👻 $500 Certificate = $5,000 a Month Revenue 🧯

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If you’re new here, we turn $1 into thousands building these weird but simple side hustles. Welcome to Ghost Business 👻 Your (mostly) weekly email

TLDR;

• A Fire Extinguisher Inspector Certification Exam = $500

• Make $30-$50+/hour

• Then turn it into your own business

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Find and count the fire extinguishers in any building. (this is a trick used to increase awareness of your surroundings).

Turns out there are many and they are everywhere. If you actually look at one up close (hopefully not in an emergency 🤞) you’ll notice they will should have inspection dates and times.

So this got me thinking, who does this and what can someone make inspecting all these fire putter outters?

Let’s dig in.

The Cost

I’m going to start by breaking a promise. This is going to cost more than $100 to start. I’m sorry, please forgive me.

To be licensed to inspect fire extinguishers you’ll need:

• Training (Courses/Materials): $100

• Certification Exam (Initial): $500 (NFPA CFI-I or Seattle FD)

• NFPA Code Books: $200

All in for $800

The income

There’s really only 2 main paths for income here - being a contractor at a company or starting your own business. Let’s break them both down:

How to Get Hired by an Established Company:

• Target Key Employers: Research top fire protection companies (in Washington e.g., Cosco, Pye-Barker, Western States Fire Protection, Fire King) and get hired on as an hourly contractor.

• Highlight Certifications: Emphasize your NFPA 10, ICC, or local WA certifications in your resume.

• Be Flexible: Express willingness to learn other fire safety systems (alarms, sprinklers).

• Negotiate Wisely: Aim for a good hourly rate as a contractor $30-$50+/hour

How to Start Your Own Business:

• Plan Your Services & Prices: Decide on inspection/recharge services; set competitive rates ($15-$30+ per extinguisher).

• Legal & Insurance: Register your business, get state/local licenses, and secure comprehensive liability insurance.

• Acquire Essential Gear: Buy inspection tools, a service vehicle, and initial extinguisher inventory.

• Aggressively Market: Create a professional website, optimize for local search, and network with property managers.

• Focus on Contracts: Prioritize securing annual inspection contracts for consistent, recurring revenue.

p.s If you found this insight into the newsletter industry valuable, imagine how helpful it could be to someone else dreaming of starting their own hustle!

Hit the share button below to pass this on to a friend, colleague, or anyone who's ever thought about turning their passion into profit.

Viability:

1 [building spaceships] 🚀 to 5 [easy peasy] 😊 

Starting your own fire extinguisher inspection businesses is significantly harder than working for someone else due to the substantial upfront investment in equipment and legal setup, intense marketing efforts required to build a client base from scratch, and the ongoing administrative burden.

While the earning potential is higher, the initial hurdles and constant effort make it a considerable challenge.

(As usual each business will have it’s own setbacks, and it’s all about the execution and consistency rather than just having the idea)

It’s a great day to be great!

Love, Mike 👋