Debt Recovery Experts

1. Executive Summary

Debt Recovery Experts (DRE) is a Texas-based B2B debt collection platform purpose-built for construction subcontractors and owner-operators. Contractors submit unpaid invoices and contracts online, DRE handles the entire recovery pipeline — AI-powered claim analysis, remote online notarization of Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA), certified demand letters, ACH payment collection, and law firm referral if litigation is required.

The service operates across five tiers — from a soft-touch email + ACH link (Tier 1, 20-25% fee) through to legal action via a partner law firm (Tier 4, 10% DRE + 25% firm). Every claim gets AI-driven scoring and debtor research before a human approval gate (Germaine + Tony both sign off). The entire operation is designed around Texas lien law and FDCPA compliance.

Domain is live at debtrecoveryexperts.com (WordPress marketing site on Cloudflare). DocuSeal is live at sign.itpropartner.com for LPOA signing. The DRE MCP server handles inbox polling, letter generation, and status updates. The client portal, fee calculator, case aging dashboard, and debtor payment page are designed as HTML mockups and ready to build into a full portal.

2. Elevator Pitch

Someone owes you money, and you've run out of patience. Debt Recovery Experts handles the whole thing — from AI analysis and online notarization to certified demand letters and ACH collection. You upload the contract and invoices. We do the rest. If they don't pay, we escalate to a law firm. No upfront cost. No hourly billing. Just a percentage of what we recover. You get paid. We get paid when you get paid.

3. Problem Statement

3.1 The Contractor's Cash Flow Crisis

Construction subcontractors and owner-operators live and die by cash flow. A single unpaid invoice can stall a crew, delay materials, and domino into missed deadlines. Yet the industry norm is net-30, net-60, or "when the GC gets paid" — meaning subs are the last to get paid and the first to be told "the check is in the mail."

The options are bad and getting worse:

3.2 The Texas Construction Market

Texas is the largest construction market in the US by permit value. The state's mechanic's lien laws are powerful but complex — strict deadlines, specific notice requirements, and a process that varies by project type (residential vs commercial, public vs private). Most subcontractors don't have the legal expertise to navigate this alone. They let deadlines slip, and they lose their lien rights permanently.

Over 70% of claims DRE handles resolve before litigation — at Tier 1 (email/ACH) through Tier 3 (final notice). The ones that don't pay are typically debtors with genuine cash flow issues or disputes, not bad actors. DRE's AI-driven approach identifies which claims have the best recovery profile upfront so clients don't waste time on uncollectible debt.

3.3 The Information Gap

Contractors don't know if a debtor is worth pursuing until they've already spent time and money trying. DRE closes this gap with AI pre-analysis: documentation quality scoring, debtor skip tracing, comparable case benchmarking, and a 0-100 recovery confidence score. This assessment happens before the client commits to the process — and it's free.

3.4 Why Now

• Texas is booming. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is driving massive underground utility work. More work = more invoices = more disputes.
• Contractors are cash-strapped. Inflation has squeezed margins. Unpaid invoices hit harder than ever.
• Tony's network. 12,000+ members in his directional drilling group = instant access to the exact target market. Zero cold acquisition cost.
• Legal tech has caught up. Online notarization (RON), certified mail automation (LetterStream), and AI document analysis make the process scalable in ways that weren't possible 5 years ago.

4. Market Analysis

Target Market Profile

Competitive Landscape

Market Gap

The 70%+ of claims that resolve before litigation are the sweet spot. Traditional agencies charge their highest fees for the easiest recoveries. Law firms won't touch small claims under $10K. Self-serve platforms leave contractors to navigate the legal complexity alone. DRE fills all three gaps simultaneously — and the AI pre-analysis means clients know their odds before committing.

5. Product Overview

5.1 The Pipeline

5.2 Five-Phase Workflow

5.3 Technical Architecture

6. Revenue Model

6.1 Fee Structure

Fee is based on effort required. Early resolution costs less, so clients pay less. This incentivizes good documentation upfront and rewards early recovery.

6.2 Example — $15,000 Claim

6.3 Out-of-Pocket Costs (passed to debtor or deducted)

6.4 Revenue Projection (Year 1)

7. Competitive Advantages

8. Go-to-Market Strategy

Phase 1: Tony's Network (Weeks 1-4)

• Direct launch to Tony's 12k-member directional drilling Facebook group. Tony is co-owner — this is his endorsement. Zero cold acquisition cost.
• Founding client program: First 25 claims at discounted rate (20% flat). Collect testimonials and case studies.
• Referral incentives: 5% off next claim for every referral that converts.
• Lifetime locked pricing for the first 50 clients.

Phase 2: Texas Construction Expansion (Months 2-4)

• Target adjacent contractor groups: Texas-based excavation, landscaping, fencing, concrete Facebook groups and trade associations.
• Supply shop partnerships: Co-branded flyers in directional drilling supply shops across Texas. "Owe you money? We handle it."
• Content marketing: "Texas Lien Law 101" — shareable guide that positions DRE as the authority. Every contractor needs to know their lien rights.
• Google Ads: Target "unpaid invoice Texas contractor," "file mechanic's lien Texas," "debt collection for contractors" — high-intent, low-competition keywords.

Phase 3: Portal Launch & Scale (Months 3-6)

• Full client portal — claim submission, status tracking, case binders, payment history.
• Debtor payment page — standalone landing for phone-in and email ACH payments.
• AI chatbot — answers fee, process, and timeline questions without human involvement.
• Case aging dashboard — internal tracking for days-in-tier with red/amber/green thresholds.
• Law firm partner onboarding — at least one Texas construction litigation firm for Tier 4 referrals.

Phase 4: Multi-State (Month 6+)

• PelicanCorp partnership for nationwide certified mail delivery and compliance.
• Expand to Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas — regional adjacency with similar lien laws.
• Nationwide capability for web-based clients via uniform system.

Zero-Cost Distribution Channels

9. Risk Analysis

10. Financial Projections

Startup Costs (Already Incurred)

Remaining Setup Costs

Monthly Operating Costs (At 40 Claims/Month)

Growth Projections

11. The Ask

Immediate Action Items

Decisions Required

1. Fee structure finalization — Flat 30% across all tiers, or tiered 20-33% as proposed? Minimum fee floor ($250)?
2. Volume pricing — Discounts for repeat clients (e.g. 25% instead of 30% after 3+ claims)?
3. Legal entity — DRE as an LLC separate from IT Pro Partner, or a division? (Germaine + Tony as co-owners)
4. Processing capacity — At what claim volume does DRE need dedicated staff vs AI-driven processing?

What Success Looks Like (Month 12)

At a conservative 3x revenue multiple, DRE would be valued at $1.3M-4.8M after Year 1 — built for a $12 domain purchase and $12K in initial service accounts.