January 27, 2026 · Reva Enzminger
Can a robot fix your sink?
Not this decade. That is the whole point of the businesses we recommend.
Short answer: no. Longer answer: not in a crawlspace, not at 9 p.m., and not while the homeowner explains that it was making a weird noise last Tuesday.
I get asked about AI on almost every call now. People are worried, and they should be. A lot of jobs that felt safe five years ago are being quietly automated. If you are going to put your savings into a business, it is fair to ask whether that business will still need you in ten years.
The test I use
Ask three questions about any franchise. Does someone have to physically show up? Is every job a little different? Does the customer need to trust the person doing the work?
If the answer is yes to all three, you are probably looking at plumbing, home repair, senior care, tutoring, pet care, restoration, or something close to it. Those businesses have a hard part. The hard part is why they work.
What to avoid
Be careful with brands whose main value is software, a booking platform, or a marketing process. Those are exactly the things that get cheaper and easier for everyone else every year.