Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business – Details, episodes & analysis

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Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business

Nikolas Hulewsky

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/2d. Total Eps: 303

Welcome to Nikonomics—the show for entrepreneurs and Wantrapreneurs, looking to make their first million. I bring firsthand experience, having bought and sold over a dozen businesses, achieved multiple 7-figure exits, and generated over $100 million in revenue. Each week, I blend humor with real insights from successful entrepreneurs, sharing growth strategies, deal insights, and unique business ideas you won’t find elsewhere. Ready to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality? Hit play and let’s get to work. Follow me on Twitter @CoFoundersNik or YouTube @NikonomicsPodcast.

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http://tkopod.co/p-yt
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https://twitter.com/CoFoundersNik
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232 - How to Make Easy Money Using Government Grants with Hector Resendez

Season 1 · Episode 232

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • Duration 34:50

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Hector (https://x.com/ts_secrets). Hector reveals how he accidentally stumbled upon a little-known government grant and used it to build a multi-million dollar online trade school.

He teaches trades like HVAC, plumbing, and medical billing completely online, sometimes using VR goggles. He shares how the government pays him directly, up to $10,000 per student, for courses that are only 80-100 hours long.

We get into the nitty-gritty of how he finds students for free by partnering with nonprofits and sober living homes, achieving SAS-like margins without any traditional marketing.

Questions This Episode Answers:

How can you get the government to pay you $10,000 per student?

How do you start an online school with almost no startup costs?

What is the "secret" to getting unlimited students for free?

How do you automate a business to the point you only work two hours a day?

What is the WIOA grant and how does it work for entrepreneurs?

Enjoy the conversation!

__________________________

Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.

Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.

__________________________

MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98y

Apple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT

__________________________

This week we covered:
00:00 Introduction to the Online Trade School Model

03:07 Understanding the Grant System and Its Impact

05:56 The Evolution of the Business Model

08:51 Customer Acquisition Strategies

11:48 Curriculum Development and Accreditation

15:02 Operational Insights and Business Growth

17:55 Challenges and Future Aspirations

Read moreCollapse

231 - How Robots Are Saving America's Nursing Crisis with Matthew Chang

Season 1 · Episode 231

Monday, September 15, 2025 • Duration 37:46

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Matthew Chang (https://x.com/MatthewAChang). This episode features Matthew Chang, a Georgia Tech engineer and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, who founded Chang Robotics and is a general partner of the $50 million Chang Robotics fund.

We dive deep into how his company designs and installs robotic systems for manufacturing automation, hospital robots, and autonomous vehicles to make the workforce more efficient, safer, and happier through healthcare automation.

Matthew shares the story behind America's first autonomous hospital initiative, where $200K hospital robots deliver supplies in 90 seconds with 18-month ROI. Discover why humanoid robots aren't ready for commercial robotics applications and how specialized robotics using collaborative robots (cobotics) are revolutionizing factory automation and healthcare robotics instead.

From driverless paper factories producing toilet paper during COVID to FAA-compliant electric vehicles six times more powerful than Tesla, Chang Robotics tackles the hardest engineering challenges in industrial automation. Learn about their breakthrough PFAS-free food packaging using graphene oxide and how they beat 700+ competitors to win the for America's first in Jacksonville.

222 - 3 Home Service Businesses You Can Start with Under $20K with Anne McGinty

Season 1 · Episode 222

Monday, August 25, 2025 • Duration 55:54

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Anne McGinty to unveil the top first-time entrepreneur business ideas and small business ideas we would start today as startup entrepreneurs.

Anne, who famously earned $150,000 in just 60 days with her Christmas lighting business, shares her proven insights on high-margin business ideas and profitable small business opportunities. I lay out my complete framework for entrepreneur success, focusing on leveraging powerful macro trends, building high-profit margin businesses, and ensuring a quick cash conversion cycle for maximum business cash flow.

Home Service Business Ideas: Anne's home service business picks include expanding seasonal business ideas like luxury holiday decor services and Christmas lighting business for ultra-wealthy clients to year-round offerings, creating recurring revenue businesses with low startup costs.

Her second home services business idea focuses on exterior cleaning business and detailing for high-end homes, covering pressure washing business, window cleaning business, solar panel cleaning, and gutter cleaning business - emphasizing the power of repeat business with wealthy homeowners and luxury home services.

Healthcare Business Ideas: My healthcare business opportunities explore the booming medical business space, particularly elderly care services targeting the aging population trend and ABA clinics for autism services and behavioral health business.

