I’m just forming what I want to be a food service selling what I love to cook. The most accessible way to start seems to be street vending and doing festivals and such. My question is, can ai make a comfortable living doing this? What are some of your experiences. Any and all takes could be helpful.

I'm thinking about starting a small UV printing business, torn between getting a smaller desktop UV printer to start with or investing in a larger flatbed UV printer from the beginning.

Part of me thinks it makes sense to keep the initial investment low and see if I can build a customer base first. But I'm also wondering if starting with a smaller machine could limit the types of orders I can take or slow down growth later.

For those who've started a product-based or custom printing business, would you start with the cheapest setup that gets the job done, or invest more upfront to avoid outgrowing your equipment too quickly?

Would love to hear.

Hello everyone,

About 6 months ago, my spouse—who is a fine arts graduate—and I opened a handicraft workshop. We host workshops for children, including activities like wood painting, fabric bag painting, *ebru* (traditional Turkish marbling), mandala art, mosaic glass lamp making, and creating "moon lamps." We also craft lamps from dried gourds, as well as moss art pieces featuring mandalas painted on olive wood. We’ve also opened a shop on Etsy, but so far, our customer base has been very small. We don’t want to give up, but I’m not sure what our next steps should be. If you notice any mistakes we might be making, I would truly appreciate your feedback.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/OLIVEWoodMandalaArt?ref=shop_profile&listing_id=4574628011

im starting to care more about support than saving the last 5%. with international sourcing i usually keep first orders on alibaba because having order details and dispute process in one place is easier for me. for US-facing marketplaces though, which ones actually have reachable customer service when product arrives wrong? phone support would be nice, or atleast a ticket that isnt answered by template five times. im especially interested in wholesale or business purchases, not regular $20 consumer order. refund speed, documentation required and whether marketplace steps in matters. anyone had a genuinely good dispute experience somewhere? boring question until youre the person with $3k of unusable stock sitting there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/s/018UBpbLe7

Hey all, I posted here a few days ago about a difficult client experience, and it got a lot more attention than I expected.

Thank you to everyone who shared their perspective and how they would’ve handled it. It honestly made me feel a lot better about standing by my decision.

I knew running a small business would come with difficult conversations, but sometimes you still walk away questioning yourself. Hearing from others who’ve been there really helped.

I browse this subreddit almost every day and learn so much from you all. Just wanted to show some appreciation. Cheers, and thank you!

Hi, im a new Claw machine operator.

Im working on my "pitch" so to say.

The hardest part of my business is getting locations.

Its a simple profit share. The venue hosts me, and I cut em a percentage.

Its free money.

So if you guys own : restaurants. Buffets, laundromats. Movie theaters, bowling alleys...

Let me know.

1. Whats a way to make in person contact with you with out pissing you off?

2. Whats the opening line you wanna hear to grab your attention and convince you im not trying to take money from you, but line your pockets at no risk to you ?

Bonus - rate my current pitch game plan

Game plan -

Me : Hey, I love your set up. I got a question for you

Owner: whats that ?

Me: well I wanna buy something, in a way from you.

Owner: like what ?

Me: I wanna buy about 2 square feet of space and an outlet

Owner : huh?

Me: im a Claw machine operator. I like your place, I wanna give you ABC % to host me.

I take care of it all. You get free money.

The above is a theoretical convo of course, but the goal is to disoriented the venue Owner right off the bat because my assumption is that they will think of I'm trying to sell them something/ rip them off

And I wanna flip that on its head by making them the one who is "selling" to me.

I was wondering if I should make a website for ordering my pieces online. I usually go out to raves and sell but the last rave I went to I had a code enforcement and was shutting everybody down. I love my business and what I do, but I don’t make the money to try and get a business license and selling permit. Not just that, but apparently I would need permission from the venues to sell stuff outside. So, I was thinking of making a website like on Google sites or something and sending my orders out to people. Kind of the same idea of those scooping packing order videos on TikTok and Instagram. But, I’m not sure if this is a smart idea. I’m trying to make my own money as a young entrepreneur still in high school. If anyone has any advice, I would greatly, greatly appreciate it.

