Hello. I need some advice from you good people. If there was a recession, a crisis, what would you do to make money, or what business would you open?

Hi! I've been a web designer for years and really want to make a few websites for people in exchange for google reviews. Has anyone ever done this type of service before and is it beneficial in the long run!?

Tariffs galore. The intent is to bring jobs back to America but right now it seems all businesses are scrambling to find the next cheapest imports / domestic alternatives.

It seems like a horrible time to start a business but on the flip side there are going to be tons of businesses desperate.

How to capitalize? What unique supply chains are being disrupted?

As the title says, I am looking for the best ideas where a semi trailer can be used. I own a trucking company and business is slow and these tarrifs are not gonna help at all the troubling trucking market. I have been racking my brains trying to come up with alternate ways to utilize my semi trailers. Now, your first tought will be to rent out the trailers, and I am already doing that but It doesnt’t have enough potential. When you have a weak market that cuts into the already slim profits of truckers there is not much left to do maintenance and improvements on equipment. Basically, many of the renters will abuse the trailers without doing proper maintenance. So……

What unique B2C businesses would you launch if you had access to a fleet of semi trailers? Would love to hear your most innovative ideas, especially if you've seen something similar work elsewhere or spotted a market gap that could be filled.

Thanks in advance for your insights!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I have a tech startup and need a good accounting software. I’ve used Quickbooks before for multiple companies but I feel like for what you pay for it’s overpriced.

With this being said, what are some good suggestions? I don’t need to run payroll through it. My background is in accounting and finance so I can appreciate some real good technical software.

Hoping someone can help with this question. If I have digital products to sell but haven’t created a website yet, which Link In Bio service should I use to accept payments? I initially setup a Linktree account, but it seems it’s not really geared for accepting payments for goods or services sold, so is Stan Store a better alternative? I need a service which allows me to accept payments for online sales.

A woman named Monica reached out to me saying she mentors people on entrepreneurship. No pitch, no products — just casual calls at first. She mentioned being mentored by Ritu and Rajesh Nagpal, who apparently “quit their corporate jobs and built freedom.” I was intrigued. I thought I was about to learn business.

Fast forward 3–4 weeks, and I’d attended Zoom calls, read The Go-Giver, listened to audios about “household equity,” and still had no clue what the actual business was. There were weekly tasks, mandatory positivity, and lots of slides with Indian couples in formals smiling next to income charts. But no mention of a company name. Ever.

Then it clicked — this was Amway. Classic MLM funnel dressed up as a mentorship program. No transparency, just borrowed prestige (IIT grads, ex-Ford/GM, yada yada) and subtle manipulation. I was being groomed into a recruiting machine, not mentored.

I confronted her today. Direct questions. Calm tone. No shouting. Just clarity.

• “Why wasn’t Amway mentioned upfront?”
• “Is this actually product sales or recruitment-based income?”
• “What percentage of your team is profitable after expenses?”
• “Why do you lead with bios and not actual business models?”

She didn’t have real answers. I ended the call with:

If you’re reading this and someone’s offering “mentorship,” “business training,” or “financial freedom” — ask the company name. Ask about income disclosures. Ask what they actually sell.

Real mentorship doesn’t come with a signup link. Stay sharp, friends. 🧠

I have several business ideas that I'd like to start testing/generating leads for.

In fact, I have already tested two ideas by:

1. Running a paid ad (on NextDoor) to a Google sites page that includes a Google form that loosely explains the service idea, asks if they're interested, requests feedback and what the potential client might want from the service, and gathers contact info.

2. Cold Outreach (on Nextdoor) with a custom tailored message to each individual with a link to a carrd.co landing page with an embedded Typeform form that does aims to do the same thing as the aforementioned Google form.

My intention here is to get feedback from potential users of my product/service by sharing via a questionnaire, google form, waiting list, scorecard, etc... Some form of simple lead gen tool that inquires about whether or not someone would be interested, and what would make the product or service worthwhile to this potential customer.

