The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Small Business Deep Dives with Entrepreneurs The Smartest Agency Businesses to Start in 2025 (w/ True Classic CEO)⏐Ep. #219
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Sep 10, 2025 
Ryan Bartlett, CEO of True Classic, shares insights from his journey building a successful apparel brand. He discusses the best service businesses to launch now, emphasizing the importance of low-risk models and rapid product testing. Ryan reveals effective strategies for starting advertising agencies, including delivering measurable results to attract clients. He also highlights the power of innovative marketing tactics, like giving products away for free, and the game-changing role of collaboration and technology in e-commerce success.
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Small-Batch 3PLs Replace Big Inventory Bets
- Small-batch China 3PLs collapse inventory risk and speed time-to-market for apparel.
- Ryan Bartlett calls this model “drop shipping” evolved, enabling rapid A/B testing of designs at low cost.
Validate Products With Low-Cost Dropshipping
- Start testing product ideas via AliExpress and simple dropshipping before upgrading to specialized 3PLs.
- Use low-cost tests to validate demand before committing to larger production runs.
Use Free Samples As A Marketing Lever
- Give away a product if you aren't comfortable doing so; free sampling proves product-market fit.
- Ryan Bartlett says free items remove barriers and can be the ultimate gateway to customers.