Why do business guys like to meet for nothing? Entrepreneur

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• Why do business guys like to meet for nothing?
• I have discovered some of my customers purchased my app "for free" using a jailbreak tool. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
• Someone told me this 5 years ago and it stuck in my mind since then.
• I built a job board that pays job candidates. Realizing it’s all about strategy/patience.
• Give me your business and I'll make you a logo
• Lost a partner due to communication issue
• Seeking advice for hiring an admin assistant
• Is it best to be a man of few words, when recruiting people and networking? also is there no power in words really because money talks the loudest?
• How To Become A Copywriter & Earn Six Figures
• Soft-launched a Chrome Extension and no traction so far - feedback?
• A strategy for limiting time spent on the phone with customers/clients.
• [Not Trying To Sell] Can you rate my offer?
• What other business models are considered successful as the “Razor and Blades” biz model ?
• Alibaba suppliers are becoming way too expensive. How to find a supplier closer to home?
• Awaken the Giant Within Vs. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• How do you all find clients?
• How to profit from our WebApp when we have a free version?
• Niche Clothing line - where to start with manufacturing?
• Do you think a non profit that builds low income people free websites would be successful?
• Where can I find standard industry ratios for “NAICS Code 339112 - Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing”
• Opening a Shop for horse riding equipment. Any ideas for a shop name?
• Is chinese restaurant owners a geniuses?
• Needing motivation
• How to start young

Why do business guys like to meet for nothing? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 06:49 AM PDT I own and operate a software consulting company. I'm a tech guy. I often end up on zoom with prospective companies where some person who describes himself as a "founder" spends 20 minutes telling me all about their little company, shows me their pitch deck, and that's it. Why do people do this? I don't understand it at all. I usually take the call thinking they want to discuss a project, or something relevant to me and my company. They don't. They just want to get on zoom with a random person and show their deck. I'm usually in semi-asshole mode by the end of these dumb calls, so I know they can't enjoy dealing with my autistic ass. I don't get it at all. Does anyone here deal with this? What do you do to filter these people out? submitted by /u/fullstack_guy [link] [comments]

I have discovered some of my customers purchased my app "for free" using a jailbreak tool. What would you do if you were in my shoes? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 12:15 AM PDT Hi guys, I have an app that offers both subscriptions and lifetime purchases on Apple's App Store via IAP (In App Purchase). I started realizing that some lifetime purchases did not show up in Apple's "Sales and Trends" dashboard, but I could see them in my backend. So I contacted Apple, thinking it could have been an issue on their side. I was a little bit angry too since that dashboard represents the actual proceedings that I'd receive. Not seeing the purchase would mean no money sent to me. They answered that on their side no purchases had been registered at that DateTime. More convinced I was being fooled by Apple, I contacted one of those customers, asking if they could kindly provide me with the receipt of the purchase to send to Apple. The answer from this guy took me by surprise. He admitted he used a tool on his jailbroken iPhone to purchase the IAP "for free". Apple was right, and now I also know that some of my customers are "fooling" me. For some of them (like 7) I have the email address, for some I don't. What would you do if you were in my shoes? don't care and go on send them an email (to ask what?) blacklist them in my app in the next update report the matter to Apple providing the email addresses Thank you submitted by /u/r4id4 [link] [comments]

Someone told me this 5 years ago and it stuck in my mind since then. Posted: 31 Oct 2021 01:00 PM PDT Someone told me this 5 years ago and it stuck in my mind since : "If you work for someone else, you are just a cost to them. And costs by nature are meant to be kept down. In 99% of the cases, salaries and wages never made anyone rich." submitted by /u/jaiga99 [link] [comments]

I built a job board that pays job candidates. Realizing it’s all about strategy/patience. Posted: 31 Oct 2021 09:44 AM PDT The job board I built pays job candidates. There's no charge to post jobs. I've been in touch with employers who really like the idea of paying to engage with the candidates they want rather than paying to advertise, not knowing who your ad reaches. It also gives incentive and value to candidates before they're hired. Because it's new I'm building trust by bringing groups in slowly and keeping it invite-only. I want it to move quicker because I believe it could completely change how people view job searching but especially with two-sided marketplaces, these things take time. I battled trolls and answered every question in other groups when I mentioned it. Got some great feedback as well! Feel free to reach out if interested. Sending good vibes to all entrepreneurs. Keep moving forward. submitted by /u/ric_bintl [link] [comments]

