If you want to start an online business but:
You don’t want to buy inventory
You don’t want to run complicated ad campaigns
You don’t want to learn 17 different software tools
You don’t have a big budget…
There’s a much simpler path:
Get paid to help small businesses make money from customers they already have.
Most local businesses are sitting on a gold mine of past customers and old leads… and doing almost nothing with them.
No follow-up
No reactivation
No reminders
No seasonal offers
No upsells
You can step in as the “Revenue Reactivation Partner” and:
Take their existing customer list
Send smart, simple email and/or text campaigns
Reactivate old customers and spark new sales
Take a cut of the revenue or charge a flat fee
You don’t need a big budget.
You mostly need a laptop, some basic messaging skills, and simple tools.
This guide will show you exactly how.
1. The Core Idea: Reactivation, Not Acquisition
Most marketing agencies focus on new customer acquisition:
Facebook ads
Google ads
SEO
Funnels
Those all require:
Budget
Testing
Patience
Reactivation is different.
You’re not trying to convince strangers.
You’re speaking to people who already know, like, or have paid that business before.
That’s why this model:
Is low-risk for the business owner
Is faster to show results
Is easier to say “yes” to
Can be run on a tiny or even $0 budget
You’re essentially saying to a business owner:
“You’ve already paid for these customers once.
Let me help you earn from them again and again.”
2. Who This Works Best For (Picking the Right Businesses)
You want businesses that:
Keep customer records (emails / phone numbers)
Have repeat-purchase potential OR large-ticket jobs
Can take on more work immediately
Don’t already have sophisticated marketing in place
Some great candidates:
Dentists & orthodontists
Gyms / fitness studios
Massage therapists & chiropractors
Home services (cleaning, lawn care, pest control, etc.)
Auto shops & detailing services
Med spas / cosmetic clinics
Hair salons & barbers
Physical therapists
Local restaurants & cafes with loyalty lists
These businesses often have:
Old email lists
Customer phone numbers
Past invoices or appointment records
But they rarely have consistent reactivation systems.
That’s where you come in.
3. The Offer: What You Actually Sell
You’re not selling “email marketing” or “SMS marketing” as abstract services.
You’re selling something much clearer:
“I’ll help you make more money next month from customers you’ve already worked with.”
You package that into a simple offer, like:
“I’ll set up and run a 14-day reactivation campaign to bring your past customers back in the door.”
“I’ll help you pull revenue out of your old customer list without spending a dollar on ads.”
“I’ll turn your old records into a fresh batch of appointments.”
From the business owner’s perspective, this is found money.
They already paid to acquire those customers.
You’re simply helping them tap into that asset.
4. Your Business Model: How You Get Paid
You have several options. You can choose one or mix them.
Option A: Flat Fee per Campaign
You charge a set amount (e.g., $500–$2,000)
You design and send the reactivation campaign
The business keeps all revenue from bookings
Good for:
Owners who hate sharing revenue
Simple, one-off “proof of concept” projects
You take a percentage of all revenue generated from your campaign
You track responses and booked jobs tied to your emails/texts
Example:
Campaign generates $20,000 in booked revenue
You take 15–30% → $3,000–$6,000
This is more attractive to owners because:
There’s low upfront risk
You’re aligned with their success
Option C: Hybrid
Smaller setup fee (e.g., $500–$1,000)
Plus a smaller cut of revenue (e.g., 10–15%)
This often gets less friction than a pure performance deal and still has upside.
5. Step-by-Step: How to Run a Reactivation Campaign
Let’s walk through exactly what you’ll do for a client.
Step 1: Audit Their List
Once a business says “yes,” you’ll ask for access to:
Customer names
Email addresses
Phone numbers (if available)
Past purchase dates or visit history (if they have it)
Things to look for:
How many total contacts?
How old is the list?
When was the last time they were contacted?
Do they have any segmentation info? (e.g., what services they used)
You can store this in:
Google Sheets
Airtable
A simple CRM
Their existing booking software
Always emphasize:
“Everything is confidential. I’m only using this data to generate more revenue for your business.”
(And actually mean it.)
Step 2: Segment the List (Even Lightly)
You don’t need perfect segmentation, but a bit of structure helps a lot.
Common segments:
Recent customers (last 3–6 months)
Dormant customers (6–24+ months)
Big spenders (high-ticket past customers)
Leads who never converted
Why segment?
Because the message to:
Someone who came last month
vsSomeone who hasn’t come in 2 years
…should not be the same.
Step 3: Decide the Actual Offer
This is crucial.
You can’t just say “Hey, come back sometime.”
You need a specific reason to act now.
Examples by niche:
Gym / Fitness Studio
“14-Day Restart Pass for Past Members”
“Come Back This Month and Get 50% Off Your First Month Back”
Dental Office
“Complimentary Cleaning Check for Existing Patients”
“Discounted Whitening for Returning Patients This Month Only”
Auto Shop
“Past Customer Oil Change Special”
“Free Brake Inspection for Existing Customers”
Med Spa
“VIP Revisit Discount on Your Next Treatment”
“Past Clients Only: Book This Month, Get a Bonus Add-On”
You’ll often collaborate with the owner to decide:
Discount vs bonus add-on
Time window (e.g., 7–21 days)
Any limits (e.g., first 50 people)
The core of the offer:
“Because you’re a past customer, we’d like to give you X if you book by Y date.”
