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Small Business Ideas Startups

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Small Business Ideas Startups
What is Small Business Ideas Startups?

Small business startups in the US encompass a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures that are typically independently owned and operated, focusing on niche markets or innovative solutions.

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How much search volume does it get?
Who is interested in this?
Gender
Female
78%
Male
15%
Unspecified
7%
Age
18-24
16%
25-34
31%
35-44
28%
45-49
9%
50-54
7%
55-64
7%
65+
4%

Is Small Business Ideas Startups trending?

Yes. Small Business Ideas Startups growing with a month-over-month change of 0.27% over the past 5 years.


Why is Small Business Ideas Startups trending?

1
Increased Accessibility to Resources
With the rise of online platforms and resources, aspiring entrepreneurs have greater access to tools, funding, and information needed to start and grow their businesses.
2
Shift Towards Remote Work
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend of remote work, leading many individuals to explore entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to traditional employment.
3
Growing Demand for Niche Markets
Consumers are increasingly seeking personalized and unique products or services, prompting entrepreneurs to cater to specific niches that larger companies may overlook.
4
Supportive Ecosystem for Startups
There is a growing network of incubators, accelerators, and mentorship programs that provide support, guidance, and funding opportunities for new businesses.
5
Technological Advancements
Advancements in technology have lowered barriers to entry for many industries, allowing startups to leverage digital tools for marketing, sales, and operations.
6
Cultural Shift Towards Entrepreneurship
There is a cultural shift in the US that increasingly values entrepreneurship, with more individuals viewing it as a viable career path and a way to achieve financial independence.

Where is this trending?

Images
small business ideas startups small business ideas startups small business ideas startups small business ideas startups small business ideas startups
Related queries
Demographics
Gender
Female
78%
Male
15%
Unspecified
7%
Age
18-24
16%
25-34
31%
35-44
28%
45-49
9%
50-54
7%
55-64
7%
65+
4%

What are people saying?

47 threads
AI Insights Mixed sentiment
Discussions revolve around various aspects of starting and managing small businesses, including mobile app development, digital transformation, and the challenges faced by startups in competitive environments.
Mobile App Development
Participants discuss the importance of custom mobile apps for small businesses and how developers can help turn ideas into viable products.
Digital Transformation
The role of digital transformation in enhancing business operations and the need for startups to adapt to technological advancements is a recurring theme.
Startup Challenges
Many discussions highlight the high failure rates of startups and the pressures of operating in uncertain and competitive markets.
Business Growth Strategies
Conversations include strategies for growth, collaboration, and the significance of innovation in sustaining small businesses.
Global Business Formation
The trend towards more efficient and accessible business formation processes in the global digital economy is noted, emphasizing the changing landscape for new ventures.
Common questions
  • What are the best strategies for launching a small business?
  • How can startups effectively utilize digital transformation?
  • What are the common pitfalls to avoid in a startup?
  • How important is mobile app development for small businesses?
  • What resources are available for new entrepreneurs?
Pain points
  • High failure rates among startups
  • Difficulty in adapting to rapid market changes
  • Challenges in securing funding and resources
  • Pressure to innovate in competitive landscapes
  • Complexities in business formation processes
www.democraticunderground.com
Making sense of Trump's unscheduled sudden midair disassembly of the American empire by Cory Doctorow
...the one that suits your business model." US trading partners ...the "technopoly," where "the only ideas and thoughts that have social... or Uber had been local startups – much fewer countries in ... exchange for reinstating a small trickle of the aid they...demands: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/zambia-says-us-health-deal-must-be-uncoupled-minerals-access-2026-05-04/ It's all up...
justaprogressive · May 17, 2026
www.blackhatworld.com
RE:[⭐] 500 000 IG NANO -> MACRO INFLUENCER DATABASE / $0.0005 per lead [⭐]
... collaborations, strategic outreach, scraping, content ideas, building and training your LLM’s...: Business, Corporate, Company, Business Leadership, Corporate Strategy, Business Education, Consulting, Management, Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Startups, Small Business...
conceptsofo · May 13, 2026
www.fitness.com
RE:Best Mobile App Developers in Sydney for Small Businesses
...that work with startups and small businesses. These developers help turn ideas into real ...custom mobile apps for startups and small businesses. Their solutions are designed to improve business growth and user ...App Gurus​ App Gurus helps startups and small businesses turn ideas into mobile apps. They are ... a key part of business growth, especially for small businesses in competitive markets like ...
john006 · May 13, 2026
www.wallstreetoasis.com
RE:Top Digital Transformation Companies in Dubai for AI, Cloud & Automation (2026)
... startups and enterprises worldwide. Their product-focused development approach allows businesses to transform ideas...scalable software systems for startups and enterprises. Overview: Blink22 ... innovation and smarter business operations. As businesses continue investing...and advanced analytics into business operations. In a fast-growing innovation ...of the solution. Small projects may start from a ...
alrashidfatima09 · May 12, 2026
forums.delphiforums.com
25th Never Meant to Oust a President
... of contexts, from small businesses to large corporations. Business Context: In the... weight of failure, as many startups do not succeed. As such, ... culture. Implications in Different Fields Business: The role of a founder ... considered a thought leader whose ideas have significantly influenced a particular ... history and culture. Whether in business, politics, art, or social movements, ...
No One Is Above the Law (PAIndylady) · May 11, 2026
teenhut.net
RE:Modern Business Formation for the Global Digital Economy
.... In highly competitive markets, even small delays can result in missed ... Startups operate in uncertain environments where rapid changes are common. They need to test ideas... Company Formation The future of business incorporation is clearly moving toward ..., more efficient, and globally accessible business formation. Final Thoughts Starting a business today is easier than ever, ...
jordan35 · May 8, 2026
r/DigitalIncomePath
I scraped 12k+ posts to find the best business ideas that actually work in 2026
I've looked at thousands of business ideas on reddit threads, communities, and from actual entrepreneurs. here are my favorite business ideas that I think will do well in 2026. (based on my experience as an entrepreneur and what I've seen work). AI website x local business. Use Claude or lovable and design websites for a local business. use google my business to find local businesses without websites. cold call them, show the website, and then sell it to them. tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. niche test-prep tutoring: you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. grow with referals. (this business is more of a side hustle, and you will be busier during exam seasons but you can get paid well) local newsletter for your city. write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. SEO for chatbots (also called AEO): help businesses with answer engine optimization by getting their business visible on AI search engines. target small businesses first and build a reputation. Be a UGC creator. more of a service business but has been very successful recently. It works by marketing other's business on TikTok, Instagram, and they pay you by the number of views you get. If you are good at being on camera, this is a solid way to make some extra money. editing/clipping service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing thoughts with whatever business you choose, align it with your existing skills and stick with it. If you want my free access to my LIST of 150+ Business Ideas and strategy to grow your business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it this database has 150+ business ideas I vetted that work. they are sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. now go and make some money!! submitted by /u/Flashy_Point_210 to r/DigitalIncomePath [link] [comments]
Flashy_Point_210 · May 10, 2026
r/smallbusiness
Struggling to get first business users for our startup any advice?
Me and a friend recently started working on a small startup for New york. We built everything ourselves, the website, iOS app and Android app. The idea is similar to food ordering platforms, but focused on helping pubs, bars and restaurants get customers without charging them platform fees. So far, we’ve spent around $1000 on Meta ads trying to get restaurants to sign up, but the results have been pretty disappointing. Very few quality leads and almost no conversions. We also tried going offline and visiting restaurants directly, but most of the time we only end up talking to staff. Owners or decision makers are usually not available, so it’s been hard to actually pitch or close anything. At this point we’re trying to figure out what we’re missing on the go to market side. For those who’ve built anything in the local marketplace space: How did you get your first set of businesses onboard? Did paid ads work for you early on, or is this the wrong approach? Any tips on reaching actual decision makers for small restaurants or bars? Would really appreciate any advice or lessons from your experience. Thanks! submitted by /u/_sreekar_ to r/smallbusiness [link] [comments]
_sreekar_ · May 4, 2026
r/PakStartups
Realistic Side income Startup Ideas
26F doing job, but want to start a startup with minimum investment. I can't be a corporates rat my entire life so even if I can start with something small with a bit of an extra effort I'm more than willing to do it and with the opportunity for the business to grow more with time Can someone help me out to figure what I can do? Any ideas? I work as a digital marketer, but please avoid suggesting me to open a agency. Anything else? It doesn't need to be completely relevant to what I'm currently doing I started my thrift business 3 years back, was working great but then I got too occupied with my MBA and job that I couldn't go back to it. And now the market is too competitive + Ads Cost TOO MUCH now. I can invest somewhere around 1-2lac (a bit flexible) initially so something in that range submitted by /u/ReturnEmpty8637 to r/PakStartups [link] [comments]
ReturnEmpty8637 · Apr 24, 2026
r/BusinessDeconstructed
I CREATED A LIST OF THE BEST BUSINESS IDEAS THAT ACTUALLY WORK IN 2026
Here are my favorite business ideas I think will do well in 2026. Tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. Online newsletter for your city. Write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing Thoughts With whatever business you choose, personalize it to your strengths and stick with it. If you want my free access to my full DATABASE of 150+ Business Ideas and strategy to grow your online business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it. This database has 150+ of the latest side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Now go and make some cash!! submitted by /u/Apart-Drag4177 to r/BusinessDeconstructed [link] [comments]
Apart-Drag4177 · Apr 17, 2026
r/startups
I'm a Serial Founder. Here's how I come up with Business Ideas. I will not promote.
