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- 🚗 Self-Serve Car Wash making $192k/yr!
🚗 Self-Serve Car Wash making $192k/yr!
The Corporate Pivot
February 10, 2025
Welcome Back to The Corporate Pivot!
It’s the Monday after the Super Bowl, which means you’re running on four hours of sleep and pretending you cared about the game when all you really remember are the commercials.
Meanwhile, every meeting starts with, “Crazy game last night, huh?”—even though it was the same two teams as always.
We’re not here to sell you a dream—just a reality check. Owning or starting a business is one of the few ways to escape before 65. It’s not easy, but at least it’s interesting.
At The Corporate Pivot, we share real lessons, mistakes, and wins from people making the jump. Stick around for content that might change your life—or just enjoy the funny stuff. Either way, it beats pretending you loved yet another Chiefs Super Bowl.
Here’s what we have for you today:
Pivot Perspectives: Sam explores two boating businesses—one tricky, one promising—and shares a big win in automation that streamlines operations! Tyler breaks down how SMB acquisitions vary in complexity and why trusting your gut on key risks is essential. | Acquisition Alerts:
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Cool Business Idea:
Trash Bin Cleaning Business ♻️
People hate dealing with their trash cans, especially when they smell—which is why they’ll gladly pay you to clean them. With recurring revenue, low competition, and simple operations, this business could be a six-figure opportunity.
Read more below! ⬇️
If you haven’t already, go subscribe to this newsletter here!
Confusing Corporate Sayings:
“We’ve decided to promote you outwards.”
Professional Translation
“A great opportunity to pursue new challenges that will benefit your career.“
Corporate Pivot Translation
“You’re fired. Pack your shit.“
Gif by Grittv on Giphy
Sam’s Perspective (1st Time Buyer)
🆕 Status Update: We’ve been looking at a couple of businesses in the boating industry. One was a hull and dock cleaning service, and the other was a highly rated, five-star tour company. The hull cleaning business makes good money, but it had two owners—one of whom was hands-on with the divers. That meant we’d need to hire a manager to replace them, which would cut too much into the profits to make it worthwhile.
The boating tour business, on the other hand, is a really exciting opportunity. It’s fully absentee-owned, has a great profit multiple, and runs smoothly. The only catch? It’s pricey. We’ll just have to work some negotiation magic to make it happen!
This week was also a big win for automation. I finally got a real-world use case for Make.com in an existing business. I met with the owner over the weekend and took the first major step—building a database to track all new client sign-ups. From here, the possibilities are endless: email automation, financial projections, and eliminating a ton of tedious, manual scheduling. Exciting stuff!
Tyler’s Perspective (Experienced Buyer)
🆕 Status Update: SMB acquisitions can be as simple or as complicated as you make them. Every deal is different, with its own risks, but your approach can either streamline the process or add complexity based on your risk tolerance.
When buying a business, you’ll face numerous decisions, and each person will weigh those factors differently. Take a lead we’re currently working on—I have concerns about the existing management. While I’m less worried about the founder, the team he put in place raises red flags. Others might see it differently, but for me, it’s a deal-breaker unless changes are made.
If something feels off to you, trust your gut. It’s better to address concerns upfront than regret them later.
💰 Deals < $500k 💰
Business Name: Drain Services Business
Revenue: $735,682
Asking Price: $265,000
Profit: $154,493 (Profit Margin = 21.0%)
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Established: 30 Years
✅ Pros:
Essential & Recession-Proof Industry: Drain and sewer services remain in demand regardless of economic conditions, making this a stable, long-term investment.
Low Overhead & High Margins: The business operates on a lean model with minimal staff and equipment costs, allowing for strong profit margins.
⚠️ Con:
Physically Demanding Work: The business requires hands-on labor, which could be a challenge for absentee owners unless a full-time manager is in place.
📈 Growth Opportunities:
Expand into Commercial Contracts: Partnering with property management companies, restaurants, and industrial clients could provide more recurring revenue.
Invest in Digital Marketing: SEO, Google Ads, and local lead generation campaigns could increase inbound service requests and long-term customer retention.
💰💰 Deals $500k - $2m 💰💰
Business Name: Self-Serve Car Wash
Revenue: $394,920
Asking Price: $700,000
Profit: $192,840 (Profit Margin = 48.8%)
Location: Harris County, TX
Established: 18 Years
✅ Pros:
Absentee-Owned Business Model: A full-time manager handles operations, making this an ideal semi-passive investment with minimal owner involvement.
Multiple Revenue Streams: Includes 15 self-serve bays, 15 vacuum bays, and a separate car repair business that generates rental income of $2,500/month.
