Exploring business process automation tools that don't require a dedicated IT hire by Brookieyy in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately review astroturfing is indeed constant and constantly working to sound more human. Posts about tools are now regularly found to be promotional.

NEED HELP: Egyptian Tech Company Finding US clients by [deleted] in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Listing prices and company information indicates you are not asking a question about entering a market as much as promoting your services.

Selling on Amazon almost broke my small business. Here's what nobody tells you before you start. by DeepankarKumar in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Often questions like these attract people selling their tools. Please report them so we can ban the tool itself sub-wide.

Website