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    Home Unlabelled NooB Monday! - (November 26, 2018) Entrepreneur

    NooB Monday! - (November 26, 2018) Entrepreneur

    November 26, 2018

    NooB Monday! - (November 26, 2018) Entrepreneur

    NooB Monday! - (November 26, 2018)

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 05:06 AM PST

    Please use this thread to ask any newbie questions.

    We do this to not overflow the subreddit with newbie questions, so please try to limit the questions to this weekly thread.

    Since this thread can fill up quickly, consider sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") to see the newest posts.

    submitted by /u/AutoModerator
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    [AMA] I am David Chapman, CEO Of Factomize LLC, a Factom Authority Node Operator. I'm here to talk about the business opportunities within the Factom Protocol ecosystem. AMA!

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:25 AM PST

    Greeting Entrepreneurs!

    I am David Chapman, CEO of Factomize LLC. Factomize is part of a coalition of 26 (eventually 65+) companies that provide the infrastructure to decentralize the Factom Protocol. I'm here to talk about the many business opportunities within the Factom Protocol ecosystem. I first purchased Bitcoin when it was $1.00 and screamed near and far about its potential. I feel the same way about the Factom Protocol.

    I will begin answering questions at 3pm Eastern Time.

    Verification

    1. This AMA was approved by the moderators and is listed in the sidebar.
    2. LinkedIn
    3. Tweet

    About the Factom Protocol

    Started in 2014, the Factom protocol is an open source data integrity protocol built by a coalition of technology companies that extends the security of blockchain to any type of data. In other words, we're working to make data trustworthy.

    Factom is built from scratch and has novel design implementations that set it apart from all other blockchain projects. We are confident these features will help propel Factom to become the internet's data integrity layer.

    The market traded token of the Factom Protocol is the Factoid (FCT). As of this posting, it's market cap is 92 million dollars.

    Due to the novel design of Factom, it is one of the few blockchain projects seeing real world usage and interest from business and government. Entities such as Equator Homes which services 4 of the 5 biggest US mortgage companies, the US Department of Homeland Security, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plan to secure data via the Factom Protocol.

    About Factomize

    Factomize LLC is a Factom Authority Node Operator (ANO) that is currently focusing on developing software that will improve the transparency, efficiency, and accountability of Factom Protocol governance. Based upon the current price of FCT and our 0% efficiency, we have revenue of approximately $22,000 per month as we are awarded 1,123 FCT per server we run and we operate two. In theory, the more the Factom Protocol is used, the more that revenue should grow.

    Business Opportunities

    Now that we have all that out of the way, I'd like to mention some of the business opportunities there are within the Factom Protocol ecosystem.

    1. Become an Authority Node Operator. Every 3-6 months a new election round for Authority Node Operators opens up. You can see the current list of ANOs here. At present, ANOs operate two Authority Servers to decentralize the protocol AND they "further the protocol" in whatever way they pledge during their campaign. In return for these services, they receive 1,123 FCT per month (minus efficiency to be explained below) to cover their bills and hopefully profit. The competition for ANO slots is heating up but if you have a talented group of people who think they can further the Factom Protocol while providing very stable, robust infrastructure, we'd love to have you campaign in the next round!

    2. Apply for a grant. Each Authority Node Operator sets an "efficiency" from 0-100%. The current average efficiency is around 45%. What this means is your company decides to not receive some of its monthly FCT because it is so "efficient" and instead it goes into the Protocol Grant Pool. We just held a grant round and more than 140,000 FCT worth a current $1.4 million were awarded to companies to further the Factom Protocol in some way. Example grants that were awarded include:

    If you have an idea for a way to further the Factom Protocol and the means to execute upon that idea, please apply next grant round!

