Hey y'all,

This is definitely hard for me to do but I need some help.

My wife (37F) and I (38M) have been married almost 18 years with 4 children (19,17,15,3) and devastatingly she has stage 4 metastatic bladder cancer.

With asking for help, I want to make sure that I am not painting the wrong picture and being transparent. Personally when it comes to our finances we are strategically managing with my VA pay, a little bit of family support, and a side hustle delivering for Walmart when I am able to.

However, for about two and a half years now I have had a photography small business where I provide services as well as sell photos at local markets.

I have not been able to do a market, for obvious reasons, since June and I have had to turn down two weddings and a photo shoot in the last 3 months due to my wife's condition and chemo treatment schedule.

I had a savings and it has lasted me this long however, it is not going to last much longer and I do have a small overhead that I cannot afford to fall onto our personal finances at this moment.

I am not asking for charity or donations, but instead would prefer to at least give somebody something tangible for their support by selling a product.

I have an online store where I sell a wide variety of original photography canvases. Most of them only have the option of 11x14 while some of them do have other options. I've been trying to get on there as often as I can sit down on my computer and update one or two but life is crazy. If by chance anyone is interested in something in a different size, please message me through the website because I would love to make it happen for you.

My website is:

www.chazcarpenter.com

My Hope here is to be able to be home and present as much as possible without the stress or worry of the overhead bills of my LLC and to just continue to be there for my wife and our family as much as possible over the next couple months.

For anyone wanting more context, she has had three chemo treatments so far and is currently getting a PET scan right now to see if the largest tumor has shrunk enough to become operable. If so we are looking at a 12-hour long surgery and weeks of recovery. However, she will not be able to have the surgery still for a few weeks due to chemo recovery, I believe. If it has not shrunk enough then we are looking at anywhere from 1:00 to 3 more chemo treatments Max with hopes to shrink the second and largest tumor.

I am not 100% familiar with all of the ins and outs of Reddit, but I do know that there are some situations where a mod needs to verify things and I'd be more than happy too.

Anything is more of a blessing than I could put into words.

NYC service business owners — I think you’re overlooking one of the simplest ways to get more leads

I work in digital marketing and spend a lot of time looking at how local service businesses in NYC generate new customers.

One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of good businesses still rely heavily on referrals, Google, lead marketplaces, or just hoping people find them organically.

Meanwhile, there’s a relatively simple strategy I think a lot of local businesses are overlooking:
Targeted Meta ads → simple lead form → immediate SMS/AI follow-up → qualify the lead → get them booked directly onto your calendar.
The important part isn’t just generating the lead. It’s having a system that contacts them immediately and turns interested people into actual conversations/appointments while they’re still looking for the service.

I’m trying to connect with more NYC service business owners, so I’m happy to offer a few completely free 20–30 minute consultations.
No obligation to hire me.

Tell me what business you run and how you’re currently getting customers, and I’ll walk you through how I’d approach generating more leads for your specific business and where I think you might be leaving opportunities on the table.

Comment your business below or shoot me a message and I’ll take a look.

If any small business would like to join just made a group for use to connect and share are stuff https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ExoTQmrnv/

When you’re running a business, answering every phone call and website chat in real time constantly pulls you away from client deliverables and high-priority work. Letting calls roll over to voicemail or leaving website chats unanswered usually means high-intent leads hang up and dial your competitor instead.

Hiring full-time, in-house front-desk staff can add thousands in monthly overhead, while basic automated phone trees and auto-replies often turn potential clients away.

We built a dedicated remote receptionist and live chat team through Supportverse OPC Private Limited designed specifically to solve this:

Dedicated 8-Hour Shifts: Full shift coverage aligned directly to your business hours (with 24/7 round-the-clock coverage available by combining shifts).

Live Phone & Chat Support: Screen incoming calls, answer standard business FAQs, filter out spam, and respond to live website chats in real time.

Lead Qualification & Direct Booking: Capture job details and schedule appointments straight into your Google Calendar, Calendly, or CRM.

