Being your own boss offers some considerable perks. To start with, you can set your own hours and decide where you work. You can also decide who you work with, and shape your career in any direction that interests you. And finally, you’ll also be in charge of your earning potential. You can increase your rates or work more hours if you want to earn more money.
Self-employment brings stresses that a job doesn’t, but it also puts you in control.
By choosing a mobile business, you can reduce your startup costs and increase the size of your target market. Here are 40 mobile business ideas that will enable you to be your own boss.
Thinking of a food, drink or flower business? Several ideas below need a fridge or freezer van to carry stock safely. We’ve sold refrigerated vans for 50 years, so look out for the “Need a van for this?” notes, or read what to know before you buy a fridge van.
1. Mobile food truck
Serve food and drinks on the go. When you operate a mobile food truck, you can set up anywhere you like (provided you have permission) and sell food and drinks. You could head to festivals, sporting events, weddings or community events and sell to big crowds.
2. Mobile ice cream truck
Who hasn’t dreamed of quitting their day job and buying an ice cream truck? You could offer ice cream and frozen treats at events and by simply driving around heavily populated neighbourhoods. While this might be a more seasonal role, you could combine it with a hot chocolate/mulled wine venture to make sure you’ve got the whole year covered.
Need a van for this? Ice cream needs a freezer van, ideally one that goes down to -25°C so it stays hard-frozen. See our ice cream vans and freezer vans for sale.
3. Mobile coffee shop
Who doesn’t love coffee? If you’re passionate about coffee and want to share this with the world, don’t stress about opening a coffee shop. Instead, convert your vehicle into a coffee shop on wheels. This will ensure you can go wherever the people are, setting up in parks, train stations and at busy outdoor markets. A mobile coffee shop is far more flexible than a physical location.
4. Mobile juice bar
Serve fresh juices and smoothies at different locations. Festivals, weddings and sporting events are natural places to start. If you get a licence to serve alcohol, you could also enhance your offering with boozy juice for evening events.
5. Mobile bakery
If you’re a fan of baking, why not turn your passion into a career? You don’t have to pay for expensive premises and worry about your overheads, you can sell freshly baked goods from your van and make the most of this flexible arrangement. When you operate a mobile bakery, you can hire a registered commercial kitchen to do your baking, and then load up your van and deliver to local cafes and restaurants, or sell directly to your customers.
Need a van for this? Cream cakes and fresh fillings need chilling on the move. See our bakery and cake fridge vans.
6. Mobile pizza oven
A mobile pizza oven lets you offer wood-fired pizzas at events and gatherings. The initial investment can be high, because pizza ovens don’t come cheap, but once it’s paid for, each pizza is made from a handful of simple ingredients.
7. Mobile taco stand
Another food truck idea is a mobile taco truck or stand, serving tacos and other Mexican dishes from your vehicle. You’d be welcome at festivals, sporting events, community events, weddings, parties and more.
8. Mobile BBQ catering
Some couples choose a BBQ instead of a sit-down dinner on their wedding day, so why not provide BBQ catering services for parties and events? You’ll need large smokers to prepare your meat ahead of time and then catering supplies to transport it all to the venue. You’re sure to be a welcome sight at a wedding, party or festival. You can either charge a fixed fee to attend and serve a specific amount of food, or charge customers individually and keep going until everything is sold out.
9. Mobile dessert shop
Another common choice for wedding catering is the cupcake stand and sweet shop. You could sell desserts like cupcakes, cookies, and pastries from the back of a van. You can take your mobile dessert shop to specific events and provide the catering, or you could sell items at food festivals, community events and weddings.
10. Mobile gourmet food
If you’re a bit of a foodie and want to share this with the world, why not start a mobile deli? A mobile deli will allow you to offer gourmet dishes and meals at various locations. You won’t be stuck in a single location and customers won’t have to come and find you, you can go and find them. With a catering van, you’ll have all of the flexibility of your own catering counter but without the overheads associated with renting a premises.
11. Mobile salad bar
If you have an appetite for healthy living, why not serve fresh and healthy salads from your vehicle? A mobile salad bar offers a healthy alternative to many fast food takeaway options that are available at events and festivals. By giving customers extra choice, you’ll be setting yourself apart from the competition.
12. Mobile catering service
If you love catering events and coming up with creative menus, you could consider starting a mobile catering service. You can provide catering for weddings, corporate events and more. You’ll prepare the food in a hired kitchen space and then transport it to the event in your van. With no restaurant to run, your overheads stay lower.
