The Subcontractor Startup: Build a Business Without Employees

Learn how to start a profitable home services business without employees or an office space. This course gives you the step-by-step plan to launch and grow a subcontractor-based business so that you can become your own boss with low overhead and total flexibility.



What you’ll learn

  • Pick a Niche That Pays: Discover the most profitable, beginner-friendly service businesses, and avoid the ones that are a trap.
  • Set Up in 7 Days or Less: Follow our step-by-step checklist to register your limited liability company, get insured, and create a legit presence fast.
  • Get Leads Without Paying for Ads: Use free, proven tactics to start getting customer inquiries in days, not months.
  • Find and Manage Subcontractors (Not Employees): Learn how to vet and manage independent crews that do the work for you while you run your business.
  • Run Everything in 2 Hours a Day: Use simple tools to automate quoting, scheduling, payments, and reviews, even if you’re not tech savvy.
  • Close Jobs Over the Phone: Know what to say, how to price, and how to win jobs without sounding like a salesperson.
  • Scale on Your Terms: Whether you want to expand to new cities or just replace your 9-5, this course shows you how to achieve your professional goals.

Forget the startup chaos. 

You don’t need a team of employees. You don’t need to rent a warehouse or buy a truck. And you definitely don’t need to raise money or go “all in” on day one.

What you need is a smart way to start a real business with low overhead and total flexibility.

Subcontracting Home Services is that path.

It’s a step-by-step course designed for first-time entrepreneurs who want to build something profitable in the home services space without the usual headaches of payroll or working 60-hour weeks.

You’ll learn how to get started with just a phone and a plan to grow using subcontractors, not employees.

That means no payroll taxes and no babysitting crews.

Instead, you’ll run the business side by:

  • Finding customers
  • Closing jobs
  • Dispatching crews
  • Collecting profit

This is the model real service businesses use to scale quietly and profitably.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or you’re finally ready to scale, Subcontracting Home Services gives you the blueprint to build something real on your own terms.

You don’t need a business plan the size of a novel. You just need the right model and the commitment to start.

Ready? Let’s get to work.



Meet your teacher

Chris Koerner

Owner, CoFounders.com and Co-founder, Fast Tree Care

Chris Koerner doesn’t fit the mold of a typical founder.

He’s a serial entrepreneur and writer who’s started over 75 companies across tech, crypto, real estate, and eCommerce, with a current portfolio valued at over $25 million.

He’s scaled a company from $63K to $4.3M in monthly revenue in just 90 days.
He’s partnered with John McAfee on a crypto venture.

And every month, 20–30 million people read his long-form business content online.

So why tree-trimming?

Because Chris isn’t chasing flashy. He’s chasing underestimated opportunities in boring but profitable businesses where operational excellence wins.

In 2023, he co-founded Fast Tree Care with an operating partner. Within months, they were doing multiple 5-figure weeks with zero outside funding.

Chris  lives on 3 acres in Dallas with his wife of 16 years and their four kids. His life is fueled by curiosity, grit, and a deep love for building things that matter.




Start here

3 min


Meet James

6 min


Your success mindset

13 min


Legal setup

6 min


Your technology stack

18 min


How to generate leads

5 min


Cold texting

7 min


Finding good subcontractors

7 min


How to streamline operations

3 min


The secret to closing leads fast

2 min


How to grow sustainably

2 min


Your next steps

1 min


UpFlip Course Slides

Start here > Start here

Lead Tracking Sheet Instructions

How to generate leads > How to generate leads

Subcontractor Agreement

Finding good subcontractors > Finding good subcontractors

Crew Interview Checklist

Finding good subcontractors > Finding good subcontractors

Standard Operating Procedures

How to streamline operations > How to streamline operations

Follow-up SMS Templates

How to streamline operations > How to streamline operations

Customer Service Script

How to streamline operations > How to streamline operations

Crew Daily Checklist

How to streamline operations > How to streamline operations

Job Quote Template

The secret to closing leads fast > The secret to closing leads fast

Launch Your Business in 10 Days

Enroll in The UpFlip Academy and unlock your 10-Day Business Launch Plan—a step-by-step guide to launch your dream business!