NO AI WAS USED IN WRITING THIS I have been working on this post for over a year, it's all my own content, nothing from a model. I'll leave a screenshot showing the markdown files with dates in the comments. Hello my name's Troy. I'm a serial founder who's been either a founder or founding employee at 9 startups with the total valuation of said startups north of $1bn. My current startup that I co-founded is currently at $5m in ARR and growing rapidly. I used to be a teacher and have been really itching to write and what I've learned over the last decade and a half of being in the startup space. Mods, I'm happy to verify above if needed. I browse this and other similar subreddits often and see a lot of similar questions pop up. The problem is the vast majority of the members in these communities are either trying to sell something or don't know what they're talking about (respectfully 80%) This value should be driven by a combination of your research of the space and your own ability to execute on it (your skillset). The percentages are meant to evaluate how likely you think you can make something that generates ANY money at all. This is why opportunities that solve pain points you experience is such a great starting point. If you would buy the product you're thinking of making then your confidence score here should be high. Choosing A Winner So now that you've got your list it's time to pick what opportunity you'd like to pursue. This is where you really come into play. I don't have a formula on what combination of traits makes an opportunity a winner. That's extremely dependent on you and what you want. Your goal now is to use the context you've gathered about these opportunities to make the best decision for you. Although I don't have any silver bullet formula here's some things to think about... As timeline to ship decreases, need for high confidence also decreases. If you're able to crank out a lean version of a product very quickly you don't necessarily need to be extremely confident it'll work. If you can prove out the concept in just a few weeks, it can be totally worth the risk to try a lower confidence opportunity. Bigger scale does not equal better space There are a lot of reasons to not want to target massive spaces. You'll have more competition with more resources. Making it a lot harder to really stand out. Depending on your goals it might be better to build a business in a more niche space with a smaller opportunity size. Not to say venture scale opportunities aren't worth chasing, they are of course. However, I'd recommend a very high confidence before diving in. 1.6 | Testing The Market At this point you should have an idea of the opportunity you want to pursue. Now we'll build the leanest possible solution and then test the market. The goal of this is to get ten paying customers. Once you've done that you should feel very convicted that this is an opportunity worth chasing and you'll critically have a decent sized user group to talk to and learn about their needs / use cases for your product. What you're trying to learn I want to be very clear with what this is for and what indicators you want to really look for. I'll list them out plain and simple for you to easily reference then explain some more detailed thoughts. Were my assumptions / research about the opportunity correct? Can I get customers? What do customers want? Let's dive into each of these a little bit so i can paint some additional color on what you should look to answer. Were my assumptions / research about the opportunity correct? In the prior sections we discussed different techniques to evaluate and research opportunities. It's important you're able to confirm as much of this as possible. This is extremely valuable not just because the information itself is useful for this specific opportunity but also because it'll give you confidence or insights on how to adjust your research and evaluation techniques for the future. Can I get customers? The exact number is relatively arbitrary and dependent on what you're building. Ten is probably right for most opportunities. However, this is very up to the exact product you're building. Some products don't really have "paying" customers but rather generate revenue from advertisements or other means. The most important thing is to be intentional about what concerns you're trying to validate. The purpose of this is to get people in your target market to pay for the solution you're providing. Your ability to find these customers and how difficult it is to get them bought in on what you're making are key indicators for if you should commit to a space. If you have to talk to one hundred people who are in your target market before anyone is even remotely interested... it's a good sign you are not in an opportunity you should chase or your current approach is very wrong. What do customers want? In order to test the market you're going to have to make some initial assumptions of what kind of product or solution you should offer to address an opportunity. A good chunk assumptions will likely be very wrong. The feedback on what's good and bad about your ideas for your solution is critically important. You might find that the bulk of the problems you're trying to address are already solved quite well by an existing solution, and you'll need to drastically adjust your approach or drop the opportunity all together. The leanest possible solution... In order to test the product you'll need to have something to sell the customer. This should not be an "MVP" in the traditional sense. You instead want the simplest possible iteration of your proposed idea to address a opportunity. It is insanely easy to over-engineer or over-build your first iteration. You're not building your dream product. You're not building an MVP. You might not even have to build anything at all... I know quite a few people that have gotten through this phase with a simple google form and some manual work. Anything that is not directly addressing the problem you're trying to solve you should not include. The goal here is to confirm our assumptions and analysis of the opportunity space and our idea. Giving us the confidence to go all in and truly focus on chasing the opportunity. Finding your first customers By this point you should have a good idea of where to source and find your customers. The most reliable way to do this is to find them in person and have a conversation with them about what you're building. Please lean into the phase that you're in. Far too many founders try to seem like they are more professional or established than they are. They'll spend a bunch of time making an attractive landing page, professional business cards, or even swag for their pre-launch product. On paper, it might seem like presenting yourself as a professional established company would help attract customers by building trust. To be clear though, this isn't actually the case and in the vast majority of the businesses I've built or been a part of building the first few sales done by the founders are often times some of the easiest. People love transparency and love aspiring entrepreneurs. You as a founder talking directly to a potential customer is not something that is possible at large companies. Lean in to where you're at. Approach potential customers with a humble eagerness to help and understand the problems they're facing. Generally, people will want to root for you / support you. There's no one size fits all solution for finding your first customers so instead, here's some tools to add to your tool-belt for you to implement depending on what you're trying to build... Advisor Shares Giving out a small advisor share package to early customers is a great way to get them on board. Especially if your target end user is a fairly prestigious group such as lawyers, doctors, or executives. You don't want this to be a significant amount of equity. Typically, 0.1-0.5% total. I usually like to frame these in total # of shares. Bigger # = Better. This also lets you cash in on something called the Ikea effect. People love something more when they feel like they were a part of making it. Giving key customers a very small ownership stake early on gives them a huge incentive to be a fantastic source of feedback, a long term customer, and makes them very likely to roll with the punches as you figure out the kinks. Discounts It's very important that you still charge for what you're offering. Giving away your offering for free can significantly impact the quality of the feedback you're receiving. There's a few different kinds of discounts that can be valuable at this phase. Here's a few to consider... Selling At Cost: Your goal at this phase isn't to make money. A lot of the time I like to sell the service "at cost" to the customers at this phase. That means you're just breaking even with the sale. In my companies early stages, this is what we did. We simply charged the fee we'd break even on with no additional costs. Godfather Offer: Putting together a extremely competitive price that you can then offer long term to a client is a good way to get them bought in for the long term. Free Trial: Giving things away for free is not ideal but depending on your space this can be an expectation from your customers. It's important you do collect payment information and a agreed upon date to begin charging. That allows you to still get that same investment as a full paying customer as they'll be evaluating if the product is worth the money you will charge at some future date. Know when to fold This is very likely the most time you've invested into any of your ideas up until this point. It can be very easy to get to this phase and try to force something to work. This is made worse by how common the bullshit "never give up" mindset is in the entrepreneur community. So I'll say it. PLEASE GIVE UP WHEN SHIT ISN'T WORKING You are still so early on in this process. Do not get stuck trying to sell a product the market is not accepting. Be ready to rapidly drop your ideas and assumptions about the space or even to drop the space all together and look for a different opportunity to chase. You should "never give up" on your dream of being an entrepreneur, but you should be incredibly ready to give up on specific opportunities when your ideas are not panning out. 1.7 | Committing Congratulations! You've gotten through the phase where the vast majority of potential businesses die. Provided you got the validation you were seeking out when testing the market it's now time to do what very well may be the hardest thing for many entrepreneurs.... You need to commit. Once you find something that is showing you good signs you need to commit. As an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it is to just work on one thing... case and point by me writing this shit right now instead of working on my startup. You probably have a bunch of other ideas you are excited about the potential of and are interested in exploring... But unfortunately, your limited resource is always time. That's all folks :) submitted by /u/ssbmomelette to r/startups [link] [comments]
ssbmomelette · Apr 11, 2026
r/aiToolForBusiness
Best OpenClaw Alternatives for Small Business Owners
I've been running a small e-commerce business for about three years now, and when OpenClaw blew up earlier this year I jumped on it like everyone else. The idea of having an AI agent handle my customer emails, manage my calendar, and automate half my workflow sounded like a dream. Then reality hit. The setup was brutal. I spent an entire weekend wrestling with Node.js configs, Docker, and API keys. I got it working for about two weeks before a ClawHub skill broke my Gmail integration and I had to start over. The Cisco report about skills exfiltrating data was the final straw for me. I love what OpenClaw is trying to do, but I needed something that actually works without me babysitting it every day. So I went down a rabbit hole. I researched, and bookmarked every tool I could find that solves the same problems OpenClaw tries to solve, but in ways that are more practical for someone who is running a business, not maintaining an open-source project. Here's everything I found, grouped by what you actually need them for. Some of these are well-known, but most are newer tools that deserve way more attention. AI Workers for Automation Relevance AI: A low-code platform for building modular AI agents that handle CRM enrichment, lead scoring, and data analysis across your business tools. Marblism: Deploys AI workers that manage email, social media, and sales outreach around the clock, designed for small teams operating beyond their headcount. Lindy: No-code AI agent builder with 4,000+ integrations that lets you create custom agents for email, sales, and support workflows using plain English instructions. Manus AI: Operates natively through Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack so your AI agent lives inside the messaging apps your team already uses. O-mega AI: An autonomous AI workforce platform where you deploy AI "employees" that learn your software stack and follow your procedures with full visibility into every step. Knolli: A secure, no-code AI copilot builder with structured workflows and enterprise-grade permissions, built for teams that need reliability over raw autonomy. SmythOS: A modular AI agent orchestration platform with a visual builder, fallback paths, and decision logic for managing complex cross-functional automations. AgentHub: A plug-and-play library of pre-built business agent templates you can customize and deploy without configuring anything from scratch. Taskade: Lets teams build custom AI agents inside shared workspaces for to-do lists, content generation, and project coordination with its Genesis app builder. Gumloop: A drag-and-drop AI workflow builder used by companies like Instacart and Shopify, with tons of pre-built templates for non-technical teams. LIGHTWEIGHT AND OPEN-SOURCE ALTERNATIVES Nanobot: A minimal Python-based AI agent that covers tool use, scheduled tasks, and memory management in a small codebase you can actually read and audit. ZeroClaw: A privacy-first, fully local AI agent that runs without cloud API calls, ideal for businesses that want to keep all their data on-premise. PicoClaw: An ultra-lightweight agent that runs on $10 RISC-V hardware with a sub-second boot time, perfect for edge computing and IoT use cases. NanoClaw: A Claude-focused lightweight agent built for developers who want strong reasoning in a stripped-down, auditable framework. n8n: Open-source workflow automation with a built-in AI Agent node, LangChain integration, and support for local and cloud LLMs. Self-host