The Stack Report

The $90 business that did $50K in year one — and what it means for your local marketing.

No repos this issue. Instead, a model worth knowing about.

How It Works: Shared Postcard Advertising

A 25-year-old built a $50,000 side business in 12 months by selling ad space on shared direct-mail postcards to local businesses. Total startup cost: $90.

The Core Model

He prints a single oversized postcard, sells individual ad slots to multiple local businesses (think: plumber, dentist, landscaper — all on one card), and splits the mailing cost across all of them. Each advertiser pays a fraction of what solo direct mail would cost, and he pockets the margin. No inventory, no staff, no storefront.

USPS Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)

This is the tool that makes it viable. EDDM (usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm) lets you target entire mail carrier routes by ZIP code — no mailing list needed, no per-address fees. You pick the routes, upload your artwork, and USPS delivers to every door on that route. Rates can run as low as $0.22–$0.23 per piece at volume. For a local business trying to reach every household in a 3-mile radius, this is one of the cheapest physical touchpoints available — and most small businesses have never heard of it.

Facebook Groups as a Sales Channel

He didn't build a website first. He went straight to local Facebook Groups — neighborhood buy/sell groups, local business owner groups — and posted that he was looking for businesses to feature on a community mailer. Direct, low-cost, and it actually works in markets where the group is active. The pitch is simple: "You only pay if I fill the card." That removes the objection before it's raised.

Why This Matters Beyond the Hustle

Physical Mail Still Converts

Email open rates for cold lists hover around 20–30% on a good day. Direct mail response rates for local offers consistently run 3–5x higher for the right demographics. Older homeowners, high-income households, and people who've just moved (strong buyer intent) all over-index for direct mail engagement. If you serve a local market and you're only running digital ads, you're leaving a channel on the table.

The Co-Op Model Solves the Cost Problem

The single biggest reason small businesses don't do direct mail is cost. A solo 5,000-piece mailing with design, print, and postage can run $1,500–$2,500 easily. Splitting that across 6–8 advertisers drops each business's cost to $200–$400 — well inside "worth testing" territory. The hustle here isn't just a side income play; it's also a real service for the local businesses buying in.

Low-Tech Client Acquisition Still Works

The Facebook Group approach is a reminder that the best client acquisition channel is the one where your buyers already hang out. Local service businesses — HVAC, roofing, insurance, real estate — are active in local Facebook Groups precisely because their customers are there. Cold DMs to group members, or a well-framed post offering value, consistently outperforms cold email for local outreach.

Quick Hits

• EDDM Online (usps.com) handles route selection, quantity estimates, and postage calculation — worth bookmarking before you price out any local mail campaign.
• A shared postcard business is also a foot-in-the-door for offering digital add-ons (QR codes, landing pages, call tracking) to the same advertisers.
• Canva Pro (~$15/mo) is all you need to produce print-ready postcard designs at 300 DPI — no designer required for a first run.
• If you're running a voice agent or AI receptionist for a local business, a postcard with a dedicated phone number is a clean way to track inbound call volume from a specific mail drop.
• Google Voice or a Twilio number costs next to nothing and gives each advertiser a trackable phone number — turns a print piece into a measurable campaign.
• Local Facebook Groups with 5,000–20,000 members are often better cold outreach venues than LinkedIn for service businesses in non-metro markets.
• The $90 startup cost was almost entirely postage and a small print run — a good reminder that proving a business model doesn't require a polished brand first.

Reply if any of these would actually help your business — I'll point you toward the right setup if it's a fit.

— Chad stackconsultingai.com

P.S. — This roundup was curated from the The Simplest Side Hustle You Can Start Under $100 episode on the Chris Koerner on The Koerner Office Podcast channel. Their full rundown is worth the watch: youtube.com/watch?v=Y4pvrjtb1cI.