Give me your business and I'll make you a logo Posted: 31 Oct 2021 02:17 AM PDT I'm a beginner in logo design and need some practice. If you leave your business name / what you do I would love to make you a free logo. submitted by /u/yummyyummyzxzx [link] [comments]

Lost a partner due to communication issue Posted: 31 Oct 2021 07:36 AM PDT I'm a freelancer web dev who started a new side project with a partner (whom I reached out via cold email) a few months ago. I brought the tech & they brought the content (we were about to create an online education service). Things moved slowly, but they were always moving, and at a pace I was happy with. Issue arised when I spoted an issue in one of the services that we used. I reached out to the service support, but no good solution were offered. This issue could affected my partner, but I ignored it & decide to go ahead. The reasons were that I thought the benefits of that service outweight the flaws; and there were work-around, albeit a bit inconvenient. I have worked with many startup teams that wouldn't care. We were just about to launch a serious content piece, however the partner found out about the issue. I made it worse and pretended I did not know about it. They then contact the aforementioned service about the issue, and to shorten a long story, they realized I had already done that, which blew my cover. We had a call and it didn't went well, as one might had expected. I didn't realize how serious this issue was for them until the call. They weren't happy with the workaround I suggested (which I had a moment of 'wait, really..?) Since it was early days, there were really nothing. I kept the stuff I made, they kept theirs, we went on our seperated ways. I felt terrible about this. I can put myself in the shoe of my partner & understood that it was enough to end everything. I drew out the diagram of how all our tech stacks would be connected, but I left the partner out of the picture because I thought they wouldn't care and they wouldn't mind. I learned that trust needed to be earned, and communication is everything... and no two person is the same. The tech-savvy marketers I work with on the daily basis have a different tolerance for tech issues than an industry outsider. submitted by /u/derekn9 [link] [comments]

Seeking advice for hiring an admin assistant Posted: 31 Oct 2021 10:40 AM PDT I own and operate a few online businesses and am planning on hiring an admin assistant soon to help take some stuff off my plate. I am currently in the learning phase of understanding what world class admin assistants look like, and would love to get some advice on what sorts of traits to look for in the person I hire. Basically, how will I know an excellent admin assistant when I come across one? submitted by /u/TraditionalGrape8129 [link] [comments]

Is it best to be a man of few words, when recruiting people and networking? also is there no power in words really because money talks the loudest? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 11:13 AM PDT I'm not good at winning people over and I've been trying to be better at it but it like it doesn't matter if your heart is in the right place, something else needs to be in the right place as well, I guess your common sense or something I'm not sure what exactly. submitted by /u/Hayaidesu [link] [comments]