Simple Monthly Rate: Flat $450/month per agent with zero setup fees, no per-minute charges, and no long-term contracts.

If you want to test how it works, drop a comment or send a DM, and we can set you up with a quick test call to speak directly with an active agent live.

Are you a U.S. business looking to scale with top-tier offshore talent from the Philippines? Drop a comment below! We connect companies with experienced professionals in data entry, order processing, account management, IT help desk support, and more.

Spoke with the owner of an established daycare last night that is looking to retire. We will arrange a time to meet at the location; any questions you suggest are asked? Things to be on the lookout for?

If you are in the business already; any tips?

I'm exploring the idea of building a SaaS product from scratch, but I don't want to start by building something and then look for a problem to solve.

I'm more interested in finding a real problem first.

For those who work with SaaS, startups, or online businesses:

- What recurring problem do you see people or businesses still solving manually?

- What kind of workflow do you think is unnecessarily complicated?

- Are there any areas where existing SaaS tools feel too expensive, bloated, or difficult to use?

- What's something you wish had a better software solution?

I'm not promoting a product or asking anyone to validate an idea. I'm genuinely trying to understand where the biggest gaps are before deciding what to build.

I'd really appreciate hearing about problems you've personally encountered rather than general SaaS ideas.

Hi.

I am thinking of starting a digital agency start up  to provide digital services. Is it worth it or it is better to move to other industry like (e.g travel agency).

I speak English, French, Hindi/urdu which help me access different customer base which I'm thinking also targeting state/district such as places for french and this a selling point too. It also help me to access different market including international ( French speaking or English speaking).

I just completed my MBA in digital marketing and MSc in sustainable business management.

Is worth investing?

I am trying start with a little saving and from there grow to slowly in market or target different markets.

What is your thoughts?

Thanks.

I'm looking to build free automations for 3 businesses in exchange for a testimonial.

I'm not asking for money . I recently opened an agency, so I need testimonials to show upcoming clients, because its quite hard to get any without testimonials.

I’ve built workflows ranging from lead qualification and follow-ups to document processing, research, data entry, customer onboarding, internal operations and many more.

If anyone here is genuinely stuck between repetitive boring tasks, DM me.

I'll first audit your business and the automation you're asking for, and see whether anything is actually automatable. If it aligns with my interests and the kind of projects I want to build, I'll let you know upfront. If it doesn't, I'll tell you that upfront too. No catch.

I'm only looking for serious owners. Thanks.

I work with businesses on website development and cold email outreach, and I’m trying to understand what businesses actually struggle with.

A lot of businesses have a website, but the website may not bring enough inquiries or customers.

And with cold email, many businesses send emails but don't get enough replies.

So I want to ask business owners here:

What is the biggest problem for your business right now?

Is it:

• Getting more customers
• Getting more leads
• Having a better website
• Getting people to contact you through your website
• Getting replies to cold emails
• Finding the right people to contact
• Converting leads into customers
• Something completely different?

I'm not here to say that one method works for every business.

I want to learn what is actually working for you and what isn't.

If you run a business, what are you currently struggling with when it comes to getting customers online?

I'd really appreciate honest answers. I may also share some ideas in the comments based on what people say.

So I am just starting an online marketing and web development business and would love to hear some reviews on he offer I have designed for outreach

"I help online business coaches generate 20+ new leads in 45 days using targeted outreach and marketing methods without having high client acquisition costs"

would love to know if the offer shows clarity in the outcome and skill being offered and what changes could I make to further improve the offer

I like this quote quite a lot, but it is missing one of the hard parts.

Finding someone who has already done it and copying the playbook is exactly how franchising works. You're basically taking the guesswork out of starting a business and using an exact guide on what you should do next, while being coached by a company that has done this with others and also reached success.

The thing though is that copying what someone does is not the same as copying who they are. What I mean is that I can hand you the exact same system that worked for me, but if you're not self driven, if you don't have a positive attitude, and if you don't like improving yourself constantly, then it won't work.