for free or use cloud from $20/month. Activepieces: A budget-friendly open-source automation platform at $5 per flow that competes directly with Zapier and Make for smaller teams. AnythingLLM: An open-source LLM orchestration hub that lets you run and manage multiple language models locally for business workflows. NO-CODE WORKFLOW BUILDERS Zapier: Connects 7,000+ apps with a simple trigger-action interface and now includes AI-powered Zaps, Canvas for visual design, and autonomous AI Agents. Make (formerly Integromat): A visual workflow builder with strong AI model integration and budget-friendly pricing, popular among creators and small agencies. MindStudio: A drag-and-drop platform for building genuinely powerful AI agents without code, going beyond simplified templates into real customization. Relay.app: A collaborative automation tool that combines AI steps with human-in-the-loop approvals, so your workflows stay supervised where it matters. Integrately: A no-code automation platform with 1,300+ app connectors trusted by companies like Adobe and Deloitte for streamlining repetitive tasks. Pipedream: A developer-friendly workflow platform that combines code-level control with a visual builder and supports serverless execution of complex logic. Stack AI: An enterprise-focused AI workflow builder for larger companies that need to deploy agents across multiple departments with governance controls. AI-POWERED CRM AND SALES HubSpot AI (Breeze): HubSpot's built-in AI suite that drafts emails, summarizes customer records, scores leads, and automates your entire sales pipeline. Salesforce Einstein: Layers predictive lead scoring, opportunity insights, and automated activity capture across the entire Salesforce CRM ecosystem. Folk CRM: A lightweight CRM with AI-powered contact enrichment and pipeline automation designed specifically for small teams and solo founders. Clay: An AI-powered data enrichment platform that pulls prospect info from 75+ sources and automates personalized outreach at scale. Attio: A next-gen CRM that uses AI to automatically structure your relationship data and surface actionable insights from every customer interaction. Instantly: An AI-driven cold email platform that manages deliverability, automates follow-up sequences, and rotates sending accounts to keep you out of spam. CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND CHATBOTS eesel AI: Plugs into Zendesk or Freshdesk and learns from your past tickets to handle frontline support, with a "teammate" model that lets you level it up gradually. Intercom Fin: An AI-first customer support agent embedded in the Intercom ecosystem that resolves common questions and routes complex ones to humans. Tidio (Lyro): A beginner-friendly AI chatbot for small e-commerce stores and service businesses that gets a working bot on your website in under an hour. Botpress: An open-source conversational AI platform with a visual flow builder, multi-channel support, and the flexibility to self-host or use their managed cloud. Crisp: An all-in-one business messaging platform with an AI chatbot, shared inbox, and knowledge base designed for startups and small support teams. Chatwoot: An open-source customer engagement suite with AI-assisted responses, omnichannel inbox, and self-hosting options for privacy-conscious businesses. Voiceflow: A visual builder for designing and deploying AI chat and voice agents across web, mobile, and messaging channels without writing code. MEETING AND NOTE-TAKING Fathom: A free AI meeting assistant for Zoom, Meet, and Teams that auto-generates concise summaries, action items, and searchable transcripts after every call. Fireflies.ai: Records, transcribes, and highlights key moments from meetings with a searchable knowledge base across Zoom, Meet, and Teams. Grain: Turns meeting recordings into shareable highlight clips and playlists with strong CRM integrations for sales and customer-facing teams. Otter.ai: A robust real-time transcription tool with AI-powered summaries, action item extraction, and collaborative editing for team meetings. Supernormal: Automatically writes meeting notes that focus on decisions and next steps, with integrations into Slack, Notion, and project management tools. CONTENT CREATION AND MARKETING Jasper: An AI content platform built for marketing teams that maintains brand voice across blog posts, ads, emails, and social media at scale. Copy.ai: An AI-powered go-to-market platform that helps teams create sales copy, blog posts, and social content with built-in workflow automation. Writesonic: A budget-friendly AI writing tool with built-in SEO optimization, brand voice training, and a Chatsonic assistant for research-backed content. Canva Magic Studio: AI-powered design and content tools built into Canva for generating social posts, presentations, and marketing materials without a designer. Descript: An all-in-one video and podcast editor where you edit media by editing text, with AI-powered filler word removal, eye contact correction, and cloning. ElevenLabs: Generates studio-quality AI voiceovers in dozens of languages with voice cloning, perfect for scaling audio content without booking voice talent. Opus Clip: An AI video repurposing tool that takes long-form content and automatically extracts the best short clips for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. Castmagic: Turns podcast episodes, meetings, and audio recordings into show notes, social posts, newsletters, and blog drafts in one click. FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING QuickBooks AI: AI-powered bookkeeping features built into QuickBooks that auto-categorize transactions, flag anomalies, and surface cash flow insights. Fathom (Finance): Sits on top of QuickBooks or Xero and generates board-ready financial reports, KPI dashboards, and trend analysis for a fraction of a fractional CFO. Bench: Combines AI transaction categorization with human bookkeeper review each month, a hybrid approach for owners who want automation with oversight. Vic.ai: An AI-powered accounts payable automation tool that learns your coding patterns and processes invoices with minimal manual intervention. Puzzle: An AI-native accounting platform built for startups that automates reconciliation, generates real-time financial dashboards, and integrates with your banking stack. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY Notion AI: An AI layer built into Notion that summarizes docs, generates content, fills databases, and answers questions across your entire workspace. ClickUp AI: Project management with built-in AI that drafts task descriptions, summarizes threads, generates subtasks, and automates status updates. Coda AI: Combines documents, spreadsheets, and apps in one platform with AI that can automate table logic, draft content, and summarize data across your workspace. Motion: An AI scheduling tool that auto-builds your daily plan by combining tasks, calendar events, and project deadlines, then adjusts as priorities shift. Reclaim.ai: An AI calendar tool that automatically finds the best time for habits, tasks, and meetings while protecting your focus time. SPECIALIZED AND NICHE TOOLS Bardeen: A Chrome extension that automates browser-based tasks like scraping data, filling forms, and clicking buttons without needing any API access. Skyvern: An AI agent that automates web browser interactions using visual understanding instead of brittle CSS selectors, with cloud deployment in under 5 minutes. Levity: An AI tool that classifies and routes incoming data from emails, documents, and forms automatically, reducing manual sorting across your operations. My AI Front Desk: An AI receptionist that answers your business phone 24/7, handles scheduling, takes messages, and converts voicemails to searchable text. Retool: An AI-powered platform for building custom internal tools, dashboards, and AI agents tailored for operations like triaging tickets or managing inventory. Agent S3 (Simular AI): A computer-use AI agent that controls software through the GUI, clicking buttons and reading screens like a human would for legacy app automation. Glean: An enterprise AI assistant that indexes your company's internal tools (Drive, Slack, Notion, Salesforce) and surfaces answers based on your actual business data. Devin: An autonomous AI software engineer that handles end-to-end development tasks, from writing code to fixing bugs and pushing updates to GitHub. That's my list. It's not exhaustive, but it covers the tools I kept coming back to during my search. So what does your stack look like? If you're a small business owner using any of these (or something I missed), I'd love to hear what's actually working for you. submitted by /u/Equivalent-War-9658 to r/aiToolForBusiness [link] [comments]
Equivalent-War-9658 · Apr 1, 2026
All threads (47)
Thread Source Author Date
Making sense of Trump's unscheduled sudden midair disassembly of the American empire by Cory Doctorow
...the one that suits your business model." US trading partners ...the "technopoly," where "the only ideas and thoughts that have social... or Uber had been local startups – much fewer countries in ... exchange for reinstating a small trickle of the aid they...demands: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/zambia-says-us-health-deal-must-be-uncoupled-minerals-access-2026-05-04/ It's all up...
www.democraticunderground.com justaprogressive May 17, 2026
RE:[⭐] 500 000 IG NANO -> MACRO INFLUENCER DATABASE / $0.0005 per lead [⭐]
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RE:Best Mobile App Developers in Sydney for Small Businesses
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www.fitness.com john006 May 13, 2026
RE:Top Digital Transformation Companies in Dubai for AI, Cloud & Automation (2026)
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www.wallstreetoasis.com alrashidfatima09 May 12, 2026
25th Never Meant to Oust a President
... of contexts, from small businesses to large corporations. Business Context: In the... weight of failure, as many startups do not succeed. As such, ... culture. Implications in Different Fields Business: The role of a founder ... considered a thought leader whose ideas have significantly influenced a particular ... history and culture. Whether in business, politics, art, or social movements, ...
forums.delphiforums.com No One Is Above the Law (PAIndylady) May 11, 2026
RE:Modern Business Formation for the Global Digital Economy
.... In highly competitive markets, even small delays can result in missed ... Startups operate in uncertain environments where rapid changes are common. They need to test ideas... Company Formation The future of business incorporation is clearly moving toward ..., more efficient, and globally accessible business formation. Final Thoughts Starting a business today is easier than ever, ...
teenhut.net jordan35 May 8, 2026
RE:Modern Business Formation for the Global Digital Economy
.... In highly competitive markets, even small delays can result in missed ... Startups operate in uncertain environments where rapid changes are common. They need to test ideas... Company Formation The future of business incorporation is clearly moving toward ..., more efficient, and globally accessible business formation. Final Thoughts Starting a business today is easier than ever, ...
teenhut.net jordan35 May 8, 2026
Rhythm Bhattarai
... proof-based external vulnerability scanner for startups, SaaS teams, fintech products, and... kept seeing: a lot of small teams build and launch fast, ..., business impact, and clear reports. Outside of that, I enjoy working on product ideas...
www.producthunt.com Rhythm Bhattarai May 1, 2026
Contract Manufacturing Services: A Smart Solution for Modern Businesses
... Whether you need a small initial run or large-scale mass.... Contract Manufacturing for Small and Medium Businesses Contract manufacturing ... for large corporations. Small and medium-sized businesses can benefit ...out of reach. For startups and growing brands, contract manufacturing ...businesses can focus on ideas and marketing and let experts ...come in. When a business hires someone to make their ...
forums.delphiforums.com Mirajane Apr 30, 2026
RE:Top 10 Mobile App Development Companies in the USA for High-Quality Apps in 2026
...First, they care about your business problem. They do not just...app should do for your business. A good company thinks...years. They have worked with small startups and large companies. That ...average. They work well with startups and larger companies equally. ...long-term maintainability Experience with venture-backed startups and enterprises Active in ... questions? Do they offer ideas you had not thought of...
www.wallstreetoasis.com tanveerkaur1468 Apr 29, 2026
RE:What Are the Biggest Fitness App Developers?
... technology companies, while others are small startups that focus only on health... performance. The company works with startups as well as enterprises and ..., and high-performance applications tailored for startups and small businesses. Their approach emphasizes efficiency, ... Labs, and SupportSoft help turn ideas into useful fitness apps. They ... to stay fit or a business wants to build a fitness ...
www.wallstreetoasis.com hannahwilson1 Apr 28, 2026
RE:Logo Maker, AI Logo Generator v144.0 [Pro]
...create a logo for your business, startup, gaming brand, ...simple: 1. Enter your business or company name 2. ... instantly generates custom logo ideas tailored to your brand.... that truly represent your business with complete creative control.... Business Logo Maker - Professional company branding * AI Logo Generator for startups &...Create logos anytime, anywhere From small businesses to content creators, this...
forum.mobilism.org PieMods Apr 27, 2026
RE:Logo Maker, AI Logo Generator v144.0 [Pro]
...create a logo for your business, startup, gaming brand, ...simple: 1. Enter your business or company name 2. ... instantly generates custom logo ideas tailored to your brand.... that truly represent your business with complete creative control.... Business Logo Maker - Professional company branding * AI Logo Generator for startups &...Create logos anytime, anywhere From small businesses to content creators, this...
forum.mobilism.org PieMods Apr 27, 2026
RE:Which Company Provides the Best Mobile App Development Services in USA?
... for Businesses Today, almost every business needs a mobile app. Here... is known for helping startups and small businesses turn their ideas into real mobile... best choice depends on your business goals, budget, and project requirements...
github.com blocktunix-usa Apr 27, 2026
RE:Which Company Provides the Best Mobile App Development Services in USA?
