How does a guy with no rich investors, no tech background, and no desire to cold call end up building 17 revenue streams?
By starting scrappy, staying hyperlocal, and treating every business like a science experiment.
We sat down with Dallas-based entrepreneur Chris Koerner to unpack his journey—from running an iPhone repair shop in college to building a million-dollar logistics company, launching a viral Buc-ee’s reselling stunt, and even running a tree-trimming business without picking up a single chainsaw.
Check out the full interview here:
Let’s explore the simple frameworks, tools, and tactics he uses to build high-profit businesses from the ground up—and how you can use the same approach to hit $10K/month or more.
Chris’s approach is stunningly repeatable. Here’s the high-level formula:
Before launching a business, Chris builds a customer list using tools like Google Maps Scraper by Outscraper.
Whether it's iPhone repair shops, landscaping crews, or tree trimmers, he scrapes local business data, compiles it in a spreadsheet, and filters for outreach.
There are hundreds of thousands of businesses across the U.S. home services space—everything from landscaping to HVAC to handyman work—and most still rely on word-of-mouth or outdated websites.
That gap creates a huge opportunity for anyone who can bring modern tools, marketing, or systems to the table.
The initial offer is cheap or even free—but super compelling. For iPhone shops, it was “we’ll pay $3 per broken screen.” For local business owners, it might be free help with Google Business Profile optimization.
Chris uses this as a wedge to build trust, then upsells into higher-margin products or services (like selling new screens or becoming a parts supplier).
98% of consumers used the internet to find information about a local business in 2022, and reviews were the biggest trust signal (BrightLocal).
He hires virtual assistants via Upwork to handle outreach at scale, using CRM tools like Zoho and basic scripts.
This lets him focus on systems and growth rather than operations.
Chris’s portfolio spans vending machines, ecommerce logistics, parts resale, and SEO-based lead generation—but the core ideas behind them aren’t niche. They’re modern spins on timeless business models.
Here are three categories any solopreneur can still tap into today:
Chris built a pet cremation lead gen site targeting overlooked geographies.
Tools like GPT for Sheets and Webflow CMS now make programmatic SEO more accessible than ever. You can generate hundreds of pages with high-intent local keywords like “dog cremation Schenectady NY” and monetize with affiliate deals or partnerships.
Most of these tools are under $50/month. TidyCal is $39 for lifetime access.
If you want to steal Chris’s strategy and apply it to your own idea, here’s a quick playbook:
Whether you're starting from zero or looking to scale, Chris’s story shows what’s possible with smart systems and fast execution.
Looking for the tools to start your own $10K/month business?
AppSumo has the software, strategies, and lifetime deals to help you build smarter—without breaking the bank. Check them out.
Marshall Haas built and sold his remote hiring company for $52M after just 782 hours of work. His secret? Smart delegation, high-margin business models, and remote-first hiring. He treated business like a game—working less while scaling more. With a focus on simplicity, quality, and audience-building, Marshall proves you don’t need to hustle nonstop to win big.
In this article, we’ll break it down into 10 steps: how to start a side hustle and grow it into a reliable income stream. Plus a few side hustle ideas you can start today.
Do you want to launch a business, but are worried about the looming recession? Here are some recession proof business ideas that will ensure your success.
Part of the Sumo family with SendFox and TidyCal