    3. Anyone can develop applications on top of Factom. The way Factom is designed as a pure data blockchain allows for countless unique applications to be built upon it. In my opinion, this is where billion dollar companies will emerge in the future and where I hope I generate some interest. Examples of development being done on top of Factom Include:

    These are extremely exciting times to be a part of the Factom Protocol ecosystem and I hope you will delve deeper. I welcome any questions you have and am happy to continue to answer questions for as long as people have them as I'm extremely passionate about this project.

    submitted by /u/DChapman77
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    I compiled a list of 50+ design tools and resources you can use for your next project

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 12:45 AM PST

    As part of a curated directory I've been building, I've compiled a list of popular and not-so-popular design tools and resources you can use for your next side project or business. This started out from a giant list of bookmarks I collected over the last couple of years as I built and launched a bunch of side projects. I managed to compile this particular list from a lot of bookmarks and a few different websites, including:

    You can find the complete list here. I'm still not entirely happy with how the list is displayed and filtered, so any ideas there would be helpful, but otherwise, I hope you find it useful!

    submitted by /u/Malfunction92
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    6 Lessons from Nike’s $34 Billion Retail Empire for Ecommerce Entrepreneurs

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 01:28 PM PST

    I've always been a fan of Nike. Their products are comfortable, fashionable, and while pricey, useful for running or training. I know they have some ethical issues with their manufacturing and what not, but still, I've admired them as a company.

    As a writer and marketer, I wanted to get a deeper understanding of the path they took to become such a large and successful company. So I read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, Nike's founder.

    Regardless of whether you like Nike or not, it's a beautifully written book I highly recommend to any entrepreneur and nonfiction reader.

    I learned a lot about their story, from how Knight created the behemoth out of his mere passion for running to how they almost went bankrupt until a Japanese bank saved their asses and much more.

    Since I'm a writer at heart, I wrote some of the main learnings I took from their story, and how the ecommerce entrepreneurs from this subreddit can use them to grow their business.

    Lesson #1: Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission

    Phil Knight started from the bottom, with nothing on him. He had no business experience — he launched the business as soon as he finished his graduate degree in Stanford — no connections, and no money. While his father gave him some money to start, he had nothing.

    How did he start then? By executing his vision relentlessly.

    After graduation, he went on a round-the-world trip, exploring different countries: India, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and France, among others. Originally, however, his trip had one goal: go to Japan and pitch Onitsuka — a leading Japanese shoe manufacturer — to resell their shoes.

    He didn't even have a company set up, a partner, or money, yet he went to the headquarters and talk to the company's senior managers to get the partnership done and make the first order. All without speaking Japanese, with a business plan, or anything.

    He had studied the shoe business when he attended Stanford, but besides that, he had nothing on him. Instead of asking people whether that was a good idea, trying to secure funding, or getting everything set up before he was ready to pitch Onitsuka, he reverse engineered the process and started from the end goal (becoming a reseller) and built the business from there.

    Surprisingly enough, he got to convince the Japanese to let him resell their shoes in the West Coast. That's how Blue Ribbon Sports, which eventually would become Nike, got started.

    Takeaway: It's easy to think you need to do certain things right before you start your business — ecommerce or not. Time after time, I've personally seen successful people get shit done regardless what other people say. This is the case of Phil Knight, and it definitely applies to many other businesses.

    Lesson #2: Hustle Your First Sales

    Getting the first few sales, validating your product, and getting feedback from the customers is a highly challenging process for most ecommerce entrepreneurs.

    I remember when I launched my ecommerce business. Instead of building a list to pre-sell and build some hype, I waited until launch to start marketing my store. But then, I did what I believe most first-time ecommerce store owners do: I started reading every article I could, trying to do everything at once: SEO, content marketing, Facebook ads — you name it.

    In reality, it's much easier to go where your customers hang out and sell to them. This is exactly what Phil Knight did.

    Once he got his first stock of shoes in his house, he took his Plymouth Valiant, stocked it with them, and went to different running competitions selling the shoes face-to-face to the runners themselves. (Here's a photo of the van Nike salespeople used to sell their shoes in the early stages of the company.)

    Selling to people in running competition is the ultimate "growth hack:" you go where your customers are, and sell your products to them, learning a lot about their needs, preferences, and interest along the way.

    Takeaway: When you are starting, do whatever it takes to make your first sales. Call people, go visit your customers, talk to them face-to-face, or whatever it is you need to do to make a sale. As Paul Graham says, "Do Things that Don't Scale."

    Lesson #3: Niche Down Your Positioning

    When you're getting started, your lack of funding or revenue will push you to make a sale to anyone who's willing to buy from you. If only it was that easy.

