A lot of people don’t realize the importance of SOPs to take the stress out of their business. Here’s a few resources. small business |
- A lot of people don’t realize the importance of SOPs to take the stress out of their business. Here’s a few resources.
- I’ve failed you, I’ve failed me, and I’m going to fail again: A Freelance Mama's experience of failure and success in busin
- Square vs old school "merchant account" credit card processors
- Accepting Crypto for your E-Commerce Startup made easy!
- Is it burnout or something else?[vent]
- UK/EU equivalent of EIN in the states?
- How to expand business? Where is the best place to find new partners?
- POS requiring ID Verification
- Personal trainer/Professional Fighter - What do i need to know to grow my business?
- Paying vendors advice needed
- Where to start?
- Annoying tasks for landlords?
- Personal name for a business
- How tu survey the neighborhood to know what's a good business opportunity
- Hi I’m new this group. The community is really helpful and like reading everyone’s input. Im trying to help my girl start her own business. She is into doing crafts and decorations for party’s and events. Any tips on how to get a business like that started? Any advice as well? T.I.A.
- New homeowner mailing lists?
- Taking over a family business (cafe/gallery)
- Contemplating opening a Toy Store. Need some advice.
- Coffeeshop owners, do you offer gift cards? Are they a good addition to your strategy?
- Depict your Product More Appealing
- Does anyone have a take on StoryBrand? I'm pretty interested in it, and would love to hear about anyone who's done it.
- Strategies to compete with big companies?
- How many consultants or second opinions did you seek before pulling the trigger on a name?
- Ecommerce: Recommended websites/law firms to get a privacy policy drafted for Australian based online business that sells worldwide
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 01:45 PM PDT | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 06:38 PM PDT Failure. It's not something many people want to talk about in business. In fact, I've found it quite the opposite. Every day my Facebook and Instagram news feeds are filled with stories of people making in it big in business and making it big fast. How often do you see ads popping up in your news feeds saying things like "how I made 6 figures in 6 months doing this one thing" or "How I made a million dollars in 4 hours a week"? Every. Single. Day. I don't know about you, but these stories are getting old for me. Instead of inspiring me like they used to I'm finding I come away with a sense of frustration. More than anything a feeling that I'm somehow failing or doing something wrong because I'm not like them. I am no overnight success. Making it in business has and continues to be a struggle for me and today I feel like it's time to be real about this. We all fail. I've failed many times. I'm failing right now. This is the reality of the entrepreneurial journey. But it isn't all bad. Failing can be a good thing too, and I'll tell you why. I sat down recently to reflect on the goals I set earlier in the year and to set new ones for what's left of 2019. For me this year's achievements to date were somewhat depressing, and I've been lying in bed for over an hour now going over them in my head. There are things I thought I'd achieve a long time ago, that still are a long way off. There are things I thought would be a raging success that flopped. And there are things that I had promised you I would have done by now and have not. This is what disappoints me the most.I've been telling people for months that my course was just around the corner, and I honestly thought that it was. But every time I think I'm getting close I realise there is more work to do, or something comes up that takes my time away from The Freelance Mama, or I hit a struggle with tech that holds me back (don't get me started on tech…it is not my forte). Every time I don't get there in time it feels like another failure and, well, I guess it is. But after some reflection today, I've realised that while I've failed over and over again in 2019, I've also learned a lot. And learning is not failing. Learning is winning! Successful businessman (and former CEO of IBM) Thomas J Watson is quoted as having said "if you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate". Now I'm not a big fan of failure, and I don't recommend it as a business technique, but what I take from this is that if you don't try you won't succeed. Or you could say, the more you try the more you will succeed. The entire entrepreneurial journey is about trying new things. Some things work others do not. You can do things to sure up your bets like doing due diligence on your business idea, testing your market, surveying potential customers and keeping the day job until you're confident you can bring in an income from your business, but you're never going to get every decision right. Sometimes you will make mistakes and you will fail. Sometimes things will take longer than you thought they would and you will fail. Sometimes a product or service you are offering won't take off like you thought it would and you will fail. But each of these failures is a learning and they will teach you how to do things differently next time. One thing I think a lot of people struggle to do is to persist with goal setting at time when their results would suggest that they have failed. It can feel like you have put all this effort into setting goals and yet your results have maybe been mediocre at best. Trust me, I've been there. I'm there right now. It sucks and it is disappointing, but it is what it is. It's times like these, that you need to pull up your big girl panties and write some new goals! I was listening to a podcast recently by Hal Elrod where he was talking about goals. Now, I'm paraphrasing here (so apologies to Hal if I don't get this quite right), but he said something like "it's not achieving the goal that is important, but how you grow along the