home services + AI = $$$

Happy Thursday!

Have you noticed that my business ideas largely center around two main ideas:

• Sweaty, low tech businesses, side hustles that can scale, home services, etc.

• AI-heavy businesses

And then of course anything that combines the two.

Well, today’s email is exactly that - combining those with 5 fresh business ideas.

But before we get into that, 4 housekeeping items:

1. I’m announcing something awesome on April 30th. And I don’t do announcements. This is rare, and will be something that will help anyone make more money. Register here! 

2. I’m hosting a webinar on franchising this afternoon. If you’re reading this too late, you can still register for it and I’ll send the recording automatically.

3. I partnered with my friend Nick after he helped me find some killer, cheap, virtual assistants. You can learn more here. They do amazing work.

4. Remember my Facebook Ads newsletter from a couple weeks ago? You all LOVED IT!! So I made a 7x longer version that is much more in depth. It’s called “Facebook Ads for Noobs.” I’m going to turn it into a book. But you can have it for free simply for referring 1 reader to my newsletter. They must use your custom referral link here to get credit: https://newsletter.chrisjkoerner.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

   or at the bottom of this email.

Ok, let’s get to it.

As AI continues to eat the world, there will be even more demand for businesses that don’t rely on tech. The pie grows for everyone.

Ever get a marketing flyer in your mailbox and think, “This could be so much better?”

Let me tell you a story. My buddy Sam and I were goofing off with ChatGPT’s new image generation API. An hour later, we had created what might be the most powerful marketing weapon home service businesses have ever seen.

The kicker? You don’t need to be a designer. Or a coder. You just need a smartphone, a little hustle, and a $200 budget.

This new image generation API is so transformational, I'm dedicating next week's newsletter to it as well. We'll go even deeper on workflows, automation, and scaling these offers.

Let’s dive into 5 home service business models that anyone could start - or sell to business owners - using this new AI image gen tech.

If you want the technical details of how to use the ChatGPT api, I put that at the end of this email.

1. The Landscaping Visualizer

Problem: Most people want a beautiful yard. But they can’t picture it. That uncertainty/lack of creativity/friction kills the sale.

Solution: Snap a photo of their yard. Use the image gen API to show what it could look like: white painted brick, fresh mulch, native North Texas shrubs. Don’t want to take photos yourself? No problem. Here's how you do it:

• Go to Google Maps and screenshot a street view of a home (just make sure it's angled clarly and free of obstruction).

• Drop it into ChatGPT (with image gen enabled) and use a prompt like: “Make this a professionally landscaped front yard with drought-tolerant Texas plants and clean white stone edging.”

The API will handle the rest: white painted brick, fresh mulch, native North Texas shrubs. Then mail or text it to them with one question: "Want this for your yard?"

How to Launch:

• Walk your own neighborhood. Take 10 photos of homes with average landscaping.

• Generate 10 "dream yard" makeovers using the API (Sora or GPT-4o image tools).

• Print each before/after on a flyer. Include a QR code linking to a quick Typeform: “Want this look? Get a quote.”

• Drop off flyers or door-hang them yourself.

Where to Find Clients:

• Join 3-5 local Facebook groups. Post samples with the before/after visuals.

• Partner with a landscaper and offer to split the leads 50/50.

Revenue Model:

• $500/month SaaS access for landscapers

• Or $20/mockup, $200/month flat rate for unlimited

You’re not selling landscaping. You’re selling the dream.

2. The Tree Trimming Before & After Machine

Problem: Homeowners delay tree work because they don’t see the value.

Solution: Take a photo of a yard with overgroth. Use the image gen API to virtually "trim" the trees and make the property shine.

How to Launch:

• Drive through older neighborhoods and take 20 photos of homes with big, messy trees.

• Generate polished before/after versions. Focus on improving curb appeal.

• Print as a glossy 5x7 postcard. Use bannerbear.com or Canva for layout.

• Include a CTA: “See your yard like this? Call Mike’s Tree Service.”

Find Clients:

• Partner with a tree trimming company. Offer a results-based pricing model ($50/lead).

• Upsell the service as a bundle: $1,000/month for 200 custom postcards.

Pro Tip: Add a tracking phone number via CallRail or Twilio to measure ROI.

Turn pixels into phone calls.

3. The Disaster Propaganda Mailer

Problem: Fear sells. But most service companies are too polite to use it.

