Pain Point #1: “Square is holding our cash and there’s nothing we can do”

Opportunity: ReserveShield — Cashflow + PSP Orchestration for SMBs
One-stop “reserve shield” that:
- Instantly sets up multi-PSP orchestration (Stripe/Adyen/PayPal/Checkout.com) with smart routing to minimize reserves and diversifies risk.
- Advances a percentage of funds locked in reserves (using rev-based financing partners) so payroll and growth don’t stall.
- Auto chargeback-prevention stack + rule tuning (3DS, AVS, KYC prompts) to reduce perceived risk triggers that cause holds.
Pricing:
- 1.5–3% take-rate on processed volume routed through ReserveShield + optional 6–12% flat fee on advanced reserve funds.
- $299–$999/mo platform fee (tiered by volume).

First 10 Customers:
- Founders/COOs of two-sided marketplaces processing $50k–$1M/mo
- CFOs/Finance leads at venture-backed consumer/subscription/DTC brands stuck on Square/PayPal with new reserve holds
- Heads of Ops at field services or event companies with seasonal spikes triggering reserves
- Shopify Plus brands using Shop Pay + PayPal with rising chargeback scrutiny

MVP in 48 Hours:
- Webflow landing page + Calendly + DocuSign MSA.
- Intake: connect Square/Stripe accounts + banking via Plaid, upload reserve letter and 90-day processing logs.
- Manually set up dual PSP accounts (e.g., Stripe + PayPal) and route new charges to PSP2. Implement chargeback tooling (Signifyd, NoFraud, Riskified) manually.
- Partner with Pipe/Capchase/Parafin to pre-fund a portion of locked reserves; wire within 72–96h for first 3 pilot clients.
- Weekly manual risk reports in Google Data Studio.

Justification:
- Demand: Direct, time-critical complaints about locked runway (“$20,000 in reserve… won’t be reviewed until Feb 2026… we’ll move to another provider.”).
- ROI: Freeing $20k–$50k immediately = payroll + ads funded now, not in 12–14 months; smart routing reduces future holds and chargeback fees ($15+ per dispute) and lost goods.
- Scalable: Standardized PSP API setup, underwriting via partners, repeatable rulesets by vertical. Take-rate model grows with GMV to $1M+ run-rate quickly across 100–200 clients.
- Purple Cow/Controversial: Bridging “withheld” funds for SMBs is what banks won’t underwrite; combining reserve financing + multi-PSP risk routing is a sharp, unfair edge versus generic “switch processors” advice.

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Pain Point #2: “now my tariffs are 70%, which is not feasible. These goods should not have any additional tariffs on them… Who are we as a small business able to reach out to to make sure the classification is correct?” and “we've caught a number of incorrectly assessed tariffs that are starting to add up (i.e. 200% Section 232 tariff for a product from France, that was actually US origin)”

Opportunity: DutyShield — a contingency‑based customs classification audit + dispute autopilot for SMB importers. It connects to UPS/FedEx/DHL entry data, flags likely HTS and Section 232/301 misapplies before/after clearance, then files Post Summary Corrections/protests via a partner customs broker. “No win, no fee” with live refund tracking.

First 10 Customers:
- Operations/Logistics Manager at small import distributors (1–50 employees) using UPS/FedEx/DHL
- Supply Chain Lead at DTC brands importing from China/EU (monthly air/parcel shipments)
- Owner at aerospace/industrial component distributors in DFW or similar hubs
- Ecommerce GM at niche importers with 1–4 pallets/month who don’t have in‑house compliance
- 3PL account managers serving SMB importers who want to offer white‑label duty recovery

MVP in 48 Hours:
- Webflow landing page with ROI calculator (upload last 3 CBP Entry Summaries)
- Typeform intake for commercial invoices, packing lists, HTS used, carrier, and entry numbers
- Airtable to triage cases; Zapier to route to a licensed customs broker partner
- Manual review + file PSC/protest; Stripe for success fee billing; share a Google Data Studio link showing refund status

Justification:
- Demand: Multiple posts reporting tariff shocks and misclassification: “70%… not feasible” and “200% Section 232 tariff… actually US origin.” Clear, repeated, urgent pain with immediate cash impact.
- ROI: If a shipper overpays 20–70% duties on $100k landed cost/yr, a 30% correction saves $30k. Even a single corrected entry can recoup thousands in 30–90 days. Charge 20% of recovered duty + $199/month monitoring.
- Scalable: Standardized intake, carrier/CBP data, and broker workflows scale; expand via 3PL/channel partnerships; add pre‑clearance checks via API once volume grows. Contingency pricing removes sales friction; the dataset compounds HTS accuracy.
- Purple Cow/Controversial: SMB‑focused, contingency‑only duty recovery (most brokers don’t proactively audit UPS/FedEx small entries). “Autoflag before CBP release” is novel for small shippers. Publish live refund timelines to build trust. You benefit asymmetrically when tariff volatility rises (today’s environment).

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Pain Point #3: “he deals with nonstop customer questions: ‘Do you deliver here?’ ‘What toppings can I mix?’ ‘Is my order on the way?’ ‘Do you guys do catering?’… He is always in the back cooking… It was stressing him out and slowing down the kitchen.”

Opportunity: ShiftRunner AI — a vertical, guardrailed agent for local restaurants/retail that answers Google Business Messages, website chat, SMS/WhatsApp, and Facebook inbox; quotes delivery areas and ETA, recommends items, collects order details, routes to checkout, filters spam, and escalates edge cases to staff. Integrates with Square/Toast/ChowNow and updates customers automatically.

First 10 Customers:
- Owner‑operators of independent pizza shops using Square/Toast
- Managers at busy takeout restaurants (5–30 staff) with high phone volume
- “Play cafes”/family centers needing bookings + memberships handled automatically
- Salon/med‑spa owners needing 24/7 FAQs, scheduling triage, and deposit capture
- Home‑service dispatch (HVAC/plumbing) for after‑hours triage and scheduling handoff

MVP in 48 Hours:
- Webflow landing + Calendly; outline 3 packaged plans (Starter $199, Pro $399, Multi‑channel $599)
- Build a site widget with Intercom/Drift/Tidio connected to a custom GPT prompt and a Google Sheet knowledge base (menu, delivery zones, hours, policies)
- Add SMS via Twilio; start with website + SMS deflection first; pilot Google Business Messages later via partner
- Manual human‑in‑the‑loop escalation on complex questions (Slack or WhatsApp backchannel)
- For one pilot restaurant, measure call reduction and online order uplift over 7 days

Justification:
- Demand: The pizza shop story shows painful, constant interruptions costing throughput: “nonstop customer questions… stressing him out and slowing down the kitchen.” Other threads (POS/membership/booking frustrations) echo the need for smarter front‑of‑house automation.
- ROI: Deflecting even 20 calls/day at 2 minutes each saves ~20–40 staff minutes daily; capturing 1–2 extra online orders/day at $25 AOV adds ~$750–$1,500/month. At $399/month, payback within days.
- Scalable: Vertical playbooks (pizza, cafes, salons) with reusable intents; onboard via spreadsheet import; upsell channels (GBM, FB, WhatsApp). Low‑touch monthly SaaS + optional setup fee scales across thousands of SMBs with agency/ISV partners.
- Purple Cow/Controversial: Not a generic chatbot—trained on the store’s live data (delivery polygons, 86’d items), writes back on GBM/SMS where customers actually message today, and hands off orders to existing POS. Promise: “We reduce phone calls by 30% in 2 weeks or your month is free.”