How To Become A Copywriter & Earn Six Figures Posted: 31 Oct 2021 02:03 PM PDT Copywriting is a tailor-made career for 2021. Businesses are hiring copywriters like crazy. Good copywriters can easily earn six figures. Most copywriters today work remotely. Copywriters don't need formal training or education. In this guide, I'm going to teach you, step by step, how to become a copywriter and earn six figures and beyond. What Is A Copywriter? A copywriter is someone who is paid to write "copy" – words designed to prompt action. Copywriting is always connected to the act of promoting or selling a business, organization, brand, product, or service, which makes it, by definition, a form of marketing. Copywriting can take a wide variety of forms: Advertising Websites Emails Blog posts Landing pages Brochures Presentations Video scripts Headlines Product descriptions Lead magnets White papers Etc, etc, etc What makes it "copy" is that it's intended to drive an action. Sometimes, you want to drive an action immediately. This type of copywriting is referred to as "direct response copywriting". Examples of direct response copywriting include: A Twitter ad designed to get an ad click A billboard designed to make you turn at the next exit and visit the establishment A landing page designed to get an email signup An email designed to get a message in "reply" A product description designed to drive an "Add to Cart" click Sometimes, immediate action isn't the goal. The reader might not be in the position to take immediate action when they see your copy, or having them take immediate action might not be the priority. This type of copy doesn't have a snappy name, but the concept of marketing now for results down the road is essentially branding. Examples of branding-focused copywriting include: A magazine ad designed to expose readers to the brand A blog post designed to educate and connect with the reader A white paper designed to establish the brand's authority These types of copywriting want an action at some point: The magazine ad wants the reader to think about the brand and buy down the road. The blog post wants the reader to recommend the blog to others, signup, or buy at some point. The white paper wants the reader to purchase from the brand or refer a purchase down the road. The difference is that this type of copywriting isn't designed to drive an immediate action, and that's important, because attempting to drive an immediate action is counterproductive in many marketing scenarios. Imagine if every blog post you read tried to get you to buy something immediately. Imagine if every blog post was so focused on getting your email signup that it cut off the article's key conclusion and made you signup to read it. Both branding scenarios and direct response scenarios make up an important part of the marketing process. The 3 Types of Copywriting Jobs If you want to tap into all that copywriting demand, there are three main ways to do it: Work as a staff copywriter at an agency Work as a copywriter for an in-house marketing team Become a freelance copywriter Here's the TLDR: Agency copywriters start at an average of $47k and work up to an average of $88k. In-house copywriters start at an average $48k and work up to an average of $84k. Freelance copywriters are all over the place, but more than 20% are doing $100k+. Staff Copywriter vs. Freelance Copywriter Whether you land an agency or in-house copywriting job is mostly outside of your control, but the form of employment you choose – freelance or staff copywriter – is up to you. When it comes down to it, there's really no clear winner between the two options, but you can make an informed decision by looking at the pros and cons. If you want to be a staff copywriter, here are your options: Apply for jobs in-house . You'll need to network or find listings that match your experience level. If you have no experience, then freelance jobs are the only jobs available How To Become A Freelance Copywriter If you want to be a freelance copywriter, here's how to do it: Start your own company. That means you need an LLC and insurance of some kind. You also need a business bank account and a payment method for all those billable hours on Upwork. Apply as a freelancer for agencies . This is often the most straightforward way to get hired and it has the obvious benefit of having a steady income. You can also apply to in-house jobs through an agency recruiter, but the process is more complicated. Note: You don't have to be a freelancer for both agencies and brands . If you want to lock down long term work with one company, You don't control your salary. You don't control your job security. You don't control your process. You don't control your time. You don't control who your boss is or how they manage you. Becoming a freelance copywriter means you take control over and responsibility for all of these things simultaneously. It's not easy, especially at first, but if you persist, you will find yourself with absolute control over your career and finances to a degree you never previously believed possible. Agency copywriters start at an average of $47k and work up to an average of $88k. If you want to learn how to become a copywriter, follow these steps: Learn the basics of persuasive writing Learn these 6 core copywriting skills Land your first few clients Develop and refine your freelancing process Build a stream of recurring leads These steps aren't easy, but they are all you need to become a successful copywriter in 2021. Let's dive deeper into each step. Learn the Basics of Persuasive Writing Approximate Timeline: 2 hours At its core, copywriting is simply persuasive writing. You are writing words intended to influence the actions of your readers. This is why copywriting is such a universally beneficial skill. The ability to persuade via writing has virtually limitless applications, regardless of job, role, or industry. Learning the basics of persuasive writing is your first step to becoming a copywriter, and there are tons… and I means TONS… of resources available to help you accomplish this. Learn The 6 Core Copywriting Skills All copywriting is persuasive writing, but nobody is ever going to pay you for "persuasive writing". They will, however, pay you for infoproducts and direct response copywriting . There are many types of copy: advertising copy, branding copy, direct response (DR), and more , but the key thing to remember is that it all boils down to these six skills: I've identified six copywriting skills that are always in demand and constitute what I would consider "core skills" in the copywriting world. You can build your entire career on any 2-3 skills from this list, so don't feel the need to try and learn all six, but practicing all of them certainly can't hurt. Learn how to write a headline Learn how to write a value proposition Learn how to write a landing page Learn how to write a sales email Learn how to write an advertisement Learn how to write a video script Headline Copywriting Headline writing is the only skill on this list that I consider absolutely essential for every single copywriter. It's also one of those rare skills you can never get paid to master directly, but it'll have a disproportionately large effect on your success as an ad writer and client-gatherer alike! The headline has such huge implications when all we're doing in most cases with our clients (and potential ones) - whether they know about online ads or not yet... The more heads people see coming at 'em from different angles before deciding which way their arrow points, well there's no telling how much better things might turn out between