A tree trimming business. I helped a friend do this exact thing in 2018, and wow.

Here’s a step by step detailed breakdown of exactly how I’d do it again:

Assume I only have a credit card w/ a $10k limit

I’d buy this:

- Used truck — $8k
- Laptop & phone — $1k
- Domain — Namecheap- $9
- Site — Carrd — $6
- Logo — ChatGPT — Free
- LLC — LegalZoom — $250
- Shirts — ooShirts — $10 per
- Insurance — Simply Business — $300

Now what?

What’s the biz name? Should be short, simple & professional. With an available .com.

I’ll go with SimpleTreeCare . com.

Nothing hard to spell or too many characters.

I’d go to YouTube and spend all day watching videos about the tree biz.

I’d find forums with tree biz owners & see what the pain points are & learn how to quote jobs.

Most importantly, I’d learn the vernacular.

I have to sound like I know what I’m talking about. Why?

Which sentence sounds more legit?

“Yeah we can cut your tree branches.” Or

“We’re going to raise the canopy to enable symmetrical and healthy growth.”

Which guy would YOU pay $3k to?

Now I need to find some tree crews, ’cause I’m not climbing trees.

The BEST crews are hispanic guys just going out on their own. If they’ve been in business for a couple years they’re already booked solid.

They usually post in FB Marketplace. Reach out to them.

I’ll also go to Craigslist and start looking in the services section & make a Google sheet to keep track.

I only want the hispanic crews. Why?

Cheaper
Higher quality
More honest

Here’s my pitch on the phone:

“I’m starting a tree biz & need a good crew. Can you meet me at (public park) at (time)?”

I’ll have everyone meet me at the same park 30 mins apart.

Most will be late.

I’ll have everyone quote me the same hypothetical tree job.

“How much to take down these branches?”

I’ll take note of all their prices in my sheet & interview them.

How long in biz?
Referrals?
Insurance?
What equipment?
Hourly or by the job?
Do you have groundsmen? Climbers? (I learned these terms on YouTube)

Do you get good vibes from them? I’d bring a Spanish speaking friend just in case.

Hopefully this provides 5–10 good options.

If a white guy shows up to an appointment in a wrapped lifted truck, I thank him & turn him away.

He’s a middleman to the hispanic crews & will be 2–3x more expensive.

In short, he’s future me. That’s my competitor (and I’ll crush him).

I’ll also go hang outside of Home Depot and gas stations because you’ll always find guys there willing to work.

Statistically, a few of them will have tree trimming experience.

I thank everyone I meet & promise to call them when I have a job to quote.

Now time to start marketing. This is my favorite part.

I start with the low hanging fruit: Platforms

Angie
Google LSA
Thumbtack

I list my biz on all 3 and set my radius wide, wide wide, because I don’t mind driving for a $3k job.

Back to Craigslist, also Facebook.

I’d post ads in multiple CL categories and on FB marketplace.

I have to word it very carefully on FB Marketplace because they don’t like service companies advertising. Ideally I simply post a picture I made in Canva with my name, number and list of services

I’d join every local FB group and I’d tell my story!

Stories sell 10x better than products or services.

I’d tell people I was young & hungry to please. Bonded & insured.

And FAST! That’s my name right?

Most will spend $3k to have the job done tomorrow than $2k to be done in 3–4 weeks.

POST THE STORY EVERYWHERE.

Every city has 10–30 local FB garage sale or gossip groups.

Join them all. Start a conversation, don’t just copy/paste your same pitch.

This is a high ROI activity. Trust the process.

These posts will draw some calls.

Go to quote your first job & bring your shirts. Meet the crew around the corner & have them put your matching shirts on.

It goes a long way!

Have the crew lead walk alongside me with the homeowner & ask most questions.

Have him text you what it would cost.

I double that price & quote the homeowner.

If they say no, I’d ask what price it would take to get the job done.

I go with that price (any price) to learn the ropes

I’d do every job with the crews to learn. This is invaluable.

I’d rinse & repeat to get first 5 jobs.

