Business services are activities that support business operations yet do not produce a tangible commodity. These include IT services, shipping and procurement, marketing and financial services. Business service providers can help companies save time, increase revenue and improve productivity. They also provide specialized labor, expertise and facilities that businesses don’t have or can’t afford to develop in-house.
There are many jobs in the field of business services, and it is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in this sector will grow faster than the average occupation over the next decade. In addition, job opportunities in this sector are highly competitive and often pay well.
Typically, a person seeking a career in business services will need to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field. This includes degrees like business, management, finance and economics. In some cases, employers may prefer applicants with previous sales or customer service experience.
A common misconception about business services is that they are the same as IT services. While they share some similarities, IT services are more focused on the technical aspects of a company’s infrastructure and productivity. Business services, on the other hand, are more concerned with the building of service systems in order to deliver value to customers and act in the roles of both service provider and service consumer.