost: $2k–$5k

View all 25 industry guides

Practical Guides

Focused, actionable advice that applies to any service business.

From $500K to $1M: A Field Service Business Growth Playbook

A practical playbook for home service operators at $400K–$700K who can see $1M from where they're standing but can't close the gap. Five operational changes that move the number.· 11 min read

How to Know Which Jobs Are Actually Making You Money

Most contractors track revenue but not job-level profit. Here's a practical framework for finding out which jobs are making you money — and which ones aren't.· 9 min read

How to Organize Your Service Business

A practical guide to business structure for service businesses. Covers sole proprietorships, LLCs, and C corps — and how to choose the right one.· 8 min read

How to Get Your First 10 Customers

A practical guide to landing your first 10 service business customers. Covers your network, Google, directories, referrals, and what to do after job one.· 9 min read

How to Write a Service Estimate Customers Actually Accept

How to write service estimates that win jobs and protect your business: structure, presentation, follow-up, and handling pushback on price.· 10 min read

Research & Reports

Original analysis and data from the guild.

RESEARCH REPORT

Best Service Businesses to Start in Tampa Bay (2026)

In-depth market research on starting a service business in Tampa Bay: top services, regional breakdown, Florida licensing, pricing, and why humidity is your best friend.

Published April 2026

RESEARCH REPORT

Best Service Businesses to Start in Atlanta (2026)

In-depth market research on starting a service business in Atlanta: top services, regional breakdown, Georgia licensing, pricing, and why the Southeast's capital city is built for service businesses.

Published April 2026

RESEARCH REPORT

Best Service Businesses to Start in Dallas-Fort Worth (2026)

In-depth market research on starting a service business in Dallas-Fort Worth: top services, regional breakdown, Texas licensing, pricing, and why explosive suburban growth is your advantage.

Published April 2026

RESEARCH REPORT

Best Service Businesses to Start in Denver (2026)

In-depth market research on starting a service business in Denver: top services, regional breakdown, Colorado licensing, pricing, and how four seasons create year-round opportunity.

Published April 2026

RESEARCH REPORT

Best Service Businesses to Start in Phoenix (2026)

In-depth market research on starting a service business in Phoenix: top services, regional breakdown, Arizona licensing, pricing, and desert-climate advantages.

Published April 2026

RESEARCH REPORT

Best Service Businesses to Start in Houston (2026)

In-depth market research on starting a service business in Houston: top services, regional breakdown, Texas licensing, pricing, and why growth is your advantage.

Published April 2026