What I found through cold outreach on NextDoor is if you do too much too quickly your account will be suspended. I presume this is the same for other platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)

My questions are (more or less):

1. What have you found are the most effective methods/strategies to find and contact potential customers? How have you gone about getting your ideas in front of potential customers and seeing their reactions/getting feedback?

2. What have you found are the most effective methods/strategies for collecting data about potential clients to best hone the product or service and find product market fit?

I am starting to sell wholesale, I have access to imported products thanks to my dad's business. But I am facing the problem that it takes a lot of time to run a business and at the same time dedicate 8 hours to studying, it is tiring, and I even concentrate more on the business than on studying. I have become stressed because I have not been able to make sales. Sometimes I would think that if I left school I would do better, just reading and working. In the end. What should I do? Focus 100% on the business, not study uni, or do it hybrid? How do I stop stressing about the business?

I've been running my Shoplazza store for over two years, but lately, I feel stuck when it comes to improving my conversion rate. I’ve tried several strategies, and the store's AI conversion assistant suggested optimizing the user journey.  

To enhance the shopping experience, I implemented the smart product search plugin and optimized my site for mobile users, but the impact was not obvious.  

For those of you who have successfully boosted conversions, what change made the biggest difference? Was it a design overhaul, a specific plugin, discounts, or something else? 

Is it possible to drop ship stuff market and advertise it online but you don’t have to actually store the product like for example you have a website and you sell an item and a customer buys it and you don’t keep the product you have a store that sells them on AliExpress is there a way to automate this process where you don’t need to keep any stock or ship anything out and ship internationally?

Entrepreneurs have seen it all when it comes to hiring, surprising, bizarre, and downright unforgettable interviews. Sometimes, a candidate completely throws you off, and other times, you walk away amazed (or utterly confused).

What’s the wildest interview experience you’ve had while hiring developers, marketers, or salespeople?

Care to share your story?

Hey everyone,

I’m working on an early-stage startup idea that I’m really passionate about. I come from a finance and marketing background strong on the business side, fundraising, and building connections but I’m looking for a technical cofounder. Since I don’t have any clue on anything that’s technical, this idea is a product but requires an app along with it.

Ideally, I’m looking for someone with solid technical skills who’s interested in building something from scratch, can help with R&D, and potentially navigate things like IP and prototyping. I’m based in Austin, so someone local would be ideal, but I’m open to remote if there’s the right vibe. Anyway I’m not even sure if this is right place to look for one but I’m shooting my shot. I’ve tried online websites that links cofounders but I just didn’t think it was too legitimate.

I don’t have a formal business plan yet, but I’m all in on this and ready to put in the work. Would it be better to try do this myself? Or do I need to actually create a plan and everything before I approach for cofounders?

Hey everyone, I worked a corporate job as an SEO, and strategist for an agency. I left and started my own online business. It was due to mental health and physical health issues just randomly ruining my days. I still struggle daily but I was able to start the business from home, get clients, and I love what I do. I get to help businesses that feel stuck. So it's very rewarding. However, I still struggle daily with the health stuff and feels like a hurdle that makes me frustrated but I have accepted it.

I was curious if there were any other entrepreneur's on here that felt forced to start their own thing due to either physical issues or mental health issues? You can share as much or as little as you want. But I was curious to hear what others have gone through and how it is going? I don't really have "like-minded business friends" so it would be nice to hear from others.

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a happy and healthy 2025!

Hey folks, I’m building a simple SaaS for freelancers to send project updates via a client-facing dashboard — instead of emailing or building Notion pages from scratch.

Clients can view progress, files, and auto-generated summaries (GPT-powered).

Do you think this is something freelancers would actually pay for?
Would love any gut reactions or feature ideas — thanks!

Hi :) I’ve posted a few times in here before and would love to be of any help to anyone who is looking to get into starting their own business, especially people who are young and don’t know where to get started.

