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    NooB Monday! - (September 07, 2020) Entrepreneur

    September 07, 2020

    NooB Monday! - (September 07, 2020) Entrepreneur

    NooB Monday! - (September 07, 2020)

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 06:13 AM PDT

    If you don't have enough comment karma here's where we can help.

    Everyone starts somewhere and to post in /r/Entrepreneur this is the best place. Subscribers please understand these are new posters and not familiar with our sub. Newcomers welcome! Be sure to vote on things that help you. Search the sub a bit before you post. The answers may already be here.

    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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    Overworking yourself is the fastest way to end up hating your business.

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 11:08 AM PDT

    There seems to be an entrepreneurial pride for working hard. Lack of sleep is seen as a positive thing. Working 7 days a week, 70-80 hours/week with little to no breaks. Doing nothing but focusing on your business.

    This is exactly what I did. My business was my number one priority and I focused on nothing else. While it grew I found myself hating it more and more.

    Eventually I burned out and revenue started drying up. I am now in a situation where I don't have the motivation to continue. I'm still keeping it afloat but not putting in 100% into my business anymore, and it's really hurting it. I hate my business now, but when I started I loved it.

    Give yourselves breaks. Get enough sleep and rest. Maintain a personal life. You can make your business a priority but not sell your soul at the same time. You and your business will thank you.

    submitted by /u/suitablecando
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    My Mr. Miyagi died, here’s 3 business lessons I learned from one of the most influential businessmen that I’ve had the pleasure to come across

    Posted: 06 Sep 2020 03:53 PM PDT

    At the ripe age of 17 (a few weeks from 18) a local sushi restaurant took a chance on me. With absolutely no serving experience whatsoever, thanks to a recommendation by a friend, I had landed the job.

    My previous job had been in a local country club, I was responsible for basic busboy duties. Making $7.25 per hour (MW at the time) I knew that in order to get out of my current situation (poverty) I had to become a server.

    This restaurant was known for having strict management, but the quality of their food and reputation in town made way for a server working there to make great money. (It was a bragging point of my friend who had referred me of how much money she was making)

    In order to secure the job, I had to pass the infamous "menu test" that many fail. It is a straight on, 1-1 with the owner. Face to face. You either know the sushi menu or you don't.

    So, having never eating sushi or attempting to learn about it for that matter, I set my mind to it. I couldn't afford not to get this job. I created over 400 flash cards determined to get the job and pass the test. I had never worked harder for anything in my life.

    I remember vividly studying flash card after flash card as I awaited outside counting down the minutes until it was time for me to walk through the door.

    The standard was set early on. This place meant business. If you were to get a job there, you earned it - nothing was given to you. The Chinese owned restaurant was nothing short of a well-oiled machine. The restaurant name taking after the owner, we'll call him Lee had positioned itself to be the hottest spot in town.

    Getting to know the inner-workings of how this restaurant operated was equivalent to 4 years in business school. I had the opportunity to work alongside a man who had built an extremely successful restaurant from scratch, and up until the day of his passing had maintained the same level of work ethic, and outstanding reputation. The restaurant is still standing after 20 years.

    After winning the trust of the owner, and becoming somewhat of a protege in my early years of working for him, I had the opportunity to become a General Manager of his second restaurant, a bar & grill. I had full authority to hire, fire, and run the restaurant as if it were my own.

    Thankful to have garnished knowledge learned from "Lee" I thought it would be something of value to share some important lessons with you.

    I now own and operate my own painting business with 11 employees. Without learning from "lee" I know for sure I wouldn't be nearly as successful as I am today. Although I didn't pursue the restaurant business in his footsteps, the lessons I've gathered can translate to any business.

    Lesson 1: Separate Business & Pleasure

    Working under Lee, I learned very quickly that he never mixed business with pleasure. He knew that if he were to compromise on that value, he would lose respect amongst his team. Once a business owner loses respect amongst his or her team, it can never be restored to the same level it was. There will always be that "thing"

    Let me give you an example of how this hit home for me. After the General Manager job at his bar & grill, I moved to another city that happened to be a college town. Thankfully, because I had the experience of management, I was able to land a job at another restaurant fairly quickly. Having only had the experience working with "lee", I had high expectations for how other restaurants were ran.

    I was in for a rude awakening. I had gotten hired on as an assistant manager and it didn't take long for me to see how low the standard was at the place I had gotten hired. Within a week of working there, the general manager above me (and the owners of the restaurant) had engaged in partying with the staff, taking shots on the clock, and fraternizing.

    When it came time for the General manager to discipline the staff for being late, or for making mistakes, it almost came across as a joke. I would read the reaction of the person being reprimanded and it was never taken seriously. Even when the General Manager would give me direction or ask me to do things, after seeing this behavior, I never looked at him the same.

    My approach was completely different. I knew this fundamental principle of business. I saw it through "lee". He never mixed business with pleasure. You would never see him out with the staff after work or fraternizing at any level. Because of this, there was this separation between boss and staff, which is 100% necessary for running a business.

    Some may say: "This is crazy, I work so closely with my staff, they're like family. It would be weird if I didn't spend time with them outside of work"

    There's a difference between spending time and making a fool of yourself to where your credibility is lost. My advice, know the difference between the two.

    Lesson 2: Every problem comes with the gift of knowledge

    There was one thing about "lee" that I admired that stood out from the rest. When things were crazy, hectic, or something was completely going wrong - he always had an answer. He always made sure his team felt calm, he would bear the stress that came with the issue.

    He knew that if he showed any sign of weakness in that moment, his team would crumble. He knew that the best way to handle a situation was through calm and deliberate action.

    He also made sure to use every problem as a teaching moment. To make you think. To make you learn how to solve the problem on your own. He never made it that simple to where he would just solve the problem for you.

    As a business owner now, I always think about that any time my team calls me with an issue. I think about his approach, how he'd respond, how he'd handled it, and I emulate that.

