Glossary:Business services
Business services are activities (business functions) performed by an enterprise for another enterprise and/or the public administration. They include:
- technical services such as engineering, architecture and technical studies;
- computer services such as software design and database management;
- other professional services such as legal, accounting, consultancy and management services.
The business services sector refers to the economic activities covered by NACE Rev. 2 Divisions 62, 69, 71, 73 and 78 and Groups 58.2, 63.1 and 70.2, and the enterprises or parts of enterprises that carry out those activities.
Although business services are in principle supplied to other enterprises and/or the public administration, households may also make use of some of them, especially legal, architectural, engineering and technical testing activities. Many of these services could be performed in-house by the enterprise itself, but purchasing (outsourcing) them from service providers enables an enterprise to focus on core activities and take advantage of the specialization offered by service providers. As such, an efficient and successful business services sector can contribute to the overall competitiveness of the economy.