A free inspection for your business idea, and plain guides to side hustles, validation, starting up, marketing, selling, money, software and growing.https://theideamechanic.comen-ushello@theideamechanic.com (Wes Dunleavy)https://theideamechanic.com/blog/customer-interview-questionshttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/customer-interview-questionsA short script built on what people did last time, the four questions that only get compliments, where to find ten strangers, and how to tally the answers.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTValidationcustomer-interviewsidea-validationmarket-researchinterview-scripthttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/etsy-vs-shopifyhttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/etsy-vs-shopifyOne $48 sale worked through Etsy’s and Shopify’s own fee pages, where the buyers come from on each, what you own, and which to start on with a first product.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSellingetsyshopifyselling-onlineecommerce-feeshandmade-businesshttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-calculate-break-even-pointhttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-calculate-break-even-pointThe break-even formula worked at side-hustle scale: a product and a service example, your own pay counted, and the three levers that bring the number down.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMoneybreak-evenfixed-costscontribution-marginpricingsmall-business-financehttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-find-time-for-a-side-hustle-with-a-day-jobhttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-find-time-for-a-side-hustle-with-a-day-jobMost side hustles stall on the hours, not the idea. Count the hours yours needs, track an ordinary week, and build a schedule you can keep beside the job.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSide Hustlesside-hustletime-managementweekly-scheduleday-jobhttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-get-your-first-customershttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-get-your-first-customersWin the first ten paying customers on little or no budget: a one-sentence offer, ten named people and places, the message to send, and a four-week test.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMarketingfirst-customerssmall-business-marketingword-of-mouthcustomer-reviewssales-outreachhttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-pre-sell-a-producthttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-pre-sell-a-productTake real pre-orders before you build: set the pass mark, write an offer with a ship date and refund, and keep within the FTC’s rules on delays and refunds.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTValidationpre-salepre-ordersidea-validationftc-ruleshttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-price-a-producthttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-price-a-productSet a first price that covers every cost of a sale, card fees and your time included, and sits where buyers will pay, with worked examples and the markup trap.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMoneypricingprofit-marginmarkupunit-economicshttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-validate-a-business-ideahttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/how-to-validate-a-business-ideaFive tests in order of cost, from ten conversations to a pre-sale, each with a pass mark set first, so you know whether to build it, change it or drop it.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTValidationbusiness-ideasidea-validationmarket-researchpre-salescustomer-interviewshttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/llc-vs-sole-proprietorshiphttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/llc-vs-sole-proprietorshipWhat an LLC protects and what it doesn’t, why the taxes are the same by default, what each costs to start and keep, and when forming one can wait.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTStarting Upllcsole-proprietorshipbusiness-structureself-employment-taxsmall-business-taxeshttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/why-is-my-business-not-making-moneyhttps://theideamechanic.com/blog/why-is-my-business-not-making-moneyAn ordered check for a business that sells but keeps nothing: profit or cash, the margin on each sale, fixed costs, customers, demand and your hours.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMoneyprofit-and-losscash-flowunit-economicsbreak-evenbookkeeping