How to Make Money From the World Cup (And Start a Business With $10K) | Ep. 80 Artwork

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Start It or Scrap It

How to Make Money From the World Cup (And Start a Business With $10K) | Ep. 80

July 23, 2026 • Michael Terkanian and Mr. Gummi • Episode 80

0:00 | 1:03:18

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Mike and Gummi went to the France vs Iraq World Cup match in Philadelphia. They watched Iraqi fans set up drums in the concourse during a weather delay and turn a thunderstorm into one of the best moments of the tournament.

Then they came back and talked about how small businesses can use all of it to their advantage.

Episode 80 of Start It or Scrap It is a live Q&A covering World Cup business strategy, the best businesses to start with $10,000, a business model that generated $5 million in three years with zero ad spend, nostalgia marketing, and why your promotional product budget might be the best marketing money you are spending.

In this episode:

World Cup business opportunities right now: how to become soccer-friendly without spending a fortune, why country flags and colors are completely free to use while FIFA branding is not, how to use the decision round bracket to position your products and marketing in the right cities before the matches are announced

How to capitalize on international fans visiting American cities for the first time and genuinely loving everything about being here

Nostalgia marketing: how to tap into shared cultural touchstones without it feeling forced, why smell and music are the two most powerful nostalgia triggers, and how to make summer nostalgia work for a local business right now

The deck company that went from zero to $5 million in three years without placing a single ad: monthly promotional products to past clients, a first-year anniversary gift basket, and an engineered referral system built entirely on staying top of mind

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Cold open
1:00 Intro and welcome
2:00 World Cup obsession: Gummi's social media is good again
3:30 The decision round breakdown and how to use it for business
5:00 Country-colored merchandise and soccer-friendly business strategy
7:00 Licensing warning: do not use FIFA branding without a license
7:45 International fans visiting the US and the business opportunity
11:55 Mike and Gummi attended France vs Iraq: the Iraqi fan experience
13:30 Weather delay, lightning exclusion zone, and the drums in the concourse
16:30 Starting a business for beginners with $10,000
17:45 Why service-based businesses are the right starting point
18:30 The handyman business: marketing, referrals, and the flywheel
22:30 Become the central figure: refer what you cannot do
24:00 You do not have to do the labor yourself
27:30 Connor's story: from estate cleanout to property maintenance
29:00 Adding a recurring revenue layer to a once-and-done business
30:40 Snowbirds and vacant home monitoring as a business model
31:30 Franchise alternatives: franchise brokers, SBA loans, and Rita's
35:00 You Break It: the rage room franchise that beat 40 others on ROI
36:30 Marzano6 asks: nostalgia marketing tips for this summer
37:30 What nostalgia actually is and why smell and music trigger it most
40:00 How to use summer nostalgia without it feeling forced
43:00 Promotional products done right: quality over quantity
45:00 The hat that starts conversations and the t-shirt worn on Christmas
46:30 Customer acquisition cost vs promotional product cost
49:30 The deck company: $5M in 3 years with zero ad spend
51:00 Monthly promotional items to past clients as a referral engine
52:00 Riding viral waves: what happens after the wave is gone
53:30 It is ten times easier to keep a customer than get a new one
55:00 Start trends instead of chasing them
56:00 Godin asks: is it too early to plan for Christmas marketing?
57:00 The answer: no. Start planning now, start advertising in November
59:00 Black Friday is largely a pricing myth
1:01:00 Founders Drop update and closing

Hosted by Mike Terkanian (business attorney) and Gummi Sigurdarson
(marketing expert)

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/F-Gpcz87rD0

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