journey". That's exactly what I'm talking about here. There will often be times where you will not achieve a specific goal, but what you learned in working towards that goal could be as valuable (or maybe more valuable) than what you would have achieved if that goal had been met. It's important to understand this and to know that you should continue to develop your goals and set new ones even when your current goals haven't worked out as planned, because if there is one thing I am confident of it is that you will achieve a hang of a lot more if you have goals than what you will if you have none. So, despite the failures so far in 2019 I am going to finish setting my goals for the last part of 2019. I'm planning content, I'm setting list building targets and I'm setting new course launch dates. Will I meet them all? Probably not. Am I planning to fail? Nope. But I do know that if I do fail it is not because I haven't reached for the stars! And for you, even though it's starting to feel like it is getting late in the year, it is not too late to start with goal setting for 2019 (or to do a reset if you are not where you had planned to be). Pull out some paper and start brainstorming what it is you would like to achieve for the rest of the year. Then think about what the actions steps are that you need to achieve to start working towards those goals and write those down too. I find it easiest to achieve goals if I have them broken down into lots of little sub-goals that I can achieve in little bite sized chunks. Then you can pop them into a little list in order of priority and check them off as you go. I find this quite effective as it then feels like you are making progress (plus you can also set little rewards for yourself when you meet particular milestones). The other thing I find really helpful is to work with an accountability group or buddy (or if all else fails get yourself an app that will hold you accountable). One app that I've found good is Commit to 3. This app is designed to be used with an accountability partner but works just fine if you're going it alone. The idea is that you set three goals each day and share them with your partner through the app. You can then check in with each other to see how you are getting on. And even if you don't hear from your partner your phone will keep reminding you, so if nothing else those little notifications will help keep you on your toes! Wishing you the best of luck with your goals (and failures) for the remainder of 2019. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Square vs old school "merchant account" credit card processors Posted: 05 Aug 2019 09:57 AM PDT I have used Square for 5 years with no issues and they do everything I need them to do. 300K in annual charges. Recently, I started getting calls from the more traditional credit card processors telling me they can save me money. Their % are attractive. I dug into it and did my research. I discovered Square can sometimes lower the 2.75% over 250K but they said no. The transaction fee of the old school processors seems to be the key so I took our average charge into account and did the math. Switching would save me about 2000 a year with a company called Creditcardprocessiing.com or Paysafe. They have only a .10 transaction fee. and the overall total cost would be about 2.05% vs 2.75 at square. They use an app called Apriva Pay Plus and the setup seems to be very similar to Square. I am going to do a side by side test to see if ease of use is the same and to see real costs (it is more complex because each type of card is a different cost). I am just not sure if the ease, familiarity and certainty of Square is worth giving up for maybe $2000? Not an earth shattering number but not nothing. Anyone else have experience doing this? [link] [comments]  | ||
| Accepting Crypto for your E-Commerce Startup made easy! Posted: 06 Aug 2019 02:48 AM PDT When you're just getting started in business, there are dozens of pressing tasks to take care of before you can earn so much as a cent. This is particularly true when you're launching an online store. Before your virtual cash register has uttered its first "cha-ching," you've got to connect to payment rails, undergo credit checks, and pay significant fees for the privilege. Read here about how easy it is to get setup with 8Pay to benefit from reduced fees and a range of payment options. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Is it burnout or something else?[vent] Posted: 05 Aug 2019 10:31 PM PDT I've been running my side business for almost 4 years now, I roast small batch coffee and distribute it out at farmers markets, craft shows, festivals, online, subscription and wholesale accounts. The first 2 years were great, we saw a major uptick in sales from year to year and we seemed to be gaining a lot of traction with locals and online sales. Year 3, took it a little slower due to life things but was still doing the social media thing, advertising, and attending events, albeit less, with more online, subscription and wholesale sales and still growing. This year has been an absolute flop, nearly half of what I made last year up to now. All the traction I gained on social has slipped away, people are less interested in our product and I am starting to feel a little run down from it all. It seems like we can't grow anymore and I keep trying to find new ways of ramping it back up but every avenue seems to be a dead end. Our area is quickly becoming saturated with new coffee shops (not new roasters mind you) every few weeks a new one is opening, all the while I can barely make enough to cover my own expenses (its bad to compare to others but its hard...I'm a millennial after all) I still love coffee and it is my passion but as of late I just want to sit down and enjoy a cup and not share it with anyone. I'm not really looking for advice just needing to vent a bit and get some perspective. [link] [comments]  | ||
