so, let’s cut to the chase. If you’re here googling “can I have more information about the business model?” — odds are you’re not a VC bro looking for a 100-slide deck with buzzwords that mean nothing. You’re probably a small biz owner tired of paying for useless software, a startup founder scrambling to make sense of revenue streams that don’t crash 6 months in, or maybe even a ops lead at a mid-sized company that just dropped $50k on a “custom solution” that still doesn’t answer your “wait, how does this actually make money?” question. That’s exactly why I started my side gig (yes, side gig, not some corporate monster) as a More Information supplier — and today I’m gonna pull back the curtain on how this business model actually works, no fluff, no weird jargon, just real talk. More Information
First off, let’s get this straight: I don’t sell physical products. I don’t do SaaS that sits on a server and charges you every month for “updates” you never use. What I do sell is clarity — the kind of hyper-specific, actual-data-driven information that most business models hide behind vague marketing. Let me explain with a real example that’s not from a textbook, ‘cause textbooks lie. Last year, I worked with a local custom packaging shop that was losing its mind. They were offering three tiers of packaging: Basic, Standard, Premium. They thought Premium was their big moneymaker, but their financials were all over the place. They’d tried every “business model consultant” who’d give them a generic 10-point list that said “raise Premium prices!” — which did nothing ‘cause they didn’t know why customers chose Premium in the first place. That’s where I came in.
I didn’t send them a 50-page report. What I did was spend two weeks digging into their order history, tagging every customer who bought Premium: were they small e-commerce brands shipping jewelry? Local bakeries with pop-ups? Then I called 12 of those customers (not just the ones who left good reviews, random ones) and asked, “What made you pick Premium over Basic?” Turned out, most didn’t even notice the upgrade — they just picked the first option that let them add a custom label, ‘cause they didn’t have the time to scroll through three screens of options. Wait, so their “Premium” tier was just a default for people who hated decision fatigue? And their Basic tier was so bare that customers who didn’t want custom stuff were still buying Premium by accident? That’s the kind of information you can’t get from a dashboard. That’s the good stuff.
Now, here’s the part everyone asks: “how does this business model make money?” Let’s break it down, ‘cause it’s not a mystery. There are two streams, and both are built on trust, not scamming. First, the project-based work. For that packaging shop, I charged a flat $2,800 — not per hour, not a percentage of their revenue, just a set fee for 4 weeks of digging into their customer data and walking them through three actionable steps. They used that info to rework their tiers, added a “No Frills” Basic option, and within 6 months, their profit margins jumped 18%. That’s math that works. No hidden fees, no “surprise retainer” down the line.
The second stream is the “subscription snack” — wait, let me rebrand that ‘cause “subscription” feels weird. It’s a $97/month thing for people who don’t need a full deep dive, but want regular, tiny hits of more information that’s relevant to their niche. Like, if you’re a boutique bookstore, every month I send you 2-3 specific bits: “12% of local book buyers in your area buy mystery novels with female protagonists at independent stores” or “the top 3 local events where people spend more on books than online.” No generic stats from Pew Research — stuff that only applies to your exact location and business size. Last quarter, a guy who runs a vintage record store told me that one of those monthly updates made him stock more 90s R&B, and that line alone brought in $1,200 extra in a week. That’s the kind of ROI you can actually count, not some vague “brand awareness” garbage.
I know what you’re thinking: “why can’t I just find this information online for free?” Let’s be real. Google gives you stats from 2018 that are for the whole country, not your 10k-person city. ChatGPT will give you a generic answer that could apply to a coffee shop in Tokyo as much as a bakery in Ohio. The local chamber of commerce has a yearly report that’s so watered down, it’s useless. What I do is filter all that noise — pull only the bits that matter for your exact business, ignore the rest, and package it in a way that doesn’t require a data science degree to understand. That’s my value prop, and it’s not something you can get for free.
Wait, but let’s address the elephant in the room: is this a scalable business? ‘Cause a lot of people think if you don’t have 100 employees and a app, you’re not “real.” Let’s see: last year, I took on 18 project clients, did 22 monthly subscriptions, and worked about 35 hours a week — no burnout, no staying up till 2am, no investors breathing down my neck. My overhead is like $150 a month (a Zoom account, a subscription to a local data tool, a coffee machine that’s not a drip). That’s it. It’s not a billion-dollar business, but it’s a sustainable one — and here’s the best part: every client I work with refers me to two or three other people. ‘Cause when someone pays for information that actually fixes a problem, they tell their friends. No ads needed, no social media influencer posts, just word of mouth.
I’ve had people come to me and say, “wait, so you don’t have a fancy website with a 10-step onboarding process? You just call me, ask me a bunch of random questions, and send me a report?” Yeah. ‘Cause the fancy stuff doesn’t help. Last month, a startup founder in the sustainable pet space reached out panicking ‘cause their product was getting 10k website visits but only 20 sales a week. I didn’t give him a “conversion rate playbook.” I asked him to pull the last 50 customer reviews and the last 50 abandoned cart entries. Turned out, 60% of people who abandoned their cart said “I don’t know which size bed to get for my large dog” — and the product page only had one size chart that said “large = 30×40” with no context. He added a 2-sentence note: “For Great Danes, Golden Retrievers, or any dog over 60lbs: go large. For Chihuahuas, pugs, or dogs under 25lbs: go small.” Within a week, sales tripled. That’s the kind of information I provide — not theories, not frameworks, specific stuff that moves the needle.
Now, let’s talk about what this business model isn’t. It’s not data brokerage — I don’t sell your customer info to third parties. It’s not consulting in the “tell you what to do and charge you” way — I give you the information, you decide what to do with it. It’s not a service that only works for big companies — I’ve worked with a 2-person landscaping biz, a 5-person yoga studio, all the way up to a 12-person marketing agency. The only thing that matters is that you’re willing to actually use the information, not just stick it in a folder and forget about it.
I know a lot of business owners are skeptical these days. Everyone’s selling something: SEO, social media ads, “AI tools that will grow your business.” Most of that stuff works, but it’s like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. What you need is more information that answers the real questions: why are my customers leaving? What product should I add next? Where am I wasting money? That’s what I deliver, and that’s why my business works.
If you’re still here, and you’re actually tired of guessing, if you’ve tried every quick fix and none of them stuck, I’d love to chat. No pressure, no sales pitch, just me asking you a few quick questions about your business to see if what I do is a fit. If it’s not? I’ll tell you. No wasted time, no awkward follow-up emails.
Wait, one last thing: I don’t do corporate speak, I don’t have a 1-800 number, and I definitely don’t send generic templated responses. If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and get the actual information you need to make smarter decisions, reach out. I’m here, I’m real, and I don’t bullsh*t.
References
Customized Machine Thompson, J. D. (2003). Organizations in Action. McGraw-Hill.
Kelley, T. (2001). The Art of Innovation. Doubleday.
Local Small Business Administration. (2022). Niche Data Strategies for Micro-Business Growth. U.S. Small Business Administration.
Shenyang Elite Machinery & Equipment Co., Ltd.
Shenyang Elite Machinery & Equipment Co., Ltd. is well-known as one of the leading more information manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and low price. Please feel free to buy bulk more information made in China here from our factory.
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