I own a small neighborhood cafe. Seating is only 12 pax as orders are mostly for take out.

There’s this group of 4-5 people who go to our cafe a couple of times a month. Only one person orders. This habit isn’t exclusive to their group but other people have been told off for not ordering by our employee approaching them and asking them if they’re ready to order (usually at least 10 minutes after they’ve sat and stayed).

The person from their group who usually orders DMed us today and lodged a complaint against this employee stating rudeness, how she doesn’t greet them unlike other customers, and how they were told that they can’t sit unless they order. This customer specifically said, “we’re not occupying the whole space”.

She also mentioned past experiences of having felt animosity from our employee and one instance of them apparently being chided by her because they ordered from us, left their items on the seating area and went out to eat from a nearby eatery. Our employee reminded them that seating is scarce.

I’d like to make it clear that the employee is acting on our instructions since a lot of groups have taken advantage of us by not ordering but using our resources (tables, water, outlets etc).

This same employee is also being praised on our Google Reviews for being kind and accommodating.

We reviewed the footage for this day:

- When this group entered, there were only two of them. Our employee was on her back fixing some things so she wasn’t able to greet.

- One of the group members occupied a lounge chair, a tabled sitting area for two, brought out a laptop, and didn’t order. The person who usually orders occupied the tabled sitting area beside that person. They’re now occupying four seats and the only tabled sitting areas. (The others are benches)

- After ten minutes, the one who sat on the lounge chair was asked by our employee if they wanted to order since they can’t occupy without having ordered.

- One by one, their group arrived and ordered. This is the first time others ordered, but still, not all of them placed an order.

- After 3 hours of stay, they left. Our employee wasn’t able to bid them goodbye since she was crouching and arranging something in the undercounter chiller.

We’ve sent an initial response apologizing for other past instances of possible rudeness. We also told this customer we’d review the footage today and get back to them.

How should we reply? We’ve made many apologies and concessions over the years, but we’d like to stand by our employee this time and uphold this policy. Our space is scarce.

I've been digging into the LLC formation industry for a project I'm building, and I wanted to share the numbers because I wish someone had told me this before I almost paid for all of it:

EIN filing: $50–$99 charged vs. $0 actual. The IRS gives you an EIN free in about 10 minutes on their website. There is no filing, no paperwork, no waiting period. Companies charge up to $99 to fill out a web form for you.

Compliance/deadline tracking: $99–$299/yr charged vs. $0 actual. This is just calendar reminders for your annual report. The deadlines are public record on every Secretary of State site. You're paying $200/yr for someone to email you a date.

Registered agent service: $125–$299/yr charged vs. $0 actual (for many people). If you have a physical address in your state and someone's there during business hours, you can legally be your own registered agent in most states. Half the people paying for this don't need to.

Operating agreement templates: $35–$149 charged vs. free templates everywhere. It's a standard document. The paid versions aren't meaningfully better than what's freely available.

I'm not saying these companies are scams — formation filing itself is a real service. But the upsells are priced on the assumption that you won't look up the alternative. So look up the alternative.

I ended up building free versions of all of these (cost calculator, EIN walkthrough, compliance deadline tracker with calendar reminders, registered-agent quiz) because I was annoyed. They're at aetherdynamics.net/tools if anyone wants them. No signup, no paywall — that was the whole point.

Happy to answer questions about LLC costs in specific states — I compiled the fee data for all 50.

My personal facebook account was recently hacked, banned & then almost immediately disabled. They’re all linked through Meta on my whatsapp, Instagram & facebook. Which also includes my business profiles for my woodworking. I’m self employed sole proprietor through those accounts. I have 10k+ followers through them. And that’s where most of my business comes from. It’s now gone. And according to Meta being disabled is extremely rare to get it back. I’ve tried going through all of the channels they want me to try to recover it. But whoever hacked it removed my contact information prior I guess. Because it can’t find my accounts by my emails or
Phone number. Which is what you need to recover the accounts. There is no phone or email you can contact anyone through. You’re forced to use Meta’s AI to do it all through. And that’s where most keeps walking me in circles because it wants me to verify using contact information but it doesn’t recognize any of them. A warning to all with using multiple social medias for work. Do NOT link them through Meta. One gets banned. They all get banned.

