Turning a task I currently do as an employee into a B2B service, looking for advice

I currently work for a company where part of my job involves performing a specific, recurring task using a particular software.

This got me thinking. Instead of continuing to perform this task exclusively for one company as an employee with a fixed salary, I’m considering whether I could turn the underlying expertise and process into a B2B service and offer it to multiple companies.

In other words, rather than having one employer pay me to do this internally, I would have several companies paying me to provide the same service externally.

The main challenge is how to get started.

My current employer would potentially be extremely valuable as a first client and as a source of referrals. If they were happy with the service, they might recommend me to other companies or colleagues in the same industry.

However, I’m hesitant to bring this idea up with my employer too early. I currently have a stable job, and I don't know how they would react if I told them that I was considering turning something I currently do as an employee into a service that I could offer to other companies.

I'd like to figure out what are the best steps, and also:

• How to validate whether companies would actually pay for this service
• How to approach potential clients without putting my current job at risk
• How to structure the service so it can be delivered to multiple companies
• How to determine a reasonable pricing model
• How to get the first few clients
• And eventually, how to automate parts of the process using software/AI

Has anyone here gone through a similar transition — from performing a specific function as an employee to offering that function as a B2B service?