The rapidly growing Med Spa business sector offers incredible healthcare entrepreneurship opportunities, including cutting-edge wellness business areas like hormone replacement therapy, longevity business, and the innovative field of functional medicine business.

Key business strategies covered:

133 - Chris Knows Who Satoshi Is! How to Disrupt Payment Systems with Chris Koerner

Friday, March 14, 2025 • Duration 37:51

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), and my business partner Chris Koerner (https://x.com/mhp_guy) as we dive into a wild theory: could Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter and Square, actually be the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin? We explore some compelling (and quirky) evidence.

Then, we shift gears to discuss a practical framework for entrepreneurs, breaking down the phases of being "in" and "on" your business, and when to strategically begin outsourcing different parts of your operation to maximize growth.

We even brainstorm some unconventional marketing ideas, including the potential of using Airdrop at conferences for high-ticket offers – it gets pretty creative!

Questions This Episode Answers:

Why might someone as wealthy as Satoshi Nakamoto remain anonymous?

What are the different phases an entrepreneur goes through as their business evolves?

What's a common mistake founders make when trying to remove themselves from the day-to-day operations?

How can you leverage unexpected places like conferences for unique marketing tactics?

What's an "ethical bait and switch" in the context of viral growth hacks?

Enjoy the conversation!

__________________________

Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.

Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.

__________________________

132 - How to Turn a HVAC Company into a $5 Million Business with Jack Carr

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 • Duration 37:23

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Jack (https://x.com/thehvacjack) on Nikonomics!

We dive into the surprisingly "sexy" world of home services, specifically HVAC and plumbing. Hear Jack's story of leaving a comfortable corporate job managing operations for nine different wineries to acquire a sub $1 million HVAC company in Middle Tennessee in 2022.

He shares the wild ride of growing from a lean operation to a business slated to do $5-6 million this year with around 20 employees, navigating unexpected challenges like everyone quitting on day one!

We also touch upon his entrepreneurial past, including an agricultural repair company and even a Bitcoin mining farm in Reno. Discover how he's leveraged both organic growth and strategic tuck-in acquisitions to rapidly scale his business and his insights on using overseas talent.

Questions This Episode Answers:

What's your company's current size and scope in the HVAC and plumbing industry?

When did you decide to jump into owning this HVAC company?

Considering you had a background in operations at wineries, why choose the HVAC space specifically?

How much did you initially pay for the business you acquired?

What was your immediate reaction when almost all the employees quit the day before you took over?

Enjoy the conversation!

__________________________

Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.

Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.

__________________________

131 - How to Turn Data Into Dollars: The Data Shopper Story with Thomas Rudy

Monday, March 10, 2025 • Duration 31:31

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Thomas Rudy (https://x.com/rudythesnowman)!

We dive deep into Thomas's fascinating entrepreneurial journey, starting way back with some rule-breaking mystery boxes on eBay in the early days of online business. We explore how he transitioned from that to the world of retail arbitrage, his surprising detour through college basketball (and almost becoming an accountant!), and ultimately his path into web development and the building of a successful performance marketing agency, 1020, which he eventually sold to Benzinga.

We also uncover the inner workings of performance marketing, the incredible growth he spearheaded at Benzinga, and his insights on the ever-evolving landscape of SEO and affiliate revenue.

Finally, we delve into his latest venture, Data Shopper, a company tackling data in a whole new way, moving beyond reliance on giants like Google and Meta. It's a story of hustle, scrappiness, and constant evolution in the world of business.

Questions This Episode Answers:

What was your very first online business ventureHow did you transition from basic programming to building and selling a marketing agency?

What exactly is performance marketing?

How did your performance marketing strategies contribute to Benzinga's rapid growth?

How does your new company, Data Shopper, help businesses target customers without solely relying on Google and Meta?

Enjoy the conversation!

Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.
Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or send me an email at Nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.
__________________________

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130 - How Our Podcast Helped Him Make $23K/Month and Quit His 9-to-5 with Chris Koerner

Friday, March 7, 2025 • Duration 38:34

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In this episode, we feature Tyler, a listener who acted on our B2B stump grinding idea after hearing it on a previous episode, which led him to quit his 9-to-5 job. Tyler shares how he followed our advice word-for-word, testing the concept in Boise before launching in Provo. By implementing our strategies, he achieved impressive results, with $23,000 in September alone. He provides key insights into building relationships with tree trimming companies, his pricing strategy, and cold outreach techniques and more.