Anyone have experience like this and successfully get it back?

I will start off by saying I do not expect or want my friends and family to be my only customers!

I’m an artist and have been encouraged by my friends and family a lot to start selling prints. I bought a printer, beautiful materials and spent a long time making good quality prints. Every time I would see a family member or friend they’d ask me WHEN CAN I BUY YOUR ART????!? And it would make me feel happy, I’d tell them soon and that I was actively working on it.

Then, I launched my shop with just a few prints of some of my most popular work. A small start, items ranging from $5-25 dollars. I posted, multiple times, linked, shared, etc. I made a few sales, mostly from my closest friends. I’m extremely grateful. But it feels weird that all of these people were specifically asking to buy my products, then I finally launch, and nothing… I appreciate the encouragement but almost wish they didn’t because now I just feel stupid.

I’m cracking along, working on social media and advertising and making more items for my store and trying not to give up. But I wish those people never told me they’d support me and just said that’s cool keep going or something. I feel like everyone is lying to me and I don’t want to have this conversation with my friends or family to get pity orders. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has experienced something similar and wanted to vent. 😅

I want to start a B2B business in Germany, importing paper products for restaurants and other hospitality businesses. My supplier offers prices around 50–70% cheaper than comparable products in Germany.
I have €5,000 in savings, a garage for storage, a supplier, and 10 potential customers who want to order because of my prices.

I’m thinking about starting small and reinvesting the profits, but I’m afraid of losing my savings if it doesn’t work out.
What would you do in my position? How would you approach the first steps, manage the risks, and use the €5,000 wisely?
I’d appreciate honest advice from people with real business experience

Hi everyone

I’ve been thinking about starting a small business someday, but I haven’t settled on a specific idea yet. I’d love to hear how other people got started and hopefully learn something from your experiences.

I’m particularly curious about a few things:

1 What motivated you to start your own business? Was it a desire for more freedom, higher income, dissatisfaction with your job, or simply spotting an opportunity?

2 Was your business related to your previous job or industry? Did you venture into something completely new?

3 How did you come up with your business idea? Did you notice a problem that needed solving, meet the right person, or stumble across an opportunity by chance?

4 How did you get your first customers? Did you rely on personal connections, online platforms, cold outreach, or something else?

5 Looking back, what do you wish you’d known before starting? Was there anything that turned out to be much harder than you expected?

I’m not looking for a get rich quick formula. I’m genuinely interested in the different paths people have taken, especially those ywho started small while still working a full-time job.

I’d love to hear your stories, including the mistakes and setbacks along the way. Thanks

With the economy in the US, inflation, gas and diesel prices, etc, has your business lost profits or has lower profit margins? What kind of business are you in?

Hi all, I have a vision of going over to some trade shows in Asia somewhere (or anywhere really) finding some sort of product or products that catch my eye, and importing them back to Canada to sell retail. I am aware it is much harder than I make it sound but I am just wondering how naive am I being about this possibility?

I have capital, I have warehouse space, I have some time to invest and a strong work ethic. I know everyone has the same plan but I would like to find some sort of good quality niche product, buy wholesale, import it and sell it online preferably. Is what I am dreaming impossible? I am well aware there will be dozens of obstacles and challenges and unforeseen costs along the way and probably multiple busts before or if I even find a good quality and well selling product or product line of some sort. Tell me how out to lunch am I? Thank you for any advice.

Hello,

Like many in this group I’ve been involved in many different businesses and I always have opportunities come way.

Something that is difficult is to decide when to pursue. Often it’s done too late or too early. How do other members analyze and decide to move forward with things ?

