- What are the economics (such as worker pay and legal massage certification) underlying the Chinese massage places that are on every other block charging only $20 for a one hour massage? I noticed that they rarely go out of business so they must have a pretty efficient business model.
- I'm so sick and tired of watching small business owners get scammed (or waste their time) dealing with unsolicited SEO audits. What advice do you have?
- [Advice] Business looks bad, struggling to ride it mentally.
- To any business owner/manager/director out there, a question about suppliers
- Using eSignatures to sign contracts?
- My services business of 7 years is failing and nothing I do seems to help. I'm on the verge of closing my doors and have no idea what to do next. Please, help!
- Lost My Best, Long Term Client Today-- Need Thoughts on the Finish (Consulting/Tech/Business Developer)
- What happens to digital products after an LLC or Sub chapter S Corporation are sued into bankruptcy?
- Stegos Mainnet Launch
- Changing Our Pay Schedule
- What Are You Working for? I'm struggling to find purpose in all this work that I'm doing and I would like some support and guidance
- how much does giving a damn about customers make the difference?
- Distributors
- Best places to find studies / surveys?
- I’m opening a small brick & mortar retail shop in one year but losing focus - any ideas?
- Is it a good idea to add 3d printing to my business? How profitable is it?
- Preparing for end of year taxes
- The very helpful CRM I use is having 70% off for 3 months. Infusionsoft aka keap
- [Free] Social media graphics for Small Local Businesses by Fanbank
- I want to start a LLC in California. Where do I begin?
- Questions about digital marketing for business owners
- Trying to start niche cleaning business
- Not sure if im in the right place, but i would like some help
- Hesitant About Starting A Small Business
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:38 PM PDT What are the economics (such as worker pay and legal massage certification) underlying the Chinese massage places that are on every other block charging only $20 for a one hour massage? I noticed that they rarely go out of business so they must have a pretty efficient business model. I'm assuming the workers are getting exploited in the deal and that's how they can charge only $20 for an hour massage. I'm wondering how these places legally operate and stay in business. I noticed that the worker turnover is super high, the workers can rarely speak English, the workers are very skilled (I'm assumed they have formal training in China). I know that masseuse's need to be certified, so I'm wondering how the owner gets around that legal requirement. I'm wondering how the workers are compensated. The weird things is that I'd assume they're completely dependent on tips, but they actually don't seem to care about the tip amount and the owner always collects it and just stores it away rather than giving it directly to the masseuse. That makes me think that they are paid some sort of low hourly with the promise of getting permanent citizenship sponsored by the owner. Thanks in advance! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 02:19 PM PDT |
| [Advice] Business looks bad, struggling to ride it mentally. Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:06 AM PDT Throwaway because anyone can link my business from my account. This is the fourth time trying to write this, and I refuse to write it a fifth time so here goes. Sales have been poor this year. I've struggled to see why especially as it's happened across all my sales channels. Subsequently cashflow is tight with next month's tax payment likely going to take the remaining cash at hand. Borrowing options are limited other than personal credit. Business is profitable, but for whatever reason sales have dropped. Sales happen organically other than when we launch a big piece we hit up our regular cash cows. There is potential yet to be unlocked. I need to get sales in, but I'm out of practice/really crap at making sales happen. The problem I have now is that I can think of a million different things I can do, but the clock is ticking and there are a whole bunch of people, all family, who depend on this business surviving. It feels like everything I can do quickly is for too little reward and the bigger reward stuff takes too long to pan out. The pressure is mounting, the other day I pretty much broke down, my wife came to the rescue and I felt unstoppable once again. I took the weekend off, spent some quality time with her and kids, at the least to give myself some breathing space and reset ready to hit it on Monday (today). Well Monday is here, my anxiety levels are through the roof, I can't make any clear decisions, I've the worst brain fog ever, I simply can't keep stepping away from my desk, this stuff has got to be sorted. I've booked an appointment for Wednesday to get me back on anxiety meds, that's going to take 1-2 weeks to kick in. I feel like I have achieved nothing more than eating breakfast and taking my girl to school today. It feels