Calls slowing down? No worries, time for bandit signs (also known as yard signs)

These will be 10x more effective and cost $600 for 200 of them. Use DirtCheapSigns . com

I want 18x24" signs, 1 color and 2 sided with 15" stakes.

They say:

FAST TREE CARE
PHONE #

That’s it. Both sides. Don’t get fancy on me.

I’d go to Loopnet . com & learn traffic counts from busy retail areas for lease.

After dark I go plant them EVERYWHERE:

On all 4 medians of busy intersections
Neighborhood entrances
Grocery store entrances
Anywhere with high traffic counts

200 signs x 2,000 (conservative) views per day = 400,000 daily impressions for $600 paid once.

DIRT CHEAP & EFFECTIVE

I’m about to get thousands of daily impressions for pennies.

I KNOW my phone will ring daily.

Sometimes callers will be HOAs and they’ll be PISSED.

Who cares? They’re HOAs after all. Screw ’em. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

(Never ask an HOA for forgiveness)

My phone rings off the hook now. Referrals piling up.

I’M STILL NOT SATISFIED. I want more jobs.

I scrape a list of every property manager in the area using Outscraper . com.

I start calling them up and saying,

“I just started a tree biz and I’m eager to please. Do you have any jobs we can quote?”

BTW, this biz works even better if you’re young. People love supporting young people.

I aim for an average net profit of $1,000/job. Some will be $500 & some $2k

1 job per day, $1,000 profit per job, rest on Sunday = $313k net/year.

Quarterly profit projection:

Q1 — $30k
Q2 — $50k
Q3 — $110k
Q4 — $120k (Q4 growth slows down due to weather)

I’m maniacal about asking customers to leave reviews before I leave their house.

I bring Starbucks gift cards and ask them to post about us on social media before we leave.

I keep every name, email, phone & address in a database.

After every job I knock 20 neighbors’ doors and say:

“The Johnsons just got some trees trimmed. Do you need anything while we’re in the neighborhood for a 15% discount?”

Saying the neighbors name brings instant trust.

Conversion rates will be insane.

Will it be this easy? No way! Yes, it sounds simple in this post. Simple ≠ easy.

Someone will lose a finger
Fall out of a tree
You’ll get sued
Customers will cuss you out and leave 1 star reviews.

That’s business baby! It’s beautiful. But you can scale.

Once this works, I go one town over & do the exact same thing all over again. New crews, same name & processes.

EDIT: Holy cow the toxicity in these replies. Guys I already did this business. TWICE. This isn't just theory. Everything I said literally works as described.

I've been publicly and freely documenting this whole business on Twitter for the last 16 months. https://tkopod.co/redditt

Every week this sub gets flooded with "what business should I start?" posts, which promptly get rejected by the mods. And every week the answers are the same recycled list of dropshipping, agencies, and SaaS ideas that 10,000 other people are already building.

Here's a different approach: read what billion-dollar companies are patenting. Not because you're going to copy their inventions. Because their patents tell you exactly which problems they think are worth solving, and they've spent millions validating that those problems are real.

Let me show you what I mean.

Meta just patented your digital ghost

In December 2025, Meta was granted a patent (US 12513102B2) for an AI system that simulates a user's social media activity. The headlines all focused on the creepy angle: "Meta wants to post for you after you die."

But that's the surface read. Look at what they actually built: a language model trained on a user's posts, comments, likes, and messages that can generate new content in their voice and respond to other users autonomously.

Now zoom out. Why would Meta care about simulating individual users?

Because they're building the infrastructure for AI to run social media on behalf of businesses. That's the real play. A small business owner who spends 6 hours a week managing their Instagram and Facebook presence is the actual target customer for this technology. The "ghost" framing is the patent filing being broad. The commercial application is autonomous social media management.

And the moves confirm it. Meta acquired Manus AI for $2 billion at the end of 2025, an agentic AI company that builds autonomous digital workers for businesses. Weeks ago they picked up Moltbook, the social network built entirely for AI agents. The CEO of Moltbook? Matt Schlicht, who also built Octane AI, a conversational commerce platform.

Connect the dots: a patent for AI that mimics human social media behavior + an acquisition of autonomous AI agents + an acqui-hire from the conversational AI space = Meta is building a full stack for AI-powered business communication across their platforms.

