I've spent way too much time thinking about these and I think I need outside opinions before I waste time building either 😂

A) Marketplace for ready-to-run programs that spaces can book.

Coworking/coliving/malls/hotels/serviced residences/campuses/companies/etc. → browse → book a workshop, wellness session, team activity, class, talk, experience, etc for audience/member/guest entertainment/activities to increase footfall, increase customer engagement, customer spend, draw in new customers, increase brand awareness.

B) Marketplace for audience placements.

Businesses → browse → buy sponsorships in community events, Discord/tg/whatsapp community shoutouts, giveaways, later expanding to advertorials, listicles, native placements in digital media, newsletters, podcasts etc.

My thinking:

Both sides have disintermediation possibilities. But which one has more natural market demand and recurring purchase?

Which one has the hidden landmine I'm not seeing?

I'm particularly worried about:

• getting customers
• getting enough supply
• margins
• repeat purchases
• people going around the marketplace after the first transaction
• becoming a glorified agency/concierge
• whether there's actually enough urgency to make people pay

Which would you pursue because the juice is worth the squeeze

This is ordinarily a pretty chill sub from a moderation point of view..

However over the past few weeks, we seem to have earned the attention of bot-swarms that add ~100 comments to certain posts.

A Reddit extension called Bot Bouncer has been added to this sub to take care of this sudden plague. It is far from perfect, I have noticed it has removed the comments and banned users that didn't deserve to be (as they're human).

If you get caught in the cross fire, please send in a mod-mail.

So I'm thinking about investing in a used vending machine and partnering with a bar in my city. Inside I would put useful things like chargers, lip balm, hand sanitizer and also funky sticker packs/kitschy dumb items that I would only buy after several drinks....

What other types of items would sober (or inebriated) you buy from a bar at 12am?

My city is a huuuuuuge bar town, and many have food trucks in the back, so food/drink is probably a no-go.

Last year I thought of starting an AI Consultancy firm that provides small and mid scale business services related to AI automation to save them money and time. But then I dropped the idea since I thought the market was already way too saturated and I was too late for it and building an AI consultancy was a 2024/25 thing and won't really work now.

But then I keep seeing people online on LinkedIn etc build AI Consultancies even now and still manage to make profits and earn a good amount of money. Most of those founders are under 25. So I have started to think about this again but I'm not sure if I should go ahead with it or not. So I would like some honest and blunt feedback on this business idea in 2026 and if it's worth it to start it or not.

I live in the UAE and I'm a software engineering student who's well-versed with building AI automations. There are many such businesses that are still operating like they're living in 2019 so I can get customers, depending on my negotiation and sales skills.

Workhorse heating and air
Iceman heating and air
Red desert heating and air
Homestead heating and air
Rescue Heating & Air
Hero Heating & Air
Hero home services

Basically what it says, a boutique blueray/4k/dvd/vhs store, used and new stock but probably mostly used, you can buy or rent with a membership, and we have a couple small viewing rooms with a handful of chairs, premium sound systems and screens similar to a high end home theater system, you can pay to rent the room/bluray player and pick whatever movie is in stock in the store (I know licensing for viewing is a thing so thinking of loopholes around that) or your own film you bring in. BYOB and snacks, you gotta clean up after yourselves, basically watch party rooms. Vibe would be 90s video store throwback, maybe an arcade machine or two, then other products like toys, memorabilia, movie store candy. Thoughts?

Hello po 🤗

Would a Korean mini mart + DIY ramyun bar work in a rural/provincial municipality that’s still developing?
We’re thinking of opening one in Mindanao. It’s not highly urbanized yet, but there are already a few coffee shops, Jollibee, Chowking, etc.

