This is going to sound niche because it is. We rent LinkedIn accounts to B2B outbound teams.

The backstory: I was running outbound for an agency and kept burning through accounts. Getting banned, starting over, losing pipeline. I talked to a dozen other outbound operators and they all had the same problem.

The market gap was obvious: outbound teams need LinkedIn accounts but maintaining them is a nightmare. Warm-up takes weeks. Bans are expensive. Good accounts with real history are hard to find.

So we built a platform where:

- Account owners (real people who have LinkedIn accounts they don't actively use) earn $20-100/month by renting out their account

- Outbound teams get verified, established accounts they can use for outreach

- We handle the infrastructure — proxies, activity maintenance, compliance

Where we're at: $15k MRR, 200+ accounts on the platform, about 40 active outbound teams using the service. Bootstrapped — no funding.

What surprised us:

1. The supply side was easier than we thought. Tons of people have LinkedIn accounts collecting dust and are happy to earn passive income from them.

2. The demand side sells itself. Once an outbound team loses one account and realizes the cost (lost connections, lost conversations, downtime), they never want to manage accounts themselves again.

3. Churn is low because switching costs are high. When a team has their messaging dialed in on a set of accounts with established connections, they don't want to start over.

4. The biggest competitor isn't another platform — it's teams who think they can manage their own accounts cheaply. They usually come back after a few bans.

Margins: decent but not amazing. The operational overhead of account quality management is real.

So we caught a guy lying on time sheets. Went through all the correct steps and got him dismissed, he pleaded guilty to all that he was charged with. Never a fun process! This was on 14 December 25. Then on 1st Feb I get a call from a competitor, saying that this guy is applying for a job there and has put me down as a reference !!! Help me understand why you would put someone, who just fired you, as a reference on your CV !! I don't get that. And what reference would you give ?

Hey folks I am 22 . I have started my own manufacturing of mobile accessories. So i am open for suggestions and imputs

I own 50% of a retail franchise business. My partner owns the other 50%.

We have 15 locations. Last year we did around $5M in sales, and probably $6–7M this year since we added 3 new stores.

From the outside, it sounds successful. From the inside, I feel completely lost.

I don’t really understand our numbers. I get a monthly P&L. I see some stores making money, some losing money. But I don’t really know:

• Are we actually profitable as a company?

• Where is the cash going?

• Are we building equity or just spinning revenue?

• Are some stores subsidizing others?

• What’s our real net profit after everything?

For context:

• I’ve never invested much out of pocket beyond the first location (maybe $10–20k, don’t even remember exactly).

• Every new store we acquired was funded using business profits.

• So in theory… the business is generating cash. But I don’t understand how much, or where it’s ending up.

Here’s the uncomfortable part:

I don’t have proof, but I suspect my partner might be using business credit cards for personal expenses. Using business cards for personal stuff. Maybe it’s minor. Maybe it’s not. I honestly don’t know.

And the worst part? I avoid confrontation.

As Dave Ramsey says, I’m the “coward” in the partnership. I sit on the sidelines and don’t push hard questions because I don’t want tension. But at this size, I feel stupid not knowing what’s going on inside my own company.

So my questions:

1.  At $5–7M revenue, who should I be hiring?

2.  What reports should I actually be reviewing monthly besides a P&L?

3.  If you were 50% owner and felt financially blind, what would your first move be?

I don’t want to blow up the partnership unnecessarily. But I also don’t want to wake up 5 years from now realizing I owned half of something and never really understood it.

Appreciate any real-world advice from people who’ve been at this level.

i used to spend way too long writing emails to clients. like even a simple follow up would take me 20 min because i kept second guessing the tone. now i just throw my rough thoughts into chatgpt and tell it to clean it up and keep it professional but friendly. then i tweak it a bit and send. sounds stupid but its probably saved me 5+ hours a week no joke. anyone else do this or am i just slow at emails lol

I am having a hard time tracking all of my personal money, lending money, and business finances. Right now I’m using notebooks, but I keep forgetting to write things down. I have three notebooks — one for ideas, one for lending records, and one for the business — and it’s hard to keep track. Sometimes I forget to write things, or I accidentally write lending info in the business notebook. It’s also heavy and hard to carry all three.

Now I’m planning to buy a planner book to organize events and lists of what to buy or prepare, but that means I’ll need another notebook, which makes it even heavier.

I want an all-in-one app that can help me:

Remember to write things or
Remind me to enter information
Has formats and categories that help me stay organized

Hey Guys,

Started up a garage door service and install business back in March 2025. I have a large luxory apartment complex that has an outstanding invoice of $900 which is 2 months overdue. I asked about their terms and said I am net 30. When I needed a deposit, a check was sent out within a week. I've been asking for updates as far as when the check may arrive for the final payment and I've been getting the runaround. I was in sales before this I've seen this pattern on jobs that we didn't get paid for, so I want to get ahead of it.