us Value Proposition Copywriting A value proposition is a concise statement that communicates what a business is offering, it's value, and who it's intended for. For more complex products and services, simply producing a concise statement that adequately captures the offer is a challenge unto itself. For simpler products and services, there is an art to being able to communicate the brand's unique value via concise, punchy phrasing. While it's not common for businesses to hire copywriters specifically to work on their value propositions (although I've had a handful of clients like this), being able to craft a strong value proposition is an integral part of writing landing page and website copy, and also comes into play in numerous other forms of copywriting. Most importantly, it's one of the single best ways to get a client excited about your writing. Business owners often struggle to quickly and succinctly articulate the value of their business, so helping them put together a strong value proposition will immediately create "buy in" toward you and your writing. Landing Page Copywriting Landing pages are non-homepage webpages that are designed to capture website traffic, usually via advertising campaigns. People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. What you do is your offer, the "what" of your marketing campaign or product launch. People don't purchase "what" you do though; they purchase "why" you do it . You must establish strong emotional connections with your customers if you want them to keep buying from you. Humans are emotional beings by nature, so leveraging emotional appeals makes it easier to connect with people and convince them that your offer is worth their money. A landing page uses persuasive copywriting techniques in an attempt to convert traffic into conversions (sales, downloads, sign ups etc.) Email Copywriting Email copywriting is simply the copy on any email marketing campaign you design and send out to your subscribers. Copywriters often work as part of a larger team that designs, builds and optimizes an email marketing strategy and then produces high-quality content for different types of emails (from weekly newsletters to announcements and promotions). The best "brand awareness" comes from people actually using your product or service , rather than outspending everyone else in clever marketing campaigns. When I think about my favorite ad campaigns of all time (including Apple, Coca Cola, etc.), I can truthfully say that none of them would be effective if nobody had ever used the product before . Ad Copywriting Ad copywriting is the term used to describe the words you see on just about every website, social media page and mobile app today. The most effective ad copywriters are able to write their way into the users' minds in just a few words. Writing ads that resonate with people can be tough, but it's an extremely important part of a successful marketing strategy. You basically have two major types of ad writing taking place: Corporate ads Small business ads Video Script Copywriting When it comes to video script writing, the most important thing is the ability to communicate. Video scripts are typically written by freelancers who help businesses produce high-quality videos for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and other social media channels. It's common practice within these industries to split up the script into different sections (i.e.: intro, body copy, outro). Some people like to include one or two "specialty" lines in their videos (for example: If you want to see more of xxx you can do yyy) - but this isn't necessary if you aren't comfortable with it. Generally speaking though, I like to make sure each section has at least one "specialty" line. I used to struggle with copywriting a lot when I first started focusing on getting clients . Land Your First Clients There's really only so much you can learn from reading about copywriting. 90% of learning to write copy comes from actually writing copy. You may have noticed that the approximate timelines for the previous two sections were measured in hours. That wasn't an accident. While it's certainly essential to consume some of the fantastic materials out there on copywriting, once you've spent 12-15 hours reading, you've learned as much as you're going to learn just from reading. Start With 3 Practice Projects Start With 3 Practice Projects The first thing you should do is write the copy for your own copywriting business. If you are going to be a freelance copywriter, you are a real business owner with a real need for effective copy. Start there. Project #1 in the books. Next, have an established copywriter take a 5 minute look at your copy and give you some feedback. I don't care if you don't know an established copywriter. Find one on Twitter and message them. Just like dating, some of them will probably say no. Who cares? Keep asking. Next, write new copy for two additional businesses. If you have friends with businesses, write copy for them. They don't need to be interested in paying you or even using the copy. The goal is for you to practice and get feedback from relevant people. Get as much feedback as you can get. Once you have written copy for 3 businesses (including yours), it's time to start looking for paying clients. Land Your First Paying Clients Notice I didn't say "high paying clients". You are looking for anyone who will flash a $20 at you in exchange for work. "But Jacob, I'm a naturally talented writer and I deserve to be fairly compensated." No, you don't. You suck at copywriting. Your copy is literally worthless garbage. If you are a top 10% natural talent, your copy will remain garbage for the next 3 months. If you are a bit more average, your copy will remain garbage for the next 6 months. And guess what? That's okay! People paying $20, $100, $200, etc. for copy are asking to receive literally worthless garbage. It's a perfect fit! If you want to hit six figures as a copywriter, you need to "git gud"… legitimately good… at copywriting as fast as possible. That comes from doing and learning, not from fishing for higher paying clients. Within 24 hours of publishing this article, freelance copywriter Favour Abalogu emailed me the following thoughts: I really appreciate you addressing the pay issue for beginning writers. A lot of accomplished copywriters out there today make it seem like taking low-paying gigs, even as a beginning writer, is always a bad choice. It's become something of a taboo, and it definitely hindered my growth in the early years. I was stuck in the cycle of feast-or-famine for well over two years because I was MAJORLY on the lookout for those big fish, even as a beginning writer. Unfortunately, the big fish didn't give a damn about whether I existed or not. Simply put, my writing was lame, and no "big fish" was ever going to hire me until I was able to deliver much better copywriting. Eventually, I was able to elevate my copywriting game and start working with bigger, higher paying clients, but my career would have progressed far more quickly if I had just focused on gaining experience and improving my work from the beginning. Favour's story couldn't summarize my thoughts on this topic any better. If you are ready to stop chasing unicorn gigs and starting gaining real experience, here's a few great ways to land some cheap-ass clients: Pitch job listings Probe your network Network online and offline Cold pitch prospects These methods are going to power your business through the first year, well past your garbage stage. For your 3-6 month garbage period, I'd recommend spending the majority of your time