172 - How to Build a $700k Business with 50% Margins with Bryant Suellentrop Artwork

Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business

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Nik brings firsthand experience, having bought and sold over a dozen businesses, achieved multiple 7-figure exits, and generated over $100 million in revenue.

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Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business

172 - How to Build a $700k Business with 50% Margins with Bryant Suellentrop

May 16, 2025 • Nikolas Hulewsky • Season 1 • Episode 172

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Join me, Nik ( https://x.com/CoFoundersNik ), as I interview Bryant Suellentrop ( https://x.com/SullyBusiness ) about his incredible journey from running a difficult, low-margin janitorial business to building Elevate and Delegate, an offshore recruiting company doing around $700k in revenue with 50% margins.

We dive into why he closed his first business despite the effort he put in, how organic Twitter fueled his early growth with almost zero customer acquisition cost, and the lessons learned from burning cash on early paid acquisition attempts. Bryant shares his insights on the evolution of the offshore talent industry, how AI is changing the game, and why the real opportunity now lies in selling outcomes rather than just people.

This conversation is packed with lessons on picking the right "game" for your business and navigating the shifts in the market.

Questions This Episode Answers:
How did Bryant pivot from a challenging, low-margin business to a high-profit one?
What are the key differences between one-time placement fees and recurring revenue models in offshore recruiting?
How has AI impacted the demand for certain roles in the offshore talent market?
Why did Bryant choose to shut down his cleaning business instead of selling it?
If starting over today, how would Bryant leverage AI and offshore talent to sell outcomes in a specific niche?

Enjoy the conversation!
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This week we covered:

00:00 Revenue Insights and Business Models

02:54 The Journey of Elevate and Delegate