like my world is imploding in slow motion, my super-human strength to counter it has given up the ghost, and I cannot compute any single way to get it back going. Fellow wise people - What do I do? EDIT: About the business... It's a very niche market, there's 2-3 business in the UK doing what we do so it'd be easy to figure me out. My best analogy: We make reproductions of old art (paintings), lots of ordinary folk buy our smaller 'prints' online including Amazon etc, private collectors spend ££'s for our larger paintings, and small/independent galleries buy our ££'s pieces also. We ship worldwide, the USA loves our stuff (approx 50% revenue). We are smaller than our closest competitors (based in USA), we offer a better price for this reason and they tend to cater with the bigger 'National' galleries who demand greater similarity to the original artwork than we can provide. [link] [comments]  |
| To any business owner/manager/director out there, a question about suppliers Posted: 02 Jul 2019 02:34 AM PDT What suppliers do you work with? From which of them you make recurring order of the (more or less) same amount (eg: a restaurant always ordering 1000 paper tableclothes per order, a bakery always ordering 10kg of flour)? Basically, I'm interested in creating a list of any kind of order that it is more or less the same every time you make it, but is aleatory time wise (so it can't be automated with "bring me 1000 pieces of this every month"). It's a research for a start-up, I've got the green flag from mods and I'm not trying to sell you anything, I'll keep you posted on the development tho :). Thanks! [link] [comments]  |
| Using eSignatures to sign contracts? Posted: 02 Jul 2019 02:34 AM PDT I provide web development services. A client will be provided with an order page where they can see the details of the project (as we discussed them), the time for the development, the cost, the installments etc. Here, they will also be presented with a "Terms of Service" page or a contract page. There, I want to require them to sign those terms/contract by typing their name and last name and potentially check a checkbox which says "I agree". They will also be able to download a PDF version of the document that they're signing for future reference. Is this signature legitimate by law in the western countries (US, Canada, EU)? Help would be appreciated. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 09:40 AM PDT I'm using an alt for privacy. I have been operating a marketing and fundraising business for 7.5 years. At its peak, it grossed 6 figures. But there has been a downward slide since 2016 because of a series of setbacks and changes in the market. I've known for at least a year that it's failing. I'm doing a full bore sales/marketing push, and surprisingly it's not helping. Now, I'm trying a rebrand with a pivot on services and a new website. But I've lost confidence and am questioning my business model. Maybe it's time to own up to the failure and shut down. Another part of me says I shouldn't give up. I'm devastated by this. I put everything I had into this business and I can't imagine life without it. But if I got rid of the business, maybe I could move onto something new. Can anyone share any insights or experience? I'd be happy to give more information offline, if you send me a PM Thank you! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 12:03 PM PDT I'm a fixer. Drop me in anywhere and I can probably see what's wrong in your business and work on solutions to get you to where-ever you want to go. I've done this for about a decade now and have enjoyed nearly everyone I've worked with. I've tried to protect myself in the past by firing bad clients, and I've made a critical mistake to let one client become everything to me. Long story short, somewhere there is a disagreement which turned into a rift of ideals. I thought they were put to rest but they were just hiding. Sometimes you can read people, sometimes people put their real thoughts deep-deep down. To say I was blindsided that it ended today, while hindsight might shed some thoughts, it does nothing to the fact that my contract was terminated with no forewarning. I've worked with this client for 5 years, each year saw me step further and further into their business. At the end I had turned it around, grown it by about 3x, and run their entire technology and infrastructure. Any business development is process oriented and goes on without my inputs. I'm a man of contracts but around year 3 I stopped with this one. I'd gotten so deep we were talking about being hired (they hire no one, all contractors) and start changing from a proprietor operation to an LLC. Least to say I regret not having a contract, and in the future I will go back to never forgetting it. To the crux. I run everything internally. If it has power it's been through my hands. If it's a server it was built by me and is on my VPS' (my being my consultancies, not mine in a generalized sense.) If it's an office tool from email to productivity, I'm the admin. I was paid my last paycheck, and while being laid off in front