    To make sales consistently and make your marketing effective, you need to position your business. That is, define who you want to sell, what you want to sell, what's so special about you, and how you help your audience.

    Nike got it right from the start. Phil Knight was a running buff. He ran in college and knew the kind of shoes runners wanted. Sure, this doesn't replace any kind of market research, but it guarantees a deeper understanding of the issues that affect the target audience.

    Running wasn't popular back in the 60s, but niching down to the almost non-existent running community helped him separate himself from other companies.

    Takeaway: Niche your business. It will scare you at first, but it will be what separates you from all the other competitors in your industry.

    Lesson #4: Partner with Experts

    When you think of Nike, you probably don't associate it with an innovative company like Apple or Amazon. Yet Nike probably is the most innovative sports apparel company in the world.

    Phil Knight wasn't an innovator — he was the Steve Jobs of the business, making orders, focusing on sales, and organizing the company. The man who helped take Nike from a small company was Knight's former track-and-field coach, Bill Bowerman.

    Bill Bowerman not only was one of the greatest running coaches of all time, but he also invented the modern running shoe sole. Literally. Before that, people ran with sneakers or shoes that had no kind of technology to help runners sustain faster or longer races.

    (TIL fact: Bowerman created his first soles with his wife's waffle iron. Here's a picture of it.)

    With this innovation, Nike made a huge dent in the industry, separating itself from the rest, and building momentum on the running industry that was just starting to grow. Nike became the company that was for and by runners.

    All it took was having the right partner, a man who was an expert in the field.

    Takeaway: If you're not an expert in whatever you sell, it pays well to partner who understands more than you about the industry; someone with more connections, money, or technical expertise.

    Lesson #5: Partner with Influencers

    Just like partnering with an expert can reap huge dividends, the same applies to influencers. I'm sure all of you are aware of the importance and benefits of influencer marketing. Nowadays, the concept has been beaten to death. But this is exactly what Nike used to become the #1 sports brand in the world.

    Back in 1984, when Nike was already a large company, they took NBA's 1984 draft third pick, Michael Jordan, and created a shoe brand around him, the famous Air Jordans. This would eventually help Nike 4x their growth in 10 years, become a "cool" brand, and expand their influence in a new industry: the urban market.

    Takeaway: Use influencers to increase your reach in a new audience. Instead of focusing on a 1-time gig, consider associating with someone for the long-term.

    Lesson #6: Develop a Powerful Tagline

    If you think about Nike, you probably remember it for its tagline, "Just Do It." This tagline is what helped Nike solidify its brand.

    (TIL fact: the inspiration to the tagline came from the last words of a well-known Utah serial killer, as you can see in this post.)

    The power of this tagline is that it's neither cheesy nor it sounds like the typical corporate bullshit no one believes in (e.g., "We Care About Our Customers"), but rather it represents the spirit of runners and athletes alike.

    While you may not be able to come up with a tagline as powerful or influential as this one, you too should work on finding a tagline that represents your brand and your audience.

    Takeaway: Summarize your brand's value proposition and spirit with a tagline. It's the simplest and most scalable kind of advertising. Once people associate you with it, you'll get a positive association in your customer's mind.

    -- -- --

    TL;DR: Nike is a highly innovative retail and fashion business. The foundations of its success can be implemented by any ecommerce entrepreneur. If you want to emulate its success, do what they did:

    1. Don't ask for permission to start

    2. Do whatever it takes to make your first sales

    3. Niche down

    4. Partner with experts

    5. Partner with influencers

    6. Develop a tagline that represents your brand

    BTW: I've created a long-ass guide where I explain all of this with greater detail, plus actionable steps for ecommerce entrepreneurs to learn how to take each of the six lessons in their stores.

    submitted by /u/ivankrm
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    THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: Gamification of Football Governance & Fan Empowerment - Would Love Your Feedback!

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 09:33 AM PST

    Hey guys!

    Would like to get your advice on a start-up idea that came to my mind. Bear with me okay.

    As you probably know, fan & team interaction has been a hot topic in the recent years. Most Major (and popular) clubs are privately owned and have a membership structure to give us a sense of belonging, participation, and ownership. Thing is at times it's a diminishing returns situation when a club scales up and voices/belongingness becomes an echo.

