I’m 22, and I often find myself hanging out with people in their 30s who are already really successful – lawyers, business owners, you name it. Every time I’m around them, I start feeling like I’m falling behind. I can’t help but think, "Why haven’t I done more by now?" I get this nagging feeling that maybe I’m just not on the right path and start worrying that I’ll never get to where I want to be.

I try to act like everything’s fine, smile, and fit in, but inside I’m constantly questioning myself. I keep wondering, "When will I get there? Am I even capable of getting there?" It’s this constant fear and self-doubt.

Does anyone else feel this way? How do you deal with comparing yourself to others and that feeling of not being where you “should” be? Would love to hear your thoughts and how you handle it.

Hey everyone,

I’m juggling a lot right now, working on some tech projects and automation systems, while also building a cosmetic brand that’s super close to my heart. It’s been a crazy ride so far, and I’ve realized that having a community of people who “get it” can make all the difference.

I’m looking to connect with others who are in similar situations; balancing entrepreneurship, tech innovation, and passion projects—to share ideas, swap advice, and just support each other.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

• A space where we can trade tips on things like scaling startups, building workflows, or managing product launches.
• A spot to talk tools, strategies, and even the occasional “what the heck do I do now?” moments.
• Accountability and encouragement—because let’s be real, the grind can get lonely.
• Celebrate wins, no matter how small, and learn from the L’s.

If you’re working on anything entrepreneurial, whether it’s building out automation systems, creating SaaS products, launching a consumer brand, or something completely different, I’d love to hear about it and figure out how we can help each other out.

Let’s create a space where we can learn and grow together. Thinking maybe a Discord server or Telegram group to keep things organized, but open to ideas.

If this sounds like something you’d be into, drop a comment or DM me, and let’s start building something meaningful together.

Hello everyone, after achieving great success with low-volume, highly targeted email campaigns for recruitment leads, the past 3 months have been quite bad. Email deliverability has drastically dropped, reply rates are down, and so on. As a result, I’ve been doing some research and am rebuilding my email infrastructure from scratch to prepare for 2025.

Any feedback or disagreements?

I’ve canceled Instantly and switched to ManyReach.   In my opinion, Instantly has too many warning signs. I wonder if their servers are basically completely blacklisted by now. That being said, I don’t love ManyReach either, but I can’t find another sender at a similar price that: A) Doesn’t limit contact storage, B) Allows me to connect non-Google/Microsoft accounts, C) Accepts spintax.

I’m no longer buying domains from centralized DFY Google/Microsoft resellers. I plan to use Maildoso as a private server and regularly swap domains.

I won’t be using any warm-up services anymore. I’ve seen too many red flags with those.    Instead, I’ll start slowly expanding each inbox (starting with 2-3 emails per day, gradually increasing to 10-15).    At the same time, I’ll use Leadsnavi to optimize the data quality early on, so I can more accurately target the right client companies and reduce sending ineffective emails later.

I’m cutting down my email marketing campaigns from 5-8 steps to a maximum of 3.    Although in 2023 and 2024 I saw stable reply rates with more than 4 steps, the reply rates have dropped significantly in the second half of this year.    Now, most of my replies come from steps 1, 2, and 3.

I’m using spintax extensively now—before, I would add 3-6 large spintaxed conversations. Now, I rely on ChatGPT to spintax nearly every word.

I’m also spintaxing my email signature.

I've thought of a really good idea for a product but i have no idea on how to make a prototype. Is there a way i could sell the idea to a company without the knowledge on how to make it? I'm only 14 at the moment so that might make things harder

My boss is keeping 95% of the profit, while I’m doing all the work.

Boss’s husband died and left her the company. She hired me to run it along with her sons but they are not interested and don’t contribute, so basically it’s only me running the company, while my boss and her sons do other things.