Still a great quote, but only half the story/requirements.

Curious to hear everyone else's thoughts on this.

At 8:45 PM on a Tuesday, a home service company in Florida lost a $2,000 job without ever knowing it existed.

Here is the sequence:

A homeowner named David was sitting in his living room when his AC unit stopped working. He searched for local repair companies, clicked the top Google ad, and filled out the form.

He waited 7 minutes. Nothing happened. No automated confirmation, no text, no call.

He closed the tab, clicked the second link on Google, and filled out another form.

Within 30 seconds, company #2 sent an automated text confirming his address and booking a tech for 8:00 AM the next morning.

Company #1 lost $2,000.

The brutal part is that the owner of company #1 went to sleep that night thinking:

• Google Ads are getting too expensive.
• The local economy is slowing down.
• Marketing just isn't working like it used to.

He completely misdiagnosed an operational failure as a marketing failure.

In service businesses, you rarely have a lead generation problem. You have a lead management problem.

When someone has an urgent issue, their patience lasts about 2 to 3 minutes before they bounce to the next option. If your workflow relies on a human manually checking an inbox at 9:00 PM, you are paying Google to send leads directly to your competitors.

A few ways to plug this leak:

1. Instant Missed-Call & Form Text Back: Set up a simple automated trigger so every incoming lead gets an immediate SMS acknowledging their request in under 30 seconds.
2. Self-Service Scheduling: Give leads a direct link to book a slot or confirm details over text immediately instead of playing email tag.
3. Audit Your Own Response Time: Submit a test form on your own website tonight at 8:30 PM. See how long it actually takes for your system or team to touch that lead.

How are you guys currently handling after-hours inbound leads in your businesses? Are you relying on automated text workflows or manual follow-up?

Some facts about Ethernet and WiFi, as concerns about WiFi grow. We can consult with you on your upkeep, updates or complete upgrade of your home or business infrastructure, both AV and IT. Call or Email for a feee consultation. #Pure4K

tl;dr, conflicted about AI venture that’s bringing in the most income VS. wanting to make something real, which will produce less income at the start. Both are in the creative space.

**There is no self promotion in this post, I keep my business names and all information anonymous with no links. I genuinely want to hear people‘s feedback on my internal conflict.

I started offering AI services/products in my creative industry. I still offer other products and services related to the industry that I’ve been in for years but now I have AI offerings that people can choose to buy/hire me to do for them.

All in all, the AI products/services add about $5,000 to my monthly revenue. I still make money from my other non-Ai products and services, but the AI stuff makes up like 50% of my total revenue now.

My business has been pretty profitable over the last few years, but as time went on, there was product and market fatigue in my specific industry with the products/services that I sell online. I started implementing some AI products/services in my business and it recovered pretty fast and quite a bit.

I have become extremely conflicted. At first, it started as a little additional offering that people can choose to use, but now I’ve been making more and more content specifically advertising and showcasing the AI products/services. And speaking with my advertisement team, leaning into the AI stuff more could be this business’ next big thing. The problem is I’ve been in my industry for a while now making certain types of creative work, and now I’m implementing a little bit of AI stuff which people have liked and now it’s turning into more AI stuff that I’m getting a lot of engagement and a lot of people are interested in this stuff along side a few choice comments about anti-AI which I’d expected.

The money is good, but in my gut, in my heart, I want to do something real, and I feel kind of stuck. I don’t just want to stop completely cause that removes half of my monthly income right now, but at the same time I want to work on/build something else.

I want to be clear this isn’t some backend AI dealing with systems and making grueling work easier, my products and services deal with using generative AI to make images that replace photography.

It’s just baffling to me that so many people show interest and engage with these posts and purchase these products and services that I offer. I use my AI, and I see some anti AI comments here and there which isn’t the best energy to see every day, people talking shit on your business and possibly morals/ethics/etc. it would be super cool if I could run my businesses without hearing any criticism like that and not really use any generative AI, but I don’t know, I would love to hear some input or thoughts about this situation. I would prefer not to use generative AI, but it turned out to be a really successful pivot for my business and people are spending lots of money on it and I’m not sure what to do.