... for Businesses Today, almost every business needs a mobile app. Here... is known for helping startups and small businesses turn their ideas into real mobile... services Technology consulting Innovation-focused solutions Business app strategy Digital transformation support...
www.wallstreetoasis.com hannahwilson1 Apr 27, 2026
RE:Logo Maker, AI Logo Generator v143.0 [Pro]
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forum.mobilism.org PieMods Apr 24, 2026
RE:Logo Maker, AI Logo Generator v143.0 [Pro]
...create a logo for your business, startup, gaming brand, ...simple: 1. Enter your business or company name 2. ... instantly generates custom logo ideas tailored to your brand.... that truly represent your business with complete creative control.... Business Logo Maker - Professional company branding * AI Logo Generator for startups &...Create logos anytime, anywhere From small businesses to content creators, this...
forum.mobilism.org PieMods Apr 24, 2026
일단 알트만/브록만 팟캐 전문은 올려둠
... 30,000 companies, from startups to the world's largest corporations... corporate cards, high yield business banking and expense automation tools...wild fact. That's not a small, it's going to be a... see 30 startups. It's great. There's like this flourishing of ideas and people... trying things, but it's like such small potatoes ... leading edges of it. Small companies be able to get ...
gall.dcinside.com ㅇㅇ Apr 22, 2026
RE:Top 15 Mobile App Development Companies in USA for AI, Fintech & On-Demand Apps
.... They work closely with startups and businesses to turn ideas into functional digital products....and client-focused execution. Best For: Startups and small businesses Core Services: Mobile app ... and maintenance. They work with startups and established businesses. Best For: Custom business apps Core Services: Mobile apps... clients to refine product ideas. Their expertise includes consumer-facing apps. ...
www.wallstreetoasis.com jacobnelson Apr 22, 2026
RE:Logo Maker, AI Logo Generator v142.0 [Pro]
...create a logo for your business, startup, gaming brand, ...simple: 1. Enter your business or company name 2. ... instantly generates custom logo ideas tailored to your brand.... that truly represent your business with complete creative control.... Business Logo Maker - Professional company branding * AI Logo Generator for startups &...Create logos anytime, anywhere From small businesses to content creators, this...
forum.mobilism.org PieMods Apr 17, 2026
RE:Logo Maker, AI Logo Generator v142.0 [Pro]
...create a logo for your business, startup, gaming brand, ...simple: 1. Enter your business or company name 2. ... instantly generates custom logo ideas tailored to your brand.... that truly represent your business with complete creative control.... Business Logo Maker - Professional company branding * AI Logo Generator for startups &...Create logos anytime, anywhere From small businesses to content creators, this...
forum.mobilism.org PieMods Apr 17, 2026
7 Key Benefits When You Hire Full Stack Developers for Your Business
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forums.delphiforums.com danieljt Apr 17, 2026
RE:Best Product Engineering Services for Startups and Enterprises (2026 Trends & Market Leaders)
...with clients to transform ideas into functional products. Their ...engineering services aligned with business goals. They emphasize design thinking... They focus on refining ideas and optimizing products before launch. ... ProcureStack ProcureStack is a small but innovative company specializing in ... on your business goals, technical needs, and growth strategy. By selecting wisely, startups and enterprises ...
www.wallstreetoasis.com ApptunixTech Apr 17, 2026
RE:James Patterson
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hotcopper.com.au Scott th Ratbag Apr 16, 2026
RE:The case for working in US politics, how to assess your fit, the downsides, and how to get started
... perfectly efficient. Talent, competition, and ideas are scarce. Many elections are ... lots of small-time donors, meaning ideas and hustle (and not just... experience. Many campaigns are like startups, with more work to be... candidate.) Data analysis Movement organising Business/entrepreneurship/strategy Communications/media Fundraising ... campaigns, or, if it’s a small enough race, the candidate (or ...
forum.effectivealtruism.org 80000_Hours Apr 15, 2026
I scraped 12k+ posts to find the best business ideas that actually work in 2026
I've looked at thousands of business ideas on reddit threads, communities, and from actual entrepreneurs. here are my favorite business ideas that I think will do well in 2026. (based on my experience as an entrepreneur and what I've seen work). AI website x local business. Use Claude or lovable and design websites for a local business. use google my business to find local businesses without websites. cold call them, show the website, and then sell it to them. tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. niche test-prep tutoring: you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. grow with referals. (this business is more of a side hustle, and you will be busier during exam seasons but you can get paid well) local newsletter for your city. write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. SEO for chatbots (also called AEO): help businesses with answer engine optimization by getting their business visible on AI search engines. target small businesses first and build a reputation. Be a UGC creator. more of a service business but has been very successful recently. It works by marketing other's business on TikTok, Instagram, and they pay you by the number of views you get. If you are good at being on camera, this is a solid way to make some extra money. editing/clipping service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing thoughts with whatever business you choose, align it with your existing skills and stick with it. If you want my free access to my LIST of 150+ Business Ideas and strategy to grow your business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it this database has 150+ business ideas I vetted that work. they are sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. now go and make some money!! submitted by /u/Flashy_Point_210 to r/DigitalIncomePath [link] [comments]
reddit.com Flashy_Point_210 May 10, 2026
Struggling to get first business users for our startup any advice?
Me and a friend recently started working on a small startup for New york. We built everything ourselves, the website, iOS app and Android app. The idea is similar to food ordering platforms, but focused on helping pubs, bars and restaurants get customers without charging them platform fees. So far, we’ve spent around $1000 on Meta ads trying to get restaurants to sign up, but the results have been pretty disappointing. Very few quality leads and almost no conversions. We also tried going offline and visiting restaurants directly, but most of the time we only end up talking to staff. Owners or decision makers are usually not available, so it’s been hard to actually pitch or close anything. At this point we’re trying to figure out what we’re missing on the go to market side. For those who’ve built anything in the local marketplace space: How did you get your first set of businesses onboard? Did paid ads work for you early on, or is this the wrong approach? Any tips on reaching actual decision makers for small restaurants or bars? Would really appreciate any advice or lessons from your experience. Thanks! submitted by /u/_sreekar_ to r/smallbusiness [link] [comments]
reddit.com _sreekar_ May 4, 2026
Realistic Side income Startup Ideas
26F doing job, but want to start a startup with minimum investment. I can't be a corporates rat my entire life so even if I can start with something small with a bit of an extra effort I'm more than willing to do it and with the opportunity for the business to grow more with time Can someone help me out to figure what I can do? Any ideas? I work as a digital marketer, but please avoid suggesting me to open a agency. Anything else? It doesn't need to be completely relevant to what I'm currently doing I started my thrift business 3 years back, was working great but then I got too occupied with my MBA and job that I couldn't go back to it. And now the market is too competitive + Ads Cost TOO MUCH now. I can invest somewhere around 1-2lac (a bit flexible) initially so something in that range submitted by /u/ReturnEmpty8637 to r/PakStartups [link] [comments]
reddit.com ReturnEmpty8637 Apr 24, 2026
I CREATED A LIST OF THE BEST BUSINESS IDEAS THAT ACTUALLY WORK IN 2026
Here are my favorite business ideas I think will do well in 2026. Tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. Online newsletter for your city. Write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing Thoughts With whatever business you choose, personalize it to your strengths and stick with it. If you want my free access to my full DATABASE of 150+ Business Ideas and strategy to grow your online business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it. This database has 150+ of the latest side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Now go and make some cash!! submitted by /u/Apart-Drag4177 to r/BusinessDeconstructed [link] [comments]
reddit.com Apart-Drag4177 Apr 17, 2026
I'm a Serial Founder. Here's how I come up with Business Ideas. I will not promote.
NO AI WAS USED IN WRITING THIS I have been working on this post for over a year, it's all my own content, nothing from a model. I'll leave a screenshot showing the markdown files with dates in the comments. Hello my name's Troy. I'm a serial founder who's been either a founder or founding employee at 9 startups with the total valuation of said startups north of $1bn. My current startup that I co-founded is currently at $5m in ARR and growing rapidly. I used to be a teacher and have been really itching to write and what I've learned over the last decade and a half of being in the startup space. Mods, I'm happy to verify above if needed. I browse this and other similar subreddits often and see a lot of similar questions pop up. The problem is the vast majority of the members in these communities are either trying to sell something or don't know what they're talking about (respectfully 80%) This value should be driven by a combination of your research of the space and your own ability to execute on it (your skillset). The percentages are meant to evaluate how likely you think you can make something that generates ANY money at all. This is why opportunities that solve pain points you experience is such a great starting point. If you would buy the product you're thinking of making then your confidence score here should be high. Choosing A Winner So now that you've got your list it's time to pick what opportunity you'd like to pursue. This is where you really come into play. I don't have a formula on what combination of traits makes an opportunity a winner. That's extremely dependent on you and what you want. Your goal now is to use the context you've gathered about these opportunities to make the best decision for you. Although I don't have any silver bullet formula here's some things to think about... As timeline to ship decreases, need for high confidence also decreases. If you're able to crank out a lean version of a product very quickly you don't necessarily need to be extremely confident it'll work. If you can prove out the concept in just a few weeks, it can be totally worth the risk to try a lower confidence opportunity. Bigger scale does not equal better space There are a lot of reasons to not want to target massive spaces. You'll have more competition with more resources. Making it a lot harder to really stand out. Depending on your goals it might be better to build a business in a more niche space with a smaller opportunity size. Not to say venture scale opportunities aren't worth chasing, they are of course. However, I'd recommend a very high confidence before diving in. 1.6 | Testing The Market At this point you should have an idea of the opportunity you want to pursue. Now we'll build the leanest possible solution and then test the market. The goal of this is to get ten paying customers. Once you've done that you should feel very convicted that this is an opportunity worth chasing and you'll critically have a decent sized user group to talk to and learn about their needs / use cases for your product. What you're trying to learn I want to be very clear with what this is for and what indicators you want to really look for. I'll list them out plain and simple for you to easily reference then explain some more detailed thoughts. Were my assumptions / research about the opportunity correct? Can I get customers? What do customers want? Let's dive into each of these a little bit so i can paint some additional color on what you should look to answer. Were my assumptions / research about the opportunity correct? In the prior sections we discussed different techniques to evaluate and research opportunities. It's important you're able to confirm as much of this as possible. This is extremely valuable not just because the information itself is useful for this specific opportunity but also because it'll give you confidence or insights on how to adjust your research and evaluation techniques for the future. Can I get customers? The exact number is relatively arbitrary and dependent on what you're building. Ten is probably right for most opportunities. However, this is very up to the exact product you're building. Some products don't really have "paying" customers but rather generate revenue from advertisements or other means. The most important thing is to be intentional about what concerns you're trying to validate. The purpose of this is to get people in your target market to pay for the solution you're providing. Your ability to find these customers and how difficult it is to get them bought in on what you're making are key indicators for if you should commit to a space. If you have to talk to one hundred people who are in your target market before anyone is even remotely interested... it's a good sign you are not in an opportunity you should chase or your current approach is very wrong. What do customers want? In order to test the market you're going to have to make some initial assumptions of what kind of product or solution you should offer to address an opportunity. A good chunk assumptions will likely be very wrong. The feedback on what's good and bad about your ideas for your solution is critically important. You might find that the bulk of the problems you're trying to address are already solved quite well by an existing solution, and you'll need to drastically adjust your approach or drop the opportunity all together. The leanest possible solution... In order to test the product you'll need to have something to sell the customer. This should not be an "MVP" in the traditional sense. You instead want the simplest possible iteration of your proposed idea to address a opportunity. It is insanely easy to over-engineer or over-build your first iteration. You're not building your dream product. You're not building an MVP. You might not even have to build anything at all... I know quite a few people that have gotten through this phase with a simple google form and some manual work. Anything that is not directly addressing the problem you're trying to solve you should not include. The goal here is to confirm our assumptions and analysis of the opportunity space and our idea. Giving us the confidence to go all in and truly focus on chasing the opportunity. Finding your first customers By this point you should have a good idea of where to source and find your customers. The most reliable way to do this is to find them in person and have a conversation with them about what you're building. Please lean into the phase that you're in. Far too many founders try to seem like they are more professional or established than they are. They'll spend a bunch of time making an attractive landing page, professional business cards, or even swag for their pre-launch product. On paper, it might seem like presenting yourself as a professional established company would help attract customers by building trust. To be clear though, this isn't actually the case and in the vast majority of the businesses I've built or been a part of building the first few sales done by the founders are often times some of the easiest. People