3) Get some extra income by getting into some decent profit margin branded merch or something else. My store for example brings in a huge chunk of my income. She has expressed that this is not easy where she is, but doesn't mean it's not an option.
And because you do teardowns and show the insides, those who buy the branded tools or merch
are happy to pay the price asked. They both know what they're getting, but also who/what the profits support.
Similarly, Fran has both the Frantone stuff, as well as lots of old hardware she has showcased she could create branded replicas for; especially if showing some of the design/creation/tuning phases. People would pay for it, "for the brand", because that way they don't just buy a thing/tool for a task, but a
thing with background, a story. We humans love stories.
There is this family up north in Finland that have reindeer, and make this amazing canned smoked reindeer (and also deer and moose) with spices and a bit of pork fat. They're the sort of family where kids are taught both effective computer use and media literacy, but also traditional stuff related to reindeer-keeping and old customs and all the tricks of living in the Arctic. I've told them that if they videoed their activities, especially keeping the kids along (as they normally do anyway), how they care for the animals, teach the kids, and even how they slaughter the animals with minimal pain (laws on this are
very strict here in Finland) with respect –– how everything is used and nothing is wasted ––, and how the animals are appreciated for both themselves and what they provide, they could sell the cans for >10× markup on several markets with no volume limit. Ethically grown mostly free-range meat with a story you can follow. It's not possible for just anyone to do this, but this family is the kind where the grandparents and grandkids play soccer or make snowmen every day, and have many different ways of supporting themselves (not just reindeers), and for whatever reason, they're very likable people with funny personal quirks. They would be perfect for setting up this kind of brand, because they are rather unique combination. Of course, because of this, they're interested in the idea, but don't find it actually necessary to do it.
Same goes for Fran. The kind of brand we are talking about here is the kind with a real-world story/stories behind them, and people are quite happy to pay for those. Not just tools, but even branded merch, "stuff". Sure, not every single human would be interested, but enough would be for sure to make it work for a single person or family.