I'm preparing to start a digital marketing and web development company at some point in the future after I've learned as much as I can from my current job and I'm curious about what advice Veeky Forums might have.
What are some common pitfalls of starting a business? Do you have any advice? Any anecdotes from your own experiences?
DON'T hire, make business deals with, or take a friend as a partner.
Duly noted. Any other pieces of wisdom to impart?
I agree to an extent. There are exceptions to this rule, but it is rare. Sometimes a friend, not a fucking acquaintance that wants to freeload, can be beneficial especially if he is willing to start from the bottom and work his ass off in your company or business to get to the top. Then you'd have someone you know and can truly depend on to be one of your big dogs in the company. It's rare, but it does happen.
where are you working
this guy is correct. my dad always told me this, and to not loan money to friends. its just best not to.
Business owner
> It's a marathon not a sprint
> mistakes WILL happen, just respond with your best effort
> It all starts with sales, sales is everything, no sales no business
> Push referalls with every customer
> In the beginning be cheap to bring money in, then continually raise prices as you get more popular
GOOD LUCK
well you're dad is a fucking moron
mah mama said alligators are ornery cause they got all them teeth but they ain't got no toothbrush
No, YOU ARE dad is a fucking moron
Northern California.
Thanks for the advice! Those are good points and I'll be sure to bear them in mind.
What exactly do you mean by pushing referrals, though? Asking clients to refer me to colleagues?
>well you're dad is a fucking moron
>you're dad
You are aware that his dad was agreeing that, yes, it's a bad idea to hire or go into business with friends, right?
Any time you have a happy customer, give them 2 or 3 business cards and say, "I would appreciate it if you could recommend me to some friends and family"
Ah, I getcha. I'll be sure to procure business cards before taking the plunge. Thanks again for the advice.
Capital and cash flow. Make sure you spent extra time getting those two items right. No pie in the sky projections, be brutally honest with yourself on how well you expect your business to perform.
omg are you fucking retarded
WHERE YOU SERIOUSLY THINKING OF GETTING INTO A FUCKING SALES JOB WITHOUT FUCKING CARDS YOU FUCKING MORON
WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO GIVE THEM?
HANDJOBS????
I expected to need business cards, but they were hardly at the forefront of my mind. I was glad that someone reminded me, particularly in the context of a concrete example of when they'd be necessary.
I'm in the bay area
he said not to loan money to friends & I think it is the best idea to hire. it makes you accountable to your business
hopefully you hire someone good enough that becomes a partner or is a strategic partner (ie has money or connections), but why would you toss out partnership to someone that you might regret it with
by my question I meant what do you do for work. you said you want to keep learning from your job
>pic is my post from another thread
oh lol
I thought he meant don't hire as it's own thing
that's disheartening to hear tb.h . I have. best friend that I get the feeling would either make a great partner or a shit one
Right now I'm working at a preexisting digital marketing firm. I haven't said anything to my boss (for obvious reasons), but I have some objections to how the company is being run. At some point I'd like to strike out on my own and find out whether or not I was right.
No worries, miscommunications happen. I have a really good friend that I'd like to go into business with, but I have the same apprehensions that you do.
business cards are archaic with google and Facebook & you'll get the most customers by being your own digital matketer
are you the bay too op?
bay area here as well. also in the process of starting a business.
Do you know how specific you can get with facebook ads? I want to target people who have recently had work done to their houses. Is it possible to narrow it down based on keywords in postings theyve made?
From both what I've heard here and other places and what I've seen at at work, I think it's safe to say that business cards still have their place.
Facebook has some pretty good tools. IIRC, you can target ads based off of age, gender, location, profession, keywords, and a whole host of other descriptors.
keywords in their status updates? theres a huge difference between someone who fits the demographic who likely has had work done and someone who has just posted about the work they are doing to their house
op would know more than me
what kind of business are you looking to start
are you working for vaynermedia btw? lol
wow you're so fucking cool men , I bet you have a lot cards and jerk off on them as often as you can
home upkeep and maintenance stuff
shoot me an email and let's talk more
ryanacalvo at gmail
wait you're the guy who was calling people's dads retarded
cussing is a sign of honesty
I want to start a business, any business but I don't really want to start alone
& I have access to a bunch of tools, an industrial carpet cleaner etc
Cussing is also a sign of unprofessionalism.
I'm smart enough where I don't think I need to be professional & I'm going to create a business that proves that
ps. the ceo of the most well known digital marketing agency is notorious for cussing
He might get away with swearing like a sailor because he's good at what he does, but your business plan is "I want to start a business doing something, but I don't know what" and you're looking for partners on a Cantonese alpaca-grooming discussion board. The odds are not in your favor.
if he would've emailed me and just reply "yes" to everything I said, it probably would've changed his life lol
my grandpa owns land and flipped an apartment complex, he has all the tools we need, he can literally advise on electrical + plumbing and provide funding if we needed it (like to hire a starting team of illegals and a van)
I'd just want that guy for company... and because I'm probably not going to get into the labor service business otherwise
lmao
Im not interested in a business partner, but thanks. I've found from past experience that people who arent willing to do things by themselves rarely have what it takes to succeed.