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Where you find money does grow on trees.
Ready to start

From your backyard
to your paycheck.
Grow Roots.
Grow Money.

Real tools built for real people who want to earn money doing something that actually matters — one neighbor at a time.

Your launch readiness — 0 of 21 milestones done 0%
Start your readiness checklist — it takes about 10 minutes and could save you from a fine.
Action needed

Let's make sure you're protected first

Before your first sale, spend 10 minutes on the basics. Think of it as a friend walking you through it so nothing catches you off guard.

Your next step Head to Readiness and pick your business type first
  • Got the ideaDone
  • 2
    Legal & permits0 / 9
  • 3
    Pricing setNot started
  • 4
    First ad outNot started
  • 5
    Tracker set upNot started
  • 6
    First saleThe goal!

Am I ready to sell?

Takes 10 minutes. We'll walk through permits, structure, and Texas-specific rules. No jargon — just a clear yes or no.

What should I charge?

A lot of people underprice and wonder why they're grinding but not getting ahead. Let's fix that with real math.

Where does my money go?

Simple income and expense log. Auto tax categories. The IRS doesn't care that you're small — so let's track from day one.

What does growth look like?

Month 1 might be rough. That's expected. Here's your honest ramp-up plan so you're not surprised when it happens.

The honest truth

"Most people overthink it and never start.
You can be selling in 4–6 weeks with under $400."

Your neighborhood. Your rules. Your income.

Just getting started — and that's totally fine 0%

Complete all sections below to unlock your green light. Your progress saves automatically.

Legal setup
Pricing ready
First ad
Tracker on
First sale
🏢 Step 1 — What type of business? Choose one to unlock your checklist

This determines which permits and requirements apply to you. Once you pick a type, we'll only show you exactly what's relevant — no irrelevant questions.

🌿 Outdoor / Garden Herbs, produce, seedlings, raised bed installs, lawn care
🍳 Food / Cottage Food Baked goods, jams, meal prep, catering, preserved foods
🔧 Service Business Cleaning, handyman, tutoring, pet care, freelancing
📦 Product Business Handmade items, crafts, resale, online store, markets
📋 Step 2 — Universal requirements 0 / 4 done

These apply to every micro-business in Texas, regardless of what you sell. Quick decisions — most take under 10 minutes to sort out.

    🎯 Step 3 — Business-specific requirements Select a type in Step 1 first

    Select your business type in Step 1 to see your specific requirements here.

    💲 Step 4 — Pricing confirmed Complete legal steps first

    Before your first sale, you need to know what you're actually charging and whether it works. Open the Revenue Model, set your numbers, then come back and check this off.

      📣 Step 5 — First advertisement Complete pricing first

      You don't need a fancy marketing plan. You need to let your neighborhood know you exist. These are the fastest ways that actually work.

        💰 Step 6 — Money tracker set up Complete ad step first

        Log your first expense before your first sale. This habit is worth more than any tax advice later.

          Know what to charge. Know what you keep.

          A lot of people underprice and wonder why they're grinding but not getting ahead. These numbers come from your Revenue Model spreadsheet — download it below, fill it in, and your pricing is done.

          $762
          Weekly revenue
          $38/hr
          Effective wage
          +$38
          Gap to goal
          Your wage
          $30/hr
          Markup
          1.7×
          Weekly goal
          $800/wk
          Overhead
          $245/mo
          How it works — 3 steps
          1
          Download the template — open it in Excel or Google Sheets
          ↓ Revenue Model
          2
          Fill in the gold cells — your wage, products/services, and weekly goal. Everything else calculates automatically.
          3
          Drop the saved file below — every number on this dashboard updates live. No account needed.
          📊
          Drop your filled Revenue Model here

          or click to browse · RootPath_Revenue_Model.xlsx

          1.6×
          Lean / competitive
          1.7×
          Standard (your default)
          2.0×
          Premium / scarce

          Markup isn't profit — it covers overhead, tax reserve, and risk on top of your wage. Never go below 1.4×.

          Pricing set? Head back to Readiness and check it off to move to your first ad.

          Every dollar tells a story. Know yours.

          Log your first sale and this comes alive. The Money Tracker auto-categorizes every expense for tax time — so future-you isn't scrambling every April.

          $0
          Income
          $0
          Expenses
          $0
          Profit

          Drop your Money Tracker here and your tracking numbers update instantly throughout the dashboard.

          💰
          Drop your Money Tracker here

          or click to browse · RootPath_Money_Tracker.xlsx

          Q1 (Jan–Mar)Due April 15
          Q2 (Apr–Jun)Due June 15
          Q3 (Jul–Sep)Due September 15
          Q4 (Oct–Dec)Due January 15
          Miss a payment = penalties. Set a phone reminder for each date above right now.

          "Set aside 15% of every dollar before you spend a cent of it."

          Self-employment tax is 15.3%. Most new business owners get blindsided by this at tax time. Open a separate savings account today and auto-transfer 15% of every deposit — future you will be grateful.

          The Money Tracker auto-calculates your quarterly tax reserve on the Dashboard tab.
          YTD Income
          YTD Profit
          Tax reserve

          Tracker set up? Head back to Readiness and check it off — you're almost at your first sale.

          Month 1 might be negative. That's expected — not failure.

          Startup costs are front-loaded. These numbers are conservative — adjust the efficiency % in your Ramp-Up sheet to match your reality.

          Month 1
          -$147
          45% output
          Month 2
          $184
          65% output
          Month 3
          $421
          80% output
          Month 4+
          $693
          Full output
          Build a $300–400 buffer before you start so Month 1 losses don't derail you.

          Your regulars are your business. Maria buys basil every week not because it's cheapest — because it's from you. That relationship is worth more than any price discount.

          MR
          Maria R.
          Montrose · Basil weekly
          Regular
          JT
          James T.
          Heights · Seedlings
          New
          +
          Add your first neighbor
          👥
          Open customer trackerInside Money Tracker → Customer Tracker tab

          Family garden crew

          Double capacity. Keep overhead the same. Start with one trusted person.

          Farmers market stall

          One Houston Saturday = 3× your weekly neighbor sales.

          Weekly bundles

          10 subscribers at $25/wk = $250 guaranteed before you plant anything.

          Garden consulting

          Neighbors pay $150–400 for a raised bed install + walkthrough.

          Houston growing calendar
          What to plant each month — Houston climate, heat, and humidity
          Growing
          Pricing your first products
          Step-by-step walkthrough of Revenue Model
          Pricing
          Your first Nextdoor post
          Copy-paste templates that actually get responses from neighbors
          Marketing
          Self-employment taxes 101
          What you owe, when you owe it, and how to save from day one
          Tax
          Scaling to $2,000/month
          From solo gardener to small crew — your next step on the path
          Growth
          Cottage Food Law in Texas
          What you can sell, what you can't, and how to stay protected
          Legal

          A note from RootPath

          "Grow food. Grow money.
          Grow roots."

          The tools are here. The guides are ready. The only thing between you and your first sale is the decision to start. Your neighborhood is waiting.