pitching job listings. Here's some good places to find gigs: Craigslist Upwork FWJ daily listings Problogger Job Board You will find some quality gigs here along with a ton of garbage. Take everything you can get. Don't be picky. Refine Your Freelancing Process Approximate Timeline: 2 hours Over the last 3 months, you've bumbled your way through the entire freelance gamut. You've talked with clients, closed sales, collected payment, delivered work, edited work, realized you needed more info than you requested, hit deadlines, missed deadlines, had clients praise your effusively, had clients yell at you even more effusively… you've been there, done that. Now it's time to use all that experience to map out your freelancing process and start being intentional about everything that you do. Here's what you need to map out: How you bring in leads How you close sales How you collect the needed project details How you collect payment How you work with the client How and when you deliver work How you gauge success of the project Your goal here initially isn't to figure out how to do all these things perfectly. You are simply mapping your current process. Next, list out any problems you've been having, such as: I'm having trouble consistently finding new leads. I'm getting good leads but not closing many of them. Some clients don't send much info, and I struggle to complete the project. Some clients are really difficult to work with for _____ reason. I often feel really cramped for time on projects. Clients are constantly pestering me about where I'm at in the project. Now that you've mapped out your process and problems, you can start refining your process, both in the short term and the long term. An example of a short term improvement might be realizing that you aren't setting clear expectations for clients, so you create a standard email template that you use after (or before) closing a sale that lists out exactly what the client can expect. An example of a longer term improvement might be realizing that leads are inconsistent and you need to build a more sustainable method for bringing in new leads. This is a pretty common struggle for new copywriters, and we will address it directly in the next section. But before we tackle that, I'm going to give you a quick overview of my freelancing process to help you in mapping out your own. New leads contact me via my website. I review their needs, provide them with a quote, and set expectations for the project. If they accept, I send them an invoice and my copywriting questionnaire. I then work collaboratively with them to lock down their core value propositions. Next, I complete a first draft of the project and deliver it to the client, either all at once or in pieces, depending on the size of the project. I work with them to edit the copy until they are fully satisfied. For larger projects, I then send a final invoice. As you can see, this isn't a sprawling, 20 page document. It's literally 7 bullets. If you ever get to the point where you start hiring employees or contractors to work for you, you might need a more detailed style of process mapping, but for your own purposes as a solo freelancer, it doesn't have to be complicated. 5. Build A Recurring Leads Channel Approximate Timeline: 1 Year If you want to make real money as a freelancer, you need a consistent, recurring inflow of quality leads. This takes time. Assuming you do everything right, you are still looking at between 9-18 months to create a channel that can bring in six figures worth of leads per year. There are four primary options for copywriters seeking to build out their own recurring leads channel: SEO LinkedIn High-End Guest Blogging Paid Advertising Search Engine Optimization (SEO) The goal of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is to get Google to send leads to your website monthly, weekly, and even daily. You accomplish this by getting your site to rank for search terms that are relevant to your business. In my personal opinion, nothing currently beats SEO as a leads channel. It's how I built my own business, and once I figured out how to do it right, I was able to achieve reasonable results fairly quickly, good results within a year, and incredible results over a handful of years.I can also continue scaling this channel indefinitely, which is part of what I'm doing by publishing this article. This article will rank on the front page of Google for the search query "how to become a copywriter" within 3 months (update: I originally published this in January 2019 and sure enough, I was on the front page by April. I then predicted to me email subscribers that I would be #1 by August, and I predicted it perfectly. This article now ranks #1 for "copywriter" as well, which is fun). Basically, SEO has a ton of pros for copywriters: Lots of business owners seek to hire copywriters via search Highly scalable channel Google's algorithm has remained relatively stable for 20 years You can tap into niche search results relatively quickly Most of the work is writing (great for copywriters) But it also has its cons: Requires a range of non-transferable skills to execute effectively Takes a relatively long time to scale compared to other channels Google is increasingly stealing traffic away from content creators Part of the reason I feel like SEO is the best channel for copywriters is that it synergises very well with blog writing, which I also advise copywriters to offer. Writing both free guest posts and paid blog content doubles as both advertising for your services as well as backlinks for your SEO campaign. But you miss out on the backlinks benefit if you aren't actively pursuing SEO. LinkedIn Audience Building LinkedIn has always been an intriguing platform for business lead generation, but up until a year ago, it wasn't really the type of place where someone could build a profitable following. High-End Guest Blogging High-end guest blogging as a recurring leads strategy essentially means that you are frequently publishing guest posts on high profile websites. When I say "high profile", I mean that if you were to mention the website to 10 people in your niche, between 7-10 of them would immediately recognize the brand or publication.When you guest blog for a large, prominent publication, a lot of amazing things can happen: Someone can read your post, appreciate your expertise, and hire you to write copy for them. Someone can read your post, appreciate your writing style, and hire you to write for their own blog or publication. Someone can read your post, appreciate your writing style, and ask you to ghostwrite for them on a high-level publication. Your post can perform really well and cause the publication to hire you to write more for them. Your post can put your name in circles that can boost your career. Your post is more likely to rank for a search term and continuously expose you to new readers every single month. I'm a huge advocate of having new copywriters invest a big chunk of time into guest blogging, for all the reasons mentioned above plus a few more: It helps you connect to players in your niche. It puts your work in front of talented editors who will often give you feedback and help you suck at writing a lot less. The links back to your website prime your domain to rank for any SEO key phrases you want to target. Paid Advertising Last and decidedly least, we have paid advertising. Theoretically, if you can make SEO work for you, you can make paid advertising work for you. ​ i am using a Copywrite assistance tools Write Your Marketing Copy For Free click here to learn more submitted by /u/mydreambusiness [link] [comments]