    I start by listening to the concern, and having an internal rating of 1-10 of how urgent the matter is. To my employee or worker, they might see it as a 10, to me, I have to see it for what it really is - how much do I need to personally get involved? Can this employee solve this issue without me? These are a few questions that run through my head.

    I then lock in the solution to the problem, or my very best calculated risk. I then re-direct the concern back on the person bringing up the issue and challenge them to figure it out on their own.

    Only until after they make their own attempt to solve the issue will I step in.

    This not only creates better leaders within my organization, it creates this level of independence that will mitigate future calls and concerns when a low level issue arises.

    Lesson 3: Know every aspect of your business

    One of my greatest philosophies I teach to my small following on IG is surrounded by this lesson here.

    The ability to truly know and understand the ins and outs of your business.

    If you've ever read one of my posts regarding this topic, you'd know that I use the analogy of the restaurant owner who knows who to cook.

    The reason why I use this analogy is, if you own a restaurant and you don't know how to cook, and your chef decides not to show up, your patrons aren't eating.

    One thing about "lee" was that he knew every single aspect of his restaurant. I always respected that. There were times we'd see him cooking in the kitchen to help the kitchen catch up on orders, other times we would see him with plumbing equipment fixing the plumbing in the bathrooms. On really busy nights, you'd find him at the host counter seating and directing customers. He'd jump behind the bar to help the bartender make drinks…

    He was a master of truly every aspect of his business.

    The beauty of this is that he had full control (or as close as you can possibly get) of a potential outcome.

    If the toilet was overflowing in the middle of a crazy busy service, we're not waiting for a plumber.

    If the host is completely overwhelmed by all the bookings, we're not screwed for the night.

    If the bartender was slammed, people could still order drinks

    This has translated more than anything to me in my painting business.

    When I first started my painting business, I had absolutely no idea how to paint.

    But, having paid attention to "lee" I knew that if I were to be successful, I had to learn. This was no question.

    So I did. I spent 6 months with my team actually doing the painting. I did everything from spraying, brushing, prepping, rolling, cutting. Along with the many other aspects of my business, leads, phone, marketing, sales…I now have the most important aspect locked in. Production.

    So should something happen to where my team doesn't show up, I'm still in control. My business won't be compromised because my lack of knowledge, or my lack of care to learn.

    This guy was more than just a boss, he led by example. His methodology was different than the norm. I have yet to come across anyone who is a harder worker, or more dedicated to the success of their business. I'm truly saddened to see such an impactful person pass on, but I'm very thankful because his passing has cemented his teachings more than they were before. I hope this has helped someone out there, in his memory.

    If you've read this far, I want to share one more thing. In the Karate Kid, there was a moment where the teacher and the kid did the "wax on, wax off"… When I first started, at the end of the night we were responsible to clean all of the tables.

    I thought I knew how to do it, you know, having been a busboy before and all. I dunked the rag into the water and went at it. I hear boots walking toward me… It was "lee". Obviously extremely nervous and intimidated, I stopped what I was doing…"Sir?"

    "You're doing it wrong…Do it this way"

    This man literally grabbed the towel, folded it into a perfect square and in the most perfect way wiped this table that left no overlay on the water, no extra suds.

    This was my "wax on, wax off" moment. From there, I learned that the secret to his greatness was in the details.

    TL;DR: My old boss passed away, he was extremely influential in my life and his teachings have translated into my own business today.

    submitted by /u/Byobcoach
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    Non-tech entrepreneurs who made their own apps, can one really create a viable app using one of those "build-app-without-code" builders?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 10:36 AM PDT

    I have an idea for a simple app. It'll basically take a number input from the user and do some calculations on it and show the user the end result.

    I was wondering if one could create and publish such an android/apple app using one of those build-app-without-code builders.

    submitted by /u/crockrox
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    If You Want To Start A Startup... READ THIS

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 10:46 AM PDT

    I'm Samuel Porta - Founder and CEO of the Georgia Tech Startup queues. I've spent years working on startups so I thought I would post some useful tips for anyone else looking to get started.

    New entrepreneurs almost always fall victim to one of these 4 mistakes when they start a startup - Here is how to avoid all of them. Enjoy!

    If you'd prefer to watch my video discussing these points here is the link: https://youtu.be/8zSivkPS1iA

    So what are the 4 mistakes that almost all new entrepreneurs fall victim to?

    #1 Focusing on a Product/Solution

    Many entrepreneurs are too quick to get fixated on a product or a particular solution to a problem. Creating a Startup is NOT about the product/solution it is about the PROBLEM. Remember - There are a million ways you can solve any problem, what's more important is to figure out if people care enough about a problem to pay for a solution.

    #2 Pitching your idea

    When scoping a problem you are not trying to sell an idea. You are trying to see if people resonate with the problem with zero salesmanship added. If people care about a problem without you selling it then you wont need to sell your solution when you finally make it - people will seek you out.

    #3 Asking for "Expert Advice"

    Expert advice about your problem does not matter. One person is not going to tell you all that you need to know about your problem space. Not everyone is going to care about the problem so you need to get a wide sample. If 10 people say they don't care about a problem - that information is much more likely to be accurate than if just 1 person says they don't care.

    #4 Wasting Years of Time

    Too many entrepreneurs rush to create a product or solution and spend years working on it without ever knowing if it would be successful at the end of the day. An entrepreneur's most valuable resource is time so wasting years going in the wrong direction is a very expensive mistake that can very easily be avoided. So now we have discussed the mistakes that new entrepreneurs make, I'm going to take you through how to systematically avoid all of them.

    Part 1: Focus on the problem

    Don't even think about a solution to your problem. Remember, When you first begin a startup: The problem is all that matters. Once you have your problem in mind you need to test the underlying assumption that people care about this problem which we accomplish through unbiased interviews.

    Part 2: Biases Now what do I mean by unbiased?

    If you care about an idea you are subconsciously going to be biased in favor of it - which will be reflected in the way you phrase your questions.