| UK/EU equivalent of EIN in the states? Posted: 06 Aug 2019 02:05 AM PDT Hey, When signing up a business in the States, we're usually required to provide an EIN for that company. What about in the UK/EU? Is that the VAT Registration Number? The UTR? The CRN? Which document provides the number? [link] [comments]  | ||
| How to expand business? Where is the best place to find new partners? Posted: 06 Aug 2019 01:00 AM PDT I manufacture wrist watches, power banks, thermo mugs and wallets with custom designs. I manufacture wrist watches, power banks, thermo mugs and wallets with custom designs. I sell my items via my local sita and Etsy. And now are looking for new partners who will be sell my products. Where is the best place to find it? Where is the best place to place proposal? [link] [comments]  | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 07:48 PM PDT Hey all! Looking for a POS or some software that requires a valid ID to put through transactions. I'm the owner of a smoke shop and we kick out a ton of underage kids. However I'm worried if I get an employee that he or she will forget. Hence I'm thinking if there is a POS that will mandate ID to put through a transaction or at minimum ask for a DOB or have some prompt. For background the store is 21+ only and we require ID for basically everything even if it is indirectly used for smoking needs (jars, trays, odor removers etc.) . [link] [comments]  | ||
| Personal trainer/Professional Fighter - What do i need to know to grow my business? Posted: 05 Aug 2019 07:20 PM PDT Hello /r/smallbusiness I am a personal trainer working as a sub contractor in Australia. I want to expand my knowledge base but i dont know how or where to start. What books do you believe are a must read in regards to business/Marketing/psychology? For a little more background i am averaging a 20-25 clients a week ($1000-1300 weekly) and making a decent living I upload 3/5 posts a week on social media although im not sure if they are leading me to any more clients. The gym i work at is more of a class style gym. Members sign up for bootcamp/boxing/muay thai classes. The gym does not try to convert class clients into personal training clients. This means we end up waiting for people to inquire instead of turning people into personal training leads if you could please list any resources that helped you that would be fantastic. I want to be more proactive in my business and furthering my self instead of waiting for opportunities to arise. Thank you so much!! [link] [comments]  | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 10:47 AM PDT I own a small TV Production company. We only have 2 employees, myself and my partner. When we take on a project for a client it often involves a shoot, then a long post production process (several weeks to several months) We usually ask for half up front, which normally covers the shoot, but often times it does not. The rest is paid on delivery of the project. Some clients won't cut any checks until the project is finished. Our terms are 30 days, but more and more, our clients are changing to a 90 day net. While I don't like waiting 90 days to get paid, it is really unfair to have my vendors wait 90-180 days to get paid. Sometimes I take money from other projects to pay vendors, but that creates problems with those projects and only pushes the problem down the road. I've thought about taking out a line of credit, but the amount we qualify for won't be enough for when we have several projects going simultaneously plus I'd end up with the same issues that borrowing from other projects has, with the added benefit that I'd be spending extra money on interest. Our business is a lot like a general contractor for home remodeling, I tried looking for articles about General Contracting financing, but can't find anything. any help would be appreciative. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 12:08 PM PDT I just launched a new product and I'm not sure where to start next. I've been working on advertising through social media, what else should I do to get my product out there? I'm also not sure what I need to do next in terms of optimization, like SEO. Thanks for any advice. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 09:42 PM PDT | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 01:49 PM PDT Hi all I'm currently going through the process of launching my digital agency business and am hearing conflicting advice. I'm looking at simply branding it myself as I'm not a fan of these ridiculous and meaningless names like Strawberry Frog which seem common to agencies and are hard to remember. I instead want to brand it simply Dillon Lawrence (DL for short) for a personal touch and it seems to be doing ok as a name (so far at least). For an agency (or any business), would you recommend name Vs corporate brand name. How does Dillon Lawrence sound? Thanks. [link] [comments]  | ||
| How tu survey the neighborhood to know what's a good business opportunity Posted: 05 Aug 2019 05:48 AM PDT Hi, guys. First of all, I'm not from the US, but that shouldn't matter that much because this is a question about surveying for new business opportunities. It's my first post here, so I'm sorry if this goes against the rules. To make the story short, I have a small amount of money I'd like to invest in a new business. My wife and I are translators, work from home, and we would like to create a small business venture to add to our income. Something that can give profits within 1 to 2 years. It's not something urgent. How would one go about surveying the neighborhood to know what ventures may be profitable or sustainable? We don't have a specific venture in mind. We don't have a ton of money, but enough to start basically any small business. Could be anything, but we wanna be able to make an informed decision and we don't really have anyone to ask. Any questions are welcome, and thanks for your help. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 08:31 PM PDT | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 08:03 PM PDT I currently purchase a new mover mailing list from a local marketing agency near me but I find that the list is a month behind. Is there any way to get more updated lists? The reason I ask is because we are a lawn care company. There is a lot of growth in my area and by the time I get the list most people have already hired a company. Sometimes it's me, sometimes it's my competitors. Any advice on how to get in front of these new movers sooner would be greatly appreciated. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Taking over a family business (cafe/gallery) Posted: 05 Aug 2019 03:39 PM PDT I'm going to be taking over my mother's business next year and would like some advice as it's going to be my first time running a business. Although the business itself is running quite successfully at the moment due to its location just off the main freeway and loyal customers from the neighbouring regional towns, my mother herself is not the brightest in business management since my father left who was in control of most of the financial matters. My partner and I both want to work the cafe ourselves as we met and worked there when we were quite younger hoping to cut down on the cost of wages. It currently runs with 5 casual shifted staff members and an accountant for most financial matters. Looking for advice on marketing as council have rejected most signage from our business and large roadsigns are out of budget. I am also interested in looking at switching the eftpos machine to a system like square to try and reduce processing fees. I'm completely new to this and don't want to do anything to bring down what is a good business but has the potential to be much more. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Contemplating opening a Toy Store. Need some advice. Posted: 05 Aug 2019 07:20 AM PDT Hey there, I've been playing with the idea of opening a small toy shop in the neighboring town. Personally, I collect vinyl figures, Funko pops, retro toys, and comic books. I love talking to people about every aspect of collecting toys. I love hearing their stories. And I thoroughly enjoy helping people. I thought maybe I could combine all that, and offer a service to help people find collectibles that they've been looking for. That thought extended into opening a full fledged brick and mortar toy store. I found that there really aren't many in my area. Maybe 2 in a 25 mile radius. I have been building an online store the last few weeks. Along with building a reputation on Instagram. I've found a 900 sq ft retail location for $12/sq ft. I could use my savings to get that location, but I want to establish a few things first, and get a few more answers. Before I ask my questions, I do want to provide a quick background. My parents own an ice cream shop. So I've had a bit of experience in the small business field. They're expanding to a second location in the coming months. My brother and I will be co-managing both locations. I would like to pursue the toy store in addition to the ice cream shop. My questions are as follows: - How much money would I need on hand to initially open the toy store in that 900 sq ft space? - I'm capable of establishing a retail account with one smaller toy company, but what about some of the bigger ones like Hasbro? What sort of prerequisites would I need? - Money aside, what complications could I see with opening a small toy store? Thank you in advance. I am open to all advice and criticism. [link] [comments]  | ||
| Coffeeshop owners, do you offer gift cards? Are they a good addition to your strategy? Posted: 05 Aug 2019 03:26 PM PDT Hi coffeeshop owners, What is your experience with offering gift cards? Would you say they are a good addition to your shop? If you offer them: -Is it in card or certificate form? If you don't offer them, why not? I'm helping a friend out with his coffeeshop and we're debating whether to offer these or not. Thanks in advance for your help! [link] [comments]  | ||
| Depict your Product More Appealing Posted: 05 Aug 2019 10:39 PM PDT
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| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 12:55 PM PDT | ||
| Strategies to compete with big companies? Posted: 05 Aug 2019 04:47 AM PDT Honda makes the most money in motorcycles so they have the best all around bikes. Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki each make about 1/4th of Honda. Each of those smaller brands either make their bike most powerful, most cost effective, or most aggressive. The italian bikes are more sleek and rough. In a direct one on one they can't compete, but they change the way people see them. For a small company, thats making <50k dollars and not necessarily needing to make millions like the giant companies, how can a small company that is starved of cash, and with not as much expertise/capabilities, compete with a giant company? So far I seen a small company be
Any strategies to compete with big companies? Any books? [link] [comments]  | ||
| How many consultants or second opinions did you seek before pulling the trigger on a name? Posted: 05 Aug 2019 05:03 PM PDT So I have a name I like, but it's longer than advised (3 words, 21 letters). I've hired a few freelancers to offer suggestions based off it, and nothing they've suggested has overtaken the one I like. It's for a storefront, so it won't be easy to change later. It's hard to make the leap from 90% sure to 100% sure--anybody else have this problem and what did you do to finally settle on a name? [link] [comments]  | ||
| Posted: 05 Aug 2019 04:32 PM PDT Hello All, Anyone running an Australian based online shop to sell to the USA and EU/UK? Any recommendations on law firms or websites to get a privacy policy and possibly terms and conditions drafted? Don't really want to download the ready made templates off the internet. I have contacted a couple of law firms but they say there templates mainly cover Australia and may cover other regions but I would have to edit the privacy policy myself depending on where I want to sell overseas. Cheers [link] [comments]  |
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