Podcast Summary: The Koerner Office – Ep. #267

Title: He Copied an Idea I Posted and Built a $2,600/Week Business
Host: Chris Koerner
Guest: Tim
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Koerner interviews Tim, an entrepreneurial listener who took a business idea Chris shared on social media—an RC (remote control) excavator café concept popular in Dubai—and successfully launched a thriving side business in Erlanger, Kentucky. Tim details his journey from being a risk-averse IT worker to building a business generating up to $2,600 a week, the challenges he faced, the mechanics of launching at fairs, scaling up to a retail location, and plans to potentially franchise the business.

Chris and Tim dive deep into the nuts and bolts: startup costs, pricing, marketing, customer segments, operational learnings, and the emotional side of betting on yourself.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spark: How an Idea Became a Business

• Chris posted a viral short about a Dubai café with RC sand equipment, reaching 20M+ views (00:24).
  • Tim, inspired, started a similar business in Kentucky.

    “That short got about 20 million views across platforms… this guy named Tim… said that's my business.” (00:24–00:38)

• Tim had always harbored entrepreneurial aspirations but lacked the confidence to start.
  • Chris’s content and supportive community were instrumental in pushing Tim to take action.

    Tim: “A lot of your content in the group helped my confidence… Not everything has to be a billion dollar idea—you can stack smaller businesses...” (01:24)

2. Transitioning from Side Hustle to Serious Business

• Tim juggled IT and remodeling side hustles but didn’t enjoy them and didn’t commit until the RC digger idea.
• Laid off from his W2 job, Tim used downtime to lean hard into the new business before landing another IT position (01:24–03:00).
  • Kept the new biz as a side hustle, eventually opening a retail location.

3. Building the RC Business: Low Barriers, Smart Execution

• Appeal of idea: Low capital risk and straightforward setup.
  • “The barriers to entry seemed really low. The risk seemed really low…” (03:09)
• Startup costs for the trailer setup: $10–11k (21:42), with the trailer itself $6k (21:45).
• Broke even on initial investment in the first season—sold 1,700 sessions at $5 each, plus private events (03:09).

4. Pricing, Operations, and Fast-Pivoting

• Started at $5 for 10 minutes; switched to $5 for 5 minutes, doubling session count and revenue (05:55–06:26).
  • Some pushback on price, but plenty willing to pay, especially for group events.
  • Private parties: $399 for 2 hours, typically booked by parents and, amusingly, for adult parties too (06:30).
• Practical operational insights:
  • Trailer design initially hampered visibility; lowering the wall will help draw more traffic (03:50–04:51).

    Tim: “If the walls were lower… people walking by would’ve seen more.”

  • Custom software (built on Replit) tracks sessions, emails for marketing, and automates time management—keeps parents and kids on track without staff nagging (17:40–18:31).

5. Revenue & Event Economics

• Costs to be at fairs varied between $100–550 per week (08:17–08:57), depending on venue quality and exclusivity.
• Average event earnings: $200–300 on slow days, up to $800 on best days, and $499 for a private, three-hour gig (11:42–12:50).
  • “Probably $2,600 bucks in that neighborhood” at peak for a single 5-day county fair (13:29).

6. Marketing & Customer Segments

• Majority of marketing was grassroots: 1,500–2,000 stickers/magnets with the brand/website handed out at events (08:57).
• Audience split unexpectedly: about 50/50 adults and kids.

  “I was actually really blown away...so many [construction workers]…would end up over at our booth paying us to run the machines…” (19:26)

• Corporate, family, and even retirement parties (06:26–06:55); adults enjoyed the precise mimicry of real machine controls, making it enjoyable for all ages (19:26–20:12).

7. Scaling Up: The Retail Store

• Store startup: $18k, partly mitigated by taking on renovations personally (23:20).
• Rent: $1,000/month, with city grants and incentives based on community buzz and social media reach (25:36).
• The store will have two “zones”—Construction and Crawler Space—enabling up to 17 simultaneous participants (28:38).
• Open plan: 7 days a week, 10 AM–8 PM, initially family-run, with intent to hire as needed (27:57).

