50 Small Business Ideas for Those Who Love the Outdoors



50 Outdoor Business Ideas for Those Who Love Being Outside

There’s a common misconception that business owners are constantly glued to a computer screen and cooped up in an indoor office. But you shouldn’t let this notion hold you back from starting a business. In fact, even if you love spending all your time in the great outdoors, there are plenty of outdoor businesses you can start that let you enjoy entrepreneurship and fresh air at the same time. Here are 50 different outdoor business ideas for people who love being outside.



Outdoor Business Ideas

Lawn Mowing Service

Any home or business with a yard full of grass needs a way to keep that lawn maintained. By starting a lawn mowing business, you can provide regular maintenance services to those local homeowners and businesses.

Gardening Service

You can also offer a more specialty gardening service if you’re looking to work more with flowers and plants other than basic grass.

Landscaping Service

Or you could focus more on big landscaping jobs for homeowners or businesses that are looking to re-do or add some exciting landscaping elements to their outdoor spaces.

Lawn Cleanup Service

It might not be glamorous, but homeowners, especially those with pets, also need a way to keep their lawn neat and free of any messes. And by providing that service, you get to spend a lot of time outdoors.

Plant Nursery

Or maybe you prefer to spend your time outdoors working on growing your own plants. You can do so and then offer those plants for sale in a local nursery setting.



Produce Farm

You could also grow fruits and vegetables at an outdoor produce farm if you have enough space. Then you can sell those items to local grocery stores or consumers.

Roadside Produce Sales

You could also source various produce items and then sell them outdoors at a roadside farm stand.

Dairy Farm

If produce isn’t your thing, you might consider starting a dairy farm instead. You’ll need some specialized equipment. But you can provide dairy to make milk, cheese, ice cream and a variety of other products.

Livestock Farm

Or you could raise animals at a livestock farm, again, if you have the proper space, equipment and training.



Farm Equipment Rentals

You can also spend a lot of time outdoors by offering and maintaining farm equipment that local farmers can rent for various purposes.

Horse Stable

If you have the space and experience working with horses, you could also open up your own horse stable where you can offer riding lessons or other experiences.

Dog Training Service

Or you might prefer working with dogs instead. In that case, you can start your own dog training business where you work with clients and their pets mainly outdoors.

Dog Walking Service

You could also stick with a more basic service and simply offer to walk dogs for people in your local area.



Pest Control Service

Another way for you to provide a service while spending a fair amount of time outdoors, you could start a pest control service where you work specifically in people’s yards and around the perimeter of their homes.

Junk Hauling Service

You could also provide a service where you haul away junk from homes and businesses, meaning you’ll spend a lot of time carrying and sorting large items outside.

Graffiti Removal Service

For homeowners and businesses that want to cover up or eliminate outdoor graffiti, you could provide a specialized removal service.

Car Wash and Detailing Service

You could also start a car washing business where you provide services for customers, either in a set location or by traveling to their locations.



Bicycle Repair Service

Or if you prefer working with bicycles, you could set up a bicycle repair shop in a garage or enclosed outdoor space.

Above Ground Pool Sales

If you prefer to start a sales based business, you could focus on selling above ground pools to homeowners by traveling to their yards or setting up a showroom type setting.

Pool Cleaning Service

You could also start a pool cleaning service where you provide regular maintenance to homeowners with above ground or built in pools.

Window Washing Service

Or you could provide outdoor window washing services to homeowners or businesses that don’t have the time or desire to clean their own windows.



Awning Cleaning Service

Another specialized cleaning business, you could provide awning cleaning services to homeowners or businesses with dingy looking outdoor awnings.

Gutter Cleaning Service

And providing gutter cleaning services can allow you to build up a base of customers who you provide services for on a regular basis.

Roof Installation and Repairs Service

Or you could provide larger one-time services to homeowners, like roof installation or repairs.

Deck Building Service

Another way to spend a lot of time working outdoors, you could build outdoor decks for homeowners looking to add some unique outdoor seating space.



Fence Installation Service

Or you could provide fence installation or repair services for homeowners in your area.

