The Entrepreneur / Business Owner's / Self Employed Lounge

(06-22-2018 01:51 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  I'm so overwhelmed by the number of new clients that I am living a nightmare. I don't even have time to bill everyone properly and I've ended up seeing clients for free because my billing is a mess.

It's a nice problem to have, I suppose (as opposed to not having clients at all), but I need to do some major business process automation and adjustment very quickly.

Have you considered hiring a virtual assistant to do most of the admin stuff for you?

And how are you invoicing your clients? You should have invoicing software in place, so it's mostly one click here, one click there, and then you're done. I don't need to chase my clients for payments because most of the functions, like recurring billing and automatic reminders are already built in.

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(06-22-2018 01:51 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  I'm so overwhelmed by the number of new clients that I am living a nightmare. I don't even have time to bill everyone properly and I've ended up seeing clients for free because my billing is a mess.

It's a nice problem to have, I suppose (as opposed to not having clients at all), but I need to do some major business process automation and adjustment very quickly.

Let's fucking celebrate!

Are their any things in particular that you can point to as contributors to your sudden boost in clients?

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(06-22-2018 02:17 AM)Suits Wrote:  Are their any things in particular that you can point to as contributors to your sudden boost in clients?

I think it was my frequent online marketing campaigns, that I did using free platforms (such as Facebook groups, Craigslist's type directories, social media, etc).

There are people who will only use your services once they've seen your ad ten or so times.

Plus I have a lot of happy repeat clients. On top of the new clients, the workload suddenly exploded.

The sad thing is I'm not even at what I consider to be my full capacity, but I cannot grow anymore until I automate everything as much as possible.

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Congrats man, look into Upwork, you can hire reasonable virtual assistants for $3-$500 a month full time.... for these VAs they can make a pretty good living from a salary like this.

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Fellow entrepreneurs, I have a question.


One of my clients on Ebay wants to pay for a rather pricey item via Western Union (WU). From what I can see on the Web:


(1) The buyer loses all buyer protection (his problem, not mine.) I told him that I can send, once I hold my cash in my hand.

(2) Ebay does not give a damn how you get paid, as long as they get their 10% cut (all communication is done on site, and can be read by a rep, should I choose to involve them.)


Despite both of those things, I am a little bit afraid, because I only use PayPal. The buyer seems legit - he bought expensive stuff from sellers I bought from as well (and those sellers also sell expensive stuff.)

I am not afraid of doxxing (I am well connected, so you'll be fucked if you do so, big time.) Also, he can't get even close to my PayPal (I use a special email for it), or CC, so I am not at risk. He is (in theory, there is nothing stopping me from keeping the item in question), and that is what worries me - I hate drama!


Has anyone got paid for a service, or a product, via WU? Did the buyer cause you trouble?

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No direct experience but people have tried to pull scams on me with Western Union before on ebay. As long as you have picked up the cash or it's there in your bank account before you send the item, there should be no problem.

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Does anyone have any recommendations for basic accounting and finance online courses for entrepreneurs/startups or books?

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(06-25-2018 09:27 AM)Irenicus Wrote:  Fellow entrepreneurs, I have a question.


One of my clients on Ebay wants to pay for a rather pricey item via Western Union (WU). From what I can see on the Web:


(1) The buyer loses all buyer protection (his problem, not mine.) I told him that I can send, once I hold my cash in my hand.

(2) Ebay does not give a damn how you get paid, as long as they get their 10% cut (all communication is done on site, and can be read by a rep, should I choose to involve them.)


Despite both of those things, I am a little bit afraid, because I only use PayPal. The buyer seems legit - he bought expensive stuff from sellers I bought from as well (and those sellers also sell expensive stuff.)

I am not afraid of doxxing (I am well connected, so you'll be fucked if you do so, big time.) Also, he can't get even close to my PayPal (I use a special email for it), or CC, so I am not at risk. He is (in theory, there is nothing stopping me from keeping the item in question), and that is what worries me - I hate drama!


Has anyone got paid for a service, or a product, via WU? Did the buyer cause you trouble?

I paid a freelancer via WU. I had the project complete though so it didn't matter too much at that point.

I think after they take the money there's nothing they can do.

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Did anyone here not go to college in favor of pursuing different business ventures? How does that decision affect you now and do you still feel like it was a good idea or do you regret it? I'll quote my opinion on it and another users below.

