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Ever thought of taking the term “DIY” to the next level? Well, thats exactly what Josh Deal and Alex David set out to accomplish when satisfying their entrepreneurial itch.

Josh’s path to entrepreneurship began on a remote ranch in western Colorado, where he grew up without access to Wi-Fi until college. After enrolling at the University of Colorado Boulder, it was in a marketing class that he met Alex, his future business partner. Eager to make money, they started by experimenting with reselling items from Goodwill and Walmart, which ultimately led them to the niche that would launch their business, : flipping used furniture.

Their first major success came when they bought a sofa for $100, listed it on Facebook Marketplace for $900, and sold it within two days. Realizing the potential in reselling sofas, they rented a large U-Haul and spent an entire day collecting sectionals around Denver, making over $3,000 in profit by the end of the week. They also discovered that many people were eager to offload furniture cheaply, simply to avoid the hassle of moving it. This insight led to a new business model: offering to pick up furniture for free, selling it for clients, and splitting the profits.

At first, they stored furniture in five large storage units, transforming the space into a unique "drive-thru" showroom where buyers could collect their purchases. Eventually, the demand outgrew the storage units, prompting Josh and Alex to rent a 3,500-square-foot warehouse in Westminster and hire their first employees. As business continued to grow, they moved into a larger, 12,500-square-foot warehouse in North Denver.

In their early days at the new warehouse, Josh and Alex went all in- literally. They lived on-site for several months, converting an office into a bunk room and a mop closet into a makeshift shower. This dedication allowed them to focus on building systems to manage the increasingly complex operations. They initially tracked inventory on spreadsheets but soon realized they needed a more reliable solution, leading Josh to develop custom software to handle logistics and payments.

Today, SellBuddy is poised for further expansion. With efficient logistics, a solid software system, and minimal marketing needs, the business has grown quickly. Josh and Alex are now raising seed funding to support future growth and further streamline operations.

Navigating Challenges to Create a Tech-Driven Furniture Marketplace

Starting SellBuddy wasn’t as simple as Josh Deal and his co-founder Alex initially thought. At first, they believed their business would be straightforward: picking up furniture, selling it, and turning a profit. However, they quickly realized that over 100 things needed to align for each sale to be successful. Managing this complexity became their first major challenge. To streamline operations, they invested in software to automate as much as possible, reducing the manual processes to just two dozen key tasks.

One of the biggest hurdles was logistics. Although the furniture was free to acquire, the hidden costs of transportation, labor, and fuel quickly added up. Efficient routing became critical to minimize time on the road and maximize time spent picking up items. They had to fine-tune their operations to reduce expenses while still meeting customer needs. Balancing the inflow and outflow of furniture was another challenge. Too much inventory or too few buyers could easily disrupt their business, making precise planning and organization essential.

The second major challenge was marketing. SellBuddy functions as a two-way marketplace, where they connect buyers to a curated inventory they’ve already acquired and manage. Pricing products correctly required extensive research and machine learning algorithms to ensure a smooth turnover of inventory. Maintaining this balance between incoming and outgoing furniture was crucial, as any imbalance could either overload their storage or leave them without enough product to meet demand.

Technology also played a critical role. Josh emphasized the need for user-friendly systems, enabling customers to send a photo of their furniture via text and have it picked up the next day. While developing the software was complex, it became the backbone of their business, allowing SellBuddy to scale effectively. Leveraging AI and other tools simplified the process for both customers and the business, but building and refining these systems required constant iteration and problem-solving.

Looking ahead, Josh envisions expanding beyond furniture. While their current system addresses the pain points of furniture disposal, the long-term goal is to apply their logistics, marketplace, and software systems to other quality goods with life left in them. Their vision includes supporting the circular economy by retaining resources within the economy, refurbishing used products, and even recycling raw materials to manufacture new items. In the future, SellBuddy aims to help build a sustainable marketplace where resources are reused and value continues to grow- creating a more efficient, circular economy.

The Warrior Spirit of Entrepreneurship

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Josh offers clear advice: take action. He stresses that success comes from persistence, hard work, and a mindset of continuous learning. During SellBuddy’s early days, they spent months refining their process, even living and working out of their warehouse for long hours each week. Ultimately, he believes in starting quickly, experimenting, and iterating rapidly. As he puts it,

“Just pick up the furniture, and figure out the rest as you go.”

Josh’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs doesn’t stop there. In the end, entrepreneurship defies a single, universal definition. As the Deming Center emphasizes, everyone has the potential to be innovative in their own unique way. Josh’s perspective captures the essence of entrepreneurship as a mindset: a blend of unwavering determination, resilience, and grit. It’s about possessing a “warrior spirit” and channeling that energy into building something from the ground up, despite the inevitable challenges along the way. To Josh, entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting a business; it’s about enduring hardships with strength and persistence, embracing obstacles as opportunities for growth. This mindset reflects the reality that while entrepreneurship is rewarding, it’s also one of the hardest journeys one can take: requiring both heart and tenacity to succeed.