Hi all- it looks like more and more of our customers are using ChatGPT and Gemini to find solutions instead of Google search console. This has gotten me concerned cause traditionally we were coming up first on Google Maps for most of the Google search results.

However things are a little different when it comes to ChatGPT clearly. It feels like our competitors are showing up more often than us but I dont have a good grip on this since every time I ask things on ChatGPT, answer is different.

So experts here, what is the best way to get your business mentioned on ChatGPT?

I was speaking to a director of a marketing agency juat after the ecom crash who hadn't had a holiday in 16 years.

I asked him, why put yourself through all this pain?

He looked at me and said, "You have to be in it to win it."

And that stuck with me.

A year later, his company went on to win a huge contract that changed his life forever.

Sometimes you just have to keep going.

Have you had a moment like that?

Meditation and journaling have been huge for me. What has helped you grow?

I must pick between these 2 soon.

My trademark is in both categories so it’s not an issue.

Do I start with a perfume (or be a perfume brand), or start with skin care (and eventually make a perfume soon).

There’s lots of skin care brands that also offer a perfume, so it wouldn’t totally be random.

I just feel if I pick fragrance, I might regret it and want to do skin care. At least with skin care I could always expand into fragrance.

I know both markets are saturated.

People tend to use different fragrances daily, as opposed to different moisturizers and skin care products.

I’m more passionate about sunscreen and skin care.

To launch an SPF in the US requires a higher MOQ. It’s also a drug, which is a non-issue since the manufacturer would likely help me with registering & all that jazz.

So a first product would likely be a facial moisturizer. While that does sound nice; I don’t feel I’m bringing much to the market. My real differentiation would be probably packaging design and a nice texture. Ingredient wise, probably nothing that you haven’t seen before.

For fragrance, my vision is clean & unisex, mid-range priced. A fragrance that isn’t loud and can be worn daily, such as to the office, etc.

The money isn’t an issue. The MOQs would be the same. (Except for spf). It’s just, do I do something that i’m more passionate about and competitive, or do something I just like and try to create a niche.

I enjoy smelling fragrances, but it’s not something I’d say I’m passionate about. I enjoy how there is something different and unique about a perfume. I do enjoy the smells, just not something I wear every day.

My idea is to work on a fragrance & let it be one that makes me want to wear every day. Maybe I just have not found “the one” and that’s my schtick.

Thoughts?

& before anyone tries to tell me not do either category, unfortunately it’s my only “hobby”, I can turn into a biz at this point. I’d like to do something in health/wellness/food at some point, maybe years later after this biz.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

I’ve started my first business (fintech) with some other seasoned Entrepreneurs. I have a few questions about what is normal and what isn’t in regard to operations and finance but don’t know anyone personally who has experience.

Looking for recommendations on how or where I could find someone who might be willing to offer guidance.

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is how many businesses probably have decent websites but aren't getting nearly as many customers as they could be simply because people aren't finding them.

You could have a great product, a solid website, and a good offer, but if your site isn't showing up when potential customers search for what you sell, you're missing out on people who are already looking to buy.

And even if you're getting traffic, there's another question: are the RIGHT people finding your website, or are you getting visitors who were never going to become customers in the first place?

That's what makes SEO interesting to me. It's not just about ranking higher on Google or getting more clicks. It's about getting in front of people who are actually likely to buy.

I'm curious how many of you have actually checked your website's SEO recently, beyond just looking at whether it shows up on Google.

Magic Users, Palladins, and Bards,

As a PR agency owner, I have come across a few interesting things that could help you. Some of these might be obvious, others might be useful. Enjoy:

- On Windows, press Windows key, SHIFT button and "R" and you can take video recordings from your screen. This is extremely useful if you need a snippet on Youtube without sacrificing quality. As a PR agency owner, I use this to make client success stories by showing them on the news. I personally used it to make a collage of my own interviews online.

- Your FB Messenger has a folder called "Message Requests." Its a spam folder for inbound messages from non friends. While you will get odd shit, you can find media requests, customer inquiries, etc as well. Check it once a week.

- You can add a link to an IG story and it will carry over to your FB story with the link intact. You cannot organically make a FB story with a working link. To do this on IG, create a story, click on the smiley face, then "link"

- You can remove the background from photos on a site called removebg

- You can add a link on your FB personal page where a quote or tagline should be. This is extremely useful for people to book calls, visit your website, etc. More people need to take advantage of this.

- Linkedin Carousels still get more views and engagement than regular posts. To create one, just make a PDF and click "upload document" and it will post it.

What tips would you share?

I am looking into medical supplier and really need help in getting my foot in. How do I and where do I get started? Any pointers to websites links or courses? Any current or former employee willing to mentor?

Bots, neckbeards, and the occasional entrepreneur,

Many people don't know the difference between marketing and PR so here are some good guidelines to help you.

PR is to build the reputation of your company or to get media coverage

Marketing is to drive sales

PR can get you marketing results, marketing cannot get you PR results

PR should be 20% of your marketing budget unless you DO NOT want coverage for your business. This only makes sense if you sell goods online and want to devote 100% to adspend.

