NicheCRM (working name)
Idea status: Idea stage · Target: $20k+ MRR ≈ $250k ARR in 24 months (Tier B) · Verdict: No as described. Go, small, as a compliance-first practice system for Canadian immigration consultants (RCICs), with a day-45 kill test. · Last updated: 30 Sept 2026
Start here → WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md for the final call: the MRR ladder ($1k 40% / 55% · $5k 14% / 24% · $10k 6% / 12% · $20k 2% / 5% at ~15 hrs/week / full-time, with conditions), what to do, what to avoid, and the checkpoints.
Where the idea came from: entry D6 ("CRM for one profession") in the 30 Sept 2026 micro-SaaS idea catalog. The catalog flags it as the most crowded idea on the list. "NicheCRM" is a working name; check trademark and domain before using it publicly.
The one-line version: of six candidate professions (independent insurance agents, mortgage brokers, small recruiting agencies, photographers, wedding planners, immigration consultants), only Canadian RCICs combine written rules that define the fields a CRM must hold, a public list of every buyer, and proven prices. Even there, 10+ tools already compete. This is the weakest-odds idea in the portfolio at $10k and $20k.
Folder layout
nichecrm/
├── WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md ← final analysis and decision (read first)
├── README.md ← this index
├── analysis/ ← the investor-style assessment
│ ├── 00-one-page-brief.md
│ ├── 01-verdict.md
│ ├── 02-market-reality-check.md
│ ├── 03-feature-scrutiny.md
│ ├── 04-expanded-feature-catalog.md
│ ├── 05-pre-mortem.md
│ ├── 06-fundability.md
│ ├── 07-gaps.md
│ └── 09-assumptions-and-open-inputs.md
├── plans/ ← execution plans
│ ├── 08-90-day-plan.md
│ └── 11-24-month-gated-roadmap.md
└── research/ ← verified, cited evidence
└── 10-verified-research.md
File numbers match the other ideas in the portfolio, so cross-references like "doc 08" work the same way.
Documents
| # | Document | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| — | WHAT-TO-DO-AND-AVOID.md | Final decision: MRR ladder and Tier A/B odds, customer math, 12 do's, 14 avoids, checkpoints including the day-45 kill test |
| 00 | analysis/00-one-page-brief.md | The whole verdict on one page |
| 01 | analysis/01-verdict.md | Probability of success by scenario, fundable yes/no |
| 02 | analysis/02-market-reality-check.md | Six professions scored, buyer, pain score, competitors, vitamin vs painkiller, market size |
| 03 | analysis/03-feature-scrutiny.md | Every feature in the original idea sorted into Table stakes, Differentiator, Distraction or Liability |
| 04 | analysis/04-expanded-feature-catalog.md | Features RCIC firms need or ask for, each classified and prioritised |
| 05 | analysis/05-pre-mortem.md | Three most likely causes of death, warning signs, fixable or not |
| 06 | analysis/06-fundability.md | Would I invest, the skeptic's first 5 minutes, metrics that flip the answer, bootstrap vs raise |
| 07 | analysis/07-gaps.md | Gaps to paid, renewed and referred firms, plus distribution, compliance and team |
| 08 | plans/08-90-day-plan.md | First 90 days, week by week, with the day-45 kill test |
| 09 | analysis/09-assumptions-and-open-inputs.md | Assumptions made, and the inputs that would change the verdict |
| 10 | research/10-verified-research.md | Cited research (30 Sept 2026), confidence levels, and what is still unverified |
| 11 | plans/11-24-month-gated-roadmap.md | Month 0–24 phases, gates, revenue path, budget guardrails |
Caveat
Team, location, hours per week and RCIC access were not provided. The assumptions are in analysis/09. The research run hit the shared web-search limit after 9 searches. Three things matter most and are still unverified:
- whether Officio and the newer RCIC tools already enforce the client-account 30-day rule and the section-24 agreement contents (if they do, the main point of difference is gone);
- what the College's new by-laws under the 2026 Regulations require for records, retention and practice reviews;
- how many RCIC firms (not licensees) exist, and what they pay for software today.
See research/10.