We run an embroidery business and will frequently post pictures of our work to Facebook. The most common kind of contact we get isn't from customers but from bots, and the questions are always the same so they're easy to see.

How much does it cost? No mention of a project.

Do you ship to.. some location, and when I follow up with what they want there isn't anything.

How long does it take to do X?

They're all obviously bots, but there doesn't seem to be any end game to them. It's just a waste of time for me having to filter them out. So what's the point?

And where does that line fall? Because as I sit here writing this just two days after I shut the doors on a business that I built over ten years to over thirty employees, I reflect as to what made me do it and how did it all happen?

For many years I was telling myself that I was building freedom, I was building a business, I was building security for thirty plus people, so that I could take on bigger and better clients and create more of that security and more of that freedom.

Started that ten years ago. It started from a two person operation, just running it out of a room in the house, which eventually made us outgrow that, and we took on some people to help us with customers. And as we grew, we got more people in, and as the economy was booming. My business grew to very high revenues that I could not even imagine, but at some point it led me to meet my limit, and that limit didn't come all of the sudden. It seemed like I could maintain, and it was a very high limit of working during the day with my people to make sure everything is running in the day to day operations properly. Then I would go. And pick up my kid from school, dropped off at home, and then we would have a small family gathering, have a dinner, I would have a nap, wake up around half an hour later, and then I handled another time zone. To basically line everything up for the next day so that everything could continuously work in a fluid motion.

But at some point, this whole script flipped, and I got consumed by the whole business. And all of the day to day just kind of started flooding. Like a cascade that I could not hold back.

At some point I could not even recall what I did the day before because I went through a time where it's almost like everything that I did up until the moment where they asked me got erased by the following minute or hour or day. I was living on a short random access memory sort of approach, if that makes any sense, where it wasn't like my memories were fully stored somewhere. They were just constantly being overridden every single day, just to keep up with the pace of what things are going on.

I was always the type of person that could handle every single thing. thing that I wanted to in a given day and I could always erase everything off of my list up until that time. But there came a time where I couldn't erase everything off of the list. And at some point I ended up having to put stuff onto the next day. But then the next day came and the responsibilities of that day also came and I was stuck choosing which of these things am I going to do on any given day. And slowly that list started growing.

And it brings me to this whole thing that I learned about urgent things and important things. And sometimes important things don't really seem like they're urgent. But urgent things are those things that take up most of the time. On the given moment. And if they don't get handled. Then, you know. The stuff hits the fan. But the important things do need to get handled, but they could sometimes wait a little bit longer. And that's the problem. Because always running towards urgent things does not leave enough time for the important things, and the important things are generally the foundationof the business.

So I wonder, have you ever been in a situation Where a career that you were running ended up starting to run you. And did you notice that line shifting, or did it just occur kind of like when a crab is being cooked in a pot and it doesn't even notice until it's too late? And if you did notice, then how did you notice it and what did you do about it? And what was the outcome of your situation, I wonder! I would really like to hear how that happens and what people do about it. Because, again, sitting from here, I have one person's perspective, and I would really value somebody else's if I had the chance to hear that. Thanks looking

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a reliable factory in China that manufactures stainless steel jewelry, such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other accessories.

I'm specifically looking to work directly with the manufacturer, without agents, middlemen, or trading companies. I want to communicate directly with the factory and discuss product options, pricing, customization, and minimum order quantities (MOQs).

Does anyone know how I can find and contact genuine stainless steel jewelry manufacturers directly? If you have experience working with a factory or can recommend a reliable supplier, I'd really appreciate your advice.

Hi everyone!

I'm trying to learn more about how people build genuine business relationships with small businesses, especially when they're just starting out and don't have an established network yet.

For those who've been through this, what approaches have actually worked for you when trying to connect with business owners and build professional relationships?

Did you find networking groups, industry communities, local events, partnerships, or something else particularly useful?

