No. 1
Local marketing
Sell a simple marketing service to businesses in your town, in person.
See the Local marketing businessPack 1 from $29 CAD (about US$21) · One-time payment · 14-day guarantee
Educational content, no guaranteed income.
Your result
Your 2 best options
Your answers: you have over $500 to start; you have 5 to 7 h a week; you can wait for a first milestone; you can reach out in person; you want to be out in the field; you don’t want to store anything; you like numbers; you need a predictable path.
No. 2
Dropshipping
Pick a product whose margin survives the cost of ads.
See the Dropshipping businessPack 1 from $34 CAD (about US$25) · One-time payment · 14-day guarantee
Why Local marketing comes first
It fits better on: risk (10-point gap), time (7-point gap), location (5-point gap) and stock (4-point gap).
Dropshipping does better on: what you like doing (22-point gap).
On the other aspects, they are tied.
Aspect by aspect
| Aspect | Local marketing | Dropshipping |
|---|---|---|
| Starting budget | CA$0–40Good fit12/12 | CA$350–600Good fit12/12 |
| Time per week | 5–8 hGood fit14/14 | 7–14 hPartial7/14 |
| First milestone (estimate) | 2–6 wkGood fit10/10 | 2–6 wkGood fit10/10 |
| Contact with people | In person, by phoneGood fit14/14 | Answering customersGood fit14/14 |
| Online or in the field | In the fieldGood fit10/10 | 100% onlinePartial5/10 |
| Stock and shipping | No itemsGood fit8/8 | No stock, some returnsPartial4/8 |
| What you do day to day | Talking to local shop ownersWatch out0/22 | Reading numbers, testing productsGood fit22/22 |
| Demand and risk | LowGood fit10/10 | High · ads to testWatch out0/10 |
| Score | 78/100 | 74/100 |
The main risk with Local marketing
In-person or phone outreach is the only path: this model does not work from behind a screen.
Budget: CA$0–40 a month in tools, plus getting around.
The main risk with Dropshipping
Without an ad budget this model does not start: most tested products never become profitable.
Budget: CA$350–600, of which $300–500 goes to ads.
How we calculate
Each aspect is worth points: what you like doing 22, time 14, contact 14, budget 12, timing 10, location 10, risk 10, stock 8. “Good fit” earns all of the aspect’s points, “Partial” half, “Watch out” 0.
The score measures how well your answers match what the business demands: it is not a chance of success nor an income forecast.
What we ruled out, and why
- Reselling: you have to store, photograph and ship items from home.