Build Businesses Far Away

Nick Huber believes that going where competition is low—even if it means operating in unfamiliar or distant markets—can be the difference between razor-thin margins and strong profitability. He applies this principle to his real estate business, deliberately building and operating facilities far from where he lives to capitalize on less competitive markets.

Key Points:

• The Power of Weak Competition:

  • The secret to winning in life is weak competition—go where there's fish but not other fishermen
  • Most people stay in familiar markets even when they're knowingly harder, avoiding the unknown despite greenfield opportunities
  • You don't need to innovate; just bring proven skills to places where supply is low

• Real-World Application:

  • Built his first self-storage facility six hours from where he was living
  • Borrowed $2M from a bank, spent $3M total on the project
  • Now lives in Athens, Georgia but owns no facilities near there—they're all elsewhere
  • Gets on a flight once a month rather than competing locally

• The Framing Contractor Example:

  • A contractor he met chose to work in Alaska instead of California
  • Rather than being the "thousandth best framer in California" with expensive labor and bare margins
  • He became one of few options in Alaska where there aren't many families or contractors
  • Easier to get on a flight monthly than to build referral relationships over twenty years locally

• Why This Works:

  • Hardworking people can prosper by simply relocating their effort to less competitive markets
  • You avoid being bid down to the lowest price when there are fewer alternatives
  • The unfamiliarity that scares most people away creates the opportunity

• Broader Principle:

  • More people could benefit from this principle of going where supply or competition is low
  • It's about working smarter, not harder
  • The barrier is psychological—people prefer familiar difficulty over unfamiliar opportunity