    "Do you wish your dog was better behaved?"

    There are 3 problems with that question

    1. It's a yes or no question:
    2. The phrase better behaved adds a bias
    3. It's a cornering question

    So how would we ask that same question correctly? Like this: How does your dog typically behave?

    Why is this better?

    1. It is Open ended - not a yes or no
    2. And it is Neutrally worded - there is no positive or negative slant to the question.

    Part 3: How to do the interview

    1. Prioritize open ended questions: You want to use questions starting with What, how, why… and you want to avoid questions starting with do, should, can. Now of course some follow up questions can be yes or no but if you can ask an open ended question it's far better.
    2. Avoid biasing adjectives in your question: Words such as Love, hate, like, dislike. Instead Use neutral wording like: How do you feel about X… Remember: the goal here is to determine how they really feel about the topic.
    3. Go where the pain is: If you hear emotional phrases like I hate, or I can't stand or I wish this didn't exist these are gold. People are far more likely to pay for something that addresses a serious pain
    4. Dig deeper with each question: Open ended questions bring great insights so make sure to follow up their comments up with further questions
    5. Tangents: Don't be afraid to go on tangents if an interviewee raises an unexpected point. If you get a response you didn't expect, go down that rabbit hole as it will often provide useful insight of a possible solution you could make.
    6. Interview as many people as possible: The more potential customers you can interview the better as this will give you more data to effectively validate or invalidate the urgency of your problem.

    Part 4 - What to do after the interviews: Ask yourself: Is there enough evidence that people care about this problem significantly?

    If the answer is no - that's great. You've quickly been able to identify that you would have wasted your time if you walked down that road. Believe me you'll be glad not to waste years of your life.

    If the answer is yes - that's Awesome - you can now go all in knowing that you have the evidence to back up your beliefs and more importantly eager customers waiting to buy your solution - whatever that may be.

    I hope this helps!

    submitted by /u/SamPorta
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    Someone with experience in e-commerce wants to develop merch for my YouTube channel, and split the profits 50 / 50. Is that fair?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:32 PM PDT

    Just a little background: I've been a YouTuber for over 5 years, have over 100,000 subs and a pretty loyal core audience of long-time viewers.

    I know I could sell some merch, and have played around with designing some t-shirts. I just never launched them because I didn't feel the quality was quite there, and didn't want to be yet another dude on the internet selling lame t-shirts. Plus, the business side of YouTube doesn't interest me much. I prefer staying focused on the content.

    But after getting approached by someone who has developed merch for other channels, it caught my attention. It just seems to me that splitting the profits 50 / 50 is giving up a lot of value. Especially since I know very little about their workflow or professionalism. Maybe it only takes a few days for them to get a proper website and some merch set up? Whereas I've been growing and building the brand for 5 years?

    On the other hand, maybe that's the wrong way to look at it. Since I'm not making anything right now, it would all be profit... Still, something about the deal feels off to me.

    How does it look to you?

    If I go forward, what sort of questions should I ask? Thanks!

    submitted by /u/cruyfff
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    Best no code platform for delivery business

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 04:43 PM PDT

    I'm thinking about opening a local delivery business (vape juice). I'll need a website with e-commerce capability, and ideally an integration to create a map of deliveries for each shift.

    Any recommendations?

    submitted by /u/Caffeinatedprefect
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    What was the best piece of ice that you receive that motivated you to become an entrepreneur?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 05:56 AM PDT

    One of my closest friends made the comment that the 1 thing you can't get back is time period you can always get money as well as opportunities but you can't get time and the more time you dedicate to someone else is less time you dedicate to making your own dreams a reality

    submitted by /u/mynameisreeves
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    Business email advice

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 05:12 PM PDT

    So I'm starting to take my art career further and I figured the best way is to utilize my following on Instagram. The point of this post is to due with my email. Yes I know it's a small and petty thing but it makes the world of difference when people view your account and want to contact you. So I what I want ultimately is an email address which shows people commissions are open for art prices and that companies can contact me for promotions etc (I have a following). Assume my real name is Keith Long.

    Should I make my email address have a business feel to it like (keithlongbiz@yahoo.com), (contactkeithkong@yahoo.com), (keithlongbusiness) OR make it have a artsy feel like (artbykeithlong@yahoo.com), (keithlongart). And no I don't want to make two email addresses. I think having one for art commissions and business relations (promotions etc) all in one is better but i can't seem to be set on which kind of email will attract both targets. Any other suggestions would be appreciated so much. I just need one which is going to be classy, have essence and longevity and appeal to both targets.

    EDIT: my profile on Instagram would obviously have the link to the email in my bio.

    submitted by /u/gothl0rd
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    Should I sell starter sites on Flippa?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 03:10 PM PDT

    So I've built a great starter store in the hopes to sell it for some profit. I've already listed on the exchange market place but I'm not getting much traction, only one person has contacted me so far. I've recently heard about flippa and wanted to get some other people perspectives. So if you've sold in flippa before how's it go? What should be ware of? What are some tips you have for me to make a sale? And should I even sell on it in the first place? Thank you 🙏🏼

    submitted by /u/52Johan
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    What are some good digital products to sell to the travel photography market?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 03:04 PM PDT

    I have a large, highly engaged Instagram following of travel photographers and want to setup an online products or services to assist this audience.

    Is there anything you can think of that could be genuinely helpful for these people so I can market to them via social media?

    Thanks!

    submitted by /u/DesignerPilky
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    What is the best way to handle a startup cofounder split where there is only an idea, no IP, and no co-founder's agreement?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 03:03 PM PDT

    BACKGROUND CONTEXT: We have a drafted cofounder's agreement that was never signed and executed (extremely dumb move on my part, I know...).

    My cofounder and I are now splitting up and trying to handle "custody" of our idea. What is reasonable for my cofounder to walk away with? I'm not comfortable giving away equity since there were no results (product, IP, whatever you call it) and only the concept and user research takeaways.

