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This is what my wife and I spent our free time doing 9 years ago on this day.
I wore holes in 3 pairs of jeans writing 2000+ ads just like this on the streets of Boston.
Marketing budget was $200 in chalk.
It worked. We got 2,000 customers first year and $500k of revenue.
I wore holes in 3 pairs of jeans writing 2000+ ads just like this on the streets of Boston.
Marketing budget was $200 in chalk.
It worked. We got 2,000 customers first year and $500k of revenue.
We'd find the locations where all the freshmen walked every day on the way to class and put 4-5 ads.
BU, NEU, Tufts, Harvard, MIT, Brandeis.
I'd go from school to school and paint the campuses.
It was a real bummer when it rained.
BU, NEU, Tufts, Harvard, MIT, Brandeis.
I'd go from school to school and paint the campuses.
It was a real bummer when it rained.
We came out of nowhere and blindsided the competitors. Too many customers to handle honestly.
The chalk ads shifted from customer ads to employment ads towards the end of April.
"$15 per hour + tips, flexible schedule, storagesquad dot com/apply"
The chalk ads shifted from customer ads to employment ads towards the end of April.
"$15 per hour + tips, flexible schedule, storagesquad dot com/apply"
Notice my wife has sponges in her hands.
We learned that if you rub it with a damp sponge the chalk doesn't blow away and you can get another few days out of it.
Our competitors took too much time drawing elaborate ads.
We pumped out the simple ones and it worked way better.
We learned that if you rub it with a damp sponge the chalk doesn't blow away and you can get another few days out of it.
Our competitors took too much time drawing elaborate ads.
We pumped out the simple ones and it worked way better.
I could do 30 ads in high traffic areas in a few hours. 1/2 of our customers noted "sidewalk chalk" as how they heard about us and the rest noted "friend".
I bet I made north of $500 an hour when I was out there doing that.
Sometimes you gotta do the stuff that doesn't scale.
I bet I made north of $500 an hour when I was out there doing that.
Sometimes you gotta do the stuff that doesn't scale.
Four years into this brutally hard business not only did we know how to handle logistics of 200+ part time employees all driving trucks & servicing customers in 10 cities at the same time...
But we knew how to hire, manage, fire, build processes, sell.
And we had some $.
But we knew how to hire, manage, fire, build processes, sell.
And we had some $.
We took the ultimate risk and built a self storage facility with about 500k of our own capital + friends and family investments for another $500k.
Operating a storage facility was EASY compared to that and we thrived and began leasing it up quickly.
Operating a storage facility was EASY compared to that and we thrived and began leasing it up quickly.
https://twitter.com/sweatystartup/status/1680554699152392192?s=20
We spent $2.9 million on that first project.
It appraised 2.5 years later for $5.5 million and we pulled out some cash through a refi.
Its worth about $10m today.
We've reinvested that $ and raised more and now we own 63 properties and have acquired $100m worth of storage.
It appraised 2.5 years later for $5.5 million and we pulled out some cash through a refi.
Its worth about $10m today.
We've reinvested that $ and raised more and now we own 63 properties and have acquired $100m worth of storage.
We sold the student moving company for 7 figures in January of 2021.
It wasn't all without its stress. Here is a story of one of the darkest days - when I had a mental breakdown on the side of the road on the streets of boston:
It wasn't all without its stress. Here is a story of one of the darkest days - when I had a mental breakdown on the side of the road on the streets of boston:
If you're looking for some low risk, proven, sweaty business ideas like this one...
Download this list of 200+ business models, free.
sweatystartup.ck.page/03be2b573a
Download this list of 200+ business models, free.
sweatystartup.ck.page/03be2b573a
I should also mention that my wife supported me for the first 3 years of our marriage.
She took the train into Boston every day working as a dietician and she paid our rent and our grocery bills.
And the health insurance.
I can't believe she rode it out with me to be honest.
She took the train into Boston every day working as a dietician and she paid our rent and our grocery bills.
And the health insurance.
I can't believe she rode it out with me to be honest.
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