I'm a small-business owner, and I recently had an experience that's left me incredibly frustrated.

I spent a lot of time researching, developing products, finding suppliers, and building a business around something I genuinely love.

Two people I knew personally became familiar with the business and the knowledge I'd shared. They eventually started their own company selling the same type of products.

I understand that nobody owns an entire product category and competition is part of business. But when it's people you trusted, it feels so much more personal.

I've also had a previous business where competitors copied my creative ideas, so this situation brought back a lot of those feelings.

I'm trying to move forward and focus on growing my own business, but I'd be lying if I said the thought of them becoming more successful than me didn't bother me.

Has anyone experienced something similar? How did you stop letting it get under your skin?

I am in a new environment where working in the workplace and picking back up my small business seems scary because of the local ability to accept criticism and work with others who think differently. The thing about criticism is remaining professional and truthful in your critiques, the problem is that I am not critiquing or confronting anyone or anything. My current environment can't handle the smallest arrangement or my own encouragement of them because anything I say even if it is nice isn't what they are used to. So we end up in arguments only to find out later I was encouraging them the whole time and we are in agreement.

I've been using quite a few AI tools, including the generative AI tools everyone is talking about, and I've noticed something. Unless a business owner is already well organized and has solid business processes in place, these tools can quickly become overwhelming and actually make things less efficient.

I'm curious, what's been your experience?

So i am trying to start my freelance business and things are not going really well. I help businesses automate admin work and simplify their workflow using digital tools. I already am working on a project with a potential customer but the deal is not yet closed. I'm looking into cold email outreach but i ran into a problem where i don't know how to find people struggling with this for me to contact.

Has anybody that ran into similar problem or am i approaching this the wrong way? I'd be interested in hearing what actually worked for you.

I run a small local business, and I’m seriously struggling with this right now.

On Yelp, I currently have 9 reviews marked as “not recommended.” Every single one is from a real customer. These aren’t fake reviews. I’ve worked with these people, have signed contracts, invoices, emails, and everything needed to verify the business relationships.

I reached out to Yelp support multiple times, but I’m getting nowhere. Either no response or generic explanations about their recommendation software.
Google isn’t much better. I had 12 reviews, and now I’m down to 7. Again, these are real customers who actually worked with me.

What’s frustrating is that I’m a small business trying to build a reputation from scratch. Those reviews genuinely matter. I’ve already noticed a significant drop in inquiries after losing reviews on Yelp.

I’m not asking either platform to keep fake reviews up. I just don’t understand why genuine customer experiences keep disappearing, especially when I can prove these were actual clients.

For other small business owners:
Has anyone experienced this recently with Yelp or Google?
Have you ever successfully recovered legitimate reviews?
What platforms or methods are you using to collect reviews these days?
Are you still putting effort into Yelp, or have you given up on it?

I’m genuinely curious what others are doing because relying on these platforms to build a reputation is starting to feel like a losing battle.

EDIT to update: I only requested the first two clients to review me, the other seven were unsolicited (I have contracts and deliverables that prove they are real clients) - Yelp is the worst platform to ever exist, and they dare calling me to ask whether I want to run ads, F no!!

i do shopify dev work for small stores. a few days ago a store owner asked me to look at her product pages, so i sent a pretty detailed breakdown plus some quick mockups of what i'd change. she said the ideas were good, then decided she'd just design it herself.

honestly no hard feelings, it's her store. but i basically handed over the whole plan for free.

so now i'm changing how i do it. the free part only names what's wrong and why it's probably costing sales. the mockups and the exact changes come after a paid quote is accepted.

for those of you who sell services, where do you draw that line? do you charge for the audit itself, or keep it free and just keep it vague? curious what's actually worked for you.