Need a van for this? Moving prepared food between kitchen and venue? See our catering delivery vans and chiller or freezer: which do you need?
13. Mobile farmers’ market
You could help more people to eat fresh and local produce by providing a mobile farmers’ market experience. Bring fresh produce and local products to different neighbourhoods and let local people buy directly from the farmers. You could set up at a specific location, or drive around residential areas and share the schedule of where you’ll be on social media.
Need a van for this? Fresh produce, dairy and meat stay fresher in a chiller van. See our farm shop and produce fridge vans.
14. Mobile flower shop
Florist work is highly seasonal and you might not want the costs associated with renting a shop all year round. So why not sell flowers and floral arrangements from your van or car? You’ll be able to set up in prominent shopping locations (with permission from the local council) and then make the most of busy periods, while avoiding the costs associated with trading during quiet periods.
Need a van for this? Heat kills flowers, and so does frost. Read fridge vans for florists and see our flower delivery vans.
15. Mobile pop-up shop
Love fashion and accessories? If you’ve got an eye for retail trends, you could set up a mobile retail store for fashion or niche products. You can attend craft fairs and festivals and give people the opportunity to shop online too. With no retail unit to pay for, your overheads stay lower.
16. Mobile pet grooming
Not everyone has the time to go to the pet groomers, and some people don’t have the transport required to get there. This is why you could make a profit offering pet grooming services at clients’ homes. You can equip your van with everything you need to wash and style pets without the need for expensive business premises. By choosing a mobile business plan, you’ll also be able to expand your target market.
17. Mobile car wash
Many people are proud of their cars and want to keep them looking good, but don’t always have the time or patience to visit a valet car wash. You can provide on-demand car washing and detailing services from the clients’ home so they can get on with their day while they are waiting for you to clean their car.
18. Mobile auto repair
Mobile auto repair is about more than just breakdowns. Some people need on-the-spot car repairs and maintenance services and either cannot drive their car to a garage, or they don’t have the time to do so. As a mobile auto repair shop, you’ll have everything you need in the back of your van and won’t have to pay for expensive premises.
19. Mobile photography studio
If you’re a keen photographer but don’t want to pay for a studio space, you could consider going mobile. Provide on-location photography services and you can set up in any location at any time. You could provide portrait photography or product photography, depending on what interests you the most.
20. Mobile fitness trainer
Not everyone has the time to go to the gym. Help them to access fitness on demand through a mobile fitness trainer business. Offering fitness coaching and workouts at clients’ locations gives you the flexibility to work where you want and when you want. You’ll also enjoy a change of scenery every day, rather than being stuck in the same gym environment.
21. Mobile yoga instructor
If you are a qualified yoga instructor, you could turn this into a profitable mobile business. You can conduct yoga classes at various venues, or run pop up events at stunning locations. You could also invest in inflatable pods to create a hot yoga experience on demand.
22. Mobile personal shopper
If you have an eye for fashion and know how to dress individuals to make the most of their assets, you could consider being a mobile personal shopper. Load up your van with clothing choices and then visit your clients in their home. It suits clients who are too busy to visit a shopping centre.
23. Mobile party planning
Party planners help to take the stress out of organising events by taking care of everything from start to finish. Offer event planning and coordination services at clients’ venues. You’ll be responsible for planning, setting up and taking down events at the end of the day. Expect some anti-social hours.
24. Mobile language school
If you have a passion for languages, you could turn this into a mobile business. You could teach language classes at clients’ homes or offices and offer flexibility to when and where clients can practise their language skills. By making your services mobile, you’ll be able to expand your reach and won’t have to pay for business premises.
25. Mobile tech support
Plenty of small companies need tech support from time to time but can’t afford to pay for full-time staff to complete this role. In this instance, you could provide on-demand tech support for individuals and businesses. If you’re good with computers and can explain complex things in simple ways, then this could suit you.
26. Mobile DJ service
Love music and entertaining people? As a mobile DJ you could provide DJ services for a wide range of events and parties. You’ll need to invest in all of the right equipment, and this could also include lights and haze machines. Once established, you can advertise your services online to target party planners.
27. Mobile videography service
Many companies need professional videography services but can’t afford to hire these skills in-house. Instead of investing in expensive equipment and hiring full-time videographer staff, many bring in a freelance videographer. As a mobile videographer, you could work for corporate clients or get more creative with weddings and events.
