🤖 Business 2027 • Launch Tracker

Dom & Scott's Launch Checklist

Idea 9 (AI Automation Pilots) • Idea 11 (Cyber Essentials Bolt-On) • Idea 16 (Fire Extinguisher + PAT Track)

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Target Net Margin

65%–85% (≥35% Rule)

Startup Cost

£150–£350

Month 1 Target

3 Test Pilots (£300–£500 ea)

Month 2 Retainer

£250–£350/mo per pilot

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1. The "Case Study Pilot" Offer Structure High Conversion

Why not free? Busy business owners ignore free tools. Charging a modest setup fee gives them skin in the game while making it a no-brainer vs the normal £1,500–£2,500 agency fee.

Element	Standard Agency Price	Your 3-Pilot Case Study Deal
Setup Fee (1 Core Workflow)	£1,500 – £3,000	£300 – £500 fixed (covers build & setup)
Monthly Tool Usage (Make + OpenAI + Twilio)	£20 – £40/mo	Client pays directly (~£20/mo on their card)
Month 1 Support	£350 – £600/mo	Included in pilot (30-day live test)
Month 2+ Retainer	£350 – £600/mo	£250/mo — only if it saves/makes ≥3x that in Month 1
What You Get Back	—	Before/after stats + short video or written testimonial

2. Casual WhatsApp / Voice-Note Pitch (For 3 Businesses You Already Know)

Hey [Name], hope all's good! Quick one — Scott and I are launching a new side business building simple automated workflows for UK service businesses (stuff like instant missed-call text-back & quote triage, or automatic quote/invoice chasing so nothing slips through the cracks). Before we roll it out at full price (£1,500+ setup), we're picking 3 businesses we already know and trust to run a 30-day Case Study Pilot at cost. I've built a live working demo on my phone you can test in 60 seconds. Have you got 15 mins this week for a quick coffee or screen-share so I can show you and see what admin job annoys you most right now?

3. 15-Minute Question-Based Discovery Script (Dom's QBS Flow)

1. THE PAIN: "When a new enquiry calls or messages while you're on a job or busy, what actually happens right now? How many do you reckon ring the next firm on Google before you call back?" 2. THE COST: "Roughly what's an average job worth to you? So losing even 2 leads a month is £1,000–£2,000+ gone?" 3. THE LIVE DEMO: "Call this test number on my phone right now and hang up." -> [Phone texts them back in 10 seconds, asks what job they need + postcode, logs it, and sends the owner a 1-click draft quote summary]. 4. THE CLOSE: "We can plug this exact flow into your business in 5 days for a £350 pilot setup. We track every lead it catches for 30 days. If it doesn't pay for itself at least 3x over, you owe us nothing more. If you love it, it's £250/mo for us to maintain and tweak it. Shall we get yours live next week?"

Idea 9: Done-For-You AI Automation for Small Firms 65%–85% Net (2 Founders)

Scaled Net Margin: 35%–55% if productised (cloning the same 3 templates across clients).
Startup Cost: £150–£350 (ICO £40/yr, insurance ~£150/yr, domain/test number).
Why #1 to start: Global online reach, tiny startup cost, and you already know test-pilot businesses.

Idea 11: Cyber Essentials Readiness & Renewal 70%–85% Net (2 Founders)

Do you need CCIO or IASME licence? No. CCIO is an NHS role, and under official IASME rules any IT consultant can prepare a business for Cyber Essentials with £0 in licence fees (the client pays the £320–£440+VAT assessment fee directly to IASME).
Startup Cost: £150–£500.
Best move: Use as a high-margin bolt-on to Idea 9 ("AI Workflows + Cyber Essentials Security").

Idea 16: PAT Testing + Fire Extinguisher Servicing 65%–80% Solo / ~30.7% Employed

Margin Watchout: Hits 65%–80% net while you two do the testing, but verified UK listings (Daltons Bucks PAT firm on £153k turnover) drop to 30.7% net once technicians are hired unless you bundle PAT + Fire Extinguishers + replacement units on one visit.
Startup Cost: £1,800–£2,900 (City & Guilds 2377 PAT + tester + 4-day BAFE fire extinguisher course + kit). Offline & UK-only.

Ideas Cut by the ≥35% Net Margin Rule

Idea	Typical Scaled Net Margin	Why It Misses 35%
Idea 2: Subcontracted Cleaning Middleman	15% – 25%	Subcontractors take 65%–75% of revenue
Idea 8: Airbnb / Lettings Turnovers	15% – 25%	Tight turnaround labour & travel costs
Idea 13: Video Clipping Agency	20% – 30%	Editor labour & high creator churn
Idea 17: Kitchen Extract (TR19) Cleaning	27.4% – 34.1%	Verified UK listings (Manchester 34.1%, Bolton 27.4%) sit just below 35%
Idea 18: Event Cleaning & Stewarding	26% – 30%	High casual payroll & insurance costs