Mobile businesses can be moveable workplaces. They provide multiple locations for your business, traveling to where the customers are, rather than making clients come to you. There will be costs for gas, insurance, and maintenance, but not for rent. If you’ve been thinking about taking our skills on the road, consider a few great mobile business ideas for entrepreneurs. Remember, you can’t just hop in the car and expect to succeed.

Bike Repair

Cycling enthusiasts can talk all day about derailleurs, brakes, and suspensions. But not all are prepared to conduct major repairs in their shed or fix a bent wheel 30 miles into a long-distance drive. Equipping a van as a bike repair shop means you can go where the rider needs help, so they don’t have to haul their bent bike to you.

Food Truck

There’s a lot of competition in the food truck lane, but great food at a great price tends to generate a loyal following. Many successful food truck businesses rely on social media to let fans know where they’ll be and when. Specialization is often the key to success—choose a single cuisine or food item you can make faster and better than the competition.

Food trucks can also be add-ons to existing restaurant businesses, expanding their reach by taking their best offerings on the road. Some businesses, such as taquerias and bakeries, might do prep in their permanent location, then head out to provide catering or serve customers in a remote location. There will be health and safety regulations to follow, and food truck operators need someone to cook and someone to take orders and run the register.

Pet Grooming

If you’ve ever had to wrestle a wolfhound or retriever into a tub, tried to clip a chihuahua’s fur.  You can imagine what a relief a mobile pet grooming business could be. Trucks or vans outfitted for grooming usually have separate dog and cat washing equipment installed as well. Animal loving entrepreneurs find pet grooming a popular mobile business idea.

DJ

If your taste in music makes you the perennial life of the party, maybe you could make money on that. You’ll need a good sound system, lights, a control panel and mixer, headphones, and possibly a turntable and records or a laptop and software to show off your ability to choose music that keeps the crowd dancing.

Pop-Up Boutique

Sell vintage clothing or your own creations of jewelry, ceramics, or textiles out of a truck or van. Turn your good taste and ability to spot a bargain into a profitable resale business. You can take your business to art fairs, festivals, and regular street locations (where permitted) to sell a continuously refreshed collection of curated couture.

Remember, you can’t just hop in the car and call yourself a mobile entrepreneur. Your business is a business that needs a plan, budget, license, insurance, a bank account, and an identified target market. There are upfront costs, fees, and maintenance to consider, but a mobile business should be easier and less expensive to start than a brick-and-mortar operation.