Entrepreneur: How an Idea and a Facebook Post Led to a $49 Million Tiny Home Business

Sometimes, the biggest ideas come from the simplest places, as is the case for Anchored Tiny Homes, the tiny homes franchise that specializes in accessory dwelling units (ADUs). A few years ago, when Colton Paulhus was running a marketing company, he came across a Facebook ad for a tiny home. He got curious and ran the idea by his father, Scott, a construction industry veteran. To gauge demand, Colton posted his own Facebook ad, also advertising tiny homes.

With 300 inquiries in three days, Colton knew there was demand to address. So, in 2019, he began conceptualizing Anchored Tiny Homes alongside his father and brother, Austin. The trio began building tiny homes on wheels, but they pivoted to accessory dwelling units (ADUs) toward the end of 2020 when California law became more amenable to the structures.

In its first full year of operations, Anchored Tiny Homes did over $16 million in sales. Last year, it secured over $49 million.

Now, with franchisees either operational or close to launching in Austin, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Salt Lake City, Utah; and central Oregon, the franchise is bringing accessible housing to communities across the nation and is poised for another groundbreaking year.