love transparency and love aspiring entrepreneurs. You as a founder talking directly to a potential customer is not something that is possible at large companies. Lean in to where you're at. Approach potential customers with a humble eagerness to help and understand the problems they're facing. Generally, people will want to root for you / support you. There's no one size fits all solution for finding your first customers so instead, here's some tools to add to your tool-belt for you to implement depending on what you're trying to build... Advisor Shares Giving out a small advisor share package to early customers is a great way to get them on board. Especially if your target end user is a fairly prestigious group such as lawyers, doctors, or executives. You don't want this to be a significant amount of equity. Typically, 0.1-0.5% total. I usually like to frame these in total # of shares. Bigger # = Better. This also lets you cash in on something called the Ikea effect. People love something more when they feel like they were a part of making it. Giving key customers a very small ownership stake early on gives them a huge incentive to be a fantastic source of feedback, a long term customer, and makes them very likely to roll with the punches as you figure out the kinks. Discounts It's very important that you still charge for what you're offering. Giving away your offering for free can significantly impact the quality of the feedback you're receiving. There's a few different kinds of discounts that can be valuable at this phase. Here's a few to consider... Selling At Cost: Your goal at this phase isn't to make money. A lot of the time I like to sell the service "at cost" to the customers at this phase. That means you're just breaking even with the sale. In my companies early stages, this is what we did. We simply charged the fee we'd break even on with no additional costs. Godfather Offer: Putting together a extremely competitive price that you can then offer long term to a client is a good way to get them bought in for the long term. Free Trial: Giving things away for free is not ideal but depending on your space this can be an expectation from your customers. It's important you do collect payment information and a agreed upon date to begin charging. That allows you to still get that same investment as a full paying customer as they'll be evaluating if the product is worth the money you will charge at some future date. Know when to fold This is very likely the most time you've invested into any of your ideas up until this point. It can be very easy to get to this phase and try to force something to work. This is made worse by how common the bullshit "never give up" mindset is in the entrepreneur community. So I'll say it. PLEASE GIVE UP WHEN SHIT ISN'T WORKING You are still so early on in this process. Do not get stuck trying to sell a product the market is not accepting. Be ready to rapidly drop your ideas and assumptions about the space or even to drop the space all together and look for a different opportunity to chase. You should "never give up" on your dream of being an entrepreneur, but you should be incredibly ready to give up on specific opportunities when your ideas are not panning out. 1.7 | Committing Congratulations! You've gotten through the phase where the vast majority of potential businesses die. Provided you got the validation you were seeking out when testing the market it's now time to do what very well may be the hardest thing for many entrepreneurs.... You need to commit. Once you find something that is showing you good signs you need to commit. As an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it is to just work on one thing... case and point by me writing this shit right now instead of working on my startup. You probably have a bunch of other ideas you are excited about the potential of and are interested in exploring... But unfortunately, your limited resource is always time. That's all folks :) submitted by /u/ssbmomelette to r/startups [link] [comments]
reddit.com ssbmomelette Apr 11, 2026
Best OpenClaw Alternatives for Small Business Owners
I've been running a small e-commerce business for about three years now, and when OpenClaw blew up earlier this year I jumped on it like everyone else. The idea of having an AI agent handle my customer emails, manage my calendar, and automate half my workflow sounded like a dream. Then reality hit. The setup was brutal. I spent an entire weekend wrestling with Node.js configs, Docker, and API keys. I got it working for about two weeks before a ClawHub skill broke my Gmail integration and I had to start over. The Cisco report about skills exfiltrating data was the final straw for me. I love what OpenClaw is trying to do, but I needed something that actually works without me babysitting it every day. So I went down a rabbit hole. I researched, and bookmarked every tool I could find that solves the same problems OpenClaw tries to solve, but in ways that are more practical for someone who is running a business, not maintaining an open-source project. Here's everything I found, grouped by what you actually need them for. Some of these are well-known, but most are newer tools that deserve way more attention. AI Workers for Automation Relevance AI: A low-code platform for building modular AI agents that handle CRM enrichment, lead scoring, and data analysis across your business tools. Marblism: Deploys AI workers that manage email, social media, and sales outreach around the clock, designed for small teams operating beyond their headcount. Lindy: No-code AI agent builder with 4,000+ integrations that lets you create custom agents for email, sales, and support workflows using plain English instructions. Manus AI: Operates natively through Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack so your AI agent lives inside the messaging apps your team already uses. O-mega AI: An autonomous AI workforce platform where you deploy AI "employees" that learn your software stack and follow your procedures with full visibility into every step. Knolli: A secure, no-code AI copilot builder with structured workflows and enterprise-grade permissions, built for teams that need reliability over raw autonomy. SmythOS: A modular AI agent orchestration platform with a visual builder, fallback paths, and decision logic for managing complex cross-functional automations. AgentHub: A plug-and-play library of pre-built business agent templates you can customize and deploy without configuring anything from scratch. Taskade: Lets teams build custom AI agents inside shared workspaces for to-do lists, content generation, and project coordination with its Genesis app builder. Gumloop: A drag-and-drop AI workflow builder used by companies like Instacart and Shopify, with tons of pre-built templates for non-technical teams. LIGHTWEIGHT AND OPEN-SOURCE ALTERNATIVES Nanobot: A minimal Python-based AI agent that covers tool use, scheduled tasks, and memory management in a small codebase you can actually read and audit. ZeroClaw: A privacy-first, fully local AI agent that runs without cloud API calls, ideal for businesses that want to keep all their data on-premise. PicoClaw: An ultra-lightweight agent that runs on $10 RISC-V hardware with a sub-second boot time, perfect for edge computing and IoT use cases. NanoClaw: A Claude-focused lightweight agent built for developers who want strong reasoning in a stripped-down, auditable framework. n8n: Open-source workflow automation with a built-in AI Agent node, LangChain integration, and support for local and cloud LLMs. Self-host for free or use cloud from $20/month. Activepieces: A budget-friendly open-source automation platform at $5 per flow that competes directly with Zapier and Make for smaller teams. AnythingLLM: An open-source LLM orchestration hub that lets you run and manage multiple language models locally for business workflows. NO-CODE WORKFLOW BUILDERS Zapier: Connects 7,000+ apps with a simple trigger-action interface and now includes AI-powered Zaps, Canvas for visual design, and autonomous AI Agents. Make (formerly Integromat): A visual workflow builder with strong AI model integration and budget-friendly pricing, popular among creators and small agencies. MindStudio: A drag-and-drop platform for building genuinely powerful AI agents without code, going beyond simplified templates into real customization. Relay.app: A collaborative automation tool that combines AI steps with human-in-the-loop approvals, so your workflows stay supervised where it matters. Integrately: A no-code automation platform with 1,300+ app connectors trusted by companies like Adobe and Deloitte for streamlining repetitive tasks. Pipedream: A developer-friendly workflow platform that combines code-level control with a visual builder and supports serverless execution of complex logic. Stack AI: An enterprise-focused AI workflow builder for larger companies that need to deploy agents across multiple departments with governance controls. AI-POWERED CRM AND SALES HubSpot AI (Breeze): HubSpot's built-in AI suite that drafts emails, summarizes customer records, scores leads, and automates your entire sales pipeline. Salesforce Einstein: Layers predictive lead scoring, opportunity insights, and automated activity capture across the entire Salesforce CRM ecosystem. Folk CRM: A lightweight CRM with AI-powered contact enrichment and pipeline automation designed specifically for small teams and solo founders. Clay: An AI-powered data enrichment platform that pulls prospect info from 75+ sources and automates personalized outreach at scale. Attio: A next-gen CRM that uses AI to automatically structure your relationship data and surface actionable insights from every customer interaction. Instantly: An AI-driven cold email platform that manages deliverability, automates follow-up sequences, and rotates sending accounts to keep you out of spam. CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND CHATBOTS eesel AI: Plugs into Zendesk or Freshdesk and learns from your past tickets to handle frontline support, with a "teammate" model that lets you level it up gradually. Intercom Fin: An AI-first customer support agent embedded in the Intercom ecosystem that resolves common questions and routes complex ones to humans. Tidio (Lyro): A beginner-friendly AI chatbot for small e-commerce stores and service businesses that gets a working bot on your website in under an hour. Botpress: An open-source conversational AI platform with a visual flow builder, multi-channel support, and the flexibility to self-host or use their managed cloud. Crisp: An all-in-one business messaging platform with an AI chatbot, shared inbox, and knowledge base designed for startups and small support teams. Chatwoot: An open-source customer engagement suite with AI-assisted responses, omnichannel inbox, and self-hosting options for privacy-conscious businesses. Voiceflow: A visual builder for designing and deploying AI chat and voice agents across web, mobile, and messaging channels without writing code. MEETING AND NOTE-TAKING Fathom: A free AI meeting assistant for Zoom, Meet, and Teams that auto-generates concise summaries, action items, and searchable transcripts after every call. Fireflies.ai: Records, transcribes, and highlights key moments from meetings with a searchable knowledge base across Zoom, Meet, and Teams. Grain: Turns meeting recordings into shareable highlight clips and playlists with strong CRM integrations for sales and customer-facing teams. Otter.ai: A robust real-time transcription tool with AI-powered summaries, action item extraction, and collaborative editing for team meetings. Supernormal: Automatically writes meeting notes that focus on decisions and next steps, with integrations into Slack, Notion, and project management tools. CONTENT CREATION AND MARKETING Jasper: An AI content platform built for marketing teams that maintains brand voice across blog posts, ads, emails, and social media at scale. Copy.ai: An AI-powered go-to-market platform that helps teams create sales copy, blog posts, and social content with built-in workflow automation. Writesonic: A budget-friendly AI writing tool with built-in SEO optimization, brand voice training, and a Chatsonic assistant for research-backed content. Canva Magic Studio: AI-powered design and content tools built into Canva for generating social posts, presentations, and marketing materials without a designer. Descript: An all-in-one video and podcast editor where you edit media by editing text, with AI-powered filler word removal, eye contact correction, and cloning. ElevenLabs: Generates studio-quality AI voiceovers in dozens of languages with voice cloning, perfect for scaling audio content without booking voice talent. Opus Clip: An AI video repurposing tool that takes long-form content and automatically extracts the best short clips for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. Castmagic: Turns podcast episodes, meetings, and audio recordings into show notes, social posts, newsletters, and blog drafts in one click. FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING QuickBooks AI: AI-powered bookkeeping features built into QuickBooks that auto-categorize transactions, flag anomalies, and surface cash flow insights. Fathom (Finance): Sits on top of QuickBooks or Xero and generates board-ready financial reports, KPI dashboards, and trend analysis for a fraction of a fractional CFO. Bench: Combines AI transaction categorization with human bookkeeper review each month, a hybrid approach for owners who want automation with oversight. Vic.ai: An AI-powered accounts payable automation tool that learns your coding patterns and processes invoices with minimal manual intervention. Puzzle: An AI-native accounting platform built for startups that automates reconciliation, generates real-time financial dashboards, and integrates with your banking stack. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY Notion AI: An AI layer built into Notion that summarizes docs, generates content, fills databases, and answers questions across your entire workspace. ClickUp AI: Project management with built-in AI that drafts task descriptions, summarizes threads, generates subtasks, and automates status updates. Coda AI: Combines documents, spreadsheets, and apps in one platform with AI that can automate table logic, draft content, and summarize data across your workspace. Motion: An AI scheduling tool that auto-builds your daily plan by combining tasks, calendar events, and project deadlines, then adjusts as priorities shift. Reclaim.ai: An AI calendar tool that automatically finds the best time for habits, tasks, and meetings while protecting your focus time. SPECIALIZED AND NICHE TOOLS Bardeen: A Chrome extension that automates browser-based tasks like scraping data, filling forms, and clicking buttons without needing any API access. Skyvern: An AI agent that automates web browser interactions using visual understanding instead of brittle CSS selectors, with cloud deployment in under 5 minutes. Levity: An AI tool that classifies and routes incoming data from emails, documents, and forms automatically, reducing manual sorting across your operations. My AI Front Desk: An AI receptionist that answers your business phone 24/7, handles scheduling, takes messages, and converts voicemails to searchable text. Retool: An AI-powered platform for building custom internal tools, dashboards, and AI agents tailored for operations like triaging tickets or managing inventory. Agent S3 (Simular AI): A computer-use AI agent that controls software through the GUI, clicking buttons and reading screens like a human would for legacy app automation. Glean: An enterprise AI assistant that indexes your company's internal tools (Drive, Slack, Notion, Salesforce) and surfaces answers based on your actual business data. Devin: An autonomous AI software engineer that handles end-to-end development tasks, from writing code to fixing bugs and pushing updates to GitHub. That's my list. It's not exhaustive, but it covers the tools I kept coming back to during my search. So what does your stack look like? If you're a small business owner using any of these (or something I missed), I'd love to hear what's actually working for you. submitted by /u/Equivalent-War-9658 to r/aiToolForBusiness [link] [comments]
reddit.com Equivalent-War-9658 Apr 1, 2026
Anyone in Toronto thinking about starting a business but has no idea where to begin?