Solution: Take a clean photo of a house. Generate a version with storm damage - fallen tree, busted window, roof tiles gone. Mail it with the headline: "What if this happened tomorrow?"

How to Launch:

• Use public MLS or Zillow images. Filter by homes over 15 years old in storm-prone regions.

• Generate damage photos. Use Canva to add bold, high-contrast copy: “Prevent this now.”

• Target 100 homes in a tight zip code with Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM).

Find Clients:

• Tree removal businesses, roofers, gutter installers.

• Show proof-of-concept using mockups and ROI estimates.

What You Charge:

• $25/lead or $1,000/month per zip code for exclusivity.

It’s bold. It’s borderline creepy. It works.

4. The Home Renovation Upsell Tool

Problem: Contractors can't close high-ticket remodels because clients can’t visualize the outcome.

Solution: Scrape active home listings in mid-tier zip codes. Find bad kitchens, outdated bathrooms, old siding. Generate modern, remodeled versions with AI.

How to Launch:

• Pull 10 listings from Zillow or Redfin.

• Use ChatGPT to generate upgrade mockups: granite counters, white cabinets, matte black fixtures.

• Mail each homeowner a single-page letter with a side-by-side visual.

"Your current kitchen. Your upgraded kitchen. +$48,000 in resale value."

Target Clients:

• General contractors, house flippers, realtors.

Revenue:

• Sell $1,000 monthly bundles of 10 custom upgrade mailers

• Upsell copywriting and valuation reports powered by Realtor API + GPT

This is the holy grail of contractor marketing.

5. The B2B Custom Mockup SaaS

Problem: Local businesses want more sales, but have no time to create custom visuals.

Solution: Build a simple front-end using Tally or Typeform.

• Step 1: Upload a photo

• Step 2: Choose service (paint, landscape, pool)

• Step 3: Add zip code + budget

• Step 4: Submit

Your backend (powered by GPT + Zapier + image gen API) creates a custom mockup. You email it within 10 minutes.

How to Launch:

• Build the flow in one day with Zapier + Google Sheets + GPT

• Offer it to 10 local business owners for free in exchange for testimonials

• Add Stripe for payments, scale via Gumroad or LemonSqueezy

Pricing:

• $500/month for unlimited usage per company

• Or $20/image with prepay packages ($200 for 12 mockups)

Layer in API integrations with CRMs like Jobber or Housecall Pro = chef’s kiss

One More Thing…

This isn’t just for new businesses. You could bolt this tech onto an exitsing home service company and 10x their close rates. Use it as a foot-in-the-door offer. Or better yet - sell it as a SaaS to the 90% of service pros who still text back quotes manually.

You don’t need $50,000 and a developer. You need $500 and permission to test.

That’s the entire play.

Try This This Week

1. Pick a niche (landscaping, tree trimming, kitchen remodeling)

2. Scrape 10 addresses from Zillow

3. Generate mockups using GPT/Sora

4. Use Canva or BannerBear to make postcards

5. Drop 10 in mailboxes with a QR code

6. Count leads. Rinse. Repeat.

If you want a lot more details on these ideas above, listen to episode #157 and #160 from this last week. The YouTube versions will be out in a week or two.

Don’t forget to check out my other podcast episodes! Watch/listen here: YouTube - Apple Podcasts - Spotify - Other Podcasts

Until next time,

Chris Koerner

How to Sign Up for the ChatGPT Image Gen API:

1. Go to platform.openai.com and sign in with your OpenAI account (or create one).

2. Click "API Keys" in the top menu. Create a new key.

3. Add a payment method (usage is pay-as-you-go).

4. You’ll now have access to the image generation capabilities under the gpt-4-vision or dalle model, depending on availability.

How to Use Replit to Build Your Own Visual App:

1. Go to replit.com and create a free acount.

2. Start a new Repl using the Python template.

3. Install the openai package: pip install openai

4. In main.py, paste a simple script that uses your API key to call the image endpoint. (Ask ChatGPT: "Write Python code using the DALL-E API to turn a house photo into a modern landscaping concept.")

5. Build a basic form using HTML/CSS inside the Replit project, or add a Tally/Formspree webhook to collect photo uploads and prompts.

Boom. You’ve now got a working demo that takes a photo input and spits back a marketing-ready visual. No server. No backend. Just AI doing what used to take 3 contractors and a graphic designer. that anyone could start or sell to business owners using this new AI image gen tech.