niche business idea: laser graffiti removal > solo operator work > high margin / low overhead > sell recurring service contracts

Doesn't have to be solo. You need the graffiti makers for ongoing work.

Better margins if you’re solo- getting caught making the graffiti and getting paid to remove it would be pretty wild 😂

@NOOROU it's not really *wrong* though... i mean some people like art, and some people like boring looking buildings... now they can have it both ways, AND you get to fire a laser blaster all day! AND some hoodlums get some extra drug money just for making their art! W's all around!

@NOOROU W’s all around. lol 😂

Cons: - Doesn't remove green paint

haha, I think it does though. They were trying to show the contrast

Infinite money glitch: side hustle as a vandal at night

Nighttime “artist” lol

Need the verdict from @CoFoundersNik and @mhp_guy Seems like this a good business if you can get the right contracts

I have 300-6000watt options for this solo operator.

You run the laser engraving business?!

We are an SFX laser dealer. The USA branch is in western New York. We have a few companies that do this in the field. It’s becoming an interesting alternative or addition to surface prep companies.

@chasedownleads Guess who owns the spray paint vending machine around the corner?

@chasedownleads 😂

@chasedownleads Infinite money glitch unlocked.

@chasedownleads painter by night, cleaner by day

In our dystopian future, incentives eventually lead the business owners to fund local graffiti gangs

True. There’s always perverse incentives in situations like this, but I’d hope a small business operator doing this in their hometown would have the best intentions. As long as a city contract was in place that didn’t pay on a per-instance basis, there wouldn’t be an incentive to create more graffiti.

@grok how much would the initial investment to get this business off the ground cost? What would the pricing model look like? Be as specific as possible.

A scene right out of Demolition Man.

Whoooooaaa you’re right! I completely forgot about that scene That movie was ahead of its time

Yeah it predicted woke about as accurate as you could!

Let's see it not on fast forward and how it compares to other methods

Good point, the video is a tad fast. It might be possible to configure one on a rig/rack setup so that it’s moving along a track fully autonomously The operator could take a pic and have AI asses the laser path for removal.

Sounds like a lot of work for what is currently a menial job performed at a low cost per m2. Usually you just paint over it, takes a few minutes

But for unpainted bricks, streets, and sidewalks it seems like a good idea It would be fun to be the town’s laser guy :)

Yeah restoring original surfaces might be a winner there. Brick can be hella porous so prolly a bitch to scrub clean, but what do I know. Does the 'laser' blast away the top of the surface though? Might lose the finish. Couldn't bricks simply be sanded or water blasted?

Not sure, but I’m assuming cleanup and transport might be easier with a laser rig. Plus they just look so fun :)

That's the fast forward playing tricks on you

This video is very much sped up. If you ever worked with these kind of lasers, you'd know that it's not suited for cleaning walls. Also it's a a very high powered laser that you can't just go a whip out in public

Yep, it looks like a timelapse. As the technology progresses, I’m sure we’ll see a much more powerful and portable version.

Unfortunately it’s physics. Fiber lasers are already efficient. This can get more powerful (and a lot more dangerous) with bigger power source. Industrial fiber lasers are already at 6000W (obviously non-portable)

And then for marketing you just go around town doing a bunch of graffiti

Gotta have a hobby ;) there’s actually enough in most big cities to keep you busy

looks like fun too :)

100% I’ve gone down a laser rabbit hole. Apparently, there’s a whole cottage industry for laser cleaning and removals Rust, barnacles, everything

Equipment costs 10.000-50.000 $

The fun is priceless :) haha A startup cost of $25k or so wouldn’t be bad though. If you could secure a city service contract for $5k/month (or more) it’d be worth it.

@erdverwachsener Takes way too long and doesn't work on every surface. Solvents or painting over is 100x easier/cheaper.

@erdverwachsener not as cool or as fun as blasting away with a mega laser :) I could see this being done on sidewalks and parking lots too

then do graffiti on the side as an art form

Hahah

Step 4: create new graffiti at night to make more business

Niche business idea: laser execution of graffiti “artists”

It would be more effective to laser remove the ones doing the graffiti.

True, but removing the “artists” would limit the business potential 😂

Downside your lings become a toxic waste dump for all the bullshit that burns off of the wall. Youd need a full hazmat suit with its own air to do that shit completely safely long term

Upside: cool and profitable business idea

Id only do it if you know enough about chemical safety from burning materials and how to mitigate long term exposure, To the point youd bet your life on it Otherwise your profitable business is just you sitting around with lung cancer in 10 years, which is the opposite of cool

These are industrial Class 4 lasers, so you will also need proper safety gear, training, and usually local permits or insurance if you plan to operate them as a service. $16000-28000 is the startup cost if you don't already have a capable vehicle, most likely.

Uninsurable hazmat exposure, heavily regulated, prohibitive tool overhead Compare with solvent coat and pressure washer, no brainer

I’ll bet you could get insurance and find a way to safely remove Tool overhead isn’t much

Niche business idea: hitman who hunts down graffiti artists

This works especially well if you're also a graffiti artist.

The humble photon reflecting off a nail or a fence into the eyeball of a bystander

Can this technology be adapted to use on criminals?

What do you mean? Like tattoo removal or something? Probably too dangerous

I was thinking criminal removal

Ahhh ok

@grok does this tech actually work for graffiti removal at scale? Is it super expensive? Why don't all cities use this all the time?

Europe needs this badly

Very true, especially parts of Italy like Rome, Florence, Sorrento, etc.

High overhead. Places with graffiti is generally high crime. Some gangbanger sees you using some fancy expensive layer getting rid of their territory marking. You’re getting mugged, you lose your 10k equipment and your safety. Hope you had good insurance.

I need this to remove paint from a stone fireplace.

Small home renovations would be super cool with the laser tool. I’ve found videos of them removing rust as well

Toxic fumes?

Yeah, probably not too healthy although there might be a way to safely extract the fumes away

Just add a code to the paint and sell with name id

What do you mean by a code to the paint? Are you suggesting a way to identify paint purchases?

Yes like different ratios of additive that will allow you to identify the created batch id. And selling them only with id. No anonymity... No graffiti

Nice! - I wouldn't mind running a business doing this!

Cons: Can only work between 5 AM - 10 AM to reduce the chance of getting shot by bangers.

I don't think anyone hiring for this cares about the method.

The cool thing is that you can also do laser hair removal between jobs.