Hi everyone! I’m organizing a small free meetup in Toronto for people who have been thinking about starting a business but feel stuck at the “idea / planning” stage. No gurus, no sales pitch — just a relaxed conversation with people who are in the same situation. We’ll talk about things like: how people actually start businesses in real life, how to go from idea to first client, what the first practical steps really look like. I’m working on an educational startup for beginner founders, so I’m also really curious to hear people’s experiences and questions. If you’ve been thinking “I want to start something but don’t know where to begin”, this meetup is for you. It’s completely free and very informal. If you're interested, comment. submitted by /u/Brilliant-March-7856 to r/TorontoHangoutFriends [link] [comments]
reddit.com Brilliant-March-7856 Mar 12, 2026
I MADE A LIST OF THE BEST BUSINESS IDEAS THAT WORK IN 2026
Here are some side hustles and business ideas I think will do well in 2026. Tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. Online newsletter for your city. Write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing Thoughts With whatever business/side hustle you choose, personalize it to your strengths and stick with it. If you want my free access to my LIST of 150+ Business Ideas and advice on starting a business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it. this is my personal list of 150+ Ideas. It has the latest business ideas that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Good luck and go start your business. submitted by /u/Apart-Drag4177 to r/DigitalProductSellers [link] [comments]
reddit.com Apart-Drag4177 Feb 6, 2026
What would you say is the top payroll software for small businesses in 2026?
Hi all Our startup is at 20 employees, but we’re still using spreadsheets for payroll, which is becoming less and less of a good idea. My bookkeeper recommended that we start with a software, something she’s already familiar with like Rippling since it also syncs with our accounting software, but I haven’t had experience with any payroll softwares myself. It seems to have positive reviews from SMBs and good UX for me as an alternative payroll admin. Any suggestions for what we should look at as a small business starting out on payroll software? submitted by /u/Capable_Sugar_567 to r/Payroll [link] [comments]
reddit.com Capable_Sugar_567 Feb 3, 2026
I looked at a 5000+ business ideas and side hustles... so you don't have to.
I spent days of full-on research looking at the best businesses that work in 2026. Tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. Online newsletter for your city. Write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing Thoughts With whatever business you choose, personalize it to your strengths and stick with it. If you want my free access to my LIST of 150+ Business Ideas and advice on starting a business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it. This is my list of the 150+ best side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Now go and make some money! submitted by /u/Apart-Drag4177 to r/BusinessDeconstructed [link] [comments]
reddit.com Apart-Drag4177 Feb 1, 2026
I CREATED A LIST OF THE BEST BUSINESS IDEAS THAT ACTUALLY WORK IN 2026
Here are some business ideas I think will actually work in 2026. Tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. Online newsletter for your city. Write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing Thoughts With whatever business you choose, personalize it to your strengths and stick with it. If you want my free access to my LIST of 150+ Business Ideas and advice on starting a business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it. This database has 150+ of the latest side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Now go and make some money submitted by /u/Apart-Drag4177 to r/BusinessDeconstructed [link] [comments]
reddit.com Apart-Drag4177 Jan 23, 2026
Finally we are planning a startup and Business Meetup in February in Hyderabad
Something interesting happened while we were planning a startup meetup in Hyderabad sponsors came before the event was even finalized. A few weeks back, we created a simple WhatsApp group for business owners and startup founders in Hyderabad Hyderabadstartups and business groups just founders helping founders, networking and mutual support The group crossed 300+ members organically Founders started collaborating and helping each other I got a very good connections Many members kept asking for an offline meetup When we just started exploring venue options like meeting room or meeting hall,the first sponsor joined a Google Meet for barely 3–4 minutes. He didn’t know us personally and confirmed it. We are doing in February month on one Sunday in Gachibowli. More sponsors started calling Members volunteered to help organize The community itself started pushing the meetup forward Instead of doing a usual networking event, we decided to focus on value first, because people are giving time, trust, and support. What we’re planning to go with this agenda in the meetup We are planning to invite a COO- vertical head sharing real marketing strategies from a revenue-generating business and he is a very good connections with top political persons having an added advantage. An NIT/IIT mentor and he is having multiple companies also providing startup mentorship and basic financial analysis A food business consultant breaking down cost, profit margins, licenses, apps, and franchise models Digital marketing professionals sharing practical tools founders actually use An incubator member explaining startup readiness, ratios, and analysis One finance person will explain Basics around business models, company structures, and types Planning to bring One small investor he will just evaluates himself and he will proceed if he likes some one idea. We want to keep it accessible and serious, so we’re thinking of a very small entry fee (₹150–₹200 only). This is mainly to avoid no-shows, cover basic logistics, and provide simple snacks during the session. The goal is simple 👉 Founders should leave with some clarity, not just contacts But for me it's a great group till now 65 founders spoken with me.They became good friends and supporters So need more suggestions if any one wants to give to make it more impactful and also If anyone is interested in joining, feel free to comment or DM. we’re planning to allow only verified business profiles, startup founders, or genuine operators. Range is 40-50 Founders only for the meetup. We’re currently working on the remaining tasks and moving toward finalization, so any suggestions or feedback at this stage would be really helpful. We will posting the updates further. Join with us in our community hyd start up business community submitted by /u/Ill_Screen_4589 to r/hyderabadstartups [link] [comments]
reddit.com Ill_Screen_4589 Jan 18, 2026
I MADE A LIST OF THE BEST BUSINESS IDEAS THAT ACTUALLY WORK IN 2026
Here are some side hustles and business ideas I think will do well in 2026. Tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. Online newsletter for your city. Write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Closing Thoughts With whatever business/side hustle you choose, personalize it to your strengths and stick with it. If you want my free access to my LIST of 150+ Business Ideas and advice on starting a business, then upvote this post and comment "interested" and I'll DM you it. This database has 150+ of the latest side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Now go and make some money! submitted by /u/Apart-Drag4177 to r/DigitalIncomePath [link] [comments]
reddit.com Apart-Drag4177 Jan 17, 2026
How do you find good business ideas when everything feels already solved?
