The Business Hiding in Your Backyard

Happy Friday!

In case you forgot, I’m that guy (@thekoerneroffice on the socials) that you probably found in a short form video talking about random business ideas.

Today I’m sharing a killer business that built by someone with no experience. A business that was hiding in his backyard. Literally.

Who am I? I’m Chris Koerner: Dad of 4, husband of 16 years and proud Texan. I’ve started 75+ business (3 worth over $10m) and give away all of my learnings for free in a once/week email.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Okay, so last week I had an amazing conversation with a really impressive guy. I really liked the way he thought and how quickly he moved. He is currently building the kind of under-the-radar money maker that most people will never hear about. And better yet, it doesn’t require much money to start.

So I wanted you to hear about it.

If you want to actually watch or listen to this deep dive, with greater detail, you can check it out here: Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts.

Meet Alex Boyd. Twenty-six years old. Zero home service experience. Zero equipment experience. Thirteen months ago, he bought five acres outside Cincinnati and couldn't find anyone to clear the brush.

Today? He's running a $500K forestry mulching business with 85% net profit margins.

This isn't another "I had a great idea" story. This is a masterclass in spotting opportunity hiding in plain sight.

When you can't find someone to solve your problem, you've found your next business.

Alex needed his property cleared. Four wooded acres that were basically unusable. He starts calling around Cincinnati.

Nobody within 100 miles would do it.

That's when his marketing brain kicked in. If he had this problem, how many other people did too?

He spent a few hours doing keyword research (SEM Rush free trial, nothing fancy) and discovered something wild: massive search volume for brush clearing services, almost zero competition.

People were searching "clear my woods," "destroy honeysuckle," "get rid of wild rose." They had no idea what "forestry mulching" even meant.

The demand was screaming at him.

Here's what blew my mind: Alex had never touched a skid steer in his life. Never run a home service business. Never operated heavy machinery.

But he saw the numbers and said, "Let's do it."

Month one: $17,000 in revenue.

Today: $70,000 monthly, booked through October.

His first-year projection? Over $500,000.

The Equipment Reality Check

This isn't your weekend warrior skid steer rental situation. We're talking serious machinery.

Alex bought a used skid steer with forestry attachment for $90,000. Later added a new machine for $129,000. Both financed.

High barriers to entry aren't bugs, they're features. Most people see a $90K machine requirement and run. Alex saw it as competitive protection.

Payment on the used machine: $1,400/month. Payment on the new machine: $1,900/month.

Here's the kicker: One job covers both payments. His average job? $3,100.

Think about that math for a second.

The Operational Brilliance

Most businesses this young struggle with operations. Alex figured out pricing that customers actually prefer.

He tried quoting by acreage and brush density. More accurate, easier to scale. Customers hated it. Close rate dropped in half.

So he went back to day rates. Half-day, full-day, multi-day pricing.

Sometimes a "full day" job takes three hours. Sometimes five. The customer pays for the full day regardless.

Why does this work? It removes confusion. No math. No variables. Just: "This will take us a day, costs $2,500."

If you’re interested in diving into a wealth of operational brilliance from a forward-thinking collective of builders, and want some personalized advice from me, check out my community. It’s a place where you can ask me as many questions as you want for only $99/month via video call or Slack DMs. Here is a link to an AMA from a couple weeks back (WARNING: IT IS REALLY REALLY GOOD AND PACKED WITH GOOD STUFF!) if you want to see how they usually go.

Here’s a link to the community itself. We’d love to have you!

The Marketing Genius (That You Can Steal)

Okay- I thought this was pretty crazy. Alex doesn't rely on Google Ads or expensive lead generation. His secret weapon? Meta ads combined with YouTube content marketing.

But not how you think.

He targets specific zip codes where people actually own land. No broad geographical targeting. He looks for people over 35 who have interests in Tractor Supply Company and Rural King.

Cost per lead: $23. Average job value: $3,100. Close rate: 49%.