I'd appreciate any advice based on your own experience, especially methods that don't require a big budget.

Thanks!

I have been MIA from google searches for about 8 years due to my exs stalking me. I have been trying to build up courage and strength to start a new business in e-commerce. I resorted to living in a car and babysitting so that no one knows my location. But thats not the life i wanted.

I was a successful student with a masters and an engineer at google at one point. I suffered a herniated disc three yrs ago and It made me mad that I am pausing my dream because I am afraid of ex partners and new attention that could have adverse affects.

I have a successful business plan and I am in school part-time for business. While I love social media, I do sit back and wonder how people can handle the constant bullying, weird people in your dms, death threats, korn pics , and god knows what else.

I am going to be a variety streamer, twitch dj program and selling temporary tattoos is one of my favorite ventures. I will later expand to VR/AR.

Since being MIA and using aliases/avatars to just be a 'watcher' I have still been in constant dramatic situations with men. I was in jamaica nd id get followed around. you dont need to be famous anymore.

Do you have a lawyer on call? I am now a legitimate business LLC and will be moving differently. When I think about my future world, I dont want to feel like plankton next to a shark.

I’ve been reading a lot about how searching for and buying a small business actually works, and the more I read, the more it seems like the real experience is very different from the guides. Most of what’s out there is either textbook advice or a success story told after the fact.

So I’d like to hear from people who’ve been through it, whether you closed, are still searching, or walked away.

Where did things take longer, cost more, or go differently than you expected? It could be sourcing, working with brokers, valuing a business, financing, diligence, the LOI, closing, or even after you took over. Slow and expensive counts too, not just deals that died.

A few things I’m curious about if you’re up for sharing: what you expected going in, what actually happened, and what you’d do differently now. And if you’ve got advice for someone just trying to understand this world, I’d welcome that too.

Thanks for any stories you’re willing to share.

I see businesses running everything on spreadsheets, emails, and WhatsApp, and my first thought is always... there has to be a better way to do this.

But maybe that's just how we think as founders?

What looks like a mess to us might be working perfectly fine for them. They've been doing it for years, everyone knows the process, and nobody really wants to learn another tool.

Now with AI, we can build almost anything in a few days. But I'm starting to wonder if building the software was ever the hard part.

Has anyone here built something that genuinely solved a problem, but customers still didn't want to use it?

Curious what actually got them to switch, if anything.

Hey everyone!
I’m a mum of 2 from Australia and I’ve been working on a little business idea that I’m really passionate about.
I’m wanting to create my own baby and children’s brand starting with a collection of unique comforters.
Both of my children have heavily relied on their comforters for comfort and reassurance and I know just how special they can become to a child. I want to create something magical that children will grow attached to and families will remember for years to come.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching, learning the basics and developing my ideas. I have a brand name, a vision, some design concepts and an idea of what I want my products to look like.
My comforters would have their own little characters, special features, beautiful packaging. They’re intended to be comfort items rather than sleep products and I understand that safety testing and compliance will be an important part of development.
Eventually, I’d love to expand this business into a wider baby and children’s lifestyle brand rather than just being known as a toy brand.

Where I’m currently stuck is turning my ideas into an actual product.

I have no previous experience in product development or manufacturing, and I’m struggling to figure out what the next steps should be.
I’d really appreciate some advice on:
Where to find a product or plush designer who can turn my concepts into professional designs and manufacturing specifications.
How to find trustworthy manufacturers, either in Australia or overseas.
Whether I should work with a designer first or approach manufacturers directly.
How prototypes and samples work before committing to a larger order.
What sort of costs I should realistically expect when starting from scratch.
How other small business owners went from having an idea to launching their first physical product.
I’m not expecting it to happen overnight, and I know there’s a lot of work involved. I just really want to do this properly and build something meaningful that could eventually grow into a successful brand.
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has started a baby brand, children’s brand, plush business or any other physical product business.
Any recommendations, advice or personal experiences would honestly mean so much!
Thank you! 🤍

Not for money, mainly interest & passion, and potential side hustle.
For example, sponsor athlete, personal brand of clothing, gears, drinks & etc.