Hi everyone, I’d appreciate any advice on the processes, sources, or frameworks you use to discover meaningful problems that still don’t have good solutions. I’ve often seen recommendations to follow Product Hunt, but I don’t really understand how browsing Product Hunt alone can lead to a solid project idea, since most things there already feel quite validated or crowded. I’ve been thinking about starting a business for a long time, ideally a solo project or something built with a very small team, in a startup-like model. However, even after months of actively thinking about it, I still struggle to identify a problem that makes me confident enough to say: “this is the one worth investing my time and energy in.” How do you personally go from “I want to build something” to identifying a real problem worth solving? Thanks in advance for any insights. Edited: Thanks for all responses and advices. submitted by /u/LatterRhubarb4431 to r/Entrepreneur [link] [comments]
reddit.com LatterRhubarb4431 Jan 14, 2026
I MADE A LIST OF THE BEST BUSINESS IDEAS/SIDE HUSTLES TO MAKE MONEY THAT ACTUALLY WORK IN 2026
Here are some side hustles and business ideas I think will do well in 2026. Online newsletter for your city. Write about your local city or area and events and important information for people living in your city. Get sponsored by local businesses and run ads that geo-target your area on Facebook or Instagram. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Tiktok Shop for trending products. This is the latest dropshipping variant for people 18+ in the US. You create your store dropshipping on tiktok’s platform and sell by creating content or spending on ads. Closing Thoughts With whatever business/side hustle you choose, personalize it to your strengths and stick with it. If you want my free DATABASE of 150+ Business Ideas and advice on starting a business, then upvote this post and DM me saying "interested" and I'll give you free access to the whole thing. The Idea Vault. This database has 150+ of the latest side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Now go and make some money! UPDATED EDIT: I hit the DM limit so if you want the database, DM me "interested" and I'll send it to you :) submitted by /u/Flashy_Point_210 to r/youngentrepreneur [link] [comments]
reddit.com Flashy_Point_210 Jan 11, 2026
I made a list of the best side hustles and business ideas in 2026
Here are some side hustles and business ideas I think will do well in 2026. Reddit Ghostwriting: If you're reading this you probably spend a lot of time on Reddit and know how the platform works and what does well. Position yourself as an authentic voice in your niche and write posts for agencies or small businesses. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Custom Discord Server Management: Reach out to big communities and offer to redesign and customize their server based on their audience. You can also become a moderator for several communities and make money that way. Closing Thoughts These businesses might not make you millions but are a great way to start and make extra income in 2026. This is my personal 150+ Idea Database. It contains the latest side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. If you want my DATABASE of 150+ Business Ideas, then upvote this post and let me know in the comments by saying "interested" and I'll DM you the whole thing. submitted by /u/Flashy_Point_210 to r/BusinessDeconstructed [link] [comments]
reddit.com Flashy_Point_210 Dec 26, 2025
I MADE A LIST OF THE BEST BUSINESS IDEAS AND SIDE HUSTLES TO MAKE MONEY THAT WILL ACTUALLY WORK IN 2026
Here are some side hustles and business ideas I think will do well in 2026. Reddit Ghostwriting: If you're reading this you probably spend a lot of time on Reddit and know how the platform works and what does well. Position yourself as an authentic voice in your niche and write posts for agencies or small businesses. Specific Test Prep Tutor: First you need qualifications but if you have scored well on the SAT/ACT or any subject, you can charge a premium for tutoring. Choose one niche service like I help with the reading section on SATs and become the expert in that area. GPT Prompt Packs. Create pre-made prompts for a specific niche like script writing for YouTube videos. This works well if you are in expert in the field and know what guidelines and constraints matter for an effective prompt. Custom Shopify/Website Themes. Create a website based on a theme for their business. Reach out to them and show them what it would look like and the data that backs the decision to buy it. If they don’t like it, sell the theme on Shopify so others can personalize it. Short-form Editing Service: this is the better version of a social media marketing agency. Find a podcast without a channel that doesn't post short videos or isn’t good at short video creation. Charge them to edit their videos and post them on youtube, tiktok, instagram reels etc. Personalized Logo + Brand Kits: If you are good at design, reach out to small businesses that can improve their logo/design. Create them a new logo and brand kit of typography, graphics, and colors they can use to improve their business. Blog on niche topic: If you like writing, combine it with an area of expertise/interest and write about it in a blog. Make money through advertisements, affiliates, or partnerships once you get traffic. Custom Discord Server Management: Reach out to big communities and offer to redesign and customize their server based on their audience. You can also become a moderator for several communities and make money that way. Sports Photography/Videoing. Targets teenagers and young adults playing sports especially ones that need highlights to show to college coaches or film to watch. Gain a reputation for videoing locally and expand by getting referrals and asking other people on the same team to take photos. Closing Thoughts These businesses might not make you millions but are a great way to start an online business and make extra income. If you want my free DATABASE of 150+ Business Ideas the link is in my bio along with valuable information on starting a business. This is my personal 150+ Idea Database. It contains the latest side hustles and business that work sorted by type, startup cost, difficulty level, money potential, and growth factors. Good luck in the new year. submitted by /u/Flashy_Point_210 to r/OnlineIncomeHustle [link] [comments]
reddit.com Flashy_Point_210 Dec 25, 2025
How should I start learning business from zero? I want to build my own startup but have no background
Hey everyone, I’ve been really interested in building my own startup, but there’s one big problem — I have zero business background. I don’t come from a business family, my school never taught anything about entrepreneurship, and I’ve never had any mentor or real exposure to how businesses actually work. Right now, I feel like I have the drive and ideas, but no roadmap. I don’t even know where to begin — whether I should start by learning accounting, marketing, sales, product management, or just start something small and learn on the way. For those of you who’ve built or are building something: How did you first start understanding business? What are the most useful books, videos, or online resources you’d recommend? Is there a practical way to learn by doing without wasting years? I’d appreciate any advice, direction, or personal stories from people who started from zero like me. Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/EconomyPriority404 to r/Startup_Ideas [link] [comments]
reddit.com EconomyPriority404 Oct 23, 2025
I spent $47k and 18 months building an "AI startup." Here's the brutal truth about why 90% of AI businesses are doomed.
TL;DR: Burned through $47k building an AI tool that 12 people use. Here's what the "AI gold rush" really looks like from the trenches, and why most AI startups are just expensive tech demos. The Setup (AKA How I Got Caught Up in the Hype) 18 months ago, I was a perfectly happy software consultant making decent money. Then ChatGPT happened, and suddenly everyone was an "AI entrepreneur." My LinkedIn feed was nothing but: "I built an AI that does X in 10 minutes!" "Our AI startup just raised $2M!" "$10k MRR with AI tools!" I got FOMO and thought, "How hard can it be?" Spoiler alert: Very hard. The Idea (That Seemed Brilliant at 2 AM) I decided to build an AI-powered content creation tool for small businesses. The pitch was simple: "Input your business details, get professional marketing copy in seconds." Why this seemed genius: Small businesses suck at copywriting They don't want to hire expensive agencies AI can write decent copy Subscription model = recurring revenue I spent weeks validating this idea by asking friends, "Would you pay for this?" Everyone said yes. First mistake: Asking people what they'd pay for instead of asking them to actually pay for it. The Build (18 Months of "Almost Done") Months 1-3: The MVP That Wasn't Minimum I started building what I thought was an MVP. Ended up with: Custom AI training pipeline Beautiful UI with 47 different templates User authentication system Payment processing Admin dashboard Analytics suite Cost so far: $12k (mostly my own development time valued at $100/hour) Months 4-8: Feature Creep Hell Beta users started asking for features: "Can it write in different tones?" "What about social media posts?" "Can it integrate with WordPress?" "What about email templates?" I said yes to everything. Each feature took 2-3x longer than expected. Cost so far: $28k Months 9-12: The Technical Debt Tsunami Nothing worked together properly. The codebase was a nightmare. I spent 4 months just refactoring and fixing bugs. Cost so far: $39k Months 13-18: Desperation Marketing Launched on Product Hunt (ranked #47 for the day). Posted in Facebook groups. Cold emailed 500 small business owners. Tried Reddit ads, Google ads, LinkedIn outreach. Total additional marketing spend: $8k Total users acquired: 73 Paying customers: 12 Final tally: $47k spent, $340 revenue. What I Got Wrong (Pretty Much Everything) 1. I Built a Solution Looking for a Problem Small businesses don't actually want AI copywriting tools. They want customers. Big difference. When I actually talked to my target market (should've done this first), here's what I learned: They're too busy to learn new tools They don't trust AI for their brand voice They'd rather hire their neighbor's kid for $50 2. I Competed with ChatGPT Why would someone pay me $29/month when ChatGPT Plus is $20/month and does way more? My value proposition was "it's easier than ChatGPT." Reality: It wasn't. And even if it was 10% easier, that's not worth paying 45% more. 3. I Underestimated Sales & Marketing I'm a developer. I thought "build it and they will come" was a real strategy. Breakdown of my 18 months: Building: 14 months Marketing/Sales: 4 months Should have been: Building: 4 months Marketing/Sales: 14 months 4. I Ignored Unit Economics Until Too Late My customer acquisition cost: $650 per customer ($8k marketing spend ÷ 12 customers) My average revenue per customer: $28 (most churned after 1 month) Even a business school dropout could see this math doesn't work. 5. I Built for Myself, Not Customers I made assumptions about what small businesses wanted based on what I thought they should want. Turns out, they just want more sales. They don't care how beautiful your UI is. The Real AI Business Landscape (It's Not Pretty) After networking with other "AI entrepreneurs" for 18 months, here's what I've observed: Tier 1: The Actually Successful Ones (5%) Had domain expertise BEFORE AI Solved real problems for specific industries Focused on B2B with enterprise budgets Examples: AI for radiology, legal document review, financial compliance Tier 2: The Lifestyle Businesses (15%) Simple wrappers around OpenAI API Serve very specific niches Make $5k-20k/month Examples: AI email responder for dentists, AI job description generator Tier 3: The Strugglers (30%) Built cool tech demos Can't find paying customers Burning through savings/investor money This is where I lived Tier 4: The Delusional (50%) Think they're going to replace Google Have raised money based on PowerPoint slides Will be out of business within 2 years What Actually Works in AI Business After talking to the successful Tier 1 and Tier 2 folks, here are the patterns: 1. Pick Boring Industries The sexiest AI companies get all the attention and funding. But plumbing contractors also need software, and there's way less competition. 2. Charge Enterprise Prices If you're saving a company 40 hours/week, charge them for 40 hours/week. Don't charge $29/month because that's what consumer apps cost. 3. Focus on Compliance/Risk Reduction Companies will pay stupid money to avoid getting sued or fined. AI that helps with compliance is worth 10x more than AI that "increases productivity." 4. Become the Expert First Learn an industry for 2-3 years BEFORE building AI for it. The AI part is easy. Understanding the problem is hard. My Pivot Strategy (What I'm Doing Now) I'm not giving up on entrepreneurship, but I'm definitely giving up on AI for now. New approach: Pick an industry where I have connections (web development agencies) Identify a specific, expensive problem ($10k+ problem) Build the simplest possible solution (no AI needed) Charge properly ($500-2000/month, not $29/month) Get 10 paying customers before building anything fancy The business: Project management tool specifically for web dev agencies that integrates with their existing stack and automates client reporting. No AI. No fancy features. Just solving one expensive problem really well. Hard Truths About the AI Gold Rush Truth 1: Most AI Startups Are Just Expensive Consultants If your business model is "AI does the work faster," you're selling labor arbitrage, not technology. That's a consulting business with extra steps. Truth 2: OpenAI/Google Will Eat Your Lunch If your competitive advantage is "we fine-tuned GPT for X," you don't have a competitive advantage. You have a 6-month head start, max. Truth 3: Customers Don't Care About Your Technology They care about outcomes. "AI-powered" is not a benefit. "Saves you 10 hours per week" is a benefit. Truth 4: The Technical Barriers Are Lower Than Ever Building AI products is easier than it's ever been. Which means everyone's doing it. Which means you need actual business advantages, not just technical ones. What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Start with the market, not the technology. Find people with expensive problems first. Then figure out how to solve them. B2B > B2C for AI. Businesses have money and understand ROI. Consumers just want free stuff. Niche down relentlessly. "AI for small businesses" is not a niche. "AI for orthodontist appointment scheduling" is a niche. Test with money, not words. Don't ask if people would pay. Ask them to pay. Budget 3x longer than you think. Everything in AI takes longer because the technology is still figuring itself out. The Question Everyone's Asking "Should I still start an AI business?" My answer: Only if you have deep domain expertise in a specific industry, access to that industry's decision-makers, and a problem that costs companies $100k+ per year. If your plan is "build cool AI thing, figure out customers later," just save yourself the time and money. Buy index funds instead. Final Thoughts I don't regret this experience. I learned more about business in 18 months than I did in 5 years of consulting. But I definitely could have learned it for a lot less than $47k. The AI opportunity is real, but it's not what the Twitter influencers are selling you. It's not about building the next ChatGPT wrapper. It's about understanding specific industries so well that you can apply AI to solve their most expensive problems. Most of us (myself included) jumped on AI because the technology was exciting. But technology doesn't build businesses. Understanding customer problems builds businesses. The gold rush mentality is exactly what's wrong with entrepreneurship right now. Everyone's looking for the quick win, the magic bullet, the secret hack. There isn't one. There's just doing the boring work of understanding customers and solving their problems. submitted by /u/Nipurn_1234 to r/Entrepreneur [link] [comments]
