Nobody Is Coming to Promote You
50 small businesses you can start for under $500, without quitting your job
Sound familiar?
You work hard. You do what is asked. And you are still waiting.
This book was written for exactly that feeling. It gives you 50 small, real businesses you can start in your evenings and weekends for under $500, while your salary keeps paying the bills, and it tells you plainly when it is safe to leave.
Passed over, again
The promotion went to someone hired from outside, and nobody can tell you when your turn will come.
A raise that doesn’t cover the rent
Two percent this year. Prices went up five. You are working harder for less.
Too much to lose to just walk out
You have bills, and maybe a family. Quitting with no plan isn’t an option, and it shouldn’t be.
No idea what business you could start
Every idea online seems to need a big loan, a big audience, or a talent you don’t have.
The book
Fifty real businesses, and the plain truth about each one.
Every day you walk past small businesses that make good money: the reading-glasses stall at the Sunday market, the person who cleans air conditioners every spring, the artist who sells phone wallpapers drawn on a tablet. None of them needed a bank loan. Most started with less than the price of a new phone.
Part I shows you how to spot a gap, test an idea for under $100, and avoid the “easy money” schemes that are really traps. Parts II to VI give you 50 businesses in five groups: selling where the crowds are, buying low and selling right, services people gladly pay for, digital products you make once and sell often, and businesses where you connect people.
Every business gets the same two pages: what it costs to start, how soon you could make your first sale, why people pay, what you need, how to start this week, a worked example of the numbers, what to watch out for, and three things to do now. Part VII covers your first ten customers, trust, pricing, keeping the money, and exactly when to quit your job.
Who it is for
Anyone who feels stuck in a job that is going nowhere and wants something of their own, without a risky leap: people passed over for promotion, parents who need flexible income, anyone worried about the next round of layoffs, and everyone who has been saying “one day I’ll start something” for too long.
What changes after you read it
Four things you will be able to do by next week
Pick the business that fits your life
A simple scorecard compares three ideas on cost, speed, hours and what you are good at, so you start with the one that fits your week.
Test an idea for under $100
Take orders before you buy stock, book jobs before you buy tools, and find out in days whether people will pay.
Find your first ten customers
Who to ask first, the exact message to send, and the two questions that turn every happy customer into the next one.
Know when it is safe to quit
Three numbers to reach before you hand in your notice, and what to sort out first, from health cover to your contract.
Inside the book
Seven parts, fifty businesses
- IHow the money hides: spotting gaps, testing small and avoiding traps
- IISell where the crowds are: businesses 1 to 10
- IIIBuy low, sell right: businesses 11 to 20
- IVServices people gladly pay for: businesses 21 to 30
- VMake it once, sell it often: businesses 31 to 40
- VIBe the connector: businesses 41 to 50
- VIIGet customers, then grow: pricing, money, and when to quit your job
Show all 50 businesses
- 01Reading glasses at weekend markets
- 02Glow toys at night events
- 03Holiday pop-up stands
- 04Cold drinks on hot days
- 05A coffee table for early commuters
- 06Ring toss and simple fair games
- 07A paint-your-own stall for kids
- 08Screen protectors and phone gear
- 09Selling for the weather
- 10The honour-system snack box
- 11Used books by the box
- 12Toys, baby gear and kids’ clothes
- 13Refurbished phones, graded honestly
- 14Used fridges and washing machines
- 15Clothes: sort, sell, recycle
- 16Scrap metal and old electronics
- 17Coins, banknotes and stamps
- 18Vintage jewellery and small antiques
- 19Buy local, sell online
- 20Selling shops’ leftover stock
- 21Deep-cleaning air conditioners
- 22Clearing blocked drains
- 23Home organising
- 24Pet sitting and dog walking
- 25Pet memorial services
- 26Live music for weddings and parties
- 27Tutoring and study guides
- 28University application coaching
- 29Naming businesses and babies
- 30Portraits and headshots
- 31Phone wallpapers
- 32Custom portraits and couple avatars
- 33Sticker packs
- 34Printable planners and worksheets
- 35A video course on one narrow skill
- 36Recipe packs and cooking classes
- 37Plans for sheds, coops and garden beds
- 38A paid newsletter
- 39A small paid community
- 40Templates for work
- 41A niche video channel
- 42A small website that answers one topic
- 43A local news page with sponsors
- 44Singles nights and hobby meetups
- 45Dog meetups and pet events
- 46Honest affiliate marketing
- 47A referral agent for local trades
- 48Group day trips
- 49Co-hosting holiday rentals
- 50Errands and personal shopping
Stop waiting. Start small.