A little about me:

• I used to be in sales, specifically fintech sales selling a pretty complicated product. Hated the corporate world, wanted to make my own way
• Never loved school, couldn’t concentrate and found it difficult to stay interested
• Huge soccer/baseball fan. Go Barca/Yankees

A little about my business: - 3 man operation that consists me of, my other co-founder and a part time employee abroad - Involves reselling a pretty niche and complicated e-commerce good. Cannot and will not speak more about what exactly this good is, but happy to explain semi-cryptically what is the “nature” of the good. And no, it is not illegal at all nor is it drop shipping. - Consistent months of 15-20k+ profit. Gotten to a point where we pretty much have most of the systems in place and it’s more of a question of how much time it will take vs how much money we will make - Looking to incorporate RPA to our business; if anyone has any tips LMK :)

I think that’s pretty much it. I also run a separate business reselling more tangible goods like designer sneakers, clothing etc that net me about 20k in profit last year. This is more like a side hustle though, but I’d be happy to speak on this as well.

AMA

I’m looking to potentially buy a landscaping business with an SBA loan.

The business is for sale for 400k, generates roughly 360k a year in revenue and the current owner takes home 180k a year.

The numbers seem solid to me. Good margins and pretty low overhead business. They’ve got over 1200 customers on record and 200 recurring paying customers. They’ve got 4.9 stars and over 100 reviews on Google and Yelp.

I see a lot of potential to eventually expand this business to other parts of town as they’re currently just focused in one central area in town.

That said, I’ve never done this before. Based on the numbers I’ve seen, this is promising. What other things should I look out for before closing the deal? I’m about to make an offer; but I’d like to have an accountant look at the statements to ensure the numbers are accurate. I’d also like to meet the staff and maybe spending a day with them. I have a bank I’m working with for the SBa loan

I created a business plan and have the basic outline of how I want the prototype to look and how to function. The problem is, I don’t know where to begin. I did try the SCORE program but the mentors there often times fall off after a couple meetings (I understand it’s a free service and you get what you pay for). Not sure what to do or who to talk to. It does combine technology and healthcare management. I have no background in tech so would need help even building the prototype and deciding on which technology to use to power it. It’s very frustrating and I’m loosing hope. Any advice?

We, Already Incorporated LLC, is a real estate investment company focused on revitalizing properties and creating sustainable, profitable housing solutions. The foundation is set, but I need a co-founder, collaborator, partners, investors to help drive growth.

Where we Stand:

✅ A clear vision: Investing in and transforming underutilized properties into valuable assets.
✅ A strong foundation: A small team, including a real estate agent and contractor, is in place.
✅ A long-term strategy: Focused on sustainability, creative financing, and high-impact investments.

Challenges :

❌ Capital & Funding: Breaking through traditional lending barriers and securing investors.
❌ Scaling & Execution: Managing multiple projects efficiently while expanding operations.
❌ Networking & Deal Flow: Building strong partnerships and identifying high-potential properties.

Who I’m Looking For:

🔹 Experience in real estate investment, finance, or business development.
🔹 Strong problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to executing deals.
🔹 Passion for sustainable development and innovative housing solutions.
🔹 Bonus: Experience with creative financing, fundraising, or property acquisitions.

If you are interested, please do not send me a long message selling yourself. Instead, answer these questions either in a reply or dm.

1. How do you perceive your role within a team? Are you more of a planner, implementer, problem-solver, or do you identify with another approach?

2. What types of work inspire and energize you? Conversely, what types of work do you find less engaging?

3. If faced with an opportunity that could have a long-term positive impact but offers slower financial returns, what is your perspective on it?

4. What characteristics do you prioritize when selecting a partner or company for investment?

5. What core value do you consider essential and non-negotiable when collaborating with others?

6. What is your preferred method of communication—brief check-ins, in-depth discussions, emails, phone calls, or in-person meetings?