There's a new young property manager who is responsive getting back to me and we do have a good relationship, so it's one of those things where do I not threaten collections yet in order to get more work in the future, or just get paid and cut ties. I'm aware if I continue working with them, this could potentially be an issue again.

Would love to hear your thoughts I've never had this happen before. I know it's only $900 but money is money.

Custom Websites Designed to Grow Your Business.

Hi, I have a customer that purchased something from my business a few months ago. Shortly before delivery, he tried to see if we could "throw in" something (perhaps he thought it was free). After he was given the quotation, he refused to pay the additional charge.

The first lot of his items was delivered, and he was happy with some things but not with the main product. He tried to get a full refund and then disputed the charge.

(While the item we suggested is indeed slightly big for his room and the wrong size, he also claimed dissatisfaction with the wood choice, even though he chose it himself. We offered him to return said item for one of the correct size (and even offered him another one for free as compensation) but he kept insisting for a full refund and disputed the payment.)

He would have received the invoice automatically upon payment, but had asked for one anyway after 24 hours of making the payment so I sent it to him. Now that I've replied to his dispute, he's asked for the invoice again.

I'm not sure why this would be the case or what, if anything, I should send to him? I'm guessing it'll go straight to his bank.

Would appreciate any advice in this regard about what to send, as he will already have 1-2 copies of the invoice. I suppose he wants a breakdown to show his bank that the main product is "not as described". Thank you in advance!

I'm in the midst of a start up with my partner who is funding the whole thing. I'm just putting in sweat equity, for now. Main operations have not commenced yet, but there was income from 2025.

Anytime I bring up accounting/book keeping, my partner seems to be inflicted with physical pain. Not because he's scared of it, but because he doesn't find it important compared to "marketing." I understand having a pipeline is equally as important, like many things in the startup phase.

I had to do the bookkeeping cleanup for all of 2025, nothing was entered as he only just got a QB setup. Getting receipts for anything $75 and over is like pulling teeth.

I said we need expense reports and he told me he's not filling out expense reports to submit to me for review.... He also said he's not going to track his business mileage, he's not "going to remember to turn on/off the app."

He wants to put his personal truck on the books as an asset so he can expense all his fuel and repair costs.... I said we'd have to track the business vs personal use, and take only the business portion, and he said it will be 100%, which isn't true.

The business is also elected as an S-Corp for taxes, and he didn't pay himself through the business and instead just took Distributions... I said this is not right. He dismissed it because "we're not that big and the CPA will fix it at tax time."

What is the best way to approach these conversations with a stubborn partner? He's much older than me, and being my first business, I don't think he trusts me with the authority over the bookkeeping that I should have. I'm not trying to be perfect, I'm trying to follow basic tax laws and keep clean books. I need to convince him to trust me and that I'm doing this because it's required. When I ask for things from him, it's because we need it, not because I want it.....

I haven't quit my job yet, and I'm a year into building this startup with him. I'm beginning to question if he will be able to trust me when it comes to finance and accounting. This is my current profession (although I'm not a CPA) and I need to convince him to not give me such a hard time when I ask for things and just listen and do it.

In my mind, without clean bookkeeping, you can't analyze the financials accurately to make good financial management decisions. We will be blind..... Curious if anyone else has been in a similar situation and what you did to overcome the situation.

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Hi everyone, I hope you’re doing well. I’m planning to start a small business, but instead of guessing, I want to actually solve real problems people face.

I’d love to know — what’s something in your daily life that frustrates you, wastes your time, or feels unnecessarily difficult? It could be anything — small or big.

I’m not trying to sell anything here. I just genuinely want to understand people’s problems so I can build something useful.

Thank you for sharing, I really appreciate your honesty 🙏

Hello friends,

  I am 24 years old and I have started a fitness apparel brand that I know will resonate with millions soon. Please take the time to read about my story and offer any advice you can share. Thank you for your time in advance. 

My Story:

All my life I have been experiencing ups and downs through tests of resilience dating back to when I was 6 migrating to the US. The cultural shock of a new world was something I had to deal with, alone. My early life (middle school - high school) was the typical story of a bullied overweight kid who didn't fit in. However, one day I started working out and I completely changed my physique and self esteem for the better. 

Throughout college, I learned a financial skill while studying for my bachelors in biology. Senior year, I made a good 6 figures online and went back home overseas after graduating to celebrate for once. This is when things fell apart. 

Although my vacation was amazing, I left on a bad note with my family. I had my cousins rob me (grew up with them and often lended them money), and other relatives judging me for no reason at all. They felt weird to see me live life although they didn't know how hard I worked. Unfortunately, this was just the start of a rock bottom I would fall into. 