    Any tips on how to handle this amicably and as drama-free as possible?

    My rage monkey sincerely appreciates it. Thanks in advance all.

    submitted by /u/undergroundjanedoe
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    Dewalt supplier

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:55 PM PDT

    So Im pretty skilled in paid search advertising (PPC) and after working for a couple of big agencies I have been looking into setting up my own e-commerce venture. I want to sell Dewalt equipment but cannot find a supplier as they are a huge global brand and their distributors seem to only supply large retailers.

    How do I go about getting wholesale suppliers for large brands?

    If it is not Dewalt, even Apple products, I know how to bring in the traffic and convert. But Im finding it difficult finding their suppliers.

    Is there Any clever way to find well known brands at wholesale prices that dont demand you buy in huge quantities?

    Many thanks

    submitted by /u/don-p1etro
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    When picking a job, should I factor in how much I think I would like to do that job day-to-day?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:50 PM PDT

    I am a recent computer science master's degree graduate. I think that the best way for me to build a business that is based on actual needs is to get a job first. I have a choice between two jobs - namely growth specialist and machine learning engineer. Later on in my career, I would like to do freelance consulting and potentially start my own product-based business (something like a SaaS) later on.

    I am more excited by the prospect of applying machine learning and statistics to things like ad campaigns on social media platforms, looking at metrics, trying to predict how many customers will buy the product etc. That's what I would do on the growth specialist job. On the other hand, on the machine learning engineer job I would be doing things like training BERT (a language model) on another language. This excites me less than the activities I would do on the growth specialist job.

    While the machine learning engineer job is a job in a relatively small consulting company and would make more sense for some freelancing work later on, I think I would apply myself more at the job as the growth specialist because I think I'll like it more. I think that freelancing opportunities for a growth specialist may be more limited and that's what bothers me. Also, I can't know for sure if I will actually like the growth specialist day-to-day more - I have to work at the job to know definitively, but I feel as though I would prefer it from the job descriptions.

    To state my point again (for clarity): I think that the machine learning engineer job makes more sense when looked at from a future employment and freelancing perspective, but I think I would prefer the day-to-day of a growth specialist more than the machine leaning engineer's day to day.

    Hence my question: When picking a job, should I factor in how much I think I would like to do that job day-to-day?

    P.S. Cross-posted here and here.

    submitted by /u/A_Time_Space_Person
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    A business model you may not have heard of: White Label Software

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 10:33 AM PDT

    Hi reddit,

    I'm in a unique position that has allowed me to learn something that most might not be able to. That is, how few people understand what white label software is and how a business can be formed around it.

    What is white label software?

    White label software is software that is developed by a vendor who gives you the ability tot brand the software as your own and sell it or access to it to other people/businesses. For example, let's assume that Spotify was white label software. If your name was Jimmy, you would then brand the software as Jimmy's Online Music. Spotify would provide you with with the tools to manage customers, basic support questions, and potentially pricing. In return, Spotify may require you to pay them for a flat fee upfront, a monthly fee, commission on each sale you make, or a combination of these things.

    Depending on the white label software, you may be able to modify the price as you see fit. You can market it where you want, how you want, and will own the brand that you create for it. The company who has developed the software would be responsible for everything on the technical end, including security, enhancements, and bug fixes.

    What is good about white label software?

    It allows you to own a tech company without needing to know anything about code. It puts the onus of product development, enhancements, technical support, and bug fixes on a third party so that you can focus your time on other functions that your business requires, such as marketing, accounting, finance, etc.

    It allows you to start your company today as the product has already been built and tested.

    While some white label software serve as stand alone businesses, some cater to business that are already established in their space. These seek to provide your existing clients with professional software that will boost the reputation of your brand.

    What is bad about white label software?

    While initial investment can be low, you'll earn lower margins on your software sales if you're required to pay the developer commission on each sale.

    While some vendors are receptive to change and enhancement requests, not all are. If you want to start a white label software business, understand the product that you are buying into, the level of quality it represents, and the vendor's willingness to implement new features. Some vendors are highly flexible and will work with you to implement features in hours or days whereas others will reject such requests.

    In theory, if enough people purchased the same white label software, they're would be competition amongst individuals with a homogenous product. Given the number of white label companies, resellers, and the large population that can be marketed to, the risk of consumers seeing ads for the same white label product (just branded differently) are low.

    An example of white label software in action

    www.pagesmack.com vs. www.flyguysites.com Identical software, different branding.

    Do my clients need to know that my software is white label software?

    No. So long as you're offering good support and are reselling a piece of quality software for a reasonable price, most businesses or people will not care that you aren't the one who wrote the code.

    Ways to differentiate your product

    Even though your white label software is the same as another reseller's, there is still opportunity for differentiation in:

    1. How you brand the product
    2. How you market the software and who you market it to
    3. How you interact with and get feedback from your clients (which can be relayed on to the developer)
    4. Pricing
    5. The level of support that you offer clients
    6. Other ways you add value for your customers (i.e. mailing list with articles that would benefit them, find complementary white label software and bundle as a package, etc). This is where you can get creative.

    Flexibility in marketing

    How you generate sales with a white label software business is entirely up to you. You can do PPC ad campaigns, email campaigns, Youtube ads, print ads, door to door sales (for B2B software) or cold/warm calling campaigns. At the end of the day, some of these cost money and others are virtually free. Your budget and your willingness to interact with people will dictate which option you go with. Marketing is going to take up a lot of your time and/or budget. If you want to run a white label software company, you need to be comfortable with the idea of learning about marketing (Youtube has all you need to know), metrics, and talking to people. If you want to run a tech company, but don't want to talk to anyone, I can assure you that this business model isn't for you.

    Why white label software?