(06-25-2018 09:31 AM)pargan Wrote:  

(06-20-2018 11:48 PM)lavidaloca Wrote:  Social life post college is going to take a hit each year. Friends become unavailable, people work and just hang around with their girlfriend / spouse / children. People become increasingly miserable post college. In college everyone is or should be having fun. Everyone still has a great view of a world filled with opportunities. Then most of those people post college start working a stressful job for a wage that barely allows them to make ends meet. I'm not sure if this a North American issue or a worldwide issue. I suspect its more prevalent in the 1st world due to the life patterns people follow of College ---> Job --> girlfriend / fiancee around 22-25) ---> children around 30.

I have had a good business for a while and I can tell you college for me was miles funner than making a bunch of money. However the sacrifices I made after college will allow me to have potentially a more fun life by the time I'm 30 (I'm close) then I had even in college. The more money = more happiness dilemma that a ton of people fall for if not the majority isn't really true. The increased value you'll get from each additional amount of money you make will become near redundant. What really makes people happy is socializing and being with other people you enjoy being with. It really doesn't matter if you drink a $500 bottle of champagne or a $30 bottle of whisky. The enjoyment you get is the people around you. Unfortunately as we age in North America we make plenty of decisions as a society that increasingly reduce are social time.

As an example in Cuba a couple weeks ago I got taxis to and from a nightclub, pizza afterwards, paid 2 covers, got bottle service and spent $20. I've had a similar night in Canada where my bank account has been $1,000+ shorter than it was the night before. I didn't have anymore fun than I did with $20. Even in Canada the nights where you get drunk with your buddies at house parties and spend $20 on booze are just as much fun if not more than the nights where you spend significantly more. If you ask me my ideal night it would probably involve a bottle of whisky, friend(s) and a night out chasing tail or coming home to it. I don't need to be super rich to do that.

If you haven't had the chance its probably worth reading this post involving a popular parable of the Mexican Fisherman and the Banker. /thread-37568...#pid765978

You probably will be best to join groups with similar interests especially groups that will have nights out. (For example a dance school) Its tough though to make real friends post college. Keep in mind all it takes is one great friend who is available. One great friend that is available is 10x more valuable than dozens of acquaintances.

One of things I fail to understand is why we don't see more guys who are in a LTR or married even with a kid in one country and single in other places / countries. That to me is the ultimate set up if you can swing it from my perspective. My daughter gives me more happiness than anything else in the world but I also enjoy being able to drink freely with the guys and not worry about getting home by a certain time.

Some professionals and business owners will be able to do this by attending "conferences" all over the place. (Even monthly) Or by having a business in two separate locations. Others who are location independent can have a kid in Thailand and go wild in Philippines for example. You get the love and affection that we need and you get to the excitement and joy of the freedom and chase.

One of the things as people will age is they will still probably like the same things they liked when they were younger...food, friends, fuck, events, drink, sex, travel. The problem is society in all kinds of ways pressure us to follow the American dream and even if you don't buy in the vast majority of friends you've had growing up if not all of them will buy in.

There's a lot of truth in this post. I never went to college because I thought being an entrepreneur would be a much better way to succeed in life and I thought I would be making millions as soon as I finished highschool. I had some short lived victories but for the most part the last couple years I have been broke, almost became homeless and constantly struggled over money which resulted in me not really being able to enjoy anything else. I'm from the west but for the last little while I've been in a shitty developing country working on a business venture that I got sucked into that is going absolutely nowhere. Everything in this shitty 3rd world country has been going wrong so a while ago I stopped focusing on the project I came her for and started re focusing on doing some kind of online/tech business. My online venture I've started is now starting to pick up some steam and I'll be starting a 6 figure contract that will run 6 months starting in a couple weeks from now.

With this money I'll leave this shithole and live the life I thought I'd be living right out of high school and head back to civilization. I'm only 21 and some of you might think it's entitled of me to think I'd have success at such an early age but in reality I haven't been successful for the last couple years and it's only now I'm seeing any benefit because I went about things in an unconventional way. My main goal was always to get money to live a better life, when you have no money you have no clarity you're never able to think straight and that will affect every aspect of your life.