    A pretty interesting model that's alternative I've been poking at are cases of fan-owned clubs like Barcelona, PSG, RealMadrid and a few others.

    I'm not sure what innovations are currently in store for better rewarding fans and giving them more opportunities to feel part of the team, but it appears most are via social media and media outlets that host opportunities to be in touch with the Team or host giveaways etc. etc.

    Therefore, me and my friend came up with idea.

    We want to create a Platform (an app), where it will be possible to buy "Fan Tokens" of say football club X and exchange it for certain benefits which the club allocates, for example voting for new uniform colours or emblems, leagues, rally cry, maybe (this is a bit crazy but) stadium matters like foods/snacks/merchandise. A more direct benefit would be VIP membership per-se.

    We would partner with local football clubs, starting small and particularly existing fan-owned clubs, provide them with this system and all that will be needed from clubs themselves - and they determine the democratization/governance of their Voting Parameters (or simply, what fans can and can't vote on).

    We will sort out the platform everything else ourselves.

    What do the clubs gain? - Instant Liquidity. Take this as a Token Offering in a sense, they'd raise the capital through a primary offering (we have offshore options for establishment), cap the amount of Tokens an individual or interested corporations can purchase initially to prevent monopolization.

    We'll establish a secondary market where people can trade tokens at an open price auction. Since clubs have governance over the parameters on the voting mechanism, they could place a limit on votes that are cast on a decision they want to exercise to avoid manipulation upon establishing their Fan Token system.

    What do the fans gain? - A stake in decisions for the club, direct fan interaction on our platform, price appreciation and rarity, exclusivity, an ownership for a club they believe in

    This would better be on a Blockchain since everything would be transparent on any cheeky behavior over a monopoly buyout or malicious actor. There needs to be an audit-system. This could be possible because we have several software developers in UI/UX, 2 of which specialize in systems architecture and work on Solidity and another in DB & Networks contracted for work on prediction markets. I have a stake in it but realize that this is still an early area to gain traction and interest. Football isn't. Not to mention it's a massive industry to integrate better democracy in favour of both fans and the clubs

    To sum up: This app will allow fans to vote on club matters and receive other benefits and will let clubs to monetize fans' engagement. Win-Win

    We're in touch with an Angel Investor and potential VC networks as my friends' family members are working in major tech giants in the Valley. But honestly we're early in the drawing board.

    What do you think about our idea? Is this feasible? We'd like to gather feedback from fans themselves. Do you think this would be interesting for Football, possibly other Sports Verticals?

    ​

    submitted by /u/Jiram
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    How to pick a hunter on product hunt

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 09:34 AM PST

    There are things to take into account when choosing your hunter. One of them is how many followers they've got. Bear in mind, when you get hunted, your hunter's followers receive an invitation to your product page. So, the more followers, the better.

    However, it is not the number of the hunter's followers but the hunter-hunted relationship that is fundamental. Imagine there is somebody you want to be introduced to. The only person you can turn to is just an acquaintance of yours, almost a stranger. Asking for an introduction won't necessarily result in getting one. Asking for an intro is one thing, asking for a person to hunt you is somewhat bigger. Your hunter stakes their name and reputation, so you better be worth it and prove it upfront.

    When a person hunts your product, they are saying that your product is awesome: it deserves to be on Product Hunt, it deserves the time and attention of the community. They say that you, the founder, are a good person and belong to the Product Hunt community. You won't abuse anyone or use the community for your own good without giving back. So, please, don't screw it up.

    Make up a list of your niche products and see who hunted them. Find the best person — in terms of their followers, their mentality, and your possibilities. If it is your first hunt ever, I don't think rushing straight to Eric Willis is the best idea.

    I liked what Kiki had hunted before, and I read her twitter for a while. So I reached out to her. We talked about Amplifr, why we had built it, what our team tried to achieve with it and, then she agreed to hunt us.

