In 2020, Josh Canfield’s sales job was disrupted by COVID-19. His wife was pregnant and about to start graduate school.

He needed to make money, so he started mowing lawns until he could get back into sales.

Six years later, his company, Pinstripe Lawn Care & Landscaping, generates approximately $6 million annually.

And Josh’s story is part of something much bigger happening in America.

While everyone is talking about AI and technology startups, there’s another industry getting a lot of attention: skilled trades and everyday service businesses.

And some of the biggest companies in America are betting on it.

Why Everyone Is Suddenly Interested In The Trades

Here’s something interesting about the AI boom. All those data centers being built need electricians, HVAC technicians, construction workers and plumbers.

Meta says its data center projects have supported more than 30,000 skilled-trade jobs since 2010.

And Lowe’s Foundation has committed $250 million to help train 250,000 tradespeople by 2035.

Meanwhile, young Americans are paying attention.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse , enrollment at vocational-focused community colleges increased nearly 20% between 2020 and 2025.

And there’s another reason this industry is interesting for founders.

Many of these businesses provide services people need regardless of what’s happening with technology.

Your air conditioner still breaks. Your pipes still leak. Commercial buildings still need maintenance.

And someone has to provide those services.

You Don’t Have To Invent Something New

Josh didn’t come up with a revolutionary business idea. He started mowing lawns because he needed to pay his bills.

But he recognized that there was a bigger opportunity than mowing one lawn at a time.

He shifted toward commercial property managers who could give him multiple contracts through one relationship.

He built recurring maintenance work into the business.

He also developed an app that lets customers track completed work, see photos and request additional services.

That’s how he turned an ordinary service into a multimillion-dollar company.

And there are several ways founders can enter this market.

Start A Business, Or Buy One That’s Already Running

The first option is to start small, like Josh.

You could launch a cleaning company, window cleaning, landscaping service, painting business or another local service. You don’t necessarily need to personally perform every job forever. You can build a company around finding customers, hiring qualified workers and managing operations.

The second option is buying an existing business.

Thousands of business owners from the baby boomer generation are approaching retirement, and many need someone to take over.

A 2026 McKinsey analysis estimates that approximately six million small and medium-size businesses will face ownership transitions by 2035.

And business school graduates are already pursuing this opportunity.

There’s even a name for it: entrepreneurship through acquisition.

Imagine buying a plumbing company whose owner is retiring, then improving its marketing, customer follow-ups, scheduling and operations.

Of course, buying a business comes with risks, including debt, staffing problems and the possibility of overpaying.

But you’re not starting with an unproven idea.

Where Founders Can Find The Opportunity

Look for businesses with consistent demand, repeat customers and operational problems you know how to solve.

Maybe it’s a landscaping company that doesn’t follow up with leads. A cleaning business with no recurring contracts. Or an HVAC company still managing appointments on paper.

Those are problems that can become business opportunities.

Josh started with a lawn mower because he needed to support his family. Today, his company supports dozens of families across four states.

The bigger lesson is that you don’t have to invent the next AI company to benefit from where the economy is heading.

Sometimes the opportunity is taking a business that’s been around for decades and figuring out how to run it better.