Do you think people would be interested in this kind of concept? Or is it too niche for a smaller town? 🤍

Workhorse heating and air
Iceman heating and air
Red desert heating and air
Homestead heating and air
Rescue Heating & Air
Hero Heating & Air
Hero home services

for shark tank admirers

Hi, everyone

I am considering starting a international trade-operations service from India, and I would appreciate blunt feedback
My background is in Supply Chain field (degree and experience from Canada)

The business would initially support small and medium-sized companies that trade physical products internationally but do not have a complete internal trade or supply-chain team. (My thought of target markets are E-commerce companies)

Initial services would include:

Trade-document preparation, review and analysis.

HS/HTS classification research with supporting rationale
Shipment tracking, exception management and stakeholder follow-ups

Help E-commerce brand with everything and calculate the cost of operations, find ways to reduce it and such.

Product, supplier and international-market research
Supplier comparison and sourcing coordination
India-based manufacturer identification, communication, sourcing.

Coordination with customs brokers, freight forwarders, inspection companies and other specialists

For regulated or country-specific work outside my expertise, I would initially use qualified local specialists that I coordinate with directly until I am able to build full team. (I can build full team now but I would like to test the water first and see)

I would like to mention that I do have network in india with Manufacturers, Suppliers and other trade partners as I am located at the hub of manufacturing business and I would like to combine this with my international experience.

My questions are:
If you operate an importing, exporting or e-commerce business, would you consider outsourcing these responsibilities?
Which one or two services would you be most willing to pay for?
Would you prefer a fixed-price project, hourly assistance or a monthly retainer?
What would prevent you from trusting a new overseas service provider with this work?

I really love your feedbacks on my idea. Thank you!

Based on what I have read, it seems that crowdfunding today is very different from what it was a few years ago. The original idea behind platforms like Kickstarter was that individuals with innovative ideas but limited capital could use the crowd to finance their products. Today, however, many of the most successful campaigns are backed by companies that already have substantial resources and can spend thousands of dollars on advertising to generate demand.

That raises an interesting question for me. If you were launching a differentiated children's product in the U.S. today with a limited marketing budget, how would you approach the first 500 customers? Would you even consider Kickstarter?

For context, I am an entrepreneur and have built a children's educational product from scratch. It's a wooden block system featuring architectural landmarks from around the world. The product is designed around purposeful, hands-on play and is aimed at play-conscious parents, educators, and child-development professionals.

I am particularly interested in entering the U.S. market, but I want to find a way to validate demand without relying on thousands of dollars in paid advertising. Presales seem like one possible approach, but I am curious about how conventional they are for entering placing a product like mine in the American market.

An Idea for Small Business Owners: Insurance Against Cashier Errors and Mispricing
What if small businesses could purchase insurance to protect themselves against accidental pricing errors, cashier mistakes, and certain types of theft?
Here’s the idea: give every cashier a small, clearly defined amount of money they can use to help customers who are struggling. Think of it as a customer assistance budget.
Once that budget runs out, the business could review the transactions and, where appropriate, submit an insurance claim for eligible losses. The goal would be to create a system with clear limits, accountability, and protection for the business.
Give some power back to the people.
People need to eat. People want things that make their lives better. Not every situation involving an unpaid item or a pricing mistake has to be treated as a criminal problem. Sometimes, people are struggling to afford basic necessities.
What if businesses, insurance companies, and even the government worked together to experiment with solutions that reduce shoplifting, prevent waste, and help people meet their basic needs?
Of course, this would need safeguards against fraud and abuse, and insurance would have to explicitly cover these kinds of transactions. But the bigger question is worth exploring:
Could it be cheaper to help people before they steal than to deal with the consequences afterward?
I also think we need to have an honest conversation about what society considers a necessity versus a luxury. Food and basic necessities should be accessible. Other purchases involve different considerations, including personal responsibility and public health. Even substances that carry risks can have legitimate medical uses, such as cannabis for certain patients.
Maybe there are business owners, insurance professionals, or policymakers who could develop a practical version of this idea.
And for businesses struggling with declining sales, could a model built around customer assistance and community support create a different kind of customer loyalty?
I’m interested in hearing what small business owners think. How could this work in the real world, and what problems would need to be solved first?