Step 4: Choose Your Channels — Email, SMS, or Both
You’ll usually use:
Email for more detail and explanation
SMS for short, urgent reminders
A typical stack:
Emails: 3–7 messages over 10–21 days
Texts: 2–4 messages sprinkled through the same window
Make sure:
SMS is only sent to people who provided their number and consent
Messages are compliant with local laws and platform policies
Step 5: Write the Message Sequence
Let’s build a sample 7-day mini-campaign for dormant customers.
Email 1 – “We Miss You” (Day 1)
Subject line ideas:
“We Miss Seeing You Around Here 👋”
“Quick thank you + a little something for you”
Body idea:
Thank them for being a past customer
Mention what you’re offering (briefly)
Give a clear call to action (Book Now / Claim Offer)
Email 2 – “Here’s What You Get” (Day 3)
Remind them of the offer
Add a few bullet points about benefits
Include social proof if possible (reviews, testimonials)
Reinforce the deadline
Email 3 – “Last Chance” (Day 7)
Short and direct:
“Hey, just a heads up — this offer for past customers ends tonight.”
One button: “Book Your Spot”
SMS 1 – Soft Reminder (Between Email 1 and 2)
“Hey [First Name], it’s [Business]. Quick thank-you offer for past customers this week only. Want the details? Reply YES and I’ll send it over.”
If they respond, direct them to a booking page or call link.
SMS 2 – Expiring Soon (Day 7)
“Hey [First Name], it’s [Business]. Last day for our returning customer offer. Want to grab a spot before it’s gone? Reply BOOK.”
You can easily stretch this into 14 or 21 days with:
Extra reminder emails
“FAQ” style emails
Case studies / testimonials
The key:
Friendly tone
Clear offer
Strong deadline
Step 6: Set Up Sending Tools (On a Budget)
You don’t need enterprise software to do this well.
Beginner-friendly tools:
Email
MailerLite
ConvertKit
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
GoHighLevel (all-in-one)
SMS
Twilio (through a simple interface)
GoHighLevel
Simple text tools integrated into CRMs
You’ll:
Import the segmented list
Load your email sequence
Load your SMS sequence
Schedule everything
Once it’s set, the campaigns run with almost no daily work.
Step 7: Track the Money
This is where you prove your value.
You want to track:
How many people opened your emails
How many clicked
How many replied
How many called / booked
How much revenue was generated
Depending on the business, you can:
Tag customers in their booking system
Track usage of a specific coupon code
Use a dedicated booking link just for your campaign
Ask them to mark which customers came from your emails/texts
At the end of the campaign, you want to say:
“We reactivated 37 customers, generating $12,300 in revenue. Here’s the breakdown.”
That’s when your fee feels not like a cost, but a profit-sharing partnership.
6. Finding Your First Clients
This business can be started with cold outreach or warm connections.
Method A: Walk-In / Local Networking
Visit local gyms, salons, clinics, etc.
Ask: “Do you keep a list of past customers?” (most do)
Offer to run a low-risk reactivation campaign
If you’re comfortable talking to people, this can be very effective.
Method B: Cold Email to Owners
Make a simple list of businesses in your niche and send something like:
Subject: Quick question about past customers
Hey [Name],
I help local businesses pull extra revenue from customers they’ve already served — without any ad spend.
If you’ve got an email list or a database of past customers, I can set up a short reactivation campaign that typically brings in a quick bump in bookings.
Would you be open to a 10-minute call to see if this could work for you?
— [Your Name]
No buzzwords. No fancy jargon. Just a clear outcome.
Method C: Leverage Results into Referrals
Once you have:
One or two successful campaigns
Real numbers and outcomes
Ask for introductions:
“Do you know another business owner who’d love an extra bump in revenue like this?”
Owners usually know other owners.
7. Example Numbers: What This Can Realistically Earn
Let’s run some grounded math.
Scenario 1: Small Local Business
You run a 14-day reactivation for a local salon
They have 1,000 people on their list
40 people book an appointment at $80 each
Revenue generated: $3,200
If your deal is:
20% of revenue → You earn $640
Plus a small setup fee of $500 → $1,140 from one campaign
Do 4–6 of these per month, and suddenly you’re well into four figures.
Scenario 2: Higher-Ticket Business (e.g., clinic, home services)
You run a 21-day reactivation
15 clients book higher-ticket services at $800 each
Revenue generated: $12,000
At 20%:
You earn $2,400 from one campaign
Stack multiple clients + repeat campaigns + retainers, and this model can easily climb into the $5K–$10K/month range and beyond.
8. Why This Is a Perfect “Freedom Formula” Business
This model checks all your core boxes:
✅ Save Money
No ad spend required (if you choose not to use it)
No inventory
No office
✅ Make Money
You directly tie your work to extra revenue for your clients
You can choose flat fees, revenue shares, or both
It scales with very low overhead
✅ Grow Money
Each campaign builds your portfolio and proof
You can turn one success into multiple clients
You can standardize your process and systematize everything
Over time, you’re not just “sending emails”—you’re running a lean, leveraged client reactivation agency that can be operated from anywhere with Wi-Fi.
