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Jim Lashbaugh
- Permit Expediter
- $40,000 annual side hustle revenue
Jim Lashbaugh is a retired firefighter who spent years renovating houses on the side.
One thing he got annoyingly good at: building permits.
After retiring, a friend asked him to handle one. Then a stranger called.
From a recent interview…
A plumber – someone I had never met – called out of the blue and said, “I heard you handle building permits. Can I pay you to handle this for me?”
That first client paid $500. Jim had no website, no credentials, and the client never even asked 
Contractors hate permits. It’s slow, full of red tape, and pulls them away from actual building. In Portland, the average permit takes 9 months. Jim gets them done in 4 to 5.
He started at $1,250/permit. Now charges $1,750 – works out to $250 to $300/hr. Made ~$40K last year.
Zero ad spend. 100% word of mouth 
It’s not your circle that matters – it’s all the circles that you touch.
No credentials required. Not one client has ever asked.
Every industry has painful paperwork people would pay to avoid. Permits, liquor licenses, zoning applications…
Find the one you already understand – or can get to grips with quickly – and build a business around it 