{"dataset":"launchloop-metrics","description":"Definitions, scales, inputs and formulas for every LaunchLoop index.","modelVersion":"1.0","reviewedOn":"2026-07-31","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"LaunchLoop (https://launchloopio.com) — scoring model v1.0, reviewed 2026-07-31. Free to reuse with attribution.","methodology":"https://launchloopio.com/methodology","scales":"All *Score / *Index fields are 0–100. Competition: higher = more crowded. All others: higher = better.","disclaimer":"Estimates for a single-operator business. Not financial advice and not a guarantee of income.","metrics":[{"id":"opportunity-score","name":"LaunchLoop Opportunity Score","scale":"0–100 (higher is better)","definition":"A composite index estimating how favourable a market is for a new solo local-service operator. It weights local demand at 34%, the service's own opportunity profile at 26%, spending power at 14%, growth momentum at 12%, and inverted competition at 14%, then applies a seasonality penalty.","inputs":["Demand Score","Competition Score","Spending Power Index","Growth Index","Seasonality Index"]},{"id":"demand-score","name":"Demand Score","scale":"0–100 (higher is better)","definition":"Estimated volume of addressable local demand for a service in a given market, from metro population, median household income, and a curated per-city demand rating, adjusted for how weather-bound the service is.","inputs":["Metro population","Median household income","Curated city demand rating","Workable Season Index"]},{"id":"competition-score","name":"Competition Score","scale":"0–100 (higher means more crowded)","definition":"Estimated saturation of a local service market, from business density per 1,000 residents and a curated per-city competition rating, adjusted for the service's barrier to entry. Lower is better for a new operator.","inputs":["Business density per 1,000 residents","Curated city competition rating","Business Difficulty Score"]},{"id":"startup-cost-index","name":"Startup Cost Index","scale":"0–100 (lower is cheaper)","definition":"Where a service's mid-point launch budget sits relative to every other service LaunchLoop covers. 0 is the cheapest business in the dataset; 100 is the most capital-intensive.","inputs":["Service startup cost low","Service startup cost high"]},{"id":"equipment-cost-index","name":"Equipment Cost Index","scale":"0–100 (share of budget)","definition":"The share of a launch budget that goes to hard equipment rather than soft costs such as registration, insurance, software, and marketing.","inputs":["Startup Cost Index","Curated gear lists"]},{"id":"profit-potential-score","name":"Profit Potential Score","scale":"0–100 (higher is better)","definition":"Capital efficiency: twelve months of mid-point revenue divided by the mid-point launch budget, log-normalised, blended 70/30 with absolute revenue potential. It rewards businesses that repay their startup cost fastest.","inputs":["Monthly revenue range","Startup cost range"]},{"id":"business-difficulty-score","name":"Business Difficulty Score","scale":"0–100 (lower is easier)","definition":"How hard it is to reach the first paid job, from capital required, whether a trade licence or certification gates entry, and whether the service requires selling a recurring contract rather than a one-off job.","inputs":["Startup Cost Index","Licensing requirement","Billing unit"]},{"id":"seasonality-index","name":"Seasonality Index","scale":"0–100 (0 is flat year-round)","definition":"How much a service's revenue swings across the year. Weather-bound outdoor work scores high; indoor and appointment-based work scores low.","inputs":["Service type","Rain days","Snow days","Average temperature"]},{"id":"spending-power-index","name":"Spending Power Index","scale":"0–100 (higher is better)","definition":"What a household in a market can realistically pay for a local service, from median household income, median home value, and home-ownership rate.","inputs":["Median household income","Median home value","Home ownership rate"]},{"id":"growth-index","name":"Growth Index","scale":"0–100 (higher is better)","definition":"Market momentum from five-year population growth, income growth, and change in the count of active firms.","inputs":["Population growth %","Income growth %","Business growth %"]},{"id":"workable-season-index","name":"Workable Season Index","scale":"0–100 (higher is better)","definition":"The share of the year in which outdoor service work is comfortable in a market, penalised for rain days, snow days, and deviation from a 63°F annual mean.","inputs":["Rain days","Snow days","Average annual temperature"]}]}