⚠️ Con:
Cash-Based Business Risks: While high cash revenue can be appealing, it also means additional tracking and security considerations.
📈 Growth Opportunities:
Add Automated Payment & Subscription Options: Introducing membership plans or mobile app payments could create more predictable revenue.
Expand Service Offerings: Offering detailing, ceramic coatings, or vending machine add-ons for car care products could increase ticket size per customer.
💰💰💰 Deals $2m-$10m 💰💰💰
Business Name: Non-Medical In-Home Senior Care
Revenue: $2,873,702
Asking Price: $2,800,000
Profit: $761,371 (Profit Margin = 26.5%)
Location: Omaha, NE
Established: 2016
✅ Pros:
Established Leadership Team: The business employs 49 staff members, including a General Manager, allowing the owner to be passive (5-10 hrs/week).
Strong Demand & Recurring Clients: As the senior population grows, demand for non-medical home care continues to rise, making this a high-growth sector.
⚠️ Con:
Regulatory Compliance & Staffing: Managing a large team and adhering to state regulations for caregiving can be complex and require ongoing oversight.
📈 Growth Opportunities:
Expand into Skilled Care Services: Adding medical caregiving options (such as nursing or physical therapy) could significantly increase revenue.
Target Underserved Rural Areas: Many rural communities lack in-home care services, providing an opportunity to expand into new geographic markets.
💡 Cool Business Idea: Trash Bin Cleaning Business ♻️
Ever opened your trash can and nearly passed out from the smell? Yeah, you’re not alone. Trash bins collect rotting food, bacteria, and who-knows-what-else, and homeowners have no easy way to clean them.
That’s where mobile trash bin cleaning comes in—a business that turns dirty bins into $15,000+ a month in recurring revenue with low competition and high demand. People hate dealing with this problem, and they’ll happily pay to make it disappear.
Here’s how you can start a profitable, recurring-revenue business cleaning trash bins and scale it into a money-making machine.
⬇️ Let’s break down the numbers!
🛠️ Startup Costs (One-Time Investment)
Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
Used pickup truck | $15,000 |
Bin cleaning system (high-pressure washer, water tank) | $30,000 |
Branding & wrap for truck | $3,000 |
Website & booking system | $1,500 |
Marketing (flyers, ads, door-to-door) | $2,500 |
Business insurance | $1,000 |
Total Startup Costs | $53,000 |
📈 Revenue & Profit Breakdown
💰 Pricing:
$15 per bin (one-time clean)
$25/month subscription (1-2 cleanings/month)
$50 for a deep clean (upsell option)
🔢 Customers Per Day:
Scenario | Bins/Day | Revenue/Day | Revenue/Month (20 days) | Monthly Profit (after $2,500 expenses) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bad (Slow Start) | 5 bins | $75 | $1,500 | (-$1,000 loss first months) |
Good (Steady Growth) | 15 bins | $225 | $4,500 | $2,000+ profit |
Great (Full Capacity) | 30 bins | $450 | $9,000 | $6,500+ profit |
💡 At 300 monthly subscribers ($25/month), you’re at $7,500/month in pure recurring revenue.
🚀 Business Plan & Scaling Strategy
1️⃣ Launch & Market Locally – Start with Facebook groups, Nextdoor, and door-to-door flyers offering first cleans at a discount.
2️⃣ Subscription Model – Push homeowners onto a monthly plan to build recurring revenue.
3️⃣ Partner with HOAs & Property Managers – Secure bulk contracts to clean multiple houses in a neighborhood.
4️⃣ Expand to Power Washing – Offer driveway & patio cleaning as an upsell.
5️⃣ Hire & Scale – Once the route is full, hire a worker and expand to a second truck.
💰 ROI & Payback Period
At 15 bins/day ($225 revenue/day), you’d make $4,500/month and break even in ~12 months.
If you reach 30 bins/day ($450/day, $9,000/month), you’d recoup your investment in 6 months.
With 300 monthly subscribers ($7,500/month), you’re pulling $90k/year in recurring income alone.
🔑 Why This Works
✅ High Demand, Low Competition – Homeowners have no easy DIY solution.
✅ Recurring Revenue – Subscriptions make this a stable, predictable business.
✅ Simple Operations – One truck, one person, high-margin service.
✅ Scalability – Easy to expand into power washing, trash valet, and more.
Would you pay $25/month to never deal with nasty trash bins again? If so, plenty of others will too—making this a six-figure, low-risk business for the right person.
Corporate Memes: Click below to play the video on our Instagram account! |
Hope you enjoy this week's insights and happy deal hunting! Remember, if you find these updates helpful, share this newsletter with a friend!
🛠 USEFUL TOOLS 🛠
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