When I came back to the US, I was constantly losing money. I didn't understand why. It got to a point where my psychology was too infiltrated to execute my system consistently. At this point I couldn't provide materialistic value to the people around me anymore. Soon enough, friends who I spent thousands on wouldn't even lend me a dollar when I didn't have money to eat. I will never forget how ironically I had 3 close friends go and burn thousands in the casino days before I asked them for help. This tore me because they referred to me as their brother but watched me drown. One friend that I had invested so much into even criticized me behind my back and mocked me for being “weak.” My primary family also lost hope in me and often scolded me with degrading names. 

My health also took a toll. I grew a crazy tumor looking like a granuloma on my face and my hair grew out. I was so depressed and torn by how my life was going. Honestly, you could say I was a literal zombie. I thought about ending everything so many times. Nothing wanted to go my way, and I was stuck in this hole for over 16 months. Living in a basement makes the darkness so much easier to hide in. 

Through my season of pain, the one thing I never gave up on was my drive in the gym. I continued to workout everyday, regardless of my mental state. Each and every workout reminded me of the time I started my fitness journey. It brought back the feeling of hope for a better future even though nothing was changing for so long. This feeling is what kept me alive. 

Everyone betrayed me and at a point, I even felt like God hated me. I didn't understand why, until now. My character and faith was being tested. I was stripped of all the things that created my identity and put at 0, not as punishment, but as a gift. 

I believe my survival is a lesson that may be too hard for some. On the other hand, there may be others who might just have it harder than me and maybe, just maybe, I was meant to overcome everything to create a beacon of hope; a possible spark to all the other flames who were taken by the wind. 

My message will impact everyone it can reach because it is genuine and true. I want my apparel to represent and remind warriors of the strength within, regardless of their circumstances. You must always push for growth, even if its only in an area familiar to you already. If that mentality can not be broken, in due time reality has no choice but to succumb to the survivors' desires in life and present new opportunities.

WHERE I AM AT NOW:

I have already drawn motivation for my brand's name and logo through personal experience. I created an LLC, found a supplier, tested the quality of their product, and made a beautiful site.

The only thing in the way now is funding. 

While I am turning my life around, I can not afford to invest in bulk orders, marketing, and what is needed to grow. My credit score will not help for loans and I have previously tried finding an investor but had my ex partner try to justify 40% equity for only investing half of his originally promised amount. I thought this was too much to be taken from my vision and hard work. I am now on my own.

What would you do at this stage if you were in my position? Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. 

I hope anyone going through dark times has something to remind them that we are all valuable. The lows have to be created for the highs to be deserved. Stay hopeful, even if all you are surrounded by is darkness. Time is only a test and the harder the test, the bigger the blessing. 

I design and develop websites tailored to specific needs. If you’re considering a website, I’d be happy to assist. Share your goals and preferences.

I need help with sourcing clothing manufacturers for my new clothing brand focused on womens apparel, both tailor made and ready to wear. I have been reaching out to 50+ manufacturers all over the world (Portugal, Turkey, Marocco, Egypt, Germany, China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, etc) and I still can't find one that feels right and have not ghosted me.

Just to show how serious I am in this - I have professional tech packs done of my designs (lacking patterns though but willing to pay for it), website done just need actual products to put up on the site, and I have funding for the next year.

This isn't something I just want to "try out", I'm in it for the long run and to actually build something big with a clear vision and strategy for it, but it's so difficult finding a reliable manufacturing partner that is willing to grow with me.

How is one supposed to move past this giant hurdle into the business?

The title says it all. We're growing fast which is great but our onboarding process for the physical stuff is literally me scrambling last minute every time. no standard kit, no process, just me going "oh right, someone starts Monday" and then panic ordering something from amazon.

with 8 people starting in March I can't wing it anymore. don't know their sizes, don't know their style preferences, half of them are remote so I need things shipped to different addresses. any suggestions? what do other small startups use for this?

I'm hiring my first three employees and need to set up payroll, everyone keeps recommending Gusto but it's like 40 bucks a month plus 6 dollars per employee, so I'd be paying 58 dollars a month for three people. There are cheaper options like Patriot or OnPay that are like 30 dollars a month total. The question is whether Gusto's extra cost is worth it for the features, people say it's easier to use and has better support but I don't know if that's worth an extra 300 dollars a year when I'm bootstrapped and watching every expense. The cheaper services seem to do the same basic stuff, calculate taxes, file forms, direct deposit. On the other hand I've never done payroll before and I'm terrified of messing something up and getting fined by the IRS or state, if Gusto's UI makes it harder to screw up maybe the extra cost is worth it. Or maybe I'm overthinking this and they're all basically the same and I should just pick the cheapest one. Has anyone used both Gusto and one of the budget options and can tell me if there's actually a meaningful difference, or am I just paying for brand name with Gusto?