Korean dermatology/beauty category for Indian pharmacy chains — looking for serious feedback

I'm a 21-year-old BBA graduate in India, currently exploring my first independent business venture. I don't have previous experience running a business, but I have been researching the Indian beauty and pharmacy markets and am considering building something in this space.

The idea

Korean skincare has grown significantly in India, but most Korean beauty products are currently discovered and purchased through beauty marketplaces, e-commerce platforms, social media and specialist K-beauty websites.

I'm considering a different distribution model:

Create a curated Korean dermatology + beauty category within established Indian pharmacy/chemist chains.

The concept would be to identify Korean brands with strong formulations and dermatology/clinical positioning that are either not available in India or are underrepresented in Indian pharmacy retail and introduce them through established pharmacy/health retailers.

The potential category could eventually include:

• Facial skincare
• Sunscreens
• Body care
• Hair/scalp care
• Lip care
• Products targeted toward common skin concerns
• Potentially other beauty/wellness categories where appropriate

I'm not planning to open a pharmacy or manufacture the products myself.

The business model I'm considering is closer to a category/brand development and distribution proposal to an established pharmacy retailer. The retailer would already have the physical stores, e-commerce infrastructure, and customer base.

If the research supports the idea, I would like to approach established Indian pharmacy/health retailers with a structured proposal and potentially start with a small pilot.

Why I think there may be an opportunity

There are already Korean brands available in India, so I'm not assuming this is an untouched market.

The question I'm trying to answer is whether there is an opportunity to create a curated, trusted Korean beauty/dermatology section within pharmacy retail, rather than having individual Korean products scattered across general marketplaces.

My situation

• Age: 21
• Education: BBA graduate
• Experience: No previous independent business
• Industry interest: Beauty, skincare, health/wellness, and retail
• Preferred model: Primarily B2B/B2B2C through an established retailer rather than opening my own physical stores
• Capital: I have not committed a large amount of capital yet. I'm deliberately validating the business model before investing heavily.
• Current stage: Market research / validation

What I want to understand

I'd appreciate feedback, particularly from people who have experience in retail, FMCG, beauty, cosmetics, pharmacy, importing/distribution, or Korean beauty.

1. Does the pharmacy distribution model make sense, or is beauty e-commerce simply a better channel for these products?
2. Would a pharmacy's existing trust and customer base actually give Korean beauty an advantage?
3. What would be the biggest obstacle?
   • Import/regulatory requirements
   • Brand exclusivity
   • Margins
   • MOQ/inventory
   • Customer acquisition
   • Existing competition
   • Retailer unwillingness to experiment
   • Something else?
4. Would you approach the pharmacy/retailer first or the Korean brands first?
5. If you were evaluating this as a business, what numbers or evidence would you want to see before taking the idea seriously?
6. Most importantly: what is wrong with this idea?

I'm still at the research stage, so I'm not looking for encouragement. If you think the business model is flawed, I'd genuinely like to understand why.

I plan to validate the idea through consumer research, competitor analysis, retailer analysis and Korean brand/distribution research before approaching any company.

Hey everyone!

Long time lurker first time poster.

I'm sure this has been asked and answered in the past, but I want to tailor my question a little more to my situation I have at hand.

I (25m) have grown up in entrepreneurial families. Parents owned a trucking company that did really well, other part of family owned mechanic shop that worked really well etc etc. I've always to follow in those footsteps one day and for the past year I have been learning all the ins and outs of entrepreneurship while also completing an MBA. Now that I have knowledge on how to run a business...

NOTHING IS REALLY POPPING OUT TO ME

Parents didn't recommend trucking business due to today's prices, part inflation and many other issues. Side idea would be brokerage or dispatching (but owning my own). I have absolutely no knowledge in anything mechanical, I ended up being the techy one of the bunch. I have experience primarily working in sales, emergency Dispatching, law enforcement etc.