    Today, there are a lot of people out of work and a lot of people trying to figure out what they are interested in, what they are good at, what they can afford to start, and and what the market needs. As someone who has never started a business, and even for some who have, this is a challenging task. In addition to service based businesses, I'd recommend that people give white label software a look. It's not for everyone, but I think it is for some people. Unfortunately, given how little it is talked about, I believe that many of those people for whom it would be a good fit do not know that it exists.

    ​

    If you have any questions, feel free to let me know. I've currently involved in the white label software industry and will be able to help out with questions.

    Have a great Monday!

    submitted by /u/pagesmack
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    Getting sponsors on Instagram

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:12 PM PDT

    Hey y'all! I have a question for you . I created an account on Instagram awhile ago and amassed about 8k followers. My page has always just been a place where I post pictures of other people catching fish. I tried to build a brand around it but unfortunately it failed. I was wondering what else I might be able to do to monetize my page, maybe sponsored posts for smaller fishing companies. Just not sure how to go about getting companies interested in paying me for ads. Any insight from y'all is much appreciated my Instagram page is @triple_tail if you guys feel inclined to check it out. Thanks in advance!

    submitted by /u/villotzi
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    It's Good to Take Breaks, Especially During Covid

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:00 PM PDT

    I've been trying to get my business off the ground for a few years. Being realistic, we can probably open in 2-3 years. All of the prep work is done, so lately it's been frustrating trying to work on the business when it's basically ready to go but all you need is to have enough money.

    So I'm taking an extended break. And it's doing wonders. I feel like I can tackle different goals, and maybe when I get back to my business I might see another way forward.

    Breaks are good. Businesses take years to start. It's healthy to take your time.

    submitted by /u/Hauntrepeneur
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    Entrepreneurship Podcast Content

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 01:48 PM PDT

    What are some topics I could cover in regards to entrepreneurship, money mindset, and building multiple streams of income for a podcast?

    submitted by /u/SelfEducatedPodcast
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    #006: How This Ad Made 50% of American Women Prostitutes

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 06:16 AM PDT

    Reading Time: 10 Minutes

    Header Image

    For most of the 1900s, if you were a woman who colored her hair, you were either an actress or… well, a prostitute.

    Dyeing your hair was something you would do in great secrecy and NEVER admit to. Because unless someone was asking for your autograph, you would be considered a 'loose' lady.

    That was the case until 1956. It took an ad campaign to make it socially acceptable to dye your hair and open up the market. Before this ad, only 7% of women dyed their hair.

    After this ad, 50% of women started doing it. The hair-dye market grew to $200MM in a few years. And this brand ate up half the market share.

    It took hair coloring from something only expected of prostitutes to… well, anyone. So here's how 50% of American women were "made prostitutes" by the standards of a previous generation.

    If your product has a negative social stigma, there is no better case study than what I'm going to cover right now.

    In this article, I'll tell you the business decisions that led up to it, the exact ad he used and takeaways you can apply to your own copy and business.

    Finding Miss Clairol

    We don't know much about Lawrence and Joan Gelb, the husband-and-wife founders of Clairol.

    We DO know that Lawrence was a chemist. And in 1931, he traveled to Europe with his wife and two sons. Despite The Great Depression, Lawrence wanted to start a new business and went searching for great ideas.

    In France, he found a hair-coloring product made by Muray of France. This product was very different from all the other treatments at the time. Clairol went INSIDE the hair shaft, giving hair more natural-looking color.

    Joan insisted this was it. Lawrence bought the rights to the product. And off they went, back to America.

    Back home, Lawrence worked with other chemists to improve Muray's formula. A few years later, he was ready to launch Clairol.

    Joan was the head of the company, called Clairol. She promoted "Instant Clairol Oil Shampoo Tint" in beauty salons around the country. Even in the middle of the Great Depression, women spent money on hair care and beauty salons.

    By 1938, Clairols annual sales reached $1MM.

    Fast forward to 1956. Clairol launched their flagship product "Miss Clairol." This was a home hair coloring kit that let women color their hair in one step, by mixing the solution with peroxide. It only took 20 minutes and the cost was affordable.

    Lawrence and Joan attended the 1956 International Beauty Show in New York City. Their goal? Show Miss Clairol to the world.

    When the Clairol sales team demonstrated their new product, thousands of beauticians watched in surprise.

    Bruce Gelb notes, "They were astonished. This was to the world of hair color what computers were to the world of adding machines. The sales guys had to bring buckets of water and do the rinsing off in front of everyone, because the hairdressers in the crowd were convinced we were doing something to the models behind the scenes."

    But even with this amazing product, the Gelbs were stuck. In the 3 decades since Clairol started, they fought a very strong stigma.

    Back in those days, it was believed women who colored their hair were either actresses… or prostitutes. With no in-between. So unless you were a movie star, you didn't want it known that you color your hair.

    But with famous actresses creating the "blonde bombshell" look… what was a woman to do to look like her favourite movie stars?

    So, even with this amazing product, Clairol hired an advertising agency to make a campaign for "Miss Clairol."

    The goal? Make the idea of hair coloring more socially acceptable and to emphasise natural-looking results.

    And this is where we meet…

    Shirley Polykoff

    Shirley Polykoff was a junior copywriter at Foote, Cone & Belding. The only female copywriter in that entire company.

    She got the Clairol account, and there was no other person better for the job.

    The inspiration for the Clairol campaign came from an experience she had 20 years earlier. An experience that became an in-joke between her and her husband, George.

    See, in 1933, Shirley was invited by George to Passover dinner with his family. It was a very fancy and heavy dinner. Soup. Roasted chicken. A sweet potato and prune dish called tsimmes. Sponge cake. Tea with lemon. And a mixed fruit gelatine.

    Shirely was keen to make a great impression on George's parents, so she ate EVERYTHING put in front of her.

    On the drive home, she was curious to hear how it went.

    She asked George how it went. If his mother liked her. George kept dodging the question.

    "That's nice, George. But what did she say?"

    George paused.

    "She says you paint your hair."