All this negativity has kind of made me able to look onto other things in a different lens and now that I'll finally be making some decent money it's making me reflect on a lot of things. Now when I look back to my motivations right out of high school the main reason I didn't go to college was mainly a financial one, I didn't want to be broke all throughout my college years and then graduate at 22 still broke and looking for a job that probably wouldn't be there and would result in me being poor through my 20's. Not once did things like social interactions, fun times, "the college experience" etc. ever really play a part in my decision. However at 21 now that I'll be making some money it's the first time I've actually considered going to college. I won't be stressed out about money and would actually be able to enjoy things. I used to think university was just one big meme and there was nothing useful to study in college but recently I've seen some things that I would actually be interested in studying in college that could actually benefit my life and my business.

Like lavidaloca having a business and making money is great but for your financial situation but it adds absolutely nothing to your social situation. Being surrounded by hot girls your age is much more enjoyable then dealing with old businessmen.

Maybe I'm only considering going to college now because being in this 3rd world country for so long has driven me insane, but maybe it really can provide an enjoyable experience and I've just been looking at things in the wrong lens until now. I guess the bullshit of business and the people that it entails dealing with has made me interested in simpler things.

The only thing in the back of my mind now is the age gap. If I do end up attending university it will be next year and I will be 22 at that time, the age were people are supposed to be graduating at. However looking at the stats in Canada the median University graduate is 24.8 and the average university graduate is 26. Probably do to all the people going into Uni not knowing what they want to do and switching majors and the people that take off time and start later like me. However the only thing that really makes me question things is that I could be seen as old starting at 22.

Also to touch on what Lavidaloca said about having LTRs in different countries and being more in bachelor mode in other countries I also think this is one of the best way to go about things. If your financial situation approves of this kind of lifestyle it probably provides some of the most fun and fulfilling experiences you could have.

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(06-22-2018 01:51 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  I'm so overwhelmed by the number of new clients that I am living a nightmare. I don't even have time to bill everyone properly and I've ended up seeing clients for free because my billing is a mess.

It's a nice problem to have, I suppose (as opposed to not having clients at all), but I need to do some major business process automation and adjustment very quickly.

What kind of stuff are you looking to automate?

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What's the easiest program to use to sketch out the UX/UI for an app? I'm looking at Balsamiq and Sketch (Sketch's Windows version, Lunacy). Also, any instructionals anyone would recommend?

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(06-27-2018 06:25 PM)Thot Leader Wrote:  What's the easiest program to use to sketch out the UX/UI for an app? I'm looking at Balsamiq and Sketch (Sketch's Windows version, Lunacy). Also, any instructionals anyone would recommend?

Balsamiq is good.

I use google drawings. Free and easy to collaborate on. Ive also used a drive app called draw.io. but I always end up going back to google drawings.

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I've just started a relationship with a company that specializes in automating processes for small businesses in my industry and providing virtual assisting for basic administrative tasks. We'll see how it goes but it should be well worth the investment. Basically it will automate my invoicing, payment tracking, debt recovery, appointment scheduling and inventory ordering, which will free up my time and my mental energy immensely if it works smoothly.

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All went well with that Ebay transaction through WU. In order to help fellow RVF entrepreneurs, I'll post a mini data sheet, showing how I did it. Again, it will focus on Ebay, but the main lesson can be applied on any online platform. So... .



(1) Communicate ONLY ON EBAY(!!!). If your client asks for your phone number, Viber, Zuckbook or whatever...REFUSE AND INSIST ONLY EBAY MESSAGING(!!). If something goes wrong (and if something can go wrong, there is a chance it will eventually go wrong), you will have no proof of your claim - if you open a case, communication outside Ebay will not be considered.


(2) Do not give any personal information (outside of name and residence). ESPECIALLY CC and phone numbers - there are not required if you pick your money in person.


(3) Check your WU transfer number before you to the bank (I didn't know about that detail, thanks Google!). You can check it here:


https://www.westernunion.com/global-serv...k-transfer


If you see AVAILABLE on your transaction, you are good to go your local bank.

BUT...even if it says AVAILABLE, DO NOT SHIP OR PERFORM!! Do so ONLY WHEN you get your MONEY!


(4) Tell your client that paying for goods and services through WU is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for him/her. There are plenty of dishonest people on teh webz, who will take the money and dissappear, and that he, as a customer, will have no recourse should that happen. Tell him/her to use services such as PayPal or Adyen, which are safe 100%.




I have to admit, I lost some sleep over it, lol!

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Small update.


My client was Lebanese, and on Quora, I found out that Paypal does not do business there. Strange. No wonder my client had to go through WU.

Just to let you guys know when you deal with Lebanese clients - no PayPal (and probably similar services) can be used!!

