Why you should try launching a local business before a global SaaS business - Cashing The Cow

Here’s something you probably haven’t considered as an aspiring tech entrepreneur. Why not test your grit by testing a simple business idea before tackling a complex one? What I mean is, try launching a local business that mows lawns or paints houses before you try going digital with a new techie SaaS venture.

It may seem boring or unaspiring, but many blue collar businesses are shutting down as baby boomer owners retire with disinterested or absent heirs. This by the way, is a great thing for opportunists. Although researchers at Ibis World have forecasted that plumbing has only grown at an annualized rate of 0.4% between 2016-2021, demand remains strong. There is a growing shortage of skilled tradespeople in the United States. The figures for the electricians industry paint a similar picture with annualized growth between 2016-2021 of 0.03%. You can see there is opportunity here for contractors not only in these two spaces, but across several others where industry growth may be considerably higher yet roles and demand for skilled tradespeople remain unfulfilled.

Years ago when I started my first lawn-mowing business, I borrowed my parents mower and bought my own gas to mow lawns. Nowadays, those basic operational costs may be higher, as well as with the additional marketing costs of launching a website and running pay-per-click campaigns on search engines and social media. However, these marketing tools make it much easier to find customers. Running other local businesses, such as a landscaping or painting company, have very low start-up costs. The basics include the following:

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