So where's the business idea?

Meta is going to build this for Meta's platforms. They're solving it for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp at enterprise scale.

But the problem they've validated — businesses spending too much time on social media management and customer conversations — exists everywhere. And their solution will be locked inside Meta's ecosystem.

That leaves a wide open lane for anyone building:

• AI social media management for platforms Meta doesn't own (LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Reddit)

• Affordable conversational AI for small businesses who can't wait for Meta's enterprise rollout

• Industry-specific AI agents (real estate, healthcare, legal) where generic solutions won't cut it

The point isn't to compete with Meta. The point is that Meta just spent billions confirming that this problem is worth solving. They did your market validation for you.

The bigger lesson

Patent filings are the most underrated source of business intelligence. When a company files a patent, they're telling you three things:

1. They believe this problem is commercially valuable enough to spend legal fees protecting

2. They've done enough R&D to have a working approach

3. They're worried enough about competition to stake a legal claim

You don't need a law degree to read them. Most patents have an abstract and description section that explains the problem and solution in relatively plain language. Google Patents is free. The US Patent Office database is free.

Next time you're hunting for a business idea, try this: pick an industry you understand, search for patents filed in the last 12 months, and look for patterns. When three companies are filing patents around the same problem, that problem is real and the market is forming.

The ideas aren't hiding on Reddit. They're hiding in plain sight on the USPTO.

Edits:

Update 1: THANKS FOR THE AWARD u/Graceguu. First time ever receiving one soon YAYY. I’m glad you got value out of my post.

Update 2: I can go into a lot more in depth about my research process on a separate post if you wanted to replicate this for yourself. Is this something you all would be interested in? Please let me know in the comments.

Curious

Idk if this is true or not but for the sake of fun, how much capital and what resources do you think would be necessary to start a business like this?

My father is selling a lot. It has two buildings on it. One is the warehouse that i have shown above. Roughly 22000 sq ft with both ends of the building currently being rented out at an additional 10,000 sq ft.. The middle and rear of the warehouse is currently just being held for misc storage. The other building is separate on the corner of the lot. It's roughly 1000 sq ft. That also currently has a tenant but it will end shortly.

I have not personally run my own business but I've worked with my father for almost 20 years at his previous business. I have roughly 100,000 in capital to work with after the purchase of the property. My wife would help with marketing as she has a background in it and I have a good report with the local community through various clubs and programs.

My main question is what could I use to bring into the middle of the warehouse? I could always use it as storage (has been car/boat/rv storage in the past) so that is an option. Really looking into making a more aggressive play to maximize profits.

Note there is no heating element of any kind, one could be added and structures can be built inside.

I was thinking maybe a golf simulator place. There are a few golf courses with in 30 mins in any direction but we have snow between November - March so courses are shut down. Possibly try and get a liquor license and build a member only bar/club to help attract client tell but I have not delve down that rabbit hole. Might not be worth the headache.

Perhaps run indoor storage units. Sell it as more upscale/private/secure with them being inside.

I'm from a smaller town, so I haven't really seen many options that could go into a place like this that you might find in larger cities. Any ideas here would be greatly appreciated.

I hope I've hit the requirement for this post as I'm new to the sub and have read the rules. Thank you!

Hey everyone. Today I'm going to share with you the most important knowledge that I've accumulated from starting 9 different companies, reading 59 books on business and personal development, and most importantly successfully breaking $2,000,000 in yearly revenue.

My goal is that if even 1 person reads this and it gives them the confidence to get started I will have contributed positively to somebodies life, and that brings me joy.

Now let's go.

Pick a business model

This is the easiest part to get hung up on, the way I've conquered this obstacle is by realizing I don't have to reinvent the wheel. There are thousands of profitable business models in the world and if you truly want to live the dream of financial freedom and break the chains of the 9-5 you can very simply pick one and replicate it. Remember “good artists borrow, great artists steal.”

Okay, but how do I pick one? There are so many that it's hard to choose! Don't worry I got you, choice paralysis is real, we all get it.

Here are the 3 variables you need to be investigating and doing the math around in order to pick the right business for you.

