Join me as I chat with Nick Huber to discusses how "boring" businesses like storage, lawn care, and service companies often create more reliable paths to wealth than tech startups. He shares his personal journey from a college storage business that sold for $1.75 million to purchasing and improving self-storage facilities worth millions. The conversation explores various low-tech business opportunities with high profit potential and minimal competition.
00:00 – Intro
02:08 – Nick’s Sweaty Startup journey
05:20 – Self-storage facility investments and returns
07:31 – Examples of profitable service businesses
13:13 – Sweaty Startup Idea: Night Nurse Marketplace
18:49 – Value of a Good Domain Names
22:25 – The AI + Sweaty Startups Opportunity
Key Points
• Nick Huber shares his journey building "boring" but profitable businesses, including Storage Squad and self-storage facilities
• Sweaty startups (service-based local businesses) often have less competition and higher success rates than tech startups
• Simple marketing tactics like sidewalk chalk, bandit signs, and local networking can be highly effective for service businesses
• Domain names are valuable digital real estate worth investing in for business credibility and growth
1) The WEALTHY people in your town aren’t tech founders
They own boring businesses:
• Underground utilities
• Surveying companies
• HVAC businesses
• Real estate development
While everyone’s dreaming of being the next Elon, these folks are quietly building wealth.
2) Nick’s first million came from… college student storage!
He built Storage Squad with:
• $1500 Craigslist cargo van
• $2200 box truck
• SIDEWALK CHALK as his only marketing
Grew to $2.2M in revenue, sold for $1.75M in 2020.
No tech, no VC money, just hustle.
3) Self-storage facilities = GOLD MINES
Nick bought a neglected facility for $625K with:
• 40,000+ square feet
• 180+ units
• Only making $4K/month
Another facility they bought for $1.5M now generates $40K/month and is worth $4.5M!
4) "Sweaty startups" are EVERYWHERE making serious money:
• Lawn care: $100K+ working 9 months/year
• Mobile detailing: $17K revenue/$10K profit PER MONTH
• High-end transportation: Consistent 6-figure income
• Tree removal: $3K for 4 hours of work (2 people)
All with minimal startup costs!
5) The DOMAIN NAME lesson that most miss:
Nick paid $450K for http://somewhere.com and says it’s already delivered MORE value than that.
"People will spend millions on physical real estate but balk at a few thousand for digital real estate – the home of your business."
6) The COMPETITION ADVANTAGE of sweaty startups:
Would you rather compete against:
• Stanford CS grad with $20M in VC funding
OR
• Local business owner who doesn’t answer phones on Monday afternoons?
Choose your competition wisely!
7) BEST BUSINESS IDEA from the pod: Night Nurse Marketplace
• Domain available for $13K (or $1,100/month lease-to-own)
• Target new parents needing overnight baby care
• Build directory + blog with AI
• Charge $1K finder’s fee to match families with nurses
$20K+ monthly potential!
8) The AI + SWEATY STARTUP opportunity:
The best AI companies might start as sweaty startups first.
Build the customer base and trust with a service business, THEN layer in tech and AI solutions.
This is how you build something valuable without competing with 1000 other AI startups.
Notable Quotes:
"The wealthy people that I know, the ones with giant beach houses in the outer banks and private jets at the local airport, almost all of them did something boring." – Nick Huber
"Do you want to compete against LeBron James or a fifth grade girl in basketball? I play against the fifth grade girl every time because my odds of having a win and making money are higher." – Nick Huber
LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future – from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn ‘what if’ into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/
BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/
BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/
Startup Empire – a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co
FIND ME ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
FIND NICK ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/sweatystartup
Nick’s New book: https://www.sweatystartupbook.com
Sweaty Startup Ideas: http://Sweatystartup.com/ideas
Bolt Storage: http://boltstorage.com
Somewhere: http://somewhere.com
