The SEM & SEO industry is flourishing. New SEO companies spring up each day. So what stops anyone from starting an SEO company? Well, nothing really. Since the industry is so unknown to the public, most people still don't understand what SEO really is, anyone can really start a company. Most of you know that I won't sell "SEO services" to anyone. That is just my comfort level of building out large dynamic sites that do well in search engines. We build the site and do our best to make sure it does well on all level's, especially the back-office components.
A thread at Search Engine Watch Forums named Starting SEO business. Any advice? kinda steamrolled from advice on how to start one, into why the heck would you want to start one without SEO experience. Jill Whalen remarks; "I'm confused as to why people wake up one morning and say "hey, I think I'll open up an SEO shop" whoo hoo!" Andrew Goodman follows that post up with; "He's an SEO company now! To me it just screams that he's between jobs." But Mikkel deMib Svendsen plays devils advocate; "Off course, it depends on what kind of person you are. I am the jump-in-the-water-and-see-what-happens kind of guy - and so far I survived just fine."