Business Services, NEC

The miscellaneous business services industry encompasses a broad range of specialties, ranging from baby shoe bronzing services and yacht brokers to window trimmers and playwrights. Establishments classified in this industry are generally engaged in providing services that do not generate a sufficient amount of national revenue for the U.S. government to track alone. In 2008, 1.36 million establishments, earning $277.3 billion in revenue, operated in this fragmented industry. Government statistics indicated that about two-thirds of the companies classified in this industry are corporations, with the remainder being either sole proprietorships or partnerships. In 2008, some of the largest categories were financial services ($35.3 billion); personal service agents, brokers, and bureaus ($10.3 billion); design services ($6.7 billion); telephone services ($5.8 billion); interior design services ($5.1 billion); promoters of shows and exhibits ($4.6 billion); telemarketing services ($4.4 billion); packaging and boxes ($3.8 billion); and fund raising organizations ($3.3 billion).

States representing the majority of business service companies were California with 119,981; Texas with 114,793; Florida with 119,192; and New York with 64,029. Other states with significant numbers included Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, and Colorado. Together, they represented more than 60 percent of market share and sales.

While the employment outlook varies by segment, the entire industry employment was likely to rise and fall with the ebbs and flows of the overall economy. In the late 2000s, the U.S. economy fell into recession after a subprime lending crisis, which spilled over to create a credit crunch, thus severely inhibiting such industry as real estate, construction, and auto sales. In general, the weak economy led to job losses and weak consumer spending. Thus, in this highly diverse industry, such occupations as building inspector are likely to be more directly affected by the economy than playwrights or sewer inspectors. A few major occupational groups such as switchboard operators and telephone message specialists were likely to diminish in number as certain services became less relevant to advancing technology. The corporate and management training industry, as one example of the specialty services provided in this category, benefited from increased corporate budgets dedicated to training during the early 2000s.

Among the myriad of companies that were involved in providing miscellaneous business services, leaders included such diverse firms as RGIS Inventory Specialists, VIP Event Services Inc., Sotheby's Inc., and Freeman Decoration Co. In 2008, according to Dun & Bradstreet, the majority of the 1.36 million establishments in the industry were small, employing between one and four people; less than 25 percent employed 50 or more workers. New York City-based Time Warner Inc. reported 2008 sales of $46.98 billion. Sears, Roebuck and Co. of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, reported 2008 earnings of $46.77. Houston-based Waste Management Inc. followed with 2008 revenues of nearly $13.39 billion. Unisys Corp. placed fourth in the industry with 2008 sales of $5.23 billion.