8. Systematization and Franchising Ambition

• Software, branding, and operational learnings designed for easy franchising/franchisee ramp-up (27:10).

  “I want to franchise it… if I can prove it works. I think I’ve built everything… to be highly franchisable.” (27:10)

• Future plans include additional equipment for dual operation (event trailer & store) and outdoor RC courses to diversify revenue (32:07).
• Tim breaks even at just 12% capacity in the retail format; at 20–50% capacity, potential profits modeled at $300k/year (31:36–32:07).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why he took the risk:
  Tim (01:24):

  “I've always had that bug, but I've always been, you know, too shy to pull the trigger honestly. And I think a lot of your content in the group helped my confidence in those areas.”

• On testing price elasticity & doubling volume:
  Tim (06:26):

  “…we changed from $5 for 10 minutes to $5 for five minutes… it doubled our business.”

• On customer demographics:
  Tim (19:26):

  “It's a good mix of 50–50... so many of them at the end of their shift… would end up over at our booth paying us to run the machines…”

• On vendor network and learning by doing:
  Tim (11:00):

  “We met a ton of other vendors at that event that were, you know, in different aspects. You know, we talk to everybody at every event because we've learned so much. So much so that we're opening a food truck this year to stack on top of it.”

• On tech enablement:
  Tim (18:31):

  "We don't have to be [telling people their time is up], because their parents do… the fact that we can do it so smoothly makes all the difference in the world."

• On break-even and the future:
  Tim (33:27):

  “Most of the summer? Eight months? Six, seven, eight months. It was, you know… because fall was a huge time for us.”

Key Timestamps

• 00:24 – Chris describes Tim’s business origin story.
• 03:09 – Why Tim chose this idea; low risk, easy entry.
• 03:50–06:26 – Building and evolving the trailer, session pricing pivot.
• 08:17–08:57 – Economics of fair fees, marketing through handouts.
• 11:00–13:29 – Learning curve, best/worst event revenues, vendor networking.
• 17:40–18:31 – How the custom app (built with Replit AI) revolutionized time management and session tracking.
• 19:26 – Unexpected adult appeal—customer split.
• 21:42–23:54 – Startup costs (trailer & store), cost-saving tips.
• 25:39 – Rent and location advantages.
• 27:10 – Franchise ambition and systematizing operations.
• 28:38 – Store capacity and layout.
• 31:36–32:07 – Revenue modeling and profit potential.
• 33:27 – Reaching break-even and reflecting on progress.

Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

• You don’t need a billion dollar concept. Small, well-executed ideas—especially borrowed ones—can become lucrative, defensible businesses.
• Low startup risk can be powerful fuel, especially when paired with community and accountability.
• Test your pricing and iterate quickly; don't fear pushback. Tim’s 2x revenue insight was critical.
• Leverage technology to streamline operations. Tim’s custom session app turned a logistical nightmare into a scalable, possibly franchise-ready operation.
• Start grassroots—every sticker/magnet counts. And don’t underestimate the marketing power of literally showing up, repeatedly.
• Don’t ignore the 'grown-up' market for kid-centric ideas. Dads, grandpas, and construction workers love RC equipment.
• Design for scale and franchising from day one, even if you don’t franchise. Systematize everything—branding, tech, ops.

Final Thoughts

Tim’s journey embodies the spirit of Chris Koerner’s show: take immediate action on good-enough ideas, learn and adapt fast, and use community plus simple tech to build real revenue streams. For listeners, this episode is a masterclass in validating, testing, and scaling up a business from humble beginnings—without betting the farm.

Chris Koerner wraps up:
“If you love entrepreneurship, marketing, business ideas or agency life, this show is for you. Let’s make you some money with cool business ideas!”

For more on The Koerner Office and to connect with Chris Koerner:
TKOPOD.COM