House Painting Service

House painting is another specialty that should give you the opportunity to spend a lot of time outside, especially if you specialize in exterior paint jobs.

Construction Cleanup Service

You could also provide cleanup services for construction businesses that want to outsource that part of their work.

Woodworking Service

If you enjoy building things, you could set up an outdoor or garage workshop where you can complete various woodworking projects for customers.



Handyman Service

Or you could start a service based business as a handyman, where you complete various outdoor projects for homeowners.

Tour Guide Service

If you live in an area that’s popular with tourists, you could start a business where you offer guided outdoor tours or just set up a kiosk outside where you can answer questions and offer guidance to visitors.

Outdoor Travel Excursion Service

You could also offer specialty excursions for visitors like hiking or biking tours, rock climbing excursions or even water activities.

Scuba Diving Excursion Service

More specifically, you could offer scuba diving lessons or excursions if you’re trained and set up in an area that’s popular with scuba divers.



Outdoor Fitness Classes

For fitness savvy entrepreneurs, you could start a business where you offer outdoor fitness classes in areas like yoga, pilates or kickboxing.

Summer Camp

Or maybe you prefer organizing fun outdoor activities for kids. If so, you might consider starting your own summer camp.

Boat Tours Service

If you live near the water and have access to a boat, you could start a tour guide business where you offer guided tours on the water.

Boat Rentals

You could also rent out your boat or boats to people looking to spend a day out on the water, or even offer dinner cruise options.



Fishing Guide Service

If you’re specifically interested in fishing, you could offer a fishing guide service to people visiting your area who want to learn all the best fishing spots.

Hunting Guide Service

Similarly, if you have access to enough land that is safe for hunting, you could offer a hunting guide service to visitors.

Bicycle Delivery Service

If you’re located more in a city setting but still want to spend most of your time outdoors, you could start a bicycle delivery service where you take items from place to place within your city.

Snow Clearing Service

In the winter, you can offer snow and ice clearing services to homeowners. This can also be an additional service for those who run lawn mowing or landscaping businesses in the warmer months.

Christmas Tree Farm

If you have enough space to work with, you could plant some evergreen trees and set up a Christmas tree farm that people can visit to pick out their perfect tree for the holiday season.

Garage Sale Organizing Service

You might also consider providing a service for homeowners looking to sell some of their belongings in a garage sale but who need some help organizing and setting up the sale.

Ice Cream Stand

If you simply want to sell a product outdoors, ice cream is a popular outdoor favorite.

Fair Food Vending

You could also sell various dishes that are popular at fairs and similar events, like corndogs and funnel cakes. And you can set up outdoor stands at different events throughout the year.

Farmers Market Vending

If you grow your own food or make various food products, you can set up a stand at a local farmers market, since most are based outdoors.

Flea Market Vending

Flea markets are also held mainly outdoors. So you could set up stands at various flea markets to sell handmade or secondhand goods.

Mobile Retail Boutique

For those looking for retail business opportunities, you could set up a mobile retail shop in a camper or similar setup, then take it to art fairs and similar outdoor shopping events.

Coffee Cart

You might also consider setting up an outdoor coffee cart at local events or a thoroughfare that’s popular with pedestrians.

Landscape Photography

And finally, you can spend your time outdoors taking photographs that you can then sell or license.

Related reading: 51 Business Ideas for 2020

Lawn Mower Photo via Shutterstock


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Annie Pilon Annie Pilon is a Senior Staff Writer for Small Business Trends, covering entrepreneur profiles, interviews, feature stories, community news and in-depth, expert-based guides. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer.

3 Reactions
  1. There are now tons of business ideas for just about any interest. With the Internet, you can now sell anything and make money while doing what you love.

  2. Landscaping is the living space that just happens to be outdoors. Nice ideas and article for outdoor business

  3. Nice list Annie. I have another to add that’s almost as easy to do as going for a walk; parking lot litter cleanup. Provide an early morning service on foot using inexpensive hand tools outside retail, office and industrial properties. I started this business as a side hustle in 1981 and grew it into a lucrative full time business. Check out my book, Cleanlots.