Soft-launched a Chrome Extension and no traction so far - feedback? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 09:02 AM PDT We soft-launched InviteMe.app, a Chrome Extension that allows you to invite people to your Google Calendar events without knowing their emails. The extension goes on top of Google Calendar and allows you to generate custom event pages that are linked directly to your Google Calendar event. Users are able to view the event details on a custom landing page, and add themselves as guests to the event and receive an invite straight to their own calendar. A few weeks in and we're not seeing any traction. The above messaging doesn't resonate (even though when I tell people about it verbally, they're either nice or they like it), and we're not seeing installs. Would love for any relevant feedback on the landing page or the actual extension itself. submitted by /u/ronkir [link] [comments]

A strategy for limiting time spent on the phone with customers/clients. Posted: 31 Oct 2021 01:20 PM PDT Someone asked about this in another thread, and coincidentally it's the topic of a chapter in an audiobook I'm working on for freelancerchurch. I didn't want to paste all this into a comment post, so I'll share it here & I hope maybe someone will find it helpful: tl;dr: It's not necessary to be stern and tell clients to pay for a consultation, or strictly limit the time you spend on the phone with them. Instead, stay busy and productive, and let them see that you made (some) time for them even though you were busy. The result is the same, but one way makes the client feel unappreciated and expect you to give minimal effort, while the other way makes the client feel like you're busy because of how great you are + you're the type that goes above and beyond. Long version: When a prospective client requests a phone call to discuss a project. Incorrect response from the freelancer (no discretionary effort): The freelancer tells the client they prefer to use email, or the freelancer tells the client they can only do a phone consultation for an additional fee. This signals to the client that the freelancer cares very much about making sure not to spend any extra time to do a good job. It doesn't matter that the freelancer is actually being reasonable -- to the client, it sends the wrong signal. Correct response from the freelancer (shows discretionary effort): The freelancer enthusiastically agrees that it's a great idea to talk on the phone. A good freelancer knows how valuable a qualified lead is, so ten minutes on the phone with a prospective client is a good investment of time. After ten minutes, though, it's okay to say something like, "Okay, I have to quickly finish a project for another client - it might be best if I take some notes about the things we discussed, and then I'll email you after I finish this project I need to complete today." Email communication is a lot better than trying to understand a client's needs over the phone. The only reasons for talking on the phone are to ease the client's anxiety and help them articulate their ideas -- mostly, it's to ease their anxiety. One part of easing the client's anxiety on the phone is being able to intelligently discuss the project. The other part of easing the client's anxiety -- the part I think a lot of freelancers overlook -- is showing discretionary effort. So, I think you should not lay down the law with new clients, telling them it costs extra to talk on the phone, or telling them you can only talk on the phone for a few minutes. It signals you are too busy for them and not very motivated. Instead, make them feel like the only important person in your world. Make them feel like you are personally excited about their project and really looking forward to it. But then, after ten minutes on the phone it's perfectly alright to tell them you're having a busy day. All freelancers need to limit the amount of time they spend talking to clients on the phone, but there is a "right" way to do it. The right way (imo) is to agree without hesitation, "Yes, when's a good time for me to call?" and then have a lively, enthusiastic conversation for ONLY ten minutes. After ten minutes, it's perfectly okay to confess to the client that you have a lot going on today and you need to get off the phone. It's not dishonest. Freelancers only survive when they stay productive, and if you're staying productive you have a lot going on every day. Instead of telling clients you don't have a lot of time to talk on the phone, so that their experience of you feels a little like rejection, like they are not important -- it's a lot better to give them this completely different experience of you: Even though you were having a busy day, you made time to speak with them. The fact that you are having a busy day signals to them that you have a lot of satisfied clients, and the fact that you make time for them anyway signals that you really appreciate them and want to do a good job. submitted by /u/FreelancerChurch [link] [comments]