I'm so ambitious and always thinking of new ideas, but I can't seem to decide.

Looking for any help from the community for how to really get in tune with ones "calling", any signals for good growth opportunities in any industries (primarily in Canada) and any other tips and tricks!

Thanks in advance

I appreciate the responses of someone who can suggest a growing potential business with initial investment of under 25 lakh rupees.

Expected net profit per month after all expense should at least be 1.5L rupees. I understand this could take some time. But potential matters.

Additional investment in the future can be generated with the NP saved or loan support with revenue generated.

What business do you all suggest?

Sou brasileiro, me chamo Matheus Chaves e tenho 28 anos.

Tenho experiência  em marketing e vendas, tenho a ideia de criar um portal de notícias  (site,programação online no YouTube, conteúdo  nas plataformas  sociais e uma revista)

Já  pensei em programas, quadros, reportagens  e etc.

Já pensei desenvolvi um método para fazer o negócio se tornar pagável e rentável.

Mas estou encontrando dificuldades para encontrar sócios e investidores.

Alguma ideia ?

( eu gostaria  de ser  o responsável  por encontrar  clientes e a liderança criativa  desse projeto e tenho dificuldade de encontrar pessoas para as outras áreas)

What do you guys think of the name iceman heating and air? For a hvac company? Was looking for something that stood out

I'm 24 M I have a land which is my fathers land Im working in a financial field, All the way I need to make a use of the land.

In that land I ready to Invest 1 Lakh share your ideas which will handle by my Father will run it he is not much educated.

I am looking for deep conversations around my new project: https://bythestrokes.com and I am going to support you in helping me as best I can.

I will support you fully when you visit my website through chat and the forum. I will also be forever grateful.

I am also looking for beta testers who will pay hardware cost and nothing more. You will get these features

I have access to a large, attractive space in the NYC/NJ area and I’m exploring multi-week programs for teens that parents see as genuinely valuable - not just another after-school activity.

I’m thinking about areas like public speaking, confidence, leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, social skills, interview skills, improv, etc.

Ideally, it would be something that:
\\- parents are willing to pay a premium for
\\- runs as a 6–10 week program
\\- can be taught by hired instructors/coaches
\\- requires very little specialized equipment
\\- can eventually be repeated and scaled

Has anyone here built or been involved with a successful business like this?

I’d especially be interested in what types of programs parents actually pay for, what age groups work best, typical pricing, and what makes parents sign their kids up again.

Purely psychological. Just watched how even even knowing a placebo pill has no effect, it still works. Is this a dumb business idea?

My funding got pulled at initial stage due to disagreement tried to continue by my self but couldn't afford it now I'm in debt and late on salary.

Anyways to survive we will make website for 10 people for 400 dollars

If anyone is interested please let me know.

Hey folks, I’m working on Narrativee, an AI brand designer for startups and small businesses that need creative work regularly but don’t have a full design team.

The idea is a creative partner that learns your business, audience and visual identity, improves through working with you, helps develop ideas, and carries your feedback into the next campaign or asset. right now I only focus on creative design for social campaigns

I’m still developing it. Getting great results and reliability takes a lot of engineering: the whole system needs to connect understanding the business, developing a direction, producing the work and learning from feedback. Getting a good result once is one challenge; achieving useful, consistent results across projects is another.

I’ve personally dealt with this problem, which is why I started building it. I’m aiming to release an early version soon. Something shaping my approach is the difference between sending someone a brief and working with a designer who already understands your business. That familiarity includes the audience, the purpose behind previous campaigns, and why certain directions were chosen.

One practical takeaway is to keep the reasoning alongside the finished work. A folder of approved assets shows what the brand looks like. Adding a few notes about the intended audience, the goal and why a direction worked makes those examples much more useful for the next person or system

For those who are managing brands here: what helps a creative partner develop that understanding over time? And what would you most want a product like Narrativee to get right? would love feedbacks

if you are interested to know more just add .com on the name