    Generally, it's wise to get in touch with your hunter 2-3 weeks before the hunt as it gives you room for maneuver.

    source: https://amplifr.com/blog/en/amplifr-on-producthunt/

    more about Product Hunt /r/ProductHuntOfReddit

    submitted by /u/lama_in_the_house
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    What is the best way to see what a company's revenue is in India?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:39 AM PST

    What is the best way to see what a company's revenue is in India?

    submitted by /u/bender1227
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    Wanna help a 17 year old find the perfect career?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:10 AM PST

    Hey guys! I'm a 17 year old kid from Germany looking to set up my future as well as I can. I pretty much know that an entrepreneurial career is definitely for me because of the satisfaction, diversity and flexibility this career path provides. I want to have an impact on the world (while earning good money and being FREE :D). Here's the deal:

    In terms of grades I'm in the top 5% of my school and it is pretty clear that I will attend university. I did not take many science classes but focused on languages and social studies (e.g. philosophy) because this is what I'm interested in and because it is the least effort tbh.

    I am completely undecided on what to study, which will set me up for a career as a business owner/entrepreneur. My current first choice is to study "business psychology" but I'm scared that this degree might be just worthless because of all the information available on the Internet.

    Soooo,

    What would you recommend me to study?

    Please share any insights you have on the topic (personal experience etc.) as it really really helps me!

    Thank you all in advance!

    submitted by /u/iamarr0gant
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    A forum/website for ideas to change the world

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 10:43 AM PST

    Change.org+Kickstarter

    Main goal of the website- A common platform for people to discuss ideas on how to change the world. Have an idea on making planting more efficient? Come and share it!

    Want to know how to make a better and efficient society? Simply discuss.

    ​

    Main features- A feed curated to your interests as well as a 'Top' posts panel.

    How to use the website- The same way you use Reddit.

    Why *Insert 'But why' meme* - Because the world is filled with negative ideas. Global warming, Food insecurity, Illegal abortions, Idiot Heads of administration etc etc. So how about we begin to actually try and change these things. But How? By discussing with people and creating a global community all over the world which wishes to change it.

    Any questions?

    ​

    repost from r/Startup_Ideas

    submitted by /u/hanazawarui123
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    Suggestions for how a non-tech person can invent something useful for our modern world?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 09:27 AM PST

    I know nothing about technology, compared to your average programmer. I have cool ideas, but no idea where to start. Perhaps a shift towards something more nature based, like education, fire starting, living rurally? Just thinking outside the box.

    I have a few app ideas, but I wouldn't know where to begin with creating a program.

    submitted by /u/DarkGreenWhiteboy
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    Should I start a Marketing service/agency thingy? or stay freelance

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 12:45 PM PST

    So recently I have found a somewhat unsaturated market for companies to promote themselves.

    I am currently promoting my own niche site which is going decent as I am not going full throttle on it yet.

    Yesterday I got approached by a fellow who wants to 'test' my promotional services.

    I told him that for 30 days of promotion would cost him $ 300. He said that would be reasonable but he wants to test my service for 15 days while paying me daily $ 15( $225 total ). He wants to make sure that the visitors are real and not form a bot,proxy or otherwise fraudulent source, and due to the fact that it is not a stable source like every other non- ppc or cpm related advertisement source.

    ​

    The cost per client would be the following:

    $ 3.31 for the setup

    1 hour per day needed per client to create promotional posts and what now.

    30 hours per month spent per client with $ 0.31 spent.

    Profit is $ 296.69 ($ 9.89 per hour)

    I can outsource the work for 10 % of the cost.

    So that would still give me $ 266.69 profit per month/client.

    What are some tips you can give me? Should I even do this as I don't really have a single client as of yet, only someone who wants to test my services.

    submitted by /u/captiondisordered
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    Does a $864 day validate my business idea.

    Posted: 25 Nov 2018 02:27 PM PST

    I forage wild edibles. I do work as a handyman but foraging is my passion. I have been doing so for 5 years. For 2 years I have been thinking how I can make it into a business for myself. Mainly culinary mushrooms, but berries as well and just learning plants now.

    May 2018 - August 2018 I spent foraging morels in the Rocky Mountains BC Canada. I picked over 600lbs of morels and sold 580lbs. (Kept 20lbs for myself!) Approx 400lbs were sundried and sold to various people I've met over the years that enjoy wild mushrooms. Others were small grocers and asians markets.