What is your first step?

Hi everyone,

We are in the process of sampling and launching a women’s sleepwear and loungewear brand focused on clean silhouettes, elevated comfort, and high-quality finishing.

We are currently looking for reliable garment manufacturers or boutique cut-and-sew units (open to both domestic and international options) who specialize in woven sleepwear.

Key Requirements & Specifications:

Product Line: Women’s sleepwear & loungewear (pyjama sets, sleep shirts, relaxed bottoms).

Fabric Focus: Woven fabrics, specifically cotton satin / high-thread-count cotton fabrications with a soft, smooth handfeel.

Order Quantities: Low-to-medium initial MOQs for initial sampling and our first production run.

Services Needed: Full package (FOB/FPP) preferred (pattern making, fabric sourcing/procurement, sample creation, cut & sew, and bulk production), but open to CMT if fabric sourcing options are strong.

Quality & Finishing: High standards for stitching, clean internal seam finishing, precise fit consistency, and neat custom labelling/packaging capability.

also a starting va here and want to have some experience so i can do freelance soon. what i do?

- email management
- editing graphics through canva
- social media handling, posting, keeping your account active and engagement etc
- editing reels

my experience: 7 years as a nonvoice customer support for a publishing journal, has a small food business that i manage and has been into a lot of online selling

if youre selling goods? im also interested, i live in Laguna Philippines so if you have any proposal that works as a starting income for me then good lets talk

I currently source products from China, re-engineer or improve their design, and sell them in Japan. To expand my business, I am looking to enter new international markets. However, as a Japan-based company, I want to minimize risk and avoid launching without prior market testing. Additionally, standard B2C e-commerce platforms and international crowdfunding does not have strong profit margins for me in the past.

A few potential strategies I am evaluating:

1. Dropshipping directly from China to the US This reduces risk by eliminating upfront inventory costs, and international shipping from China to the US is significantly cheaper than shipping from Japan.
2. Crowdfunding However, I have struggled to find global platforms that match Japan's crowdfunding ecosystem (like Makuake) in terms of reach and profitability.
3. Direct E-Commerce Importing large inventory batches directly into destination markets, though this requires high upfront capital and carries significant inventory risk.

Hi,

I'm trying to start a business commercializing an consumer product idea of mine. I had one meeting with a SCORE mentor and she will introduce another mentor to me. So far, the initial meeting was helpful, but we talked about a lot of stuff I already knew. I figure even if a mentor doesn't directly help much, there can still be value if they can help me network with other people.

This got me thinking, what is the business model for SCORE? I understand most mentors are volunteers but part of me still wonder if there any incentives for them/SCORE.

I wonder if it's appropriate for me to ask SCORE mentors to connect me with other similar businesses and even help me find some gigs/internship. I'm not doing this for money, but to learn through hands-on experience. For instance, I want to learn eCommerce marketing, ads, sourcing, etc. It'll be hard to build a product and learn those at the same time. Ideally I can work as an intern for an established business where I can also contribute my tech/automation skills. Would it be appropriate to ask?

Any other ideas on how to get some hands-on business experience prior to launching my own? Would attending their workshops help? There are also some incubators near me that I'm thinking of checking out.

Please advise

THanks

Some local businesses seem to go years without touching their websites and still bring in customers just fine. Then others run into trouble way sooner.

It raises an interesting question about how much website maintenance really matters for a small business, especially when referrals and repeat customers are doing a lot of the work.

For business owners and anyone who's worked with local businesses, how long have you seen a website go untouched before it actually became a problem?

Was there a noticeable drop in calls or inquiries? Did customers start mentioning outdated information? Or did the website stay untouched for years without making much difference?