Share your ideas with us:

Nik@cofounders.com
Chris@cofounders.com

Enjoy the conversation!
__________________________

Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.
Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or send me an email at Nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.
__________________________

MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98y
Apple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT
___________________________

This week we covered:

00:00 Highlights
00:37 Tyler's Journey: From B2B Sales to Stump Grinding
01:13 The Initial Spark: Discovering Stump Grinding
01:41 Building the Business: Early Challenges and Successes
02:27 The B2B Sales Connection
04:41 Testing the Market: Boise vs. Provo
06:03 First Jobs and Early Experiences
12:38 Overcoming Hurdles: Mistakes and Lessons Learned
15:44 Revenue Growth and Scaling the Business
18:18 Financing the Stump Grinder18:13 Monthly Earnings Breakdown20:38 Building Business Relationships22:19 Pricing and Payment Structure23:55 Marketing Strategies30:10 Future Business Prospects33:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

129 - You Aren’t Crazy! Your Phone Is Listening to You and He Makes $1M/year From It with Brad Smith

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 • Duration 37:41

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I speak with Brad Smith (https://x.com/bradsmithcoach), founder of Automation Links. We discuss how he helps businesses automate their marketing efforts, increase their reach, systemize their processes to scale effectively, and how all of this has helped him get investment opportunities. Brad shares insights into his journey, the evolution of Automation Links, and the secrets behind his impressive 80% margin business model. We explore the critical aspects of digital marketing in the age of AI, including CRM (Customer Relationship Management), SEO (Search Engine Optimization), paid ads, and organic social content. Also, we dive deep into the somewhat controversial concept of "pixel tracking" and the power of "omnipresent advertising".

Questions This Episode Answers:

• Are our phones always listening to us?
• How does Automation Links simplify marketing for small businesses?
• How can digital pixel tracking reduce customer acquisition costs?
• How does omnipresent retargeting boost sales and engagement?
• Why is staying lean and profitable sometimes more valuable than aggressive scaling?

128 - How a Family Business Scaled from Local to National Retail (6000 Stores) with Andrew Johnson

Monday, March 3, 2025 • Duration 44:31

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Andrew Johnson (https://x.com/goodefoodsfam) about Goode Foods, the family business his father started after leaving pharmaceuticals. Andrew recounts how his dad leveraged his sales skills and network to build a food brokerage, land a contract with WIC centers, and expand into retail with their own brand of canned goods. He also shares how the COVID-19 pandemic led to massive growth and the decision to remain family-owned after his father’s passing.

Questions This Episode Answers:

How did Andrew's father use his sales experience to start a food business?
What was the golden age of Goode Foods?
How did Goode Foods expand its retail presence?
How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact Goode Foods?
How did the company scale up to meet the surge of sales during the pandemic?

This week we covered:

00:00 Highlights
00:31 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:43 The Origin Story of Goode Foods01:36 Family Background and Early Influences03:46 Transition to Entrepreneurship05:53 Building the Business from Scratch07:41 Expansion and Government Contracts15:28 Entering the Retail Market17:38 The Birth of the Goode Brand21:57 The Birth of Goode Foods22:36 Breaking into Retail Giants24:00 Navigating the Complexities of Retail28:16 The Baby Food Opportunity29:44 Pandemic-Induced Boom35:14 Scaling and Expansion39:44 Post-COVID Adjustments39:50 Family Legacy and Future Plans

127 - I Built a $250K Tool in 90 Minutes (NO CODING!) with Chris Koerner

Friday, February 28, 2025 • Duration 36:03

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Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), and my business partner Chris Koerner (https://x.com/mhp_guy) as we dive into AI app builders and explore lessons learned from a billionaire. Chris shares his plan to test AI-enabled app builders like Cursor and Replit to create a calorie counter app, aiming to identify the most efficient platform. He also recounts building a tool with Replete that analyzes vast financial data, potentially boosting a company's value significantly. Lastly, Chris reflects on insights gained from spending time with a Texas billionaire, focusing on his unique office setup and long-term strategic thinking.

Questions This Episode Answers:

What is the potential value of using AI to analyze large financial datasets?
How can documenting current business processes prepare you for integrating AI agents?
What management and decision-making insights can be gained from observing successful leaders?
How can content creation and sharing lead to unexpected opportunities and collaborations?

Links and Resources:

Share your ideas with us:

Nik@cofounders.com
Chris@cofounders.com

Enjoy the conversation!
__________________________

Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.
Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or send me an email at Nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.
__________________________MY NEWSLETTER: Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98yApple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT___________________________This week we covered:

Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business – Details, episodes & analysis

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Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business – Details, episodes & analysis

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