    Over those months I also did 2 full (separate) days of; picking mushrooms, buying more mushrooms, and driving mushrooms to the city - meeting with chefs and delivering in person, then drive right back to the bush.

    The best day I sold 174lbs. Approximately earning 864.00 profit after all expenses. This was just for morel mushrooms.

    I've been reflecting lots of my last 2 foraging seasons and I am capable of sustainably foraging, buying, supplying and selling up to 15 different wild edibles.

    I already made 20+ connections to sell to private food connoisseurs, chefs and various market owners or vendors between BC and Alberta.

    I'm at the point now where I want to dive head on, to create something I'm passionate about, get out of my comfort zone and go for it...

    Did I validate my idea for a small business?

    submitted by /u/odieatos33
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    Progress on Instagram growth

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 12:09 PM PST

    I've recently started up a business (retail, not selling my product yet as they're still being manufactured), but I'm building an online presence before my product is released for obvious reasons.

    ​

    Anyway, I've started my Instagram from scratch, no celebrity friends or anything like that, no endorsements from anyone, no bots, no paid ads or anything, just organic growth, oh and also I've posted basically nothing cause I don't have any products to take photos of yet, I've posted a couple pictures of some labels etc. I've got my launch date in my bio so people at least have some idea why I haven't posted very often.

    ​

    I've had the Instagram for 3 weeks now, and I have 87 followers (I know, only 87 followers, wow, good job) - but that's from 0 followers 3 weeks ago basically without posting. How did I do it? I used Gary Vee's $1.80 method, but a beefed up version. Quick run down on the $1.80 method for anyone who doesn't know, basically he says find 9 relevant hash tags and leave your 2 cents (comment) on the top 10 posts of each has tag every day which then means you've left $1.80 worth of your input/knowledge/whatever you wish to call it. I've just taken this a step further.

    ​

    This is what I've done daily:

    - Found the top 10 relevant hash tags to my business (I don't always use the exact same hash tags, some times I see another one I like and add that to my master list)

    - I go through and like probably 30-60 of the top posts.

    - Comment on at least 10 posts out of those 30 - 60 I like (it isn't always the top 10, because some times the posts are just very spammy).

    - When I comment on a photo, I also go through the comments section and like 3-5 comments that aren't just spam accounts posting the flame emoji. Some times I will also then click onto that persons account, and if it isn't private, I'll like 2-3 of their posts and if I see a photo I really like, I'll leave a comment.

    - A lot of the time these posts are from re-post accounts, so once I've commented on their pic, I then go to the original posters page (they usually tag the OP in the caption or comments), then I like 5-10 of OPs pics then comment on one or two.

    ​

    This has been working great so far, I've been gaining followers every day, of course some of these accounts are just people who follow then unfollow (don't be that guy), but I gain a whole lot more followers than I lose. Once I've got content I can post, this will further add to the growth plus running a few ads etc.

    ​

    Basically, I just wanted to show that being social does actually work (especially if you don't have much content while you're new)!

    ​

    submitted by /u/sudorobot
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    How to present a SaaS idea to potential customers without having built the Software?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 12:03 PM PST

    Hi folks! I am working on an idea in the Automotive space and I think it would be a hit- however, I don't want to dig a hole for my self by building the product without having customer validation. I can set meetings with Auto-dealership owners and tell them about my idea but that wouldn't be very effective in getting their opinion or getting them signed up to be a test user. What are some ways I can present my "product" which is not built yet so that they want to be part of it when I launch?

    ​

    I am thinking PPT presentation with some designed pictures of what the UI would look like and some more data on the idea. But IDK if that is a good rout or how to create such a PPT.

    ​

    Thanks!!!

    submitted by /u/8oss371
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    Hello Everyone! Young 22 year old Entrepreneur here just needing some advice!

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:28 AM PST

    Hey everyone!

    Young entrepreneur here. I own a late night cookie delivery service. After paying my team, factoring in food costs, and factoring in rent - the business profits around 25%-30% of each sale. Depending on the month.

