business newsThe 8 Most Promising Types of Businesses for Start-Ups
By
The Fiscal Times
Feb 19, 2013 5:05 pm
Not surprisingly, the hottest industries of 2013 are all somehow connected to tech.
PRINT
-
Stay Connected
-
-
-
-
Thinking of taking the entrepreneurial leap this year in an industry that would pay off? IBISWorld's recent list of eight hot industries for start-ups is a good place to begin your research.
What do these eight industries have in common? “Each is fragmented, has low barriers to entry, and each offers strong revenue growth,” says Kevin Boyland, an IBISWorld analyst. “Strong growth in a fragmented industry indicates growing demand in a market in which no one player has a significant foothold. Because barriers to entry are low, a start-up has the potential to capture a share of this growing market.”
One major advantage in 2013 is buying and selling goods online. This option allows small firms to compete on a national level with little additional effort.
Boyland says 2013 could be a good year for startups because we’re moving farther away from the recession and the political uncertainty that followed the presidential election, allowing for a more predictable business environment. If entrepreneurs wait too long, they could miss the window for breaking into these industries.
Where might the best opportunities lie?
Cloud Services
Also called “virtual data rooms,” cloud services are growing quickly, with industry revenue expected to hit $728 million this year, a 16% increase from 2012. The industry has seen an annualized growth rate of 15.8% since 2008. Fueling the growth is the global push toward online services. The growth of access-limited document sharing infrastructures – and programmers – has enabled the industry to flourish without huge investments, notes IBISWorld. As the number of new enterprises increases, industry revenue is forecast to grow at an annualized rate of 14.2% over five years. “The amount of data being collected by humans and machines is growing exponentially,” says Neal. “Startups are rushing to find solutions to capitalize on this.”
Online Travel Agencies
Overall, the travel agency industry hasn’t fared well during the recession, but IBISWorld estimates revenue among online agencies grew at an average rate of 3.9% over the past five years, and expects revenue to grow another 6.1% in 2013. Storefront travel agencies are being replaced by online services, which offer a relatively high-profit, low-cost way to handle transactions.
But major operators have been acquiring global, regional and local websites to improve revenue and capture a larger market share, which presents both a risk and an opportunity for start-ups. As major operators grow through economies of scale, competition and barriers to entry in the industry increase. On the other hand, new entrants that have a successful site can leverage their success to secure an attractive deal with a larger firm. While IBISWorld expects industry growth in the next five years, they forecast an annualized rate of only 2.2%.
Social Network Game Development
This industry has grown 184.3% per year on average over the past five years, driven by internet traffic and social networks, especially Facebook (NASDAQ:FB). As broadband-enabled smart phones and tablets have proliferated, consumers have also increasingly been able to access social networks 24/7, placing gaming within reach for most computer users. Revenue is expected to grow 31.9% to $6 billion in 2013 according to IBISWorld. The Entertainment Software Association helps new entrants by providing market research to the most in demand products. One caveat, says Doug Neal of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan: Social gaming is “extremely competitive and saturated.” Ronald Goettler, a professor of entrepreneurship at the Simon School of Business at Rochester University, recommends that firms first develop low cost versions to test their concepts.
IT Security Consulting
With data security breaches in the headlines, this industry is on steroids. In the past five years, IBISWorld says revenue in this industry increased at an annualized rate of 9.8% to $5.3 billion and projects it will grow 8% each year over the next five years.
Goettler at Rochester University offers a key consideration: “Reputation is critical, which creates a bootstrapping problem for start-ups. Entrants [may] find themselves having to offer their services at lower prices relative to established IT firms until they build a solid reputation."
What do these eight industries have in common? “Each is fragmented, has low barriers to entry, and each offers strong revenue growth,” says Kevin Boyland, an IBISWorld analyst. “Strong growth in a fragmented industry indicates growing demand in a market in which no one player has a significant foothold. Because barriers to entry are low, a start-up has the potential to capture a share of this growing market.”
One major advantage in 2013 is buying and selling goods online. This option allows small firms to compete on a national level with little additional effort.
Boyland says 2013 could be a good year for startups because we’re moving farther away from the recession and the political uncertainty that followed the presidential election, allowing for a more predictable business environment. If entrepreneurs wait too long, they could miss the window for breaking into these industries.
Where might the best opportunities lie?
Cloud Services
Also called “virtual data rooms,” cloud services are growing quickly, with industry revenue expected to hit $728 million this year, a 16% increase from 2012. The industry has seen an annualized growth rate of 15.8% since 2008. Fueling the growth is the global push toward online services. The growth of access-limited document sharing infrastructures – and programmers – has enabled the industry to flourish without huge investments, notes IBISWorld. As the number of new enterprises increases, industry revenue is forecast to grow at an annualized rate of 14.2% over five years. “The amount of data being collected by humans and machines is growing exponentially,” says Neal. “Startups are rushing to find solutions to capitalize on this.”
Online Travel Agencies
Overall, the travel agency industry hasn’t fared well during the recession, but IBISWorld estimates revenue among online agencies grew at an average rate of 3.9% over the past five years, and expects revenue to grow another 6.1% in 2013. Storefront travel agencies are being replaced by online services, which offer a relatively high-profit, low-cost way to handle transactions.
But major operators have been acquiring global, regional and local websites to improve revenue and capture a larger market share, which presents both a risk and an opportunity for start-ups. As major operators grow through economies of scale, competition and barriers to entry in the industry increase. On the other hand, new entrants that have a successful site can leverage their success to secure an attractive deal with a larger firm. While IBISWorld expects industry growth in the next five years, they forecast an annualized rate of only 2.2%.
Social Network Game Development
This industry has grown 184.3% per year on average over the past five years, driven by internet traffic and social networks, especially Facebook (NASDAQ:FB). As broadband-enabled smart phones and tablets have proliferated, consumers have also increasingly been able to access social networks 24/7, placing gaming within reach for most computer users. Revenue is expected to grow 31.9% to $6 billion in 2013 according to IBISWorld. The Entertainment Software Association helps new entrants by providing market research to the most in demand products. One caveat, says Doug Neal of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan: Social gaming is “extremely competitive and saturated.” Ronald Goettler, a professor of entrepreneurship at the Simon School of Business at Rochester University, recommends that firms first develop low cost versions to test their concepts.
IT Security Consulting
With data security breaches in the headlines, this industry is on steroids. In the past five years, IBISWorld says revenue in this industry increased at an annualized rate of 9.8% to $5.3 billion and projects it will grow 8% each year over the next five years.
Goettler at Rochester University offers a key consideration: “Reputation is critical, which creates a bootstrapping problem for start-ups. Entrants [may] find themselves having to offer their services at lower prices relative to established IT firms until they build a solid reputation."
No positions in stocks mentioned.
Daily Recap
Everything you need to know for the next trading day.
Trading Radar (weekly)
Your road map to all the events that will effect financial markets in the week ahead.
Name
Email
*
Phone
* required field