    For weeks afterward, she kept imagining what she said. She could her George's mother asking in Yiddish, as she cleared the dishes: "Zee paint dos huer? Odder zee paint dos nicht? Zee paint dos huer? Odder zee paint dos nicht?"

    Which loosely translates to "Does she … or doesn't she?"

    (We've already seen the power of a good slogan before in the ad that increased a piano manufacturer's net profits by 1,616% [Reddit Link].)

    So, when she had no ideas and a deadline coming up, she wrote a memo to the head art director.

    The Memo

    On that stuff I talked to you about, Miss Clairol Hair Color Bath, I've got three approaches. One is great but I need at least two others for knock-downs at the meeting so I can sell the one I really want.

    #1. "Naturally by Miss Clairol." We use the same model in each ad, a kind of fresh-faced creature, and each time her hair color is different but it always looks natural. (Yeah, I know. It's a nothing idea.)

    #2. "Tear up those baby pictures. I'm a redhead now!" and then a pay-off line like: "No one will know you weren't born a redhead" (or blonde or whatever). It has a nice kind of exuberance combined with naturalness. Only I don't see these for long-term use and a good campaign has to snowball.

    #3. Now here's the one I really want. If I can get it sold to the client. Listen to this: "Does she ... or doesn't she?" (No, I'm not kidding. Didn't you ever hear of the arresting question?) Followed by: "Only her mother knows for sure!" or "So natural, only her mother knows for sure!"

    I may not do the mother part, though as far as I'm concerned mother is the ultimate authority. However, if Clairol goes retail, they may have a problem of offending beauty salons, where they are presently doing all of their business. So I may change the word "mother" to "hairdresser." This could be awfully good business— turning the hairdresser into a color expert. Besides, it reinforces the claim of naturalness and, not so incidentally, glamorizes the salon.

    The psychology is obvious. I know from myself. If anyone admires my hair, I'd rather die than admit I dye. And since I feel so strongly that the average woman is me, this great stress on naturalness is important.

    So too for the models. No slick overly made-up fashion types. Our women must be like the gals in that book by Spectorsky, The Exurbanites. Shirtwaist types instead of glamor gowns. Cashmere-sweater-over-the-shoulder types. Like larger-than-life portraits of the proverbial girl on the block who's a little prettier than your wife and lives in a house slightly nicer than yours. Or the average model with her face washed. This, in itself, will be a new twist. All very P.T.A.-ish and ladylike, if you'll pardon the expression. Very avant garde, you must admit, to have a "lady" in a haircoloring ad.

    And let's put her in real-life situations. Like a mother with a child . . . maybe heads together doing homework ... or out in the playground going down a slide ... or sailing a boat with her kid in the park. I used to do that with my little girls until I was ready to drop. Anyway, kids are fun to have in an ad that asks, "Does she ... or doesn't she?" wouldn't you say?

    Think about this. Bill, but remember especially that everything about these ads has to come through as absolutely real, straightforward, and honest. Even the tiniest phony note will flaw what we're trying to accomplish.

    For instance, the other night, it was about one in the morning, George and I stopped off at Ratner's on the East Side for some scrambled eggs and bagels. We were practically alone in the place and just about ready to call it a night when the door opened and in walked a beautiful young man, spotless in a navy-blue Bar Mitzvah suit, except that he was obviously Irish. He staggered over to a table near us and ordered some black coffee. He'd just escaped from being best man at his sister's wedding and was wondering aloud why his sister had wanted to marry the S.O.B. Suddenly he looked over at George.

    "My name is O'Brien," he said, coming over to shake hands. George, wanting to make him feel at home, said, "Hi. My name is Murphy."

    O'Brien studied George's face a moment, then went back to his coffee with a puzzled look on his face. "Hey, Murph," he said after a while, "you're Jewish, aren't you?"

    I'm not quite sure how this story applies, unless I'm just trying to say I don't want to fool some of the people even some of the time.

    S.P.

    On top of this, Polykoff suggested advertising in family magazines. Not women's or fashion magazines. Specifically, Life magazine.

    Life magazine turned it down. Apparently, having bikini girls on the cover was fine, but this ad was too suggestive?

    In Foote, Cone & Belding, people were in two camps. One camp, mostly men, thought the same thing. That it was too suggestive.

    The other camp, a minority of women, assured that the dirt was in the boys' minds. The ad simply asks a woman does she or doesn't she use haircoloring.

    Polykoff insisted that Life magazine ask their female employees. They did. And they couldn't find a single woman who admitted to a dirty meaning in those words. And so, the ad launched.

    Everyone involved began getting rich. The magazines. The ad buyers. The typesetters. The makers of the dresses the models wore.

    Most of all, Clairol made money.

    Hair-coloring went from being used by just 7% of women in the country to over 50%.

    A Full Ad

    Image of 1957 Ad

    Polykoff's memo covers the headline and sub-heading. Let's look at the rest of the ad.

    That wonderfully radiant, outdoors-y look is more than just the reflection of a little clean air and sunshine. It's the silky sheen of her hair, its clear sparkling color looks as fresh and natural in blazing sunlight as it does by the light of the moon. And that's the beautiful difference with Miss Clairol! In every light, finished tone is soft, ladylike… gray is completely covered. And all it takes is minutes!

    This section oozes with such colorful and lively language. You'll see this a lot with any product that appeals to the senses.

    Then in the last two sentences, we get to "harder" facts. It completely covers gray hair and it only taking a few minutes. Remember, assurance and ease are two very big selling points to use in copy.

    That's why most hairdressers recommend Miss Clairol—use it every time to put lasting young color back into fading hair… and to hide gray. With results so sure, why deny yourself the joy of knowing you're a younger-looking, more attractive woman! Try Miss Clairol yourself. Today. In wonderful new Creme Formula or Regular.

    Most women trust their hairdressers. To say that most hairdressers recommend Miss Clairol is to borrow that trust and put it on their product.