I am an Argentinian who owns a Pet grooming in USA. Florida.

The thing is, i try to play some backround music for not having a dead place. Usually i put the regular pop mix thay every store plays. But sometimes i really feel like playng a chill spanish music. Nothing related to reggateon or things like that.

My fear is, 90% of my customers are americans or jamaican. Not sure if this could be offensive or is juts a personal thing.

Would you mind to get into your regular store, either nails, pet grooming, hair styler, barber, etc, if they play some other type of music rather than USA english?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a reliable, long-term supplier of Claude Team Premium seats for a potential resale business.

I'm looking for a source with larger inventory and consistent monthly supply.

I'm interested in:

• Current availability and monthly supply capacity
• Wholesale pricing for 5, 10, and 20 seats
• Long-term cooperation and reliable replenishment

I'm looking for genuine Claude Team Premium seats, not Claude Pro accounts or API access.

If you know a legitimate supplier or authorized reseller, please share their website or contact details. I'm happy to discuss details privately.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,
I run a small made-to-order fragrance operation. I compound everything in-house with high oil concentration, but to keep starting costs low, I use simple plastic atomizers instead of expensive custom glass.
In-person sales work amazingly well because people can actually smell the product on their skin. However, I can't scale online right now because digital marketplaces in my region are flooded with cheap $5 knockoffs using identical plastic bottles, and I don’t have a marketing budget to push past that visual bias.
Since online CAC is too high, I want to double down on offline, but I don't have the capital to open my own shop or kiosk.
For those who have scaled local physical products on a tight budget:
1. What is the standard structure for partnering with independent local businesses (like barbershops or apparel stores) to display samples on commission?
2. How do you usually handle consignment inventory and keep staff motivated to mention the product to clients without being intrusive?
Appreciate any advice from founders who have used local guerrilla distribution to grow!

I’m very confused about PA’s rules about fictitious names, including the part about publishing your name in two public newspapers. I’m an artist and I’ve been going by “Painting by Shireen”. My studio is my home so I don’t really want to make my business info public like that. I believe if I included my first and last name after “painting by” it would be ok if I didn’t register it? I really would like to just stick to my first name though, so what’s the worse that can happen if I don’t register for a fictitious name.

I run a youth travel baseball organization and pay several coaches at different rates.

Right now, coaches report their time and I pay them through Zelle. I'm looking for a simpler way to manage everything.

Ideally, coaches could submit their hours from their phones, the system would calculate what they're owed, and I'd receive a notification to review and approve each payment.

For those managing a small team of contractors, what software are you using? Does it handle approvals and payments, or do you use separate tools?

I'm looking for firsthand recommendations, especially affordable options. Thanks!

I am looking to sell some pet portraits but fb marketplace isn’t really getting any buyers, any tips?

Im testing a small side service: flat-price hot tub water changes, meaning drain, clean, refill and balance, for homeowners and BnB hosts who don't want to do it themselves. It's not repairs or sales.

Firstly, I'm trying to learn whether people actually need it

On a second note and a bit of background, i live in a relatively decent sized North American town, couple hot tub stores in the area. I worked in a neighbouring city pool and hot tub store for 2 summers but was mostly doing water chemistry testing and selling above ground pools and chemicals, not really servicing hot tubs or pools. I’m actually a water engineer by proffesion so I know a decent amount about water chemistry.

Wondering if anyone has any advice for me, my biggest doubt is that I lack hot tubs experience and no one is willing to bring me on to shadow. I’m thinking about just trying to hire someone who knows a bit about electrical and plumbing. Half of me is telling me do it and the other half is telling me not to. Appreciate the advice.

I apologize in advance if my thoughts seem a bit scattered. Currently, I am a 14-year-old student, and my parents are divorced. My relationship with my mother is complicated, and we argue a lot over minor things because I view myself as an adult, and sometimes she sees me that way too. However, she yells at me for minor and often groundless reasons, which causes frequent conflicts between us. Financially, she is doing well for Russia, as she owns a decent apartment and a car.

