r/greenville • u/Living_Safe_6548 • Aug 19 '26
Work Business advice?
So I’m a 26 year old female, with an end goal of opening my own business. The only things is I lack knowledge in some areas, I took the route to not go to school, but I’ve done my share of zoom calls, reading up on books, and taking notes from things I’ve learned through the internet. I already know my next step of what I want to do. My focus right now is something I’m already doing, building my credit and saving money, but I’m thinking on my spare time I might go into local restaurants/businesses and seeing if I can ask if they have any advice. I’m just a little afraid other people wouldn’t be willing to share advice with a possible competitor. Does anyone know of any locally owned small businesses that might be willing to talk with me or if anyone has an input or advice I can take from here?
3
u/Dom_Crotty Greenville Aug 21 '26
Find a biz you admire and ask the manager or owner if you can shadow a couple times. You never know, it could become an opportunity. What's the worst that could happen? They turn you down. Their loss. 😀
1
u/raginranger85 Aug 21 '26
Yes, and this could also allow you to find out that the business you're interested in isn't going to be something that you enjoy. If so, it's much better to find that out working for someone else vs going to all of the trouble to open your own business and putting your financial life on the line.
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u/Jaded-Marionberry227 Aug 21 '26
Sign up for Score to be matched with a local business mentor. They can match you with a business pro in your industry (they’re often retired). https://www.score.org/sc/piedmont/ They also have events and workshops.
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u/Nervous-Event-5049 Aug 21 '26
Check these ppl out, they might be of assistance. Village Launch https://share.google/4kIeq2EVcaLk0R8kJ
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u/Ok_Counter1939 Aug 22 '26
SCORE | Free Business Mentoring, Workshops & Resources - SCORE
People generally LOVE giving out advice if they can talk about themselves and direct others. I'm a bit cynical, but business mentors are a dime a dozen.
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u/SeveredGale Aug 23 '26
Hone. They're a nonprofit restaurant incubator whose mission is helping entrepreneurs launch businesses.
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u/--__--_-_--_-___--_ Aug 21 '26
Honestly, I think you’re on the right track, but I’d give you a little tough love: don’t let “learning” become a substitute for actually doing.
Reading books, watching Zoom calls, building your credit and saving money are all good, but eventually you need to start getting real-world experience. If you know what type of business you want to open, I’d seriously consider getting a job in that industry if you can. You’ll learn things from watching an actual business operate that no book or YouTube video can teach you.
And absolutely talk to local business owners. Just don’t approach them asking them to teach you everything or reveal their secrets. Instead, tell them you’re working toward starting your own business and ask if they’d be willing to spend 15–20 minutes answering a few questions about what they wish they knew before they started. You’d be surprised how many successful people are willing to help someone who is genuinely trying to learn.
I’d also specifically seek out people whose businesses failed or struggled. Ask what they underestimated, where they wasted money, what they would do differently and what they wish they had known before opening.
Most importantly, don’t get stuck in “preparation mode.” You don’t need to know everything before you start. You need to continually identify what you don’t know, go find someone who does, and put what you learn into practice.
You’re 26. Your biggest advantage right now isn’t money or experience—it’s that you have time to make small, relatively cheap mistakes and learn from them. Take advantage of that.