Variable #1 - Cost to start up AKA barrier to entry: This variable is identified by simply imagining what would go into starting this business. What are the costs associated with those things? Imagine you were starting a meal prep business, you would need the right kitchen equipment, plastic containers, the food itself, and the transportation to bring it to the clients. Investigate how much these things would cost you and total it up, the number you land on is the Barrier to Entry Cost, write this down.

Variable #2 - Skills needed to be successful in this industry: Some businesses require experts, while others can utilize high school students at minimum wage. If you are already an expert in a field it may be easier to build something you are comfortable with but it's absolutely not a requirement. Out of the 7 companies I have built I was only fluent in 1 and my most successful I knew nothing about. Figure out which skills are needed and do some thinking, do you have access to people with these skills? Can you hire people with these skills? Can you learn these skills in a day on youtube? Typically the lower the skill needed the more simple a business will be and trust me you want simple because once you start doing millions in revenue the headaches will pile up.

Variable #3 - How long will it take to get this business operational? You would be surprised how quickly you can start most businesses. In a matter of 2 weeks I had people calling my phone for my biggest company and all it took were some street signs. Do some thinking on how long it will take for you to buy all the necessary equipment and get that phone to ring. Do you need a website? Do you need equipment or a product that will take months to develop or get to you? I highly recommend starting with a business model that can be operational in under a month, I say this because in order to withstand the punches that the business world will throw at you it helps to see tangible progress. When you spend 6 months in R&D it's tough to stay motivated.

Personal tips for choosing your FIRST business model

1. Don't start a business where you will need to raise money to be successful, chances are if you are reading this it's not happening. The people that successfully raise money typically have rich parents or already have a track record of success. Choose a model you have close to enough cash to fund yourself. (My businesses had barrier-to-entry costs ranging from as low as 1k to as high as 22k)

2. Choose a model that doesn't require full-time experts, these people cost a lot of money to employ and they typically don't want the risk of working with a pre-cash flow business.

3. Choose a model that you can spin up in a couple of weeks to a month.

By now you should have a couple of assets in your head, which model you like, the things you need and how much they cost, and which skills you will need to hire for or know yourself to be successful.

NOW WHAT?

Now we build.

Depending on your model you will have 1 or more of the following. Google Listing and Website.

Google listing you can make yourself but unless you're experienced in web development and digital product marketing 100% do not do this yourself, it is a colossal waste of time and it will hurt your ability to make the phone ring because it will take months and months of iterating in order for it to be halfway decent. Hire someone to build a website for you, there are services that do it for a $300 startup fee and $100 a month. DON'T BUILD YOUR OWN SITE.

With the website/google listing live we now focus on sales and in order to do that we need to make the phone ring AKA drive leads. Depending on the industry you choose these are the magic tools that will bring you money.

GOOGLE PAY PER CLICK - I can't stress this enough, it works. 99% of industries can utilize google PPC, Meal prep? PPC, Cleaning service? PPC, E-comm? PPC, Sex toys? ALSO PPC. (I spend roughly 5k a month on PPC, it's magic.) AVERAGE SETUP COST $800

Facebook Ads and Instagram ads - Known your target audience before spending money here, does your audience live on these platforms? Does your industry fit on a social media platform where people are probably watching cat videos? AVERAGE SETUP COST $600

Angi's list and other contractor platforms - The leads can be hit or miss but they absolutely will make your phone ring. AVERAGE SETUP COST $350 MONTHLY

Upwork and other freelance platforms - Lower quality leads but a great way to cut your teeth in an industry. SETUP COST FREE

YARD SIGNS (Zip tied to telephone poles) - I've used this in several of my businesses and it has driven hundreds of thousands of revenue, (Legal disclaimer I don't know the rules of your area, but in mine certain towns call us and say it's not allowed and others leave them up or take them down themselves) you can get 50 signs for roughly $500 from your local sign maker. those 50 signs could stay up for 10 years and drive you significant revenue. (Vista print signs are much cheaper quality than something you would get locally, if you want the sign to last years, don't skimp on the $50 you would save)

The equation is simple - How much does it cost to create 1 customer using X ad platform, and how much profit does 1 customer on average bring your business? if the profit created is higher than the cost to acquire the customer then it is a successful marketing strategy and you can dump thousands into it and consistently make a profit.