My father, on the other hand, is struggling with debts. He has child support obligations and accumulated debts because of them. Due to various circumstances, he cannot get a regular job right now. He is fighting hard to fix this, but as a father, he is perfect to me. He does not have the means to live with me, but we see each other almost every day. Despite his age, he is in great physical shape and used to be a top student in the past. Now he decided to pursue a university degree through distance learning, and he is also working on various side projects since he has a lot of connections. He is a strong, masculine man, and he raised me the same way.

Honestly, I used to be very shy and always avoided conflicts, and I was even bullied back in primary school. But now, I am 183 cm tall, weigh between 80 and 90 kg, and I am in good shape. I look decent, have enough experience with girls, and my vocabulary is much better than that of my peers. For the past two years, I have noticed that I think and realize things way beyond my age. Many people say this about themselves, but looking at it from my perspective, I feel like I am more mature. Now I can easily stand up for myself because I do martial arts, which made me more confident in life, and I am making good progress at the gym too. I ran into some health issues recently, but I think they will be resolved within six months, so for now, I had to prioritize one thing.

Here is my main problem: unfortunately, I am doing poorly in school, and my knowledge of Russian, algebra, and other subjects is basically at zero. However, many successful people around my father say that a university degree is important because it connects you with a different class of society. Is this really true? Starting next year, I plan to work with tutors, with a budget of about 300,000 rubles (roughly 3,000 USD) spread over three years until graduation.

I want to open my own business in the future, whether it is a car repair shop or a nail salon, and I am aware of the risks and the time commitment involved. To be honest, I would be ready to study with AI tools right now, but I burn out very quickly. After just 3 or 4 days, I lose the drive to study on my own because I do not see immediate results. Working with a traditional tutor feels easier because when you see good reviews, you know they will actually teach you.

It's time to switch from a dedicated land line.
It's a retail business that has calls coming in all day long, but I really only need one line.
Very basic is all I need.
What's the best available option & rough pricing?

I currently work a full time b2b sales job and as great as it is I hate working a corporate job. Im interviewing to get a promotion to go from SDR to Account Executive. I graduated from a state university and concentrated in entrepreneurship. I've wanted to have a business in the food industry forever. I’ve worked at a highly rated, award-winning fast paced diner before. I don't want a restaurant, I want a food truck. I want to go to events and help people celebrate a little bit better. I want to connect with my community through this and have a direct positive impact on my local community. Plus I love cooking and food.

I'm just so contused on where to start even though I studied entrepreneurship. Food trucks are expensive! I only have 2k in the bank right now (unrealistic to start a food truck with this money but maybe something more small scale is feasible like a food cart or selling on fb marketplace first). I have almost no expenses right now. I'm living with family, don't have to pay a phone bill or insurance, which I feel is the perfect time to attempt a startup and if it fails I can fall back on my degree and go back into sales, or try again.

Everyone I know that has their own business isn't really helpful. Am I crazy for all this lol

So pretty much the title
i've been providing clients digital services and now i'm at a stage where i can invest money on those for myself cause my clients been getting 30k euro of MRR from my services and i thought i would be getting same because obviously why not work on myself so I saved money to go in deep but the issue is the site i've built have my number and i'm from pakistan and I am planning to running seo and ads in UK and my contact being Pakistani is my main concern

We recently redesigned a site for a small service business. Almost all the info was already on the old site, but the booking link was buried in a paragraph and there was no photo of the owner. After fixing that, she started showing up in local Google searches and the site felt a lot easier to use.

It got me wondering what actually makes people book vs. leave. For those of you running service businesses:

- Do you know where people drop off on your site?

- What change made the biggest difference for you: a clearer button, photos, pricing on the page, something else?

- Or do most of your clients come from referrals and never really look at the site?

Curious what's worked (or not) for people here.