Maybe you have been in the same job for years. You work hard, you do what is asked, and you wait: for the raise, the promotion, the day someone finally notices. Then the new manager is hired from outside. The budget is frozen again. Your raise is two percent, and your rent went up five. It took me years to learn a hard truth: nobody is coming to promote you. The good news is that you don’t need them to.
This book is for anyone who feels stuck in a job that is going nowhere and wants something of their own. Not a risky leap. Not a big loan. A small business you can start for under $500, in your evenings and weekends, while your salary keeps coming in.
Get the book
Choose your business this week
The complete PDF
US$39.99One payment. PDF, yours to keep.
All 50 businesses, all ten chapters and the seven-day starting plan. 135 A4 pages, typeset to read on a tablet or print. Delivered by email.
Buy the bookBook + Starter Kit
US$49.99Recommended. One payment, yours to keep.
The complete PDF plus the Starter Kit: eight fill-in tools from the book that do the maths for you. Works in Excel and Google Sheets. Delivered by email.
Get the book + kitBook + 45-minute call
US$239.99
The PDF and the Starter Kit, plus a private call with the author to choose your business, check your numbers and plan your first 30 days.
Book the callWhat’s in the Starter Kit
One spreadsheet, eight tools. Type in your numbers and it does the maths. Every tool comes with an example from the book filled in.
- 01Seven-Day Plan: your first week, one step a day
- 02Business Finder: all 50 businesses, sortable by cost, speed and hours
- 03Idea Scorecard: score three ideas and it names the winner
- 04$100 Test: plan a small test, check the budget, record the results
- 05First Ten Customers: track 50 contacts, with messages to copy
- 06Price Calculator: your floor price, three options, and when to raise
- 07Money Tracker: money in and out, monthly profit, tax set-aside
- 08When Can I Quit: enter your numbers and get the verdict
Thirty-day guarantee
If the book doesn’t give you at least one business you could start this month, reply to the delivery email within thirty days and the price is refunded. Keep the PDF.
The PDF is sold through Payhip’s secure checkout and downloads instantly after payment. The Starter Kit and call options open an email to us: you receive a secure payment link, and everything follows within one business day.
When you want a second opinion
Work directly with the author
Ludovic Chan has spent more than 25 years in business and consulting, and has built and sold more than a dozen companies in Hong Kong, Canada and Japan. If you want help choosing a business, testing an idea, or turning side income into a company you could one day sell, start with a short email.
Before you buy
Questions readers ask
Do I have to quit my job?
No, and the book tells you not to. Every business in it can start in evenings and weekends. Chapter 10 gives you three numbers to reach before you even think about handing in your notice.
I have never run a business. Is it for me?
Yes. It is written in plain English for beginners. Each business starts with what it costs, what you need and the steps for your first week, and Part I shows you how to test an idea for under $100 before you risk more.
Does it work outside the United States?
Yes. The businesses were chosen because they work in most countries. Prices are shown in US dollars as examples, and every business tells you where permits, licences or insurance may apply, so you can check the rules where you live.
Why US$39.99 for a PDF?
Because the first few sales from almost any business in it will cover the cost. You get 50 costed business plans, the numbers behind each one, and a seven-day plan to start. And if it doesn’t give you at least one business you could start this month, you get your money back.
Can I get help choosing my business?
Yes. The book-and-call option includes a private 45-minute call with the author. For bigger plans, Solid Base House also offers fixed-fee business advisory.
What is the Starter Kit?
A spreadsheet with eight fill-in tools from the book: the Seven-Day Plan, Business Finder, Idea Scorecard, $100 Test planner, First Ten Customers tracker, Price Calculator, Money Tracker and the When Can I Quit calculator. You type in your numbers and it does the maths. It works in Excel and Google Sheets, and each tool comes with an example filled in.