[Not Trying To Sell] Can you rate my offer? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 10:48 AM PDT Hi, I am a bookkeeper/accountant turned digital marketer. I am attempting to secure my first few clients and would like to hear your thoughts on my offer. I plan to offer SEO Website Development to businesses. My plan is to charge $197/month for website creation and maintenance instead of the usual $1k-5k flat fee for the website. My question to business owners out there, would you prefer this monthly pricing structure? Any thoughts/insights you have would be great. Thanks! For reference, here is an example of a website I created: softbooks.co submitted by /u/betteraccounting [link] [comments]

What other business models are considered successful as the “Razor and Blades” biz model ? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 12:58 PM PDT What other business models are considered successful as the "Razor and Blades" biz model ? submitted by /u/jaiga99 [link] [comments]

Alibaba suppliers are becoming way too expensive. How to find a supplier closer to home? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 05:11 AM PDT Hey, I previously had good luck ordering garments for my online shop from Alibaba. I even made a detailed post about it here. However, the prices keep going up, not to mention the cost of shipping which had almost doubled in price in less than a year. Ordering from China has become too difficult, so I am looking for a white-label manufacturer of women's sportswear (leggings primarily) in Europe. I am not interested in ordering clothes from stock but in making garments from scratch following my design ideas. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would be most thankful. Otherwise, I am also interested in knowing how you guys are battling the increase in prices in China? Thanks submitted by /u/Head_Note [link] [comments]

Awaken the Giant Within Vs. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Posted: 31 Oct 2021 05:47 AM PDT I'm trying to pick a book next and I don't have much time, so I was wondering what factors should I take into account to help me decide which to read next? Thanks 🙏🏻 submitted by /u/Ragnarross [link] [comments]

How do you all find clients? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 10:04 AM PDT I and my partner want to start a software services company that builds custom solutions for small companies. We want to custom create automatons, do integrations and create mobile services that would help companies that can't afford enterprise level solutions. I have been going to business networking events for 3 months to gather information and see if potential clients would be there but all I found was other people selling their services as well. I'd like to avoid cold calling if possible but I would do it if necessary. How have you all found your first clients when you started out? submitted by /u/Redlinefox45 [link] [comments]

How to profit from our WebApp when we have a free version? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 07:08 AM PDT Hi, I have been creating a WebApp with two developers and a fellow classmate for physical/occupational therapists to use as well as students. We have been working on this platform for over a year now and we are getting ready to launch beta in a couple of months. We have a free version of the program and a subscription version that is tailored to students for continued education. Our goal is to make the main portion of the product free for clinicians to use, so we know they use it and their patients benefit. My question is, what type of advertisement/sponsoring or any other version of making a profit from a free product would you recommend investigating more into? We have projected that we will become sustainable fairly early on with the early adopters being the students, but I'm curious if anyone had thoughts on how to increase revenue without charging more subscriptions? submitted by /u/DPT_nerd [link] [comments]