    The copy also tells you WHEN to use it: when your hair is a bit dull or you want to hide gray hairs.

    Again, it repeats offering assurance saying "results so sure." And it asks you rhetorically if you don't want to be a more youthful, attractive woman.

    It then ends with a call-to-action with urgency.

    MORE WOMEN USE CLAIROL THAN ANY OTHER HAIR COLORING

    Human beings are social creatures and we will often do what most other people are doing. So, when you say, "Hey, a lot of people are doing this", you are using a concept called social proof. You are saying in a way, "Hey, this is something you should do too."

    Another Ad

    Image of 1956 Ad

    This time, we have an ad featuring a schoolteacher. Remember, the focus of this campaign was to make it more socially acceptable to dye hair. And it featured "wholesome" women to do it.

    This meant featuring mother-and-child, schoolteachers, secretaries, and so on.

    Of course, once you have the answer, it's easy as ABC. That's why Miss Clairol is this teacher's pet. And how the kids adore her bright looks … her pretty hair … her gay, happy outlook that makes even school seem like fun!

    The first paragraph in the previous ad gave context to the outdoors picture. This one gives context to the woman and the children. And connects the positivity of that situation to Miss Clairol.

    As every woman knows, it's easier to be wonderful when you know you look wonderful! And the flattering, young hair color you get with Miss Clairol is wonderful no matter how you look at it! Finished tone is soft, ladylike. It gives the hair a luminous, silky quality that is the key to a natural look. Takes only minutes to add lasting color to faded hair … to hide gray … to beauty-treat difficult texture to new softness. Miss Clairol color never muddies or darkens … never brittle-izes your hair.

    Loads of emotional copy here. Heavy emphasis on the emotional benefits of wonderful hair. Then we get to how fast it is (only minutes) to do 3 things:

    Add color to faded hair Hide gray hair Soften difficult texture And it will not let you down with dark muddy colors or by making your hair brittle.

    That's why America's hairdressers rely on Miss Clairol, have given Miss Clairol treatments by the millions. With results so sure and easy, why should you deny yourself the joy and confidence of knowing you're a younger-looking, happier-looking, completely attractive woman?

    Borrows trust women have in hairdressers. Uses social proof from having millions of treatments. And asks you a rhetorical question.

    I mean, who wouldn't want to look younger, happier and more attractive? And who wouldn't want all that in a way that is so sure and easy to get?

    Try Miss Clairol yourself. Today. In Creme Formula or Regular. There's sure to be a shade that's a "natural" for you… whether it's Topaz, Moongold, Sparkling Sherry or any of the many other lovely colors.

    This ad's call-to-action is expanded with a list of colors available.

    Key Takeaways

    In your business…

    • Look for ideas in faraway places. Lawrence and Joan got the idea for Clairol in France. You don't need to travel to a faraway place, but the internet and talking to people with different backgrounds, in different industries and from different countries is a good substitute.
    • The easiest way to make more money? Open up the market for your product. Without this ad campaign, Clairol and all other hair color manufacturers wouldn't have made anywhere as much money. Just 3 years after this campaign, Clairol got acquired by Bristol-Myers for a very handsome price.

    In your copy…

    • Tap into personal life experience. And where you don't have any, immerse yourself in the words and experiences of those who do. Pick up the phone. Go to online forums. Watch YouTube videos. Find the people with the problem your product solves and just listen.

    • When speaking to the senses, be colorful. The Clairol ads use very colorful and vivid descriptions about hair, the product and the target market.

    • Change the conversation. From the models to the examples used, the entire ad campaign was to teach women that people in "wholesome" professions can also color their hair and that they wouldn't fear being found out.

    What's up guys? Victor from UnfairCopy.com here.

    This is the [number] post in a weekly series where I break down some of the most successful ads in history. In each breakdown, you will get 3 things:

    1. You will learn the business decisions that led up to it.
    2. You will learn the exact words and psychology that made the ad successful.
    3. You will get actionable takeaways to improve your business and your copy.

    In case you missed it, you can find previous posts (and their Reddit-hosted versions, if you prefer) here:

    1. How This Ad Sold 425 Million Camel Cigarettes [Reddit Link].
    2. How This Ad Sold $70 Million In English Courses [Reddit Link].
    3. How This Ad Made You Put On Deodorant This Morning [Reddit Link]
    4. How This Ad Increased A Piano Manufacturer's Net Profits by 1,616% [Reddit Link]
    5. How This Ad Sold 1.5 Million Kodak Cameras in 1888 [Reddit Link]
    6. How This Ad Made 50% of American Women Prostitutes [You Are Here]
    submitted by /u/AskACopywriter
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    AB5 and outsourcing to other countries

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 01:27 PM PDT

    Will AB5 law allow companies in California to outsource freelance jobs to Mexico and other countries?
    There are many small businesses that outsource their core business / operations to freelancers in Mexico and other countries in Latin America, especially if their business is 100% intangible (interpreters, virtual assistants, tutors, marketers), paying them via PayPal or through other freelance portals. At the moment, is this a workaround to AB5?

    submitted by /u/valosdm
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    Am I making the right choice or going the right path? How to listen to yourself and choose the right path? Creating your own business plan?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 12:59 PM PDT

    I'm what you will call a late bloomer millennial. I'm 28 years old and still live with my mother. Don't have a job, hearing impaired, barely any money, my mom doesn't have any money, and long story short. I graduated from RIT with a BA in 3D Digital Design in 2016, then a few days later, my dad suddenly got sick and died 9 months later of cancer. I had to stay with my mom to support each other and my parents are hoarders and I just finished moving a few weeks ago after 2.5 years of moving. There's still a lot of stuff to purge but that's all my mom stuff. I myself so badly want to move into an apartment, gain independence, and be successful with money and fulfillment with my career and relationships. It's always been my dream as a young teen of making video games as a game designer and artist. I also always wanted to own my own business and have multiple incomes. I also enjoy fitness, self-improvement, minimalism/organizing, and technology. I always had that entrepreneurial spirit in me. My dad had his own business up until his death (not very successful but it was something - we always struggled with money).

