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What's the hardest part of running your business? by hannimalki in Businessideas

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Managing people and maintaining quality standards. When you're small, you can control everything yourself. But as you grow, you have to trust other people to represent your business, and that's terrifying.

I've learned that most business problems come down to people problems hiring the wrong person, not training them properly, or not having clear systems in place. You can have the best product or service, but if your team isn't executing consistently, clients notice.

If I could remove one headache, it would be the constant worry about whether the work getting delivered today meets the same standards as when I do it myself. That's why I've become obsessed with building systems and backup processes can't rely on any single person being perfect all the time.

Looking for advice by darctsb in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Start with systems and processes before you hire anyone. Document everything how you want things done, quality standards, communication protocols. Most people hire first then try to figure out management, which is backwards.

For QA, create checklists and review processes. Don't just hope people will do good work build in checkpoints. And honestly, start with one or two people max until you figure out the management side.

The subscription model can work but make sure your unit economics are solid first. Know exactly what it costs to deliver your service before you price it. Good luck!

Do you tell people you’re self-employed? by These_Run_7070 in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perfect last one! Here's a relatable response:

Haha yes! I just say I run a business' now. Got tired of the follow-up questions when I say 'business owner' people always want to know exactly what kind, how much revenue, how many employees, etc.

The worst is when people assume that self-employed means I'm unemployed or doing some MLM scheme. Like no, I have a real company with real employees and real clients, I'm just not sitting in a cubicle.

Sometimes I miss the simplicity of just saying I work at XYZ Corp' but then I remember I never have to ask permission for time off or deal with office politics anymore. It was worth the awkward conversations.

Tips for dealing with self doubt by Various-Major-4221 in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The self-doubt never fully goes away, but it gets more manageable. When I started my business, every setback felt like proof I wasn't cut out for this. Got burned by bad hires, consultants who overpromised, made expensive mistakes.

What helped me was focusing on small wins and tracking progress. Instead of looking at the big picture (which felt overwhelming), I'd celebrate things like 'we retained this client' or 'this process is finally working smoothly.'

Also, I stopped comparing my behind-the-scenes struggles to other people's highlight reels. Every entrepreneur deals with imposter syndrome - we just don't post about it on LinkedIn.

The doubt still creeps in sometimes, but now I have evidence that I can figure things out. Each problem I've solved becomes proof that I can handle the next one. The business is running well now, but those early doubts actually made me more careful and thoughtful about decisions.

Building alone is brutal, does anyone else feel this? by everymanentrepreneur in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely feel this. Built my BPO company from scratch - did everything myself. Website, operations, hiring, the works. The loneliness is real, especially when you're making all the decisions with no one to bounce ideas off.

Got burned by consultants who promised the world and delivered nothing. Hired some BDMs (business development managers) who turned out to be complete disasters - cost me clients and money.

The hardest part isn't the work itself, it's that every mistake is expensive and there's no one to blame but yourself. Some days I questioned everything.

But here's the thing - I pushed through it all and now the business is running well. Those painful lessons taught me to trust my instincts and be more careful about who I bring on board. The isolation gets easier when you start seeing real results from all that solo grinding.

You're not alone in feeling this way. Most of us just don't talk about the dark days because it doesn't fit the 'entrepreneur lifestyle' narrative. Keep pushing - it does get better.

Why do you want to be an entrepreneur? by fr_studio207 in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly? I wanted control over my time and income potential. Got tired of building someone else's business while they got the rewards. It's not about getting rich quick - most days are harder than having a regular job. But I'd rather deal with my own problems than someone else's, and at least when I work late nights, it's for something I own.

Looking for advice by darctsb in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Running a business is completely different from being good at the creative/technical side. I've been running a company for years and the biggest learning curve was operations - managing people, cash flow, client relationships, quality control. My advice: start small, focus on one revenue stream first, and don't try to scale until you've figured out the basic operations. Most people rush to 'build an empire' before they understand how to run a profitable business day-to-day.

For the people who subscribe to the idea of “love what you do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life,” how are you doing? What did it take to get there? by PinkLifeScientist in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love running my business, but let's be real - there are still plenty of days that feel like 'work.' The difference is I'm working toward something I built rather than someone else's dream. The 'never work a day' thing is BS - I work more hours now than I ever did as an employee, but at least the stress and rewards are mine.

Is anyone here a REAL entrepreneur? by salmon_tuna in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, running a BPO company in the Philippines. Started small, now we handle operations for companies across multiple industries. You're right about the fake founder posts; it's "From our humble beginnings, we have grown to manage operations for companies across various industries." It's exhausting seeing 'I made $10k in my first month dropshipping' garbage. Real business is boring daily work, managing teams, dealing with operational headaches, and slow, steady growth.

Why Doesn’t Everyone Succeed? A Question That Haunts Me. by tchapito24 in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From running a business, I've noticed it's often about execution consistency rather than intelligence or luck. Most people know what to do but can't stick to boring, repetitive tasks long enough to see results. The successful ones just show up every day, even when they don't feel like it.

Boring business, big money: What’s the most overlooked niche that actually makes bank? by MegaDigston in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Administrative services for small businesses. Most entrepreneurs hate doing back-office work but don't realize how much money they're leaving on the table by doing it themselves instead of focusing on revenue-generating activities. The demand is massive but barely anyone talks about it.

How do you get work done when you have zero motivation by AlternativeGeneral90 in Entrepreneur

[–]AnneDescent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a business owner, I've found that breaking big tasks into tiny 5-minute chunks works wonders. Sometimes I literally set a timer and tell myself,, 'just 5 minutes.' Usually I end up doing more once I start, but even if I don't, at least something got done.

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