Company has been growing steadily for the past few months, making good profit. I’m at a spot where I know the suppliers well too. I could technically leave and start my own company, doing the exact same thing, while keeping all the profits, but it feels ethically wrong.

However, I’m not being fairly compensated. How do I navigate this situation?

I’m only given a base salary and 5% commission on sales. If I help this woman build her company for the next few years, who knows what I’ll be left with at the end of it. She says if I do well she will give me 30% equity but that’s not in writing.

She’s a nice lady, but just loves her sons a lot so she wants her son to take over the company, even though they have no interest or know how’s.

There is very little overhead cost so I’m covered in that regard, but part of me feels very bad for doing this to her after she introduced me to this industry (albeit it was by my own capacity it has gotten this far).

I’m at the stage where I want to expand the company and hire more people, if I do it under her company, there will be so much bureaucracy, I’ll have to explain every strategy, every hire, why we need to spend money on ads or marketing, etc. and it just builds more barriers to me trying to scale this business up, to someone who doesn’t really understand business.

This is my third business, she took me in after my first 2 businesses failed, and gave me another shot. I want to be a decent person but also take care of my future.

Edit: First business failed due to legal compliance in another industry. Second business failed due to lack of tech adoption in a specific niche. This business is in a different industry, tried and tested business model from her late husband, which I’m just repeating.

As to whether clients will follow me if I leave, yes, I’ve build a strong personal rapport with clients and they like me and how I go above and beyond to service stuff outside of the project scope. Extra work I do every night and weekend that I don’t feel like I’m being compensated for, but important for the clients.

Hi everyone, I have been in talks with this restaurant company and am seeking a franchise business loan. Only $20k, so I need help finding the best bank for the job! I have a local bank that does these loans but I wanted to get the best loan offer.

I’m a former athlete myself, and I’ve been reflecting on how different (and sometimes overwhelming) the transition into entrepreneurship can be. Starting a business feels like stepping into a whole new arena, and I’m curious how others have navigated it.

What was the hardest part of getting started as an entrepreneur?

Were there any skills or habits from your athletic career that gave you an edge?

For me, I’ve found that the discipline and resilience I built in sports help a lot, but there are definitely challenges that catch me off guard. I’d love to hear your stories and lessons as it’s always inspiring to learn how others are tackling this journey.

Hi everyone. I wanted to ask if anyone here has a medically related business, if so what is it and how’d you start it? The reason I’m asking is because I will be working in the medical field a few years down the line and I am wondering what kind of unique businesses there are within that niche. All I have heard of is med spas, commercial medical cleaning services, or nursing homes. Anything would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your comments.

Starting a business is challenging, especially for those without technical knowledge or a large budget.

Every decision matters, and every penny counts. Missteps in allocating resources can leave businesses struggling to gain momentum or scale effectively.

A business owner once approached me with $750 to start their clothing brand. They planned to spend the entire amount on website development, following advice from an agency that quoted them the full $750 for the job.

I suggested a smarter approach. Instead of dedicating the entire budget to one task, I recommended using Shopify, a cost-effective platform that allows anyone to build and manage a professional website. By hiring a skilled freelancer, they could have their website built for $200–$300. The remaining budget could then be spent on:

1. Marketing Campaigns to drive targeted traffic.
2. Influencer Partnerships to build credibility and reach new audiences.
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to ensure long-term visibility.

This strategy not only helped them make the most of their limited budget but also gave them the tools to manage and grow their business without needing extensive technical knowledge At Tropylium, we understand the challenges small businesses face. That’s why we’re building the Future Marketplace of freelancers, content creators and for business, the platform will help entrepreneurs like you make smarter decisions. From hiring experienced freelancers to managing growth strategies, our platform is designed to simplify the process and set your business on the path to success.

if you're a freelancer content creator or business owner this is for you Join the wait-list today to be among the first to access free for 3 months

https://tropylium.in/#waitlist

I am trying to identify legal pain-points that slows you down and ways to solve them:

• What regularly frustrates you in day-to-day operations from legal standpoint?

