Codie's 10, Funded
She's named these ten industries on every podcast, in her book, and in every interview. We pulled the SBA 7(a) data on who actually funds them. The real list, free, no broker, no kickback.
R.M. · LenderHawk · April 2026
Codie Sanchez has built her brand on a simple thesis: the boring businesses nobody talks about are the ones that actually make money. Laundromats, car washes, HVAC companies, roofing contractors, landscapers. She names the same ten industries everywhere she goes.
What nobody has done until now is pull the actual lending data behind these industries. Who funds them? How big are the deals? What rates are borrowers getting?
We went through real SBA lending records and pulled every 7(a) loan in Codie's ten industries. Below is the data: top lenders, deal sizes, spreads over prime, and the one thing your banker won't tell you about each category.
Data covers the last two completed fiscal years. Only SBA 7(a) loans are included. Lenders with fewer than 2 deals are excluded. See methodology for details.
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1. Laundromats
Codie's "gateway drug" — the first business she ever bought.
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many laundromats businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for Laundromats. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
2. Car Washes
Top-3 in her "7 Boring Businesses" framework.
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many car washes businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for Car Washes. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
3. Vending Machines
The "easiest entry point" into business ownership.
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many vending machines businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: 4 lenders are active in Vending Machines SBA lending.
4. HVAC / Plumbing
Named in Main Street Millionaire as a top home services play.
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many hvac / plumbing businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for HVAC / Plumbing. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
5. Roofing
Cites a roofing founder becoming "one of the world's wealthiest women."
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many roofing businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for Roofing. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
6. Painting
Explicitly named in her Inc. article on boring businesses.
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many painting businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for Painting. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
Codie's portfolio: That 1 Painter — On the SBA Franchise Directory. Total investment $113K–$189K — about 35% cheaper to enter than CertaPro. Here are the top lenders funding painting businesses.
7. Landscaping / Lawn Care
"You couldn't name a nationwide landscaping service."
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many landscaping / lawn care businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for Landscaping / Lawn Care. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
8. Self-Storage
On every "boring biz" list she's ever published.
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many self-storage businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for Self-Storage. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
9. Trash / Waste / Dumpsters
"Pressure washing, trash, whatever. The opportunity is there."
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many trash / waste / dumpsters businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: 137 lenders are active in Trash / Waste / Dumpsters SBA lending.
10. Pressure Washing / Window Cleaning
"Pressure washing, trash, whatever. The opportunity is there."
Limited SBA 7(a) data for this category. Many pressure washing / window cleaning businesses are funded through conventional loans or seller financing.
What your banker won't tell you: Limited SBA 7(a) data for Pressure Washing / Window Cleaning. This category may be funded more through conventional loans or seller financing.
Codie's portfolio: Pink's Windows — Launched franchising in 2024. Investment range $128K–$167K. Lender behavior on new franchise systems is different — here's what to expect.
Methodology
Data source: real SBA loan-level data covering all 7(a) loan approvals. Public record, available from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Industry mapping: Each industry is mapped to specific 6-digit NAICS codes from the loan records. Some categories use multiple codes (e.g., Trash/Waste includes both 562111 and 562119).
Time window: Last two completed fiscal years. This balances recency with statistical significance.
Lender threshold: Lenders with fewer than 2 deals in a category are excluded from the top lenders table. Median spread is suppressed for lenders with fewer than 3 deals.
Charge-off comparison:Uses loans approved FY 2015–2023 to allow sufficient seasoning time. Charge-off = loan status recorded as “CHGOFF” in SBA records. Sample sizes are displayed alongside rates.
Codie's portfolio mentions:That 1 Painter and Pink's Windows are portfolio companies of Codie Sanchez's ResiBrands. LenderHawk has no financial relationship with ResiBrands. Mentions are factual references to publicly available franchise directory data.
This page updates automatically as new SBA data becomes available. Last updated April 2026.
FAQ
Why these 10 industries?+
These are the industries Codie Sanchez names repeatedly across her book Main Street Millionaire, her podcasts, tweets, and Inc. articles. We didn't pick them. She did.
Is LenderHawk affiliated with Codie Sanchez or ResiBrands?+
No. LenderHawk has no financial relationship with Codie Sanchez, ResiBrands, or any lender listed on this page. All data comes from real SBA lending records.
Why don't some industries have much data?+
Some boring businesses (like vending machine routes) are often too small for SBA loans, or they're funded through conventional bank loans that don't appear in SBA data. Limited data doesn't mean the industry isn't viable.
What does "spread over prime" mean?+
SBA 7(a) loans are priced as the Prime Rate plus a lender's markup (the "spread"). Lower spreads mean cheaper loans. The SBA caps the maximum spread, but most lenders price below the cap.
Can I use this data to pick a lender?+
This is a starting point. Lenders with more deals in your industry have more experience with that business type. But always get multiple quotes. Use our search tool to find lenders who are active in your state and industry.
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