of an IT services person (never had that insult before,) was told they would pay me a reasonable normal months income to migrate. I tried to say I needed some space to think about this which they asked if they were going to need to get their lawyers involved. Wow, all I needed was some space from this bombshell and we're going legal? No, I said we can find a path forward but made no promises or detailing thoughts. They want to be able to give me good connections forward and I'm old enough not to really want to burn a bridge even though I'm riding impulses otherwise. The question is, what the hell do I do now? I've got every key to the castle, all IP rests on my servers and we have no contractual obligation for anything. I feel like being fed a partial check as 'consultants severance' is pretty much a slap in the face but my mind is pretty melted today so thinking logically is escaping me. I loved where I worked, I loved the teams I worked with and it's in an instant gone. Word to the wise: Always have contracts. If you think you're going to get hired, push for it, or agree that it's not. Always have an exit strategy. Never, ever, ever, put your eggs in one basket unless you are hired. Even if it's uncomfortable, get things in writing. (Bangs head on desk.) [link] [comments]  |
| What happens to digital products after an LLC or Sub chapter S Corporation are sued into bankruptcy? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:32 PM PDT Hello, I'm an Independent Game Developer approaching my first publication that I intend to make money from. Up until now, I've been operating as a Sole Proprietor but understand that it may be a good option to form an LLC or Sub Chapter S Corporation. Theoretically, these two business types should afford me legal protection as well as savings on taxes. I have been working by myself on this project for a little more than three years and probably have one year of work remaining before the game is ready for publication. While I know that my work is one hundred percent original, I fear that I could become the target of a copyright troll, which is the main reason I am considering a business formation. From what I understand, LLC's and Sub Chapter S's provide legal protection, generally known as the 'Corporate Veil'. So if the company were to be sued, they could only go after company assets and I would be able to keep the shirt on my back. What I'm wondering is, if this were to happen, and my company were to be sued into bankruptcy, what would happen to my game? Would it/rights to it go to the other party? Would I just have to take it down from the store? Does it vary case by case? Something else? Sorry if I'm not describing this very well, I'm just trying to figure out what the right move is here. It's hard to tell when there's no way of knowing exactly how much money I will make from this publication. It could be anywhere from less than a thousand to over a million. Though it's much more likely that it will be closer to the former. Anyway, thank you for your time and input! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 10:07 PM PDT Mainnet Launching Soon! Stegos is a blockchain project that provides an absolutely private and secure foundation for building decentralized mobile apps. Find out more: Website: https://stg.to/stegos Official Telegram: https://stg.to/telegram Twitter: https://stg.to/twitter Facebook: https://stg.to/facebook Medium: https://stg.to/medium Reddit: https://stg.to/reddit [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 09:26 PM PDT I started working for a family business last year after a move back home and have been trying to make the case to change our pay schedule without stepping on any toes. For many years, we have been paying weekly and cutting checks every Friday for work performed during the current week. This means I am asking hourly employees for their totals and writing checks for work that hasn't been done yet. I feel that this is a poor practice for a few reasons but am looking for more ammunition to convince the business owner that this is a good idea and justify the change to our employees. There is also currently no good system of tracking time off, recording hours, etc. beyond verbal discussions which have led to some arguments. Not keeping track of time off properly is also a legal liability, I believe. I am proposing that the schedule stays weekly, we adopt the payroll service Gusto, and we add one week between the pay period ending and the pay date. This is the example schedule I created a few weeks ago to plan the change and give adequate notice of the permanent change. Ignore the dates. Nothing has been communicated out yet. 6/21- Regular Pay Schedule (Time worked from 6/15-6/21) 6/28- Regular Pay Schedule (Time worked from 6/22-6/28) 7/5- No Payroll 7/12- New Pay Schedule (Time worked from 6/29-7/5) 7/19- New Pay Schedule (Time worked from 7/6-7/12) My list of pros for the business owner:
My list of pros for the employee:
I have a fair amount of corporate experience but my suggestions are sometimes written off because "that is how they do things in a big business". So, I am looking for some further support for the idea. I believe the payroll and timekeeping systems are critical to scalability. When I shared this plan with the owner and the bookkeeper, the initial reaction I got was negative due to employees "missing a week of pay" and "reinventing the wheel". I understand the concern here, but feel the benefits outweigh the negatives in the long run and with proper communication the change should be smooth. Can anyone provide more reasons as to why this is a good idea or offer advice on how to sell it to the business owner and explain it to the staff? Or, can anyone tell me why this is a bad idea? Is there a more equitable way to make this change? Thanks for all help! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:40 PM PDT If you are a successful business owner, I'd love to hear what you originally started your business for. Was it being your own boss? The freedom to choose your own schedule? The notion of one day having "enough"? Just because you're crazy and you are a glutton for punishment? What's your (for lack of a better word) "why"? What gets you up in the morning and keeps you going all day late into the night? Love to hear what motivates you guys. Thanks so much [link] [comments]  |
| how much does giving a damn about customers make the difference? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 07:35 PM PDT I've been thinking that customers seem to be attracted to companies that are grass roots, have a strong cause/vision that they fight tooth and nail. How much does giving a damn about customers make the difference, and what else gives that edge? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:50 PM PDT I have grocery stores in Texas/NY wanting to order my product, I need a distributor that'll take my product from OH to TX/NY, which distributor would take a on a young product? I called Sysco headquarters, their answering machine did not direct me to anyone. Any suggestions for distributors? [link] [comments]  |
| Best places to find studies / surveys? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:17 PM PDT When trying to scope out demographics and market sizes in major cities, where are good places to look for information? I'm thinking about census data, or University papers but I'm not sure where to search for them. Similarly, are there case studies of specific business models? Surely you should be able to find something to benchmark yourself against. [link] [comments]  |
| I’m opening a small brick & mortar retail shop in one year but losing focus - any ideas? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:13 PM PDT I live in a small city ~50,000 people with a university. I plan to open a small retail shop next summer. Since there are two separate but connected areas in the space I have secured, I was planning to sell secondhand clothing and shoes and formalwear in one area - well curated, brand name, geared toward 18-40 year olds, mostly women's but some men's, as well as small amount of secondhand books and home decor. Ideally this would turn into more of a consignment operation in the future so I didn't have to spend as much time sourcing clothing myself. The other area was going to be secondhand vintage furniture, decor like lamps and rugs and pillows, some handmade items (initially by me then expand to include other artists in the future - think Etsy but practical, mass appeal type items), and some wholesale such as jewelry, gifts, home decor, etc. Again, geared to 18-40 year olds and people shopping for 18 to 40 year olds. In my city there are already a couple gift shops geared toward older demographics and - just recently - a specialty used furniture and home decor shop opened up. My style is definitely more modern, minimalist, bohemian, etc. than the existing shops but nevertheless I no longer feel my current inventory and overall direction differentiate me enough from similar nearby stores. I'm now especially wary of the furniture angle since there's a new store cornering that market - and inventory sources. One avenue I'm passionate about is sustainability, hence the secondhand focus, but could also translate to new and handmade items as well. One could argue encouraging any sort of nonessential consumption is the exact opposite of sustainability, and I don't want to green wash everything... Any ideas to differentiate my shop? Inventory areas I've overlooked? Are these ideas too mismatched to ever be a cohesive store? Any eco store ideas with mass appeal that would work in a small city (again, I don't live in a big city where someone might get away with a minimally filled store selling $200 ultra sustainable sweaters and stainless steel straws)? Do you know of small shops that focus on local artisans - if so, how is the split arranged, 40/60 with 60 to store or 50/50 or other? Do you think a local in person Etsy type shop might be the way to go? How do I be a profitable retail store but also a community resource, a leader in sustainability, an advocate for living simply? Or are these terrible ideas and small business brick and mortar is dead/dying? Let me know if you need more info or if there's a better reddit community for this - thanks! [link] [comments]  |