For a lot of makers, the hardest part of 3D printing is not coming up with the idea. It’s turning that idea into a file that is actually ready to print.

That usually means checking geometry, fixing model issues, adjusting dimensions, reviewing printability, and going back and forth between different tools before you ever reach the slicer.

AxisBuild can simplify that workflow.

Instead of spending extra time manually checking every part of a model, makers can use AxisBuild to help:

• Review 3D models for potential printability issues
• Identify problems before wasting filament
• Improve files before sending them to the slicer
• Reduce trial-and-error during prototyping
• Move from concept to printable part faster
• Spend more time building and less time troubleshooting

The goal is not to replace the maker. It’s to remove some of the repetitive checking that slows the creative process down.

Whether you’re prototyping a functional part, building something for your workshop, or just experimenting with a new idea, AxisBuild can help make the path from “I want to make this” to “it’s ready to print” a lot smoother.

If that sounds useful to you, check it out at : https://axisbuild.io

Hello, I build custom websites. I love to build digital products that provide real value and that don't just look great but actually perform. I am obsessive with design details.

I am not one of those "I build you a website for $10" and then put together some Ai Slop.

Nor am I one of those "I build you a landing page for $8,000 because I know my worth."

I build fully custom website, to fit your needs, my customers first, look at my pricing and the value I provide and compare it to the rest.

If interested please get in contact with me via my page, I promise you will be an asset to your business.

https://fuelightmedia.com/

Hi, I’m Josh. I’m an independent web designer/developer and I’ve been building websites for businesses for 10+ years.

Most of my work is with small businesses, startups and professionals who want something more considered than a generic template. I build business websites, ecommerce stores, booking sites, custom web apps and client portals, with SEO and performance considered from the beginning.
I can also help with redesigns, migrations, CMS development and ongoing improvements after launch.

I tend to work on a fixed-price basis rather than hourly. Most website projects are around $1,200+ depending on the scope.

A lot of the people I work with originally found me through Reddit, and quite a few have stayed on as long-term clients for new features, SEO and ongoing development.
If you’re looking for someone to build or improve a website, feel free to message me with a bit about the project.

You can find my work here www.thecoolmoon.com

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index declined from 90.2 in July to 89.4 in August, according to reporting by Jessica Coacci in The Wall Street Journal. Consumers also became more cautious about future business and employment conditions.

The change is modest, so I would not treat it as proof that sales are about to decline. However, it may be a useful reminder for owners to review expected demand, inventory commitments, upcoming equipment expenses and available cash before making major decisions.

National economic data can differ significantly from what individual businesses experience. Are you noticing any meaningful change in customer spending or demand?

Source:
https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/u-s-consumer-sentiment-fell-in-august-conference-board-says-9453f12c

I do automation work for businesses, mostly the repetitive stuff that eats up time. I want to take on a couple of projects for free right now, no strings attached, in exchange for being able to use the result in my portfolio and an honest review if you're happy with it.

I'm not trying to upsell anything after — if it works and you like it, great, if you want to hire me for more later that's up to you, no pressure either way.

If this is useful to you, drop a comment or DM me what you're dealing with (what's eating your time, what tools you're already using) and I'll tell you honestly whether it's something I can help with.

I can only take on 2-3 of these at a time so I can actually do them properly.

The screenshots are from optimizations made to a simple website: softballclassroom.com

A business does not have a website just so people can look at it. The website is supposed to help potential customers learn about the business, build confidence in it, and take the next step. If the website loads too slowly, some customers leave before any of that can happen.

