From My Desk

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97 Durable Businesses I’d Own In Any Market

I wish every business I’ve ever owned was a durable business.

A durable industry will make you fall in love with the game of business.

A non-durable industry will wreck your sleep and fast-track you to an AARP membership.

Non-durable businesses run on hustle, heroics, and more luck than most of us have.

Want to make your life 10x easier?

Give yourself a head start.

Build in a durable industry.

Save this for later:

7 Signals of a Durable Opportunity

Durable businesses. Great to start. Great to buy.

Here are some signs I look for, whether I’m investing, buying, or starting a business:

1. The Scheduling Test: If a business books out 2-3 weeks consistently → unmet demand = opportunity.
2. The Renewal Reflex: If most customers renew out of habit rather than persuasion → the business doesn’t sell, it embeds.
3. Reputation Arbitrage: Weak competitors with strong inbound demand = easy wins.
4. The “White Van” Rule: See plain white service vans in your city? That’s a category with demand, fragmentation, and low brand loyalty → the ideal landscape to consolidate and win.
5. The “Break/Fix” Baseline: The sweet spot for demand is when your core service is for something that will break and can’t be ignored.
6. Contract-Heavy Revenue: When 50%+ of revenue comes from contracts, memberships, or retainers.
7. Supply-Chain Leverage: When bulk-buy discounts, vendor agreements, or rebates materially improve margin, the business grows stronger as it scales.

The Durable 97 (& why these industries work)

Patterns you’ll notice immediately:

These industries serve…

• Things that break
• Things people can’t ignore
• Things with repeat schedules
• Things that require compliance
• Things customers outsource by default
• Things no one brags about on Twitter

Some people call these “boring businesses.”

Personally, I find them incredibly exciting.

You will too after you see the inside of a good one.

How to Build Durably

Every time I’ve had a business that drains me, fights me, makes me feel stuck, or keeps me up at night, it’s because it was fragile.

If you own a business, you should be asking one question right now:

How can I make this thing more durable?

Starting in a durable industry gives you a head start. But any business can take steps toward durability.

I made a quick quiz to diagnose your next step. Fill it out in 2 minutes here.​

And if you’re searching for a new venture?

Pair any of the above industries with:

• Your natural interest and curiosity.
• Some entrepreneurial grit.

And you’ll be onto a durable business that will pay you twice:

In cash flow & in an exit.
In money & in freedom.

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PS: You can spend another year building something that owns you. Or you can spend two days fixing it.

See If You Qualify

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