That's $46 to acquire a $3,100 customer. The math is obscene.

The YouTube Strategy Nobody Talks About

Alex uses YouTube differently than every business guru teaches. He doesn't care about views or subscribers.

He creates videos with local keywords ("Cincinnati forestry mulching") so when people Google locally, his videos show up first. Then he drives Meta ad traffic to his YouTube channel.

Every customer watches his YouTube content before hiring him. Some watch every single video.

It's content marketing, but tactical. Surgical.

There’s a lesson for you. Don't just follow platform best practices. Follow your customer's buying journey. Alex ignored YouTube's algorithm and focused on his local market's search behavior.

The Numbers That'll Make You Rethink Everything

Current monthly revenue: $54,000 (last month was rainy)
Scheduled through October: $70,000/month

Gross margin: 85% (before repair reserves)
After setting aside 15% for repairs: 70% margins

Two machines. Three operators (including Alex's partner). One employee at $300/day.

The business basically prints money.

These aren't projections or dreams. These are Alex's actual financial results from a business that didn't exist 13 months ago. When you see businesses scaling this fast with margins this fat, it forces you to question what's actually possible.

What You Can Learn (Even If You'll Never Touch a Skid Steer)

First: Demand research beats product research. Alex didn't fall in love with forestry mulching. He fell in love with unmet demand.

Second: Sometimes "amateur" marketing works better than professional marketing. Alex's Facebook ads use borrowed Bobcat footage and simple time-lapses. They convert better than polished agency work.

Third: Geographic constraints create opportunity. Everyone thinks global scale is the goal. Alex dominates 30 minutes around Cincinnati and could run 10 machines profitably.

Fourth: Price for customer psychology, not your convenience. Alex's day-rate pricing is "worse" operationally but closes more deals.

Sometimes the best businesses are hiding in industries nobody talks about. While everyone chases SaaS and dropshipping, Alex found gold. You can too.

The Expansion Opportunity He's Giving Away

Alex mentioned something called a "Green Climber" – a remote-controlled brush clearing machine for steep slopes and ditches.

Commercial buildings need this. Steep hillsides. Ditch lines. Places his big machines can't reach.

It costs $70K-$150K. Can be door-to-door sold like pressure washing. $3,000/day rates.

He's not pursuing it because he's focused on scaling his current operation.

Someone's going to build a massive business around that insight. Go look it up before the next mover does.

The Reality Check

This isn't easy money. The business is hard on equipment. Weather shuts you down. You need repair reserves.

But Alex found an industry where demand massively outstrips supply, an industry that’s needed all over. (Well maybe besides North Dakota or Kansas. There might not be enough trees out there.)

He learned the equipment, and built systems that work.

Thirteen months later, he's turning away customers.

And what's next for Alex? Two more machines next year. Bigger truck to haul multiple machines efficiently. Expanding into winter work with horse farms (they don't care about ruts).

He's building toward a $3 million net profit business in one local market.

One. Local. Market.

All because he couldn't find someone to clear his backyard.

The Bigger Lesson

Every market has Alex Boyd opportunities. High-ticket services with terrible supply-demand balance. Industries that haven't figured out modern marketing. Equipment-based businesses where competition is lazy.

You just have to look past the obvious.

Alex stumbled into his by accident. You don't have to.

The next time you can't find someone to solve your problem, don't just complain.

Research it.

Everything is figureoutable.

So let's get after it!

Remember, if you want to actually watch or listen to this deep dive, with greater detail, you can check it out here: Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts.

Chris

P.S. – Alex is at brushworksco.com and on YouTube if you want to see this machine in action. Fair warning: it's oddly satisfying to watch trees get mulched in real-time.

I share deep dives on business ideas and complete playbooks three times a week on YouTube and every podcast platform. While everyone else is chasing the same oversaturated opportunities, I'm digging up hidden goldmines for you.

Thanks for reading!

-Chris Koerner