    I'm starting to panic a bit because I am trying to grow the business to open up another location... and now that I've set my mind to that all these other expenses seem to be coming my way - my food costs for some reason seem heftier than they usually are... and my anxiety truthfully does not help in these situations.

    First and foremost - do you think my numbers are on track? I see most food businesses are profitable at about 10% of their sales and we make around 25%-30% of our sales which I thought was great - but I'm starting to second guess myself.

    Second - any idea on how to get food costs down? We go to Restaurant Depot which seems to be the cheapest.

    Thirdly- any idea on how to allocate funds to open up a new store?

    Lastly - any idea on how to manage stress? Over the summer my company was pulling in more profit than it is now. And part of me thinks it's seasonal but there is always that doubt in my brain that's like "oh no your business is going downhill gl"

    Thank you all for the advice in advance!

    submitted by /u/bowlingalixP
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    I'm brainstorming for a brand name for my apparel store.

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:20 AM PST

    I need a brand name for my store. It's focused on positivity, pure and happiness.

    Something along those lines.

    I came up with pozitiv, purest, joyed but the domains are taken

    submitted by /u/20karaktererastesore
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    Automating dropshipped item cross-posting [x-post from r/dropshipping]

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 10:43 AM PST

    Ive been doing lots of software robotics recently to pull / post content across sources like Reddit / Instagram / Ebay / Bangood / Amazon.

    Do we have anyone in here whos doing something similar?

    Basically Im a newb re: how the markets work, but I kick-ass at the software side of the effort. I've got a persistent running service which checks the sources / markets for new posts + current pricing.

    I suppose Im looking for a collaboration or some guidance on where I might best put these software bots to good use because while Im making money, its much less than I think I could be making.

    EX: Today Ive spent about 5 hours cross-posting + comparing different dropshippable components across a number of different websites and I absolutely could make it more efficient:

    • No more copying / pasting / cleaning HTML
    • Making sure the images are all there
    • Organizing the images
    • Keeping track of where the item came from + where it was posted to
    • Updating of the information: stock available, pricing, verbage etc.

    So! Is anyone doing this? Would you be willing to sit down and do a 20 minute phone call and talk about what kinda things youre doing manually in making posts?

    We dont have to talk market specifics, but I think a conversation on how to make such a thing more efficient would be really helpful for both sides.

    submitted by /u/delinquentme
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    What Networking Events Are In Your Country?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 10:36 AM PST

    Hey everyone! I'm from a small island that doesn't really have that many business networking events and the ones that are held, well, they pretty much suck! Post in the comments a networking event that you loved AND the country it was in!

    submitted by /u/MusketeerInc
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    Well this headline felt like a cheap cliche, but I ended up pondering it in my mind over and over

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 10:14 AM PST

    On my day to day reading, I usually can't find many pieces that I can really take to my day job when creating new products.

    So yeah, "empathy" and "imagination" is almost instantly connected in my mind to cheap cliches of self-improvement salesmen, but I recently discovered a new method of actually using those tools to make better products.

    In a nutshell, imagining the situation that your user might be into can help you design your product much better - especially in the early stages of the design, when it's so hard to get into the details that matter and predict the outcome of things you decide.

    ​

    I've returned to this concept a few times since I read it last week and it seems to be super effective in my case.
    https://medium.com/@amitbd/empathy-imagination-the-secret-of-great-product-creators-2a219bd4b400

    I'm curious if any of you used a process like this before, and if it actually helped you.

    submitted by /u/lauren_v2
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    What is a business plan in its most fundamental form?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 09:54 AM PST

    I know this sounds silly. I wrote one up for my current business, but I have some ideas for others. I found a few good templates on this sub. My question mainly concerns the essential elements of a business plan. How do I know I've covered all bases?

    submitted by /u/DarkGreenWhiteboy
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    Want to make a coming soon landing page. What should I use?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 09:45 AM PST

    What's up guys, I'm in the beginning steps of starting a business and I'm looking to create a coming soon minis site/landing page to collect emails before I launch the kickstarter to generate brand awareness. I want to ask what you guys prefer to use for stuff like that. I would like it to have a 2 step process 1) to share the page to social media and 2) sign up their email. Thank you in advance!

    submitted by /u/thompson_the_white
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    Best free/low cost CRM for a photo studio?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 09:40 AM PST

    My friend has a photo studio and just asked me if I could help him set a CRM. He wants to be able to keep track of inquiries/proposals as he does a lot of weddings and wants to follow up with prospects. He also has some 900 contacts to whom he wants to be able to send the occasional newsletter/promotion.