• Are there solutions you wish existed but currently don’t?

It could be anything- from cumbersome contracts & compliances to finding a lawyer who “gets” startups?

Share your legal horror stories; your insights will help shape solutions.

Is there any product or service that wi allow me to issue cards to customers. I instantly transfer money from one account, to their individual card to pay for a product. Then automatically transfer the remaining balance back to the original company account. The amount being transfered is no more than $5.

Ex: Lisa wants to buy a muffin for $3. She swipes the card and the transaction completes.

Ex 1.2: Lisa taps to pay (apple pay), the system quickly deposits $5 into the account, $3.50 is charged, leaving Lisa with $1.50 remaining. The $1.50 is then automatically transferred back to the original account

Is there a way for the card to see the payment price and then instantly approve up to the preset limit of say $5? Or does the $5 have to be transferred every time prior to the swipe?

plan to build a large-scale agency specializing in client acquisition and employee recruitment for private doctors, beauty clinics, and cosmetic surgeons, aiming to dominate the market while maintaining high-quality service.

Last year, I tried relying on news apps, but tbh, the endless notifications were overwhelming. For 2025, I’m thinking of setting aside 15 minutes daily to catch up on global events—maybe stick to one reliable source or even explore podcasts. It feels less chaotic that way. What’s your plan?

For instance, T'ris instead of Tris for a brand name. Like how do we feel about this?

Edit: the example is just an example not the actual name idea. Just comment on punctuation part pls.

I've built SOPs for dozens of companies, and one thing I've realized is that creating the darned SOP is only half the battle. The real challenge is ensuring that people actually follow them and see to it that the SOPs stay up-to-date. Also, I like to stay relevant and see what's working, and what isn't. Are you using software?Recurring reviews? Automations? ONLY operationalizing key portions of your business? Are there structural methods (staff members or controls) in place to hedge against complacency or hard headed team members? What methods have you found effective (or ineffective) for maintaining procedural consistency across your team?

Are there any business owners here or side gig people that can message me? I have an idea and wanting to do some market analysis

Hello,

I live in Ontario and am in a relationship with a woman who owns a cleaning company. I clean with her and do invoicing everyday. She has 4 employees and is trying to grow into a large company with 50 plus employees. I used to be a power engineer out in Alberta and have been struggling with how to spend my time when not cleaning. I have always had my days filled with work I was familiar with and never had to find things to do. I want to be part of the company and be able to look back in the future knowing that I contributed to its growth. I find I have wasted an incredible amount time with social media, games, or TV. I hate the dopamine chasing and desperately want to fill my time more constructively.

I am socially anxious and have a hard time with the concept of going door to door to market. Cold calling could be something that I am willing to try.

I would really appreciate some advice here. TIA.