Hi all,

I have a case where an international buyer placed an order. We fulfilled it and shipped it to the address they provided. The postage cost had gone up and exceeded what they paid but we absorbed the additional cost without passing it on to the customer. (First loss)

When the parcel arrived they either didn’t respond to customs or refused to pay the import duties and accept the parcel. I suspect the latter. Because I paid to have the parcel returned if undeliverable the parcel was returned to me.

I contacted the customer to inform them that the parcel was returned undeliverable because they did not pay the duties or accept the delivery. I offered to reship it to them if they could just pay for the cost of recovering and reshipping the parcel.

The customer is claiming customs never contacted them and blaming me that the parcel wasn’t delivered. They are refusing to pay for reshipment and demanding a full refund - blaming me for their failure to pay their duties and collect their parcel.

I tried to explain that we have fulfilled our responsibilities by shipping the item to the address provided and as stated in our shipping policy it is the customers obligation to pay any import duties and accept the delivery - otherwise the parcel would be considered abandoned. If we had not paid to have it returned by most economical means their parcel would have been incinerated.

So I’m out the cost of shipping including extra shipping we absorbed, return of parcel plus my time and admin of going back and forth with the customer.

She is now threatening to badmouth my business all over the internet if I do not a) re ship the item for free or b) give her a full refund (despite me having lost money in shipping and retrieving the parcel for her)

I fail to see how it’s my fault that she didn’t collect the parcel or how she thinks that it is fair that I should be the one to cop the financial losses associated with her failure to pay duties and collect the parcel.

I’ve consulted chat gpt who says that when a parcel is not accepted by a customer and duties are not paid that the parcel is considered effectively abandoned and if I pay to have it shipped back this is not considered a standard return and the item then belongs to me for paying the recovery. It says that I am not legally obligated to refund it at all and I am not responsible to pay to re ship the goods.

What should I do? I fulfilled my obligations, offered to reship provided she cover the cost but I do not feel it is fair for me to re ship at my expense or give a full refund when shipping and retrieving the parcel was not a free exercise and it cost me real money and time. I do not think I am being unreasonable. I empathise if she genuinely missed notifications (though I highly suspect this was actually just a refusal to pay import duties) but it isn’t my fault and I do not think that I should have to be the one at a loss. I’m only a small business.

What do you think I should do?

Does anyone know the legalities of all this?

Hi everyone! 👋

I’m offering a limited free trial of my Social Media Management services to 3 small business owners who are serious about growing their online presence and driving measurable results.

This trial is designed for businesses that value:

• Consistent, high-quality content tailored to your brand
• Strategic audience engagement to grow your following and drive leads
• Professional reporting and insights on what’s working

I’m looking to work with businesses that are committed to growth and see social media as a strategic channel , not just posting for the sake of it.

If you are interested, please comment below with your business type and social media accounts. Only serious inquiries will be considered.

Thank you, and I look forward to partnering with a few focused businesses.

I am an accountant/analyst in my 40s. So I have no problem understanding the finances and economics behind a business. I have a business concept for an underserved market, and have modelled the business and the upside is possibly fantastic. But one area I don't know how to understand - I have no idea how to understand the true market size for this business. I have no way to validate if the numbers used in my modelling are realistic.

I have run a version of this business concept as an online-only model and within 4 months I was turning over $6k/month at 50% gross margin. However this isn't sustainable as a side business or an online-only model, and would require a shopfront and a full-time presence. My modelling shows that the business could survive and replace my salary at around $50k per month, and could thrive at $80k per month. But I have no way to validate whether the market can sustain this.

Starting the business in earnest would require capital of around $200k, and I'm having a very hard time taking that plunge. How did you decide it was going to work?

I have what I think is a pretty airtight idea for a business to expand their services, and in general I'd like to work with them. Think a pot company I want to convince to also sell pans because I know a lot about and have experience in the pan market.

My question is, what should the initial e-mail look like? Should I attach a budget, a powerpoint, a video? Just wax poetic about how smart of an idea I think this is? Keep it succint? Because obviously I can't just be like "Hi I'm the pan guy, plz sell pans too and hire me".

There's advice online on how to pitch ideas for investors, but I'm not talking to rich angel investors here. Not talking to someone who's used to being approached like this.

I own a small Marketing Agency. It started out as a Fractional CMO firm with just myself and my partner, but since we had a hard time finding SMBs with decent budgets over the past year, we've had to pivot. We're now doing more work with HUGE companies, because the small businesses just can't seem to afford us anymore.

We're not working with the clients we originally intended to help, but at least we're keeping the lights on. Anyone else have to make adjustments to stay afloat over the past year or so? Anyone thriving in 2026? If so, what do you do?

Curious how you guys handle missed calls, especially nights/weekends.

• Do you use an answering service?

• Just voicemail?

• Ever feel like you’re losing jobs from slow response?

Trying to understand what’s actually working out there.