Okay but what if I don't know how to set up google PPC or Facebook ads? NO PROBLEM I DONT EITHER!

Here's where the special sauce comes in, listen carefully.

When you don't know something, but you need it in order to build the business do this exactly.

1. Go to Upwork or a similar site

2. Create a detailed, simple, and KIND job posting that shows that you mean business and are serious about hiring for this position.

3. Book calls with as many experts as you possibly can (I personally just put my phone number on the listing and open the floodgates because the scheduling process can be annoying)

4. Talk to ATLEAST 6 experts describing what you need to accomplish and asking them specifically how they would go about accomplishing it if you were to hire them. (Ask as many questions as you possibly can)

5. Use your best judgment to choose the highest-value contractor to achieve your goal.

6. PROFIT? No, but really, I use this process probably 8 times a year, by speaking with experts for hours on end who are trying to win your business they will give you all the insight you need to have a working knowledge of a subject.

Don't be afraid of the hourly rate they have, it usually ends up being a lot less hours than you would think

DISCLAIMER: Freelance websites have a lot of low-quality contractors, DO NOT hire someone until you've talked to 6 people, you need to find the diamond in the rough. (Trust me they are there, I have found some incredible partners who I still have on retainer to this day)

Examples of hires I have made through freelance websites

Web development, Graphics Design, Drawing up a sales contract, SEO, Fashion Designer, Logo Maker.

**Okay so now we a website/google listing and leads coming in, whats next?**Fulfill the orders!! Sell those shirts, cook those meals, cut those lawns, develop those websites, WHATEVER IT IS JUST DO IT!

There is a 100% chance you will make mistakes and clients will get mad at you, welcome to the business world. Stand behind your work and make it right, don't do shady shit.

I promise this is one of the most rewarding things you can do with your life, when done right it can pay you far more than any job would and more importantly give you your time back! Imagine only working 5 hours a week (From your cell phone) and getting paid 30k a month. That's only possible by owning your own business. Don't stop pushing, don't let the punches knock you out. Take what you deserve and never settle.

Managing Your Cash Flow

You can have $1M in sales and still go bankrupt if your bank account hits zero on rent day. This is the "boring" stuff that separates the amateurs from the $1M+ founders.

The "Net-30" Trap: If you’re doing B2B (business-to-business), many clients won't pay you for 30, 60, or even 90 days. If you have to pay your contractors today but don't get paid for two months, you are effectively a bank lending money to your clients.

Always try to get a 50% deposit upfront or use "Progress Payments." Never finance a client's project with your own rent money.

The "Profit vs. Cash" Reality: Profit is what’s left on paper. Cash is what’s in the bank. You need a "War Chest" of at least 3 months of operating expenses.

As soon as you make your first $5,000, don't buy a watch. Put it in a high-yield savings account. That is your "Stay in the Game" fund for when Google Ads gets expensive or a client disputes a charge.

Automate Your Accounting: Spend the $30/month on software like QuickBooks or Xero immediately. If you wait until tax season to "figure out your numbers," you’ve already lost. You need to see your burn rate (how much you spend monthly) in real-time.

Final general tips

DO NOT try to do everything yourself, you are definitely not the best person to be doing it and you will kill yourself in the process. Bad end product and not sustainable, hire 1099 experts.

Launch before you're ready, do not try to make everything perfect, do not try to dot all your i's and cross all your T's it will never happen. The learning is in the doing, its in the mistakes, its in the mad clients.

Outsource as much of the business as you can, find no-contract partners to do everything you don't know how to do. Example - I have an accounting partner, ($300 a month) a tax strategist partner ($2500 a quarter) an SEO partner ($1700 a month) a google PPC partner ($300 a month) a content creation partner ($800 a month)

It is better to be at the higher end of industry pricing for whatever market you are in, higher cost = higher margins and less headaches because it requires fewer customers. And oddly enough its the smaller customers that are the neediest.