PR is good if you:
- Want to be the face of your company
- Run a personal brand
- Want to be interviewed
- Want to stand out from competitors
- Desire to create story based narratives to attract coverage

There are several subsets of PR. Not all agencies do the same things.

- Media outreach
- Reputation management
- Event promotion
- Crisis management
- Interview coordination

Its normal for an agency to charge 60% down.

Always get a contract. Always check for a refund or a non performance clause.

PR results cannot be predicted or promised unless you are doing pay to play or its owned media.

Always ask for past clients or case studies. If they cannot provide them, RUN.

Stay away from anything with Forbes or those "Featured Media for $99" They are worthless

Baden Bower, Purple Penguin, LifeFlip Media, Rudy Mawer and Inside Success Network have awful reviews and reputations. Avoid at all cost.

Hope this helps you guys make good PR choices. Questions?

“SaaS is dead” is the new “blogging is dead.”

open source existed before SaaS. Cheap alternatives existed before SaaS.

yet people kept building software businesses because customers don’t just pay for code. they pay to save time, solve problems, and avoid headaches.

stop confusing a changing market with a dead market.

New to entrepreneurship or just starting out? This is your space. Ask the questions you're afraid to ask elsewhere.

Experienced folks, jump in and share what you wish someone had told you early on.

I am an engineer with a compensation package pretty close to $200K+. The work is easy and just a normal day at the job since I have been doing it for 20 years. I work in a professional setting where people are really respected, with no BS, no arguing or every opinion is a discussion and not argument or ego based etc.
Now I am confused about whether I should get into business or keep my day job. What I do is not something I can start a business in, in the same scope, as it is an integrated skill set.
The closest business I think I can start is a remodeling company (I do this for my rental properties, etc.). But I know residential and commercial remodeling brings daily headaches, and you have to deal with labor, which is hard to manage. Customers can be penny-pinchers and argue all day long.
Anybody who made the switch and then regretted it because they either made less money, made about the same, or realized what a day-to-day headache they had gotten into?

Have you noticed how often the sound is the reason you stop watching? Maybe the vlogger has an irritating voice, the audio quality is terrible, or the background music is drowning out the speech. These mistakes seem obvious to the listener, yet the person making the video often doesn't notice them at all. The same goes for advertising. If I hear annoying digital female voice, I gone in a millisecond. Simple as that.

So which sounds do people hate most? I asked a big subreddit. Over 300 people answered with sounds they can’t stand. Then I went through the comments and pulled out 26 sounds people find unbearable.

Here is six last sounds from the hated sounds list:

1. Cracking knuckles 3

2. Velcro 4

3. Vacuum cleaners 5

4. Dripping tap, running water, pouring 6

5. Phone on speaker in public 6

6. Ticking clocks and watches 6

Full list of 'the most hated sounds' in the comments.

Reddit Bot Army,

The client hired me because he wanted to be known in his industry. He had made a fortune north of 7 figures when certain digital currencies took off.

Then over time, things got weird. Calls from unknown users. Getting screamed at for things that he had requested in the package. Gifts in the mail out of nowhere, then messages saying he wasn't happy with the results.

Finally I walked. I had enough. I realized he was a nightmare client and his expectations were ridiculous.

A year later, I searched his name for shits and giggles. Multiple arrests. Drugs. Ladies of the night. Paraphernalia and a BABY in the car during the arrest.

His story got picked up by a major news outlet.

Glad to see he got the coverage he wanted. Even if it was in an orange jumpsuit.

Had a week? Same. This is your consequence-free space to complain about clients, platforms, algorithms, your own decisions, or the general chaos of running a business. Keep it venting with no personal attacks. We'll be back to being professional tomorrow.

To the 7 non bots on here,

I get asked this question a lot as a PR pro.

"I'm unknown, how do I elevate and raise my visibility or even become an industry celebrity?"

I have worked with people that had almost NO visibility, no Google searchability, etc.

The key is to start stacking.

Owned Media
Earned Media
Paid Media

A mechanic in Texas hired me. He had an IMMENSE talent at fixing up cars and even cars that other garages had given up on. An expert on restoration, he just needed more people to get his story out there.

I interviewed him and developed his media angle. He had a couple of cool stories about his garage and one of his cars was even in a movie. We created custom graphics and turned these into a few good articles.

I then featured him in my business magazine. (Owned media). We issued press releases about his garage and his story. We then wrote a few articles about him on Linkedin.

Now he is starting to show up on Google.

Then his article went viral. Over 100k views. His phone starts ringing. He's getting people calling about their classic cars and restoration packages.

I then secured him an interview on a HUGE youtube channel devoted to car work. This brought more traffic to him. (Earned media)

We then got him featured in the largest Pontiac magazine in circulation. They featured him FIVE TIMES. (Earned media)

He was then offered a slot at the Texas State Fair to bring his classic Ford truck with 500,000 miles on it and display it.