I've already done a fair bit of research along with a little research. Just kinda looking for the opinions bad or disastrous good or excellent on what I got to say. So look, I got started on this idea kinda with working for a big deal handyman (he's in a lot of different areas of work from construction to farming to land clearing and he's a pretty cool dude so first I could learn a lot from him since from what he told me he had worked with his dad when he was a kid I figure he's around his 30's to 35's now) and after cutting down some decent sized pecan trees out of a pecan tree grove to build a house in it (I just do what I'm told no time for questions so I don't ask many) he had me clearing out roots and sticks with a grapple on a mid sized John Deere. By this point the most I've worked a grapple is picking up big logs in the way of firebreaks, but to do this is something different. Long story short the next day I figured it out with a good ole landscaping rake on the back with a dirt dog grapple, the tractor was also I guess a compact if not sub compact tractor with a hydrostatic drivetrain so just throttle and forward and backwards which made it a lot easier, cutting out the finessing the clutch part. Anyways I found that I rather enjoyed this kind of work. Then I rabbit holed down the "get rich quick skid steer and mulcher land clearing" business idea and already knew it wasn't what they say it is, as was doing Shopify selling wasn't that easy. Instantly I set my sights on maybe a skid steer in the future but just for now I'm a 17 year old soon to be EMT (in my area the average yearly salary is somewhere between 35k and 45k I'm not too sure haven't looked in a while, but I figured with what I was told I could pull 2 24 hour shifts for a 48 hour work week and every other hour of the week is mine, so why not have the emt job as a foundation and try things?) Back on topic though my dad owns a old tractor not too sure what it was but I know it must be rare because finding parts is impossible for it, and we had picked up a rinky dink 3-5 ft bush hog that had the gearbox area pushed in, for reference the blades would scrape into the top of it on one side and into the dirt on the other, we're planning on welding it up and getting it right and I figured, hey that tractor doesn't get much use at all aside from the monthly start ups so why not see if I can use it? So I'd probably start out just bushhogging properties, maybe offer erosion control services as a extra option because even we have had the rough potholes and wash aways, and sometimes when trying to fix them you just try everything and nothing works. I'd plan to find simple solutions from just digging through YouTube videos or atleast get a understanding of erosion to where I can just create good solutions on the go. Of course for my first few jobs if I can find any, I'd start out cheap as I can be since I don't have much experience at all when it comes to bushhogging thick brush or what not and of course do my best to build a good customer base and get good relations and what not so I can try and guarantee I'll have work. Either way I understand it won't be easy and i wont be swimming in money in 3 months, but I feel like I'd really like this business idea, learning different types of land clearing (trees and brush/just the brush/get everything that's green, you get the picture) and just you know build up from there. From looking up online though, a good skid steer costs around 15-20k dollars, and from the work I do I figure it shouldn't take a terrible amount of jobs to save up that much and eventually a mulcher and go up from there. Side note from my most recent research binge I found that the skid steer and mulcher setup is effective, but not for the equipment mulcher or skid steer so maybe eventually work up to more specialized equipment and you know, diversify. Either way this is what I've come up to from maybe a week of thought and planning and research, about to start saving every dollar I can for future investments because having that little cushion even if it's just $1000 dollars will cushion my fall more than having $0 if I did make a major financial oopsie or $1000 closer to better equipment or what not. Oh and also I figured if when I cleared a land with good lumber on it, depending whether the owner wants the trees or not I could eventually pick up a log splitter and cut the trees into small segments and split the wood and sell it for firewood since that's what's making a killing out right now with it being very cold for my area, figured it'd bring in that much more profit, but at the end of the day my mindset is failure isn't an option for my dreams and goals, I've never fully went into something like this but I remember the Shopify dropshipping craze just researching it and I actually did try it for free for a little but found that it was nowhere near as easy as the "gurus" made it out to be. So I'm expecting this to take maybe months, more so years to become a good money maker. I like working with tractors and heavy equipment and I'm prepared to grease those fittings, replace those bearings etc etc, and I just want to know what the Reddit business real gurus think, I appreciate you reading even if you don't comment, I can't lie it's a good little read what I've typed up here.

FYI area is very south east US area (I'm paranoid okay no super specifics on location)

I manage a small portfolio of around 80 doors and have been using DoorLoop for tenant screenings. I'm considering switching to a tool that offers more control and possibly allows passing screening costs onto applicants. Any recommendations for streamlined screening tools or software that work well for smaller portfolios? I’d love to hear what others in similar situations are using.

I am a young boy (15) and I have limited access I am perfect in studies I want some buisness ideas that will work in my country(Pakistan) I need something I can start with my phone and I need to make average money I know it takes time but I'm down for it.

Hey everyone,
I’m building a SaaS (Vizio, a tool for content teams to streamline video reviews) and need to set up global payments for monthly/yearly subscriptions. My business is unregistered, and I’m based in India.

Any recommendations for simple payment gateways that support this?

Thanks!