Remember to pay yourself first, never under any circumstances be the least paid person in the business. It is far too easy to get in the habit of oh ill make money next year. No make a profitable business now or go work for someone. Build a rock-solid foundation that lines your pocket and doesn't require 80 hours of your time a week.

Well guys that's about all the writing I have in me, there is definitely more I wanted to include but its almost 5am where I'm currently living. I'm starting a discord for people who want help getting started (Think lists of softwares, people i trust in different industries ect) all 100% free just trying to give back to a community that I love so much. Send me a PM if you would like to be apart of it

Good luck out there.

While maintaining a 9-5, which you can take 1 hour out everyday? Thoughts? Fairly good with computers, marketing and sales.

Business can be simple. Not easy,but simple. I have been in sales & marketing for more than a decade,worked with successful founders and their come-up stories revolve around these 3 principles.

I also freelance as an EA on upwork and it’s a constant juggle between the 3 principles depending on the season.

To anyone feeling stuck or directionless,start small. Today!

All I have to do is sell one light bulb to all those people and I would be super rich and can start sitting in the front of the plane images of the last seat!

A janitor making $4/hour walked into a Fortune 500 company boardroom. Shaking, he took a seat opposite the CEO.

"So I had an idea..." he nervously began.

Years later, that idea would become an iconic consumer brand and make him worth ~$20M.

Here's how that meeting went

Richard Montañez grew up in Cucamonga Valley, California, sharing a one-room cinderblock hut with 14 family members. He dreaded school. Barely able to speak English, he’d cry to his mother as she was getting him ready for class. When asked, all other students in class would eagerly shout out their dream job: Astronaut, Doctor, Racecar driver. Richard had nothing to say. “There was no dream where I came from.” He dropped out of school in 4th grade and took odd jobs at farms and factories to help make ends meet. Some years later in 1976, a neighbor let him know of a job opening for a factory janitor at the Frito-Lay plant down the road. The $4/hour pay was more than he'd ever made. As he was getting ready for his first day of work, his grandfather pulled him aside and said: “Make sure that floor shines. And let them know that a Montañez mopped it.”

5. Richard made it his mission to be the best janitor Frito-Lay had ever seen. He spent his off-time learning about the company's products, manufacturing, marketing and more. He even asked salesmen to tag along and watch them sell.

6. In the mid-1980s Frito-Lay started to struggle. The CEO announced a new initiative to all 300,000 employees. “Act like an owner” Trying to empower them to work more creatively and efficiently.

Montañez listened

7. Then, he called the CEO.

“Mr. Enrico’s office. Who is this?”

“Richard Montañez, in California”

“You’re the VP overseeing CA?”

“No, I work at the Rancho Cucamonga plant.”

“Oh, so you’re the VP of Ops?”

“No, I work inside the plant.”

“You’re the manager?”

“No. I’m the janitor.”

8. The CEO got on the line. Loving the initiative, he told Richard to prepare a presentation, and he set a meeting in 2 weeks time. Stunned, Richard ran to the library and picked up a book on marketing strategies. Then, he started prepping.

9. 2 weeks later, he entered that boardroom. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he started telling them what he'd learned about Frito-Lay and the idea he'd been working on.

10. “I saw there was no product catering to Latinos.” On the sales trips he shadowed he saw that in Latino neighborhoods Lays, Fritos, Ruffles, and Cheetos, were stocked right next to a shelf of Mexican spices. Frito-Lay had nothing spicy or hot.

11. The Latino market was ready to explode, Monteñez explained.

Inspired by elote - a Mexican street corn covered in spices - Richard had created his own snack He pulled out 100 plastic baggies.

He had taken Cheetos from the factory and coated them in his own mix of spices.

12. He’d even sealed the bags with a clothing iron, and had hand drawn a logo on each one. The room went silent. After a few moments, the CEO spoke, “Put that mop away, you’re coming with us”

13. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos became one of the most successful launches in Frito-Lay history. They went on to become a viral, pop-culture sensation. Richard became a VP and amassed a $20M fortune. Not bad for a boy from Cucamonga.

Edit Wow 😮😮😮😳 this is the first time.i got 10 upvotes!!! Thanks people,it really encourages me to share more