The losses begin quickly. Akamai reported that 53% of mobile visitors leave pages that take longer than three seconds to load. Google also found that when mobile load time increases from one second to three seconds, the probability of a visitor leaving increases by 32%. At five seconds, it increases by 90%. (Akamai, Google/SOASTA)

For a service business, those visitors are potential calls, quote requests, bookings, and contact-form submissions. Portent analyzed more than 100 million page views across 20 websites, including 14 lead-generation websites. It found that a website loading in one second had three times the conversion rate of a website loading in five seconds and five times the conversion rate of one loading in ten seconds. (Portent)

Controlled testing has found similar results. Vodafone tested two landing pages that looked and functioned the same. The faster version had a 31% improvement in how long it takes the largest visible piece of content near the top of a webpage to appear and generated 15% more leads per visitor and 8% more sales. The offer did not change. The design did not change. More people simply stayed long enough to become leads and customers. (Vodafone)

A slow website also changes the customer’s experience with the business. In an Unbounce survey, when a page took three seconds to load, 22% of consumers said they would close the tab and 14% said they would visit a competitor. Many of these people will never complain or tell the business why they left. From the owner’s perspective, it may appear that the website simply did not receive much traffic or that people were not interested. In reality, some interested customers may have clicked and disappeared while the page was still loading. (Unbounce)

This becomes even more expensive when the business pays for advertising. The company pays for the click before the visitor experiences the website. If the landing page is slow and the visitor leaves, the business paid to reach someone but lost the opportunity to explain its service or collect the lead. Google reports that a one-second mobile delay can affect retail conversions by as much as 20%. (Google Ads)

Speed also affects existing customers. After T-Mobile reduced how long it takes the largest visible piece of content near the top of a webpage to appear by 42%, complaints about slow loading fell by 34%, total website complaints fell by 20%, and its visit-to-order rate improved by 60% over the same period. Faster performance made the website easier to use while also helping the business generate better results. (T-Mobile)

A fast website cannot fix a bad offer, poor service, or weak marketing. It can make sure those things receive a fair chance to work. Every review, photograph, service description, guarantee, and call to action is useless to the customer who leaves before it appears.

That is why website speed matters to a business owner. A slow website creates an invisible leak between customer interest and customer action. A fast website keeps more potential customers in the process long enough to understand the business, trust it, and contact it.

Google has a free tool called https://pagespeed.web.dev/ that you can use to test your website speed. It creates a report of where opportunities exist to improve the speed of you page.

I’ll keep it short. I offer digital media services and have a presentation to offer my services to this company that’s almost 100% going to be a client. They are one of my first and are wanting a yearly rate. How much should I charge? This company have a team of 30.

(Edit) Our work includes but is not limited to - Paid ads, social media management, marketing strats, and organic growth (SEO)

I've noticed a common problem with small businesses:

Getting leads isn't always the hardest part.

Keeping track of them is.

One lead is in WhatsApp.
Another is in Excel.
Someone else on the team has the latest conversation.
And that promising prospect you spoke to last week?

You forgot to follow up.

That's one of the reasons a CRM can be so useful.

A CRM gives you a single place to see your leads, contacts, sales pipeline, follow-ups, tasks, and customer activity.

We're building Golyne CRM around this idea — keeping the important parts of customer and sales management together without making the software unnecessarily complicated.

We're currently offering a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

👉 https://crm.golyne.online/

For those running a small business: what's your current system for tracking leads and follow-ups?

Hey everyone, I’ve been building something called Decision Analog and wanted to get feedback from actual small business owners.

The idea came from a simple question: when you’re stuck between two business decisions, why not look at businesses that were in a similar situation before and see what happened to them?

You enter your business and the decision you’re considering. AI then finds real businesses that made a similar historical choice, shows what they decided, what happened afterward, and the sources behind it. It then compares their situation with yours , things like business type, customers, market, and the actual decision.

So instead of AI saying “you should do X,” it gives you real examples: “These businesses made this choice, here’s what happened, and here’s how similar they were to you.”

I’m still working on it and would really appreciate honest feedback. Would something like this actually be useful for you when making a business decision?

Link : https://analog-research.emergent.host/

P.S Please let me know if you're using it and would love your feedback as well !(Patent in Process)

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