    I was thinking about Hubspot CRM (free) or Copper (19$) since he has everything inside gmail now.

    Any thoughts?

    submitted by /u/mike1231
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    I've Created a Product for Expectant Parents, What Are Some Creative Ways to Get My First Sale?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 08:05 AM PST

    The Elavator

    Imagine unveiling the ultrasound of your baby to the world for the first time and the shock and amazement of your friends and family to see the baby proudly cradling a football!

    I've created a product using a series of AI-Computer Vision techniques that allow me to add images to a fetal ultrasound, such that the added image looks like it was part of the original ultrasound.

    My Portfolio

    In theory, I can add jewelry, books, diplomas, sporting goods, or just about anything else you can imagine to your baby's ultrasound image.

    The OB (Original Baby)

    I was motivated to start the business after my brother contacted me letting me know he was expecting the birth of his first child. I wanted to commemorate the event using Computer Vision techniques.

    I've been actively working on promoting the business for the last month. So far, the most positive experiences have come from talking to family, friends and acquaintances about the project. I've probably presented the concept, along with my portfolio of images to about 30 people in total.

    The overwhelming majority indicated that if they were currently expecting a child, they would be interested in the product.

    My only negative feedback came from a 60 year-old mother of four who was horrified at seeing an example image of a baby, in utero, holding a soccer ball. She did not like the idea of imagining a foreign object in her uterus.

    Image in Question

    The Vision

    My six-month plan is to work towards getting my first few customers. My main methodology/framework is The Lean Startup by Eric Reis. In line with this, I have been taking notes after each interaction with a potential customer and adjusting my pitch/sample offerings accordingly.

    My one-year plan is a bit hazy at the moment because it depends on how this launch goes over the next six months. My five-year plan is to keep launching and testing AI/Computer Vision based startup ideas until one gets traction.

    I feel like the project is still too early for me to answer the "what would you do if you could travel back in time" question.

    TL;DR

    What suggestions do you have to help me get my first sale? I am planning on updating this thread with my progress until my first 10 sales are made. Thanks in advance for your suggestions/tips!

    Sample Images

    submitted by /u/RemoteCoder
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    Selling an exclusive Kevin O'leary seminar audio recording.

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 11:34 AM PST

    . Includes investment talks/advice of 2 other millionaires and kevin O'leary . Exclusive book on smart investing from the seminar. . Pair of dvd's on in depth investment strategies titled "the edge for active investors." and "fundamentals made easy" not found in stores

    Contact me if you would like these things.

    submitted by /u/The_designer12
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    [Feedback] I built a service that reminds you of interesting links you stumble upon. Es.gy/ lets you set email reminders for links you'd want to see again through your address bar.

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 07:22 AM PST

    https://es.gy

    SUMMARY:

    Not much I can say, It's a side project I've been working on that lets you schedule email reminders for links you've stumbled upon which you'd like to see again at somepoint in the future.

    There is a default delay period (two weeks) if no specific date delay is used.

    ​

    WHY:

    I noticed that I never tend to get back to links I bookmark.

    ​

    Any form of feedback what-so-ever is appreciated.

    ​

    submitted by /u/balbanna
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    How do I find a developer?

    Posted: 26 Nov 2018 06:50 AM PST

    Let me take a step back, so I've gone all in on an app idea. My background is copywriting, design, animating, video editing, etc. and I've taken my idea as far as it can go. I built a prototype in Xd, got a provisional patent, and have a rollout plan, marketing strategy and pitch deck ready to go. I would say I'm in a pretty good place. The only problem, however, is that I'm not a coder and, while I'm willing to learn, this idea, from everyone I've shared it with, needs someone experienced to get me to at least base functionality. Once there, I hope to be proficient enough to take over. So, where and or how do I find an affordable, quality coder? Thanks in advance!

    submitted by /u/goatads
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