No Storefront Needed: Locksmiths, Pet Groomers, Tarot Readers and More

Competitive Advantage of Mobile

ChatGPT introduced me to mobile locksmithing.

For the dup fob I wanted for a Toyota Prius it indicated that would be more affordable through a locksmith, not the dealer. And it listed the mobile options in this city. Soon enough, a locksmith was in my driveway programming a fob. For about 30 minutes labor, I ponied up $300 in cash. Business must be brisk. They tack on 3% fee for debit/credit cards. My, my, I thought to myself: Why didn’t I train and license for that line of work. And they have no storefront overhead.

Another version of mobile locksmithing is featured in CNBC. Twenty-something Locksmith Girl of NYC operates out of her car, with the competitive advantage of being a female. Locked-out females feel safer contacting another female. A hustler, she’s ready to answer calls from 4 AM to a bit after midnight. Her investment? $7k for tools + licensing fee. Initially she subcontracted to learn her trade. Average locksmith compensation in New York City is over $80k.

Much of that same good fortune is coming to mobile pet groomers. If you are among the 66% of households in America with a four-legged companion you know how much they hate to be transported to a groomer and then wait sadly in a cage for you to pick them up.

Some mobile groomers use your facilities such as the sink. Others arrive with a fully equipped van. They can learn the hands-on skill in a training program provided by pet supply chains or take a stand-alone course at a trade school. If they serve affluent neighborhoods they can earn six-figures.

Five years ago when I shifted from the declining market for content-creation to tarot readings I quickly figured out the very real world dynamics of that mystical line of work. Go to where they are and the opportunities are abundant.

Eventually, with the exception of classic metaphysical havens like Salem, Massachusetts, psychic shops were shuttering. Where I was in Sierra Vista, Arizona for three years, three stores had shut down and the one where I sat one day a week was slow. Back here in the midswest, have cards, will travel.

Given the success of mobile services, it’s not unthinkable that even high-end professional services providers could be whizzing around urban areas on e-bikes providing guidance to clients. Recently JP Morgan and Paul, Weiss invested in new state-of-the-art office facilities. Does that send the wrong message in this era of extreme cost-control? One client of such services balked: They would rather meet in a rat hole and pay less than in an over-the-top conference room.

I had been asked if I dreamed about having my own retail space for readings? Hell, no, I answer. Obviously clients would calculate what that space is adding on to their bill. Currently I charge a dollar a minute. With leasing a storefront that would have to be more.