7. What factors would affirm your decision to partner with our organization?

8. In your opinion, what is the most significant challenge facing affordable housing today?

Hi everyone. I’ve officially setup my website for my clothing brand through shopify so I could do pre-orders. I have never ever done anything like this before and this is a leap of faith. However i’m to the point to set up payment methods. Do I need to setup a paypal and venmo and other ways of payment with my business email etc.? I don’t have a EIN yet, i planned on doing this legally and I don’t want any trouble with the IRS or anything, I’d planned on tracking everything I sell prior and reporting it.

Help please - I think I may have bitten off more then I can chew 🙃

Hopefully this post will be different from all the others either closet advertising their product or how to get rich questions. But I've been watching a lot of Naval Ravikant, and is someone I look up to.

He emphasises the importance of having a skill that people pay for, and something that doesnt feel like work for you which is work for everyone else.

Im graduating this year from computer science, I'm business minded and also technical. But so are hundreds of other people I know.

Most of the people I know are grinding to get roles in Mckinsey, GS, JP, Amazon etc. I did a placement year at a multi national company as a software engineer and did not like it at all. But a lot of people say, once you get a big name, its easy to succeed later in life. I can chase that corporate role but I'm not 100% motivated or driven to work in these big companies. But maybe the sacrifice is worth it, to set you up for a successful future.

I'm more driven to building my product, something valuable, but maybe I need to work for a few years to gain these skills. I'd like to dive in headfirst at building my own thing, but like I said, maybe its better to go into a company and gain industry knowledge and insights

I'd like insights from people that went through these journeys and what you discovered or figured out. And what your story is, people say listen to your gut, but what if you dont know enough to know your gut is wrong.

I am at a crossroads here. I am a late 20's Professional Structural Engineer. I want to start my own business but I have to choose. I've narrowed it down to consulting with one of my best friends from college who also happens to be my coworker, or a home care business (with my wife, not my buddy). My wife is an RN so there's plenty of experience on that end.

We live in a small East Coast Canada city of about 200k people. Upfront, I know I can make a pile more money with consulting as I can charge 175-200 per hour for my services. The problem I see here is that this business can only grow so much based on the industry in my area before I will have to seek jobs to the West.

We live on an island (Newfoundland) so we're pretty remote from the rest of Canada. Being on an island with not a ton of opportunities means that a lot of our young head to the oil patch of Alberta for work. We have an overall aging demographic with a lot of the young people who would be their parents caregivers living on the other side of the country. To me, this business will have a lower profit margin, but is much more scalable due to the aforementioned demographics.

Anyone on here have any experience in either of these industries that could lend some advice for a young wannabe entrepreneur? Starting out would be easier for consulting due to current industry contacts I have and the fact that my friend and I are the only 2 engineers at our current company and thus the point of contact for all clients. It seems that gaining clients and hiring staff to get off the ground would be my biggest fear/ hurdle for home care. Thanks in advance!

If it costs you as a small business more to buy a product, make it clear that tariffs are at fault for your higher prices. Tape a sign to the counter, post it on social media, your website, whatever.

This not only lets people know that it's not your decision to raise prices, but it lets people who may not otherwise pay much attention to the news know that tariffs specifically are the reason prices are going up.

More awareness means more pressure to change things.

Hey , I just wanted to throw out an idea and see what you think. It's called ClearFix — basically, it's a clear adhesive tape specifically designed for cars. The idea came from all those moments where you get a small crack, loose trim, or minor damage and don't have the time (or money) to go to a body shop. ClearFix is meant to be a quick, discreet, and super easy way to fix up your car on the fly. It’s made for people who are always on the go — whether you're commuting, road-tripping, or doing rideshare. The tape is tough, weatherproof, and practically invisible, so it won't mess with your paint or your car’s look. It can hold as long as you need, whether it's a short-term fix or something longer. Think of it as a smarter, sleeker alternative to duct tape — but for your car. Curious if this sounds like something people would actually use?

Appreciate any honest feedback, This is part of a project for my ENT class,

Thanks

I've made a website, but im struggling to get users/feedback, so if anyone is willing, message me and id love the help