reddit.com Nipurn_1234 Aug 6, 2025
I Started with $50 and Pursued 27 Different Business Ideas Over 6 Years… AMA
Hi Reddit, For the past 6 years, I’ve been on the wild ride of entrepreneurship. I’ve chased more ideas than I can count, most of them ending in total failure. But the few that did succeed? They made every loss worth it. Before I dive in, I want to make clear that I don’t have anything to pitch or sell. Not too long ago, I was that guy staring at a computer screen at 2 AM, watching everyone on Instagram living their best lives, wondering why nothing was clicking for me while it seemed like everyone else had it all figured out. I know the pain, frustration, and doubt because I’ve lived it. And if this can help even one person make it to the other side, that’s a win in my book. I’m not some guru sitting on a pile of cash, claiming to have struck gold in my first 3 months of business. I’m just a regular guy who’s been through the wringer and wants to see more people win. And like Ray Dalio says in his book Principles, sharing experiences helps reinforce your own understanding of the lessons. So in a way, I’m also being a little selfish. Either way, let’s get into it. At the end of 2017 and into early 2018, when streetwear was still hot, I had my first big idea: to launch a streetwear blog on Instagram. I figured that if I could build a solid following, brand deals would naturally follow, and I could start selling ad slots to companies that wanted to reach my audience. I hustled for 6 months straight and managed to grow the audience to around 60,000 followers. But here’s the kicker…after months of work, I landed a grand total of one sponsorship deal for just $125. That’s when the reality hit me: landing brand deals was way tougher than I’d imagined. But then I had a thought: What if I stopped chasing brands and started selling my own products instead? I already had the audience, and I had heard people on Youtube talking about this e-commerce thing… so it just felt like the logical next step. Since my page was all about streetwear, the first brand I launched sold designer vinyl skins for Playstation and Xbox controllers. Looking back, I was completely clueless. The store was hosted on Wix of all places. Haha! So anyways, I started promoting these products to my audience and gradually scaled up by paying friends I had made in the space, many of whom also had their own pages. Depending on the page, audience size, and placement, I’d shell out anywhere from $25 to $50 for a story shoutout with a swipe-up link to my website. I remember at the time, sending money through Paypal felt like the biggest deal ever because I was essentially forking over my entire net worth. While this venture didn’t amount to much, it did earn me my first couple thousand dollars. All from rinse and repeating these scrappy little shoutouts. More importantly though, it gave me proof that making money online was actually possible. So for the next two years after that, I was trying to replicate this small win by launching various different projects. I tried all sorts of stuff… I started a jewelry business I tried to sell custom phone cases I traveled to Los Angeles on an overnight Greyhound from San Francisco with my last $800 to start a clothing brand I started flipping sneakers in Facebook groups I cold-called local dentists to pitch digital marketing services I tried damn near every “business model” the internet gurus swore by. The result? I found myself in a chaotic world, throwing a lot of shit at the wall like a madman hoping something would stick. Some of it did, but I saw no major leaps in progress. I would spend time learning about different businesses and ideas, build, make small and random spurts of cash if luck was on my side, and repeat. It felt like I was strapped on a roller coaster from hell. Like I was gambling blindfolded, betting all my time on the next big break, with no clue if I'd hit the jackpot or crash back down to zero. Fast forward nearly 2 years of eating dirt, and something interesting happened in November of 2020. I was catching up with a buddy from high school, and somewhere in our conversation he casually mentioned these oversized hoodie blankets he’d seen on Facebook. He said his family would love that sort of gift and was thinking of buying some for the holidays. When I got home, I looked into it, and sure enough, people online were raving about how cozy and perfect these hoodie blankets were for snuggling up during the colder winter months. By this time, I’d probably racked up a dozen or so failures, but I figured, what’s one more? So, I threw up a website, launched some ads on Twitter, and hoped for the best… And the next month, in December of 2020, this business brought in $52,181 in the first 30 days alone. And even though it might seem like a lot, remember that leading up to this were 2 years of experimenting and failing. Now I’m sure some of you are probably wondering: What were the ads like? What about the landing page? What was the average order value? Any post-purchase upsells? But here’s the thing…it’s not about any of those details. In fact, it’s not even about ecom. It’s about one ‘shift’ that was fundamentally different from how I approached business before. So listen closely because if there’s one thing you take away, let it be this: You don’t come up with ideas in the shower like they make believe in movies. You don’t come up with ideas by listening to YouTubers claiming it’s the next big thing. You don’t come up with ideas by blindly copying what others are doing. …unless you want to end up broke and hopelessly disillusioned, of course. So, how do you come up with businesses that make the cash register ring? By LISTENING TO THE MARKET, AND THEN CHANNELING THEIR DESIRES INTO YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE. It sounds simple, but it’s so easy to let this crucial principle fly right over your head. You see, you can’t fabricate money…so you have to get it from other people. And you can’t know what people truly need or want to give you money for until you understand them. Once you do, the next step is straightforward: offer them a solution that helps them get what they want. Whether it’s through SaaS, a tech startup, an SMMA, e-commerce… that part doesn’t really matter. These are just vehicles to deliver the mechanism that people need to reach their desires. Got it? Awesome! I was about to wrap things up since this post is getting a bit lengthy, but I realized it wouldn’t be complete without sharing the “how” behind this process. So here it is. The way you truly understand a market’s desires is by either being a participant or an observer. Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you’re an accountant by trade. Well, chances are…you understand accountants pretty well because you are one yourself. This makes you a participant. In my opinion, being a participant gives you the highest level of understanding because YOU ARE the market. You understand their frustrations, pains, problems, and desires because you live through those things yourself. But not everyone is a participant. So this is where the next best thing comes in…being an observer. Being an observer means to find out where your potential customers hang out, go there, and pay close attention to what they’re talking about. Do this often enough, and you’ll start spotting patterns that can spark ideas for your next business move. Even though I wasn’t fully aware of it back then, this is exactly what I was doing with those hoodie blankets. I listened to people, dug around online, and realized there was a strong demand for this product. A few good places to start? Facebook groups, forums, Youtube comment sections…and really anywhere people are openly sharing their thoughts and experiences. So whether you’re just starting out or have been chipping away for a while, consider implementing this before making your next move. And if you're an entrepreneur struggling to crack the code of making money online… Maybe you tried ecom, smma, trading, or whatever. I’m curious to hear about your journey. What’s been your biggest challenge so far? Drop your questions below or feel free to message me I’m here to help! submitted by /u/Imaginary_Wheel5032 to r/Entrepreneur [link] [comments]
reddit.com Imaginary_Wheel5032 Sep 5, 2024
I started a small business 10 yrs ago and I finally hit $1M income. I’m 45 and want to retire. What should I do with this $1M?
I’ve been a lurker on this forum for sometime now and I understand that I need to diversify my portfolio. Besides this liquid million, I do have investments in a variety of stocks and indices of around ~300K. These are my investment ideas so far and I am looking to better understand on how much I should invest in each category to keep a healthy balance between safe vs risky bets: 1) IRA: safest? 2) Index funds: Safe in long term, not sure which ones to look at besides S&P, Dow Jones. How much should I invest here and in which ones? I’ve heard there are a bunch of ETFs people look at, what’s a good resource that could help me understand this better besides the first few articles on google? 3) Short Term Trading: Big Tech, Big Pharma, maybe Defense? (Is this relatively safe? How short should be short term? What other kind of stocks should I invest in) 4) Angel Investing: In series D and series E startups. Is this lucrative, what is the success vs failure rate in this, where can I find out this info, approx how much should I bet here? 5) Real Estate: Something that is easy to manage. I want to retire so I want to invest in minimal effort properties, I don’t believe buying individual homes gives me this freedom and I’ve read that commercial real estate is even more complicated. 6) Small Business: I don’t want to run or manage a business but I am happy to invest as a silent partner. Should I do this? What kind of businesses should I look at for this? Is it a good idea to invest in a friends’s business? If not, how to trust strangers? 7) Day Trading: If I am able to retire, I would just do this in my free time (in addition to managing the rest of my money) to be productive but I am not sure where to start looking to gain knowledge on this. 8) Certificate Deposits, HYSA, Treasury Bonds: Are Bonds still a good idea? 9) Sell My Business: What are some factors I should use to evaluate the selling price? I have about 2000 clients to who I sell a personalized service. My goal is to multiply the million dollars into $10M in 5-8 years. My second goal is to make atleast $300K each year in interest/dividends/gains without liquidating a lot of my investments. I have a family of 6 dependent on me so having $300K per year would help us all live comfortably while I am retired. Appreciate any and all advice on above topics as I am a bit lost. Please feel free to recommend any resources that have helped you in your journey or if you know where I could read more about any of these topics. Hope the above list helps others on this forum. submitted by /u/paxton321 to r/Entrepreneur [link] [comments]
reddit.com paxton321 Mar 30, 2024
Left a white-collar job 3 years ago to focus on a small "side-gig" commercial cleaning business I had that was grossing $9k/month. This month we will invoice $138k and are growing at a rate of $6-8k per month. AMA
I (barely) graduated college in 2014 and start working at a white-collar analyst job. I immediately became very bored and needed to find a way out. I looked around everywhere for ideas on what sort of business I could start while also continuing work at my corporate job. Entrepreneurial Reddit threads were also something I frequently browsed through. In 2016 I found an opportunity to purchase 3 small commercial cleaning contracts from someone and took it because the operations happened at night which meant it would not interrupt my day job. The 3 contracts grossed around $7k/mo total at the time I acquired them. From 2016 - 2019 I did not focus much on the business at all but tried various marketing tactics (wasted a lot of money) and gained a few more small clients through a lot of trial and error. In those 3 years I was able to increase sales a whopping $2k/mo to a total of $9k/mo. This is when I quit my corporate job with plans to actually find another corporate job. But I decided that I would take 6 months off to focus 100% just on the commercial cleaning business and see what I could do with it. 3 years later we now provide recurring commercial cleaning services, carpet cleaning, floor stripping/waxing, window cleaning, construction cleaning, and also resell consumable products to 55 clients at a total of 60 facilities. We will invoice $138k this month. And we are growing at a rate of $6-8k per month in recurring business. I attribute this success to: First and foremost, my amazing team of employees. The ability to take action. Taking risks (many of which have not worked out). Hard work. Persistence. I will also add that I am an introvert and was frequently dissuaded from the idea of starting a business after always reading these amazing entrepreneurial stories but then noticing many of the founders were very extroverted. I wanted to include this fact because I wish years ago I would have seen more business start-up stories that included an introverted founder. \I posted this in SweatyStartup a couple weeks ago and mentioned we were invoicing $112k in May, 2022. Since then we have closed a $21k/mo contract, a $6K/mo contract, and some additional project work. This all is included in the $138k invoice amount for this month.** submitted by /u/Minneapple632 to r/Entrepreneur [link] [comments]
reddit.com Minneapple632 Jun 8, 2022