Knowledge Marketplace
My First Million

My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

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Launch a local service business by leveraging neighborhood complaints and pre-selling before building infrastructure

Entrepreneurs who want to start location-based service businesses with minimal upfront investment

60-90 days from idea to first customer

What Success Looks Like

$100K+ in pre-sales, verified demand, operational business serving customers profitably

Steps to Execute

1

Identify widespread neighborhood complaint through social media groups

2

Post in local Facebook groups gauging switching interest

3

Create simple landing page with referral incentives

4

Set minimum viable customer threshold (e.g., 200 signups)

5

Collect pre-payments via Stripe

6

Source equipment and infrastructure with pre-sale cash

7

Hire initial team

8

Begin service delivery

Checklist

Confirmed recurring problem affecting many neighbors
Active Facebook/Nextdoor group with 500+ members
Identified current provider's key weaknesses
Calculated unit economics and profitability
Found reliable equipment suppliers
Created referral/word-of-mouth system
Established operational processes

Inputs Needed

  • Active local community group
  • Recurring service problem
  • Basic website building skills
  • Access to equipment financing
  • Time for customer service and operations

Outputs

  • Validated local business
  • Customer base with recurring revenue
  • Neighborhood brand recognition
  • Operational framework scalable to other areas

Example

“Frustrated with unreliable trash pickup, Spencer posted in neighborhood Facebook group, got 150 responses, created lonartrash.com with referral program, collected $155K in pre-sales, bought truck and bins, now serves 200+ houses”