Niche Clothing line - where to start with manufacturing? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 05:32 AM PDT Hi everyone, some friends and I are looking into developing a clothing brand for a particular hobby: equestrians. We are very integrated in the community on social media and in real life and have noticed a lot of up and coming small clothing brands popping up, oftentimes started by people with no experience in clothing or fashion, that seem to be doing very well and growing quickly. The purpose of this project would be to provide a nice side hustle, not necessarily to reinvent the wheel. I currently have my own tech start up so I'm familiar with the ins and outs of running a business and marketing but I've never developed a physical product before. I've been doing as much research as possible and fell down the rabbit hole into alibaba suppliers. On alibaba I was surprised to find wholesale products matching just about every equestrian brand that's popular on Instagram right now. Does that mean that these are their suppliers or are they just using the images and the actual product would be low quality? I'm trying to figure out the best way to start up manufacturing with just some ideas and logo/branding. What's the legality of rebranding existing shirts / riding pant designs? Is manufacturing as simple as reaching out to one of these suppliers that make my favorite other brand's pieces and seeing if they can develop something brand new? Outside of developing something from scratch, I've seen some designs with big "LOGO HERE" text on them, could a starting point be slapping a logo on existing pieces? I'm just trying to figure out what's legal. Obviously with clothing it's a bit different than trying to rebrand and sell Disney dolls or something but I was super surprised to find just about all the popular Instagram brands on alibaba and was definitely wondering how much overlap there is between Brand X and Brand Y with similar products. Thanks for any advice on getting started. Edit to say: I'm also doing a lot of research on US-based manufacturers, i just can't find any that seem to have equestrian sportswear within their portfolio. submitted by /u/demogorgon_is_my_pet [link] [comments]

Do you think a non profit that builds low income people free websites would be successful? Posted: 30 Oct 2021 06:43 PM PDT Idk where to post this so I thought I would ask here. I'm a web developer and make sites for small businesses. I really want to help people in some manner and lately have thought about offering one of my products for free to low income people to build a site for free or very low cost. Curious if anyone has insight if this is done anywhere or if it would work thanks! submitted by /u/plasmaSunflower [link] [comments]

Where can I find standard industry ratios for “NAICS Code 339112 - Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing” Posted: 31 Oct 2021 08:56 AM PDT For a class I'm trying to find standard financial ratios (such as return on sales, sales versus inventory figures, profit margins) for NAICS Code 339112 or more specifically, for medical thermometers. Does anyone have any insights? submitted by /u/Bitter-Influence5370 [link] [comments]

Opening a Shop for horse riding equipment. Any ideas for a shop name? Posted: 31 Oct 2021 07:51 AM PDT My fellow redditors. Your help is needed. We are opening a large shop, offline and online, for horse riding equipment. We are selling everything from clothes to leather equipment. We are struggling to find a good name. You guys have any good ideas? Would be so helpful! submitted by /u/Oguave [link] [comments]

Is chinese restaurant owners a geniuses? Posted: 30 Oct 2021 06:50 PM PDT My family and I always go to chinese restaurants, The foods are very cheap and other than that, They give so many, In fact, Whenever I order there, I mostly just bring the others home because sometimes I do not expect that it would be that many, And for example I ordered a rice with some toppings, They give so much, Like they fulfill the whole bowl. It also taste so good, I don't understamd how they handle inflation, I mean in other restaurants here, If the inflation happens they also increase the prices or lessen the amount of the food they give, Or make it smaller. I'm actually still at highschool, I'm sorry if they are things I couldn't understand from economics or sum. submitted by /u/archgrapes [link] [comments]

Needing motivation Posted: 31 Oct 2021 11:35 AM PDT I have a business idea and may go half-half with a friend from work. How do you find motivation to keep moving forward and developing your product? How do you get sales besides Amazon? How do you get on shelves in brick-and-mortar stores? submitted by /u/KantleGT [link] [comments]

How to start young Posted: 31 Oct 2021 11:23 AM PDT So I'm 16 and from the UK I'm in my first yeat of college and I'm doing a business course. I'm looking to get my first job soon and I want to start investing the money I earn to help my future as I'm more on the poor side and I want to change that and make my future a good one and financially free. Any tips or advice? Feel free to give advice about something else in general any kind of help would be appreciated! submitted by /u/Tatumislit0 [link] [comments]

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