He sent me stats. Record breaking inbound web traffic. More sales leads. More followers.

In theory, the next step wouldve been Paid media (ads) but he didnt have the budget for it at the time. He was extremely happy with his results.

So yes, its possible to take an unknown and get them a TON of coverage and elevate their status. Its easier with specific niches but in many cases, I can create a strong angle after interviewing someone. Hope this inspires you even if you are "unknown."

You don't have to be. Start stacking!

Big or small, a win is a win. First sale, first client, or first time paying yourself, share it here. This community loves to celebrate with you. No win is too minor to mention.

It’s relatively easy to agree that an offer needs to go when nobody buys it. The more difficult situation is when customers still want it, but delivering it keeps pulling the business away from where you want to take it.

Maybe it requires a completely different workflow from everything else you do. Maybe only the founder can deliver it. Or it brings in customers who are unlikely to need anything else the company offers.

None of that necessarily makes it a bad service. It just makes the decision more complicated than checking whether it’s profitable.

Say a business wants to build around ongoing engagements, but custom projects keep filling the calendar. Those projects pay the bills. They also consume the time that would go into making the ongoing offer better and finding customers for it.

Keeping both feels sensible until you realize the newer part of the business only gets attention when the older part gets quiet.

I’d want to understand what keeping the service prevents the team from doing. That’s harder to measure than the revenue you’d lose by removing it, which probably explains why these decisions get postponed.

There may be a middle ground: stop promoting it, narrow who can buy it, or refer it to someone else. But each option still means accepting that some available revenue won’t come into your business.

For anyone who’s made that decision, what convinced you it was time? And did the capacity you freed up turn into the opportunity you expected?

Warhammer and GTA6 fans,

Glad you guys are enjoying my PR posts. This one was interesting. A client hired me after some shitbird PR agency in San Diego charged her 18k and got her one interview.

Her dad was a Marine that was killed in a helicopter accident while flying a NATO mission in the 70s. A hiker found his Annapolis ring in the rocks in Norway. The hiker tracked her down and she made a documentary about it after she flew to the crash site and met the recovery team and the hiker.

She had gotten some coverage about the documentary but needed some specifics:

The largest newspaper in the Connecticut area. A specific regional magazine catering to old school CT residents. A meeting with a large veteran non profit (Not my wheelhouse but wtf, right?)

I wrote up the pitch and got to work.

Created a database with contacts, ideas, media, etc. Pitched everyone on the list.

The magazine ran the story after a few months. They were tough to track down.

The newspaper ran the story. Front page.

We got her on a veteran radio podcast.

She got a TV news segment.

The non profit got back to us and she got a 1:1 with the CEO.

Then the largest military media company in the world, Stripes, picked up her story and ran it.

Annapolis saw the coverage and had a showing of her documentary.

So what lessons can we take from this?

- Reverse engineer the components of the story to locate media. For this one, Marines, helos, Connecticut and veterans

- If one reporter doesnt respond, find another. I went through three people to get her in the magazine

- Social media helps, I searched a lot of people on this list and reached out directly

- The bigger sites will poach from the smaller ones sometimes and its glorious when it happens

Questions?

What is something tedious that if could be automated would improve your business

Or what automation have you implemented that has changed your business for the better

not because I had to but because I had a 7:30am board meeting in front of the CEO CFO senior ops and eight board members of a 500 person not for profit and I wanted to be ready, at the same time I was still actioning quotes going through notes and keeping stuff moving in my own business. It was probably one of the most intense professional mornings ive had in a long time and weirdly enough I loved it. Thats the bit I keep coming back to, I genuinely love business, I love pulling problems apart, figuring out why something isnt working, looking at an idea and going alright how do we make this better. I think thats probably the biggest thing ive learnt about myself over the years, I actually enjoy the process more than the outcome sometimes. The pressure, the problem solving, the mistakes, the little wins, all of it. Today was a good reminder that even after a massive day I still found myself thinking about business ideas, other peoples problems and how things could be improved. Im definatley not a guru and ive made plenty of mistakes but I think thats probably why I enjoy these conversations so much, everyone is trying to work something out and none of us really have it all figured out. Curious what part of business you guys actually enjoy the most? Is it the growth, the problem solving, the sales, the freedom, building something from nothing or something else entirely?

Share your website, pitch, logo, idea, pricing, copy, or anything else you want honest eyes on. Tell us what you're looking for: brutal honesty, general impressions, or specific questions.

Return the favour and leave feedback for someone else while you're here.

Over the past 2 years I have grown a nice interview prep company to an annual profit of $400-500k. I have hired a few people helping to disperse the workload as we grew but overwhelmingly people are insisting on working with me. My team is phenomenal, our success rates are pretty much identical but people are always constantly requesting me. I’m currently work 5a - 10p with about few hours sleep in on the weekends, and an evening off when I can catch it. I’ve made it so scheduling divides up the workload but so often people email or call and ask for me.

I’m hoping over the next few months to launch the sister company and let me team so the prep on the original company - but I’m not sure how to break away.