The Business services industry encompasses a broad range of sectors that provide non-financial support to businesses and organizations. Typically, companies in this industry offer professional or scientific research, consulting, facility management, market analysis, and staffing services to help other companies operate efficiently. These companies often specialize in their areas of expertise, requiring employees to have advanced degrees or specialized training.

Companies use Business-to-business (B2B) services to outsource non-core functions that are difficult, time consuming or expensive to do in-house. Outsourcing business-related tasks also frees up valuable employee time so that they can focus on more productive projects. Companies can also improve their efficiency by partnering with Business services providers that can scale up or down in response to fluctuations in demand.

These types of services can be delivered in a variety of ways, from providing advice to educating children at school. They can be physical or digital, and they can be a one-person operation or part of a larger company. They can be a core component of an entire business or an intangible asset. In the latter case, a company might sell a service that has no value on its own but is essential to the operation of another company in exchange for a fee.

The most common type of Business service is customer service, encompassing the various activities involved in satisfying a consumer’s needs and wants. These can range from basic assistance in a store to advising clients on the best strategy for their business. A key feature of Business services is that they cannot be stocked and stored for later use like goods can, but must be produced or provided when demanded by a customer.