28. Mobile art workshop
Bars and venues looking for something different for their events calendar are a natural market. If you’re creative and love to share your skills, you could conduct art workshops and classes at various locations. This could include painting, sketching, watercolours, life drawing or collage classes to help people connect with their creative sides in a fun setting.
29. Mobile hair salon
Not everyone has the time to head to the salon for a haircut. Some mobile hairdressers and barbers work in their clients’ homes; others set up a barber shop in the back of a van. Setting up as a mobile hair stylist will allow you to escape the high start up costs and avoid the need to stick to a single location.
30. Mobile fashion stylist
Not everyone knows what looks work for them, and when they need advice they will turn to a fashion stylist. If you have an eye for fashion and get on well with people, you could offer fashion styling and wardrobe consultations on-the-go. You can visit customers in their homes or meet them in department stores to help them make the most of the experience.
31. Mobile massage therapy
If you’re a qualified massage therapist and want to be your own boss, you might consider offering mobile services. You would provide massage services at clients’ homes or workplaces. Your clients will be busy professionals who don’t have the time to visit a spa but need to access treatments to help them to unwind and relax. As a mobile practitioner, you could also offer massages at events like wellness festivals.
32. Mobile spa
If you don’t want to limit yourself to just massages, you could create an entire spa experience in the back of a van. When you offer spa treatments and relaxation services from your vehicle, you can expand your target market and visit customers in their own homes. And you won’t be paying rent on premises. You can also be flexible in the treatments you offer, including things like facials, manicures and spray tans.
33. Mobile personal training
Not everyone has the time to go to the gym, but they still want to be accountable and meet their fitness goals. If you’re a qualified personal trainer, you could provide one-on-one fitness training sessions at clients’ locations. This varied and challenging role will keep you active and engaged with your clients, as you’ll have to find ways to help them keep fit outside of the gym. This could mean training in gardens, front rooms or parks.
34. Mobile escape room
A truck can make a good mobile escape room. If you have a creative vision for mystery and puzzles, you could create a portable escape room experience for events and parties. Rather than renting expensive premises in prime retail locations, your escape room will be completely mobile and flexible. You could take it to offices and let staff complete their team building without leaving their grounds, or you could take it to festivals and offer an express escape room experience.
35. Mobile bouncy castle hire
You could set up your own mobile bouncy castle hire for kids and adults alike. Bouncy castles are popular for school events, kids parties, weddings and grown up birthdays. All you have to do is drive to the location, set everything up and then return at the end of the rental period to collect it.
36. Mobile refill station
Refill shops let people cut down on single-use plastic. Stock up a van with a range of popular household refill items and then allow individuals to fill up their own containers. You’ll buy in bulk and then sell your products for a markup, and you’ll have zero waste to worry about.
37. Mobile car rental
Car rental companies often have locations in city centres and near airports that allow you to pick up and rent cars, but this isn’t always convenient. With a mobile car rental service, you can deliver rental cars to customers’ locations and remove one common obstacle to renting a vehicle. It suits busy people who don’t have the time to visit a collection point. It also means that you won’t be paying to hold rental car stock in prime locations.
38. Mobile tech recycling
Another eco-friendly option for a mobile business idea is a mobile tech recycling unit. Lots of people have electronics sitting around at home and they have no idea what to do with them. You can collect old electronics and recycle them on-site, either repairing and reselling them, or pulling out the valuable components and recycling them for money. Either way, you’ll be helping to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill every year.
39. Mobile pop-up cinema
Love films? Why not set up a mobile outdoor cinema for movie screenings. All you’ll need to set up this business is a powerful projector, sound system and an inflatable cinema screen. Customers can hire the ultimate outdoor film experience for birthday parties, weddings and corporate events. If you also invest in a marquee, you can set up your mobile pop-up cinema no matter the weather.
40. Mobile bookstore
Avid readers will love the idea of setting up a mobile bookshop and travelling around to sell the latest must-reads. You can help to connect remote communities by selling books and literature from a mobile van or truck. You could also run a programme of literary events, including travelling book launches and reading groups. This is a great way to channel your passion for literature into something inspiring and uplifting.
Closing thoughts
These are just some of the mobile business ideas you could explore. If your idea involves food, drink or flowers, remember that food businesses must register with their local council at least 28 days before trading, and chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below. Read 20 business ideas that need refrigerated vans for more.
Need a van for your idea? We sell new and used refrigerated vans and freezer vans, from small city vans to large Sprinters, with finance from a £500 +VAT deposit. Call 01444 245555 and tell us what you plan to carry.