| Is it a good idea to add 3d printing to my business? How profitable is it? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:50 PM PDT I do not have a 3d printer and have not made a part for it yet. I want one for my house but I want to try and sell stuff I make. I already have a local small business installing home automation and home security products [link] [comments]  |
| Preparing for end of year taxes Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:41 PM PDT I don't want to be caught off guard like I was last year. I am a USA (TX) LLC that is being taxed as an S Corp. I have detailed books and plenty of data to go off of this year to date and I can estimate based off last year on how I will end out the year. Where can I find a guide or a calculator to figure out how much my taxes will be? I am wanting to be able to start playing with the numbers on what I can do advertising, donations, capital expenditures, etc to off set what I have to give to the government. I would much rather invest back into myself before I write a check to Uncle Sam. Edit: I do have a CPA who handles my taxes, but I never blindly trust anyone and wish to do my own homework. [link] [comments]  |
| The very helpful CRM I use is having 70% off for 3 months. Infusionsoft aka keap Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:55 PM PDT I have found it very helpful for 5.5 years, I was hesitant to get it at the start as I wasn't sure about some software for $200/m or whatever it is, but it was pretty worthwhile. I often see people asking for advice which to me basically says get a workflow/customer management/automation software, noticed it's having a i'm guessing 4th of July sale, not my Northern Territory Australia independence sale and figured i'd spread the news. [link] [comments]  |
| [Free] Social media graphics for Small Local Businesses by Fanbank Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:51 PM PDT Came across these cool Free social media graphics that help promote local business in the area. Just want to share. Please support and share with any Small business in your area.https://events.fanbank.com/shoplocal Ps: Has anyone heard of Fanbank? [link] [comments]  |
| I want to start a LLC in California. Where do I begin? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:21 PM PDT |
| Questions about digital marketing for business owners Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:10 PM PDT
[link] [comments]  |
| Trying to start niche cleaning business Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:02 PM PDT I'm looking into starting a cleaning business using only ultrasonics, so I guess in that regard it's pretty niche? I want to start off small at first. Like cleaning jewelry, silverware, small tools, and small mechanical parts. Hoping to expand into bigger tools, window blinds, electronics (once I perfect a method for doing electronics because they're delicate). Is this too specific? I'm in the DC area, I feel like there's a market for this because a lot of stuff like tools, parts, etc get thrown away cuz they're dirty/Rusty and can be cumbersome to clean. I've heard people complaining that they can't ever get something (like a ring or window blinds) clean "like new." Would this be a sustainable idea by itself? Before getting started I would need to be bonded and insured, right? on that same note, should I start off sole proprietor or go right into LLC? Who would be the best legal entity to contact first? For acquiring customers, would it be feasible to go door to door and carry my machine with me? Or am I better off doing more indirect marketing like flyers that point to a website? [link] [comments]  |
| Not sure if im in the right place, but i would like some help Posted: 01 Jul 2019 02:32 PM PDT I am interested in leasing a building, and i got sent the memorandum. The information given was as follows: Rental : $125k Rental Review: 4% Annually Outgoings: Paid By Tenant - Excluding Land Tax Bond: 3 Months Rent Lease- To Be Negotiated. Does this mean that you pay the bond and the $125k up front, and then negotiate the weekly lease with the agent afterwards? What is the rent review supposed to mean? Thanks for reading, im just a 21 year old dude trying to make his dreams happen :) [link] [comments]  |
| Hesitant About Starting A Small Business Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:15 PM PDT So I plan to start repairing computers as a side job for my local area with the intent to grow into a full blown computer repair / consulting business. I have the knowledge and the only thing that seems to be left is gathering individual customers, however I feel I'm simplifying it too much and that's what's making me hesitant about actually starting. Would anyone have any insight into this adventure I'm about to partake in? I'd rather not be blind sided by anything and be fully aware of what I'm getting myself into. Thanks! [link] [comments]  |
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