    I'm mad at myself and my mother for not being able to do anything for a job or career. She has this incredible control over me and wants me to work for her for free and take care of her. I can't do that. I have been pushed to go into real estate as a realtor agent. I think I can do a good job but I also do not know much about sales and worry about never having time to grow my personal business as a game designer and publish indie games. Create a YouTube channel, etc. Write books related to fitness or game design rulesets. The thing is, I need money to start a business. I need a new computer and a website. I don't have anybody to go to for help or money. I'm completely alone.

    How do I know if I'm making the right choice? Will going into real estate ruin my chance of ever getting time to work on game design or create my own side business? Will I fail at real estate because it's not my true calling? It doesn't sound terrible and I like looking at houses but it's not my passion. Any advice or tips on this? I feel paralyzed and overwhelmed with so many people and my mom telling me what I should do. My mom is the kind of person that tells me that happiness is not important at all, just money. So I have this negative mindset that keeps coming back because of her and I try to keep this positive mindset from self-improvement videos but it's a back and forth thing.

    submitted by /u/Oblivion2550
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    very beginning steps to opening a small business in the food industry

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 12:58 PM PDT

    I'm having trouble finding some basic first step newbie info about what is needed to open a small 'restaurant'. (I have it in quotes since actually I'm considering leasing a grab-and-go style snack/bakery shop near my house which isn't a restaurant really nor a cafe but as it will have a kitchen and serve food to the public I assume it's legally a restaurant.)

    The problem is, all the state guides I see all start with things like market research or business plans, and that is not what I'm asking about. I want a basic list of what permits I'd need, how you do health/safety stuff, how I figure out about small business taxes, what special services are required (like is it the same garbage pickup? is there something special I'd need for waste?) and that sort of bureaucratic stuff. Like a basic guide between renting the property and opening the door.

    I've been casually thinking about this for about a year but as there was no property available I haven't been very serious. I found out this weekend that I could have an opportunity to rent a space I want in about two months, so I need to start getting my ducks in a row now. I know nothing at all about this bureaucratic side- where does one start to learn?

    submitted by /u/enchiladasverdestogo
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    Launching a virtual co-working space in under 90 minutes

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 12:50 PM PDT

    Here's the problem we started with: Co-working was super popular and still is, but it's not something we can do safely in the US right now.

    So, I thought, what if we could re-create a co-working space virtually? Of course, it's not going to be even close to the same, but it could supply a little community to freelancers who might miss hanging around others getting work done!

    I can't code, and I have no idea how I would even try to build something like this from the ground up - but the simplest version of a 3D online re-creation of life I could think of was Minecraft.

    A co-working space on a Minecraft server, where we can all go, chat with others from around the world, and get stuff done. It's silly, but it could work, so why not test it?

    My first step to testing any idea is to pretend it exists, and build a simple landing page. I used Carrd and an embedded Typeform to gather emails. I actually built part of the Minecraft server with some friends on a live stream in half an hour, then spent the next half hour creating the landing page.

    Then, I needed to get it in the hands of as many interested individuals as I could - so I posted a few places on Reddit, and people seemed to dig it. We got 15 signups in one day, all from one post.

    Now, we're in the process of building the server to something substantial. We need to install a few more plugins and make sure permissions are set up correctly so nobody can screw up what we've built, but it should be done in less than a week.

    And, most importantly, we tested the idea in about an hour and we were able to figure out if people cared before we spent serious time or money building anything.

    This is a super basic example of a startup, I suppose, but I think all new ideas should be started this way. Don't build anything, just make a mockup and fake it, then ask people to sign up if they want to be notified when you're finished.

    You get feedback, you find your first customers, and you don't have to build a thing besides a simple landing page and a few pictures that illustrate what your product solves.

    Fake it till you know your customers want what you're selling, then make it!

    submitted by /u/MaxTheEntrepreNerd
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    Finding Sales Help

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 12:44 PM PDT

    I want to find some good sales help to grow my software consulting business, and want to know tips for finding it.

    • What incentivizes a sales person?
    • How do you find one with connections to companies needing engineering work?
    • I prefer working on greenfield development, how do I find start ups?

    I am an accomplished and experienced engineer myself. I'm doing a good job at Microsoft. What makes me unique is that I have a large dev team that I have partnered with for about a decade, outside of my day jobs. We have done dozens of projects together over the years. So I know I can throw some gas on this fire, because I know I can deliver solid work, in higher volumes. This team can really scale up if needed.

    This is my plan…

    The salesperson makes an introduction to a potential gig, and helps me close the deal, with a rate between $60-150 / hr depending on the situation. Thereafter, I handle project management, and development. I would likely outsource to my team, and assure that quality remains high.

    The salesperson would get a percentage of the hourly rate. I'm thinking 15-20% off the top of my head.

    Example:

    We get a job with Happy Co for a rate of $100/hr. Salesperson gets $20/hr from the project thereafter, as me and my team develop. I use the remaining $80/hr for my team expenses and personal labor.

    Over the course of 6 months, this could add up to 960 hours, and amount to $19,200 for the sales person, really for helping with the relationship, and finding the work.

    This could be multiplied across multiple projects, and the higher the rate the salesperson helps to secure, the better the payoff.

    So what do you think, could this work? I'm secure in knowing I can deliver quality work.

    submitted by /u/adunndevster
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    What are your day to day pain?

    Posted: 07 Sep 2020 12:28 PM PDT

    I am a software developer looking for problems to solve. In the spirit of market research, I would like to ask everyone here about what causes pain in your business. Maybe there are some repetitive activities you have to do every day that you wished were automated, maybe there are areas where you think would improve sales, maybe you want to improve your marketing. Anything that causes friction in your daily lives and business I want to hear it all :)

    submitted by /u/JL978
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