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Any intel on Puerto Rico for guys that can work remote?

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The damn view counter on eBay hasn't been working for over a week and its driving me nuts!

Horrible for us sellers to deal with that. eBay is really a horrible platform and long due for a overhaul I'd say.

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I need some advice from you gentlemen.

I’ve been trying to get copies made of a product I want to sell. I had a handful made which I picked up last week but unfortunately, some of the finer qualities were missing compared to what I wanted. I went to another manufacturer a few days ago and they said that they can make copies which will be of a higher standard, but they admitted that they won’t be perfect. The difference is that they will cost much, much more than the former. Out of the two, I’m leaning towards the former.
Both of these places are local, and the issues are really, really small. I’ll have a look at some other producers though.

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(06-29-2018 02:28 PM)kirdiesel Wrote:  The damn view counter on eBay hasn't been working for over a week and its driving me nuts!

Horrible for us sellers to deal with that. eBay is really a horrible platform and long due for a overhaul I'd say.

I works for me, most of the time.

How's your business going?

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(06-25-2018 10:29 AM)Arado Wrote:  Does anyone have any recommendations for basic accounting and finance online courses for entrepreneurs/startups or books?

Run all your costs through one bank account, and one credit card, separated from your personal. Dump the bank statements from the online banking and set up your columns for your accounts. Easiest way to do it, if you go out and get simply accounting or some little package, guess what, you'll have to learn accounting!

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(06-29-2018 05:56 PM)Poker Wrote:  I need some advice from you gentlemen.

I’ve been trying to get copies made of a product I want to sell. I had a handful made which I picked up last week but unfortunately, some of the finer qualities were missing compared to what I wanted. I went to another manufacturer a few days ago and they said that they can make copies which will be of a higher standard, but they admitted that they won’t be perfect. The difference is that they will cost much, much more than the former. Out of the two, I’m leaning towards the former.
Both of these places are local, and the issues are really, really small. I’ll have a look at some other producers though.

What process are you doing? If its injection molding has the piece been made to work well with a mold (proper drafts/geometry)?
PM me if you want.

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I've always believed in my business project, but I haven't always been convinced that its viability was right around the corner. This has been a good thing, because it's allowed me to reform the business concept a few times. The products I planned on delivering have not changed, although I've added a few new ones, but rather I've just changed the concept of the business to maximize my selling potential, based on how I understand the market of my industry.

But I'm feel very positive about my current business concept, in fact, I've been testing out demand and have received some good feedback in that there is, in fact, demand for the goods and services I plan to offer.

I've already mentioned that I plan to stop teaching in December and spend next winter somewhere tropical to focus solely on getting a livable income coming in from non-teaching sources, such as my products and consulting services.

However, I've added two new items to my plan for the next twelve months.

(1) I've got 5 weeks this summer that will be blocked off for work from home with little to no teaching interruptions. Pretty much all of my regular classes will stop and I haven't found anything to replace that work for the summer, so other than a few hours of work each week, I'll be able to focus exclusively on product development and finally get a few key products finished up.

(2) After spending the winter somewhere tropical, I aim to spend the spring time (at least two months) in Canada with family. If I stay with my parents (they support my business efforts), I'll be able to live on under $1000, which means that other than having money to pay my month student loan payments, I'll be able to live on $1000 a month, even if I throw some money at whoever I stay with for rent.

I'm feeling fully dedicated to my business concept at this point and am committed to focusing on it 100% starting in 2019. I've got a number of ideas for earning income that are too specific to post publicly here on the forum, but I'm convinced about the value I can provide and the demand that will exist for it. Since the main goal this summer is to get a public facing website online, September to November will be focused on testing that demand before I fully jump into the deep-end without a life-preserver.

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Any of you guys ever hired mobile developers? I only need a front-end mobile developer and have all the cloud part covered from a friend to make a pretty simple app. Curious what your experience are.

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(07-10-2018 09:54 PM)Suits Wrote:  I've always believed in my business project, but I haven't always been convinced that its viability was right around the corner. This has been a good thing, because it's allowed me to reform the business concept a few times. The products I planned on delivering have not changed, although I've added a few new ones, but rather I've just changed the concept of the business to maximize my selling potential, based on how I understand the market of my industry.

But I'm feel very positive about my current business concept, in fact, I've been testing out demand and have received some good feedback in that there is, in fact, demand for the goods and services I plan to offer.

I've already mentioned that I plan to stop teaching in December and spend next winter somewhere tropical to focus solely on getting a livable income coming in from non-teaching sources, such as my products and consulting services.

However, I've added two new items to my plan for the next twelve months.

(1) I've got 5 weeks this summer that will be blocked off for work from home with little to no teaching interruptions. Pretty much all of my regular classes will stop and I haven't found anything to replace that work for the summer, so other than a few hours of work each week, I'll be able to focus exclusively on product development and finally get a few key products finished up.

(2) After spending the winter somewhere tropical, I aim to spend the spring time (at least two months) in Canada with family. If I stay with my parents (they support my business efforts), I'll be able to live on under $1000, which means that other than having money to pay my month student loan payments, I'll be able to live on $1000 a month, even if I throw some money at whoever I stay with for rent.

I'm feeling fully dedicated to my business concept at this point and am committed to focusing on it 100% starting in 2019. I've got a number of ideas for earning income that are too specific to post publicly here on the forum, but I'm convinced about the value I can provide and the demand that will exist for it. Since the main goal this summer is to get a public facing website online, September to November will be focused on testing that demand before I fully jump into the deep-end without a life-preserver.

I’ve been following your posts in this thread for a while. You seem to be doing loads of developing and not much selling.

I’m curious as to why you haven’t just started to sell, given that you know there is a demand for your product and then make refinements as you go along, maybe even sell these as upgrades?

Genuine question.

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(07-14-2018 10:29 AM)Ski pro Wrote:  

(07-10-2018 09:54 PM)Suits Wrote:  I've always believed in my business project, but I haven't always been convinced that its viability was right around the corner. This has been a good thing, because it's allowed me to reform the business concept a few times. The products I planned on delivering have not changed, although I've added a few new ones, but rather I've just changed the concept of the business to maximize my selling potential, based on how I understand the market of my industry.

But I'm feel very positive about my current business concept, in fact, I've been testing out demand and have received some good feedback in that there is, in fact, demand for the goods and services I plan to offer.

I've already mentioned that I plan to stop teaching in December and spend next winter somewhere tropical to focus solely on getting a livable income coming in from non-teaching sources, such as my products and consulting services.

However, I've added two new items to my plan for the next twelve months.

(1) I've got 5 weeks this summer that will be blocked off for work from home with little to no teaching interruptions. Pretty much all of my regular classes will stop and I haven't found anything to replace that work for the summer, so other than a few hours of work each week, I'll be able to focus exclusively on product development and finally get a few key products finished up.

(2) After spending the winter somewhere tropical, I aim to spend the spring time (at least two months) in Canada with family. If I stay with my parents (they support my business efforts), I'll be able to live on under $1000, which means that other than having money to pay my month student loan payments, I'll be able to live on $1000 a month, even if I throw some money at whoever I stay with for rent.

I'm feeling fully dedicated to my business concept at this point and am committed to focusing on it 100% starting in 2019. I've got a number of ideas for earning income that are too specific to post publicly here on the forum, but I'm convinced about the value I can provide and the demand that will exist for it. Since the main goal this summer is to get a public facing website online, September to November will be focused on testing that demand before I fully jump into the deep-end without a life-preserver.

I’ve been following your posts in this thread for a while. You seem to be doing loads of developing and not much selling.

I’m curious as to why you haven’t just started to sell, given that you know there is a demand for your product and then make refinements as you go along, maybe even sell these as upgrades?

Genuine question.

That's a good question.

There are three reasons for this:

(1) I have a steady, reliable income teaching. Although teaching slows down my progress, I've organized a schedule with lots of classes that allow me to do product testing on everything I develop. The product testing is very important. Once I go into consulting/product sales full-time and stop teaching, it'll be a lot harder to test products, so it's best that I do as much as possible before taking the big leap.

(2) I attempted to sell one product a few months ago and the feedback I got from potential buyers is that one year of material was not enough. They wanted 3-4 years of material minimum, upfront. The reason for this is that most schools like to be able to drop a student into an appropriate level based on their skills and age, so a system with a year of material (even if additional material will be soon to follow) simply doesn't fit their needs.

(3) I'm currently developing some products now that are a result of what I learned while doing a consulting gig this past spring. I learned a ton the in the process and that has led me to change direction a bit and pursue some new revenue streams that I had previously not started work on.

I can't go into more details here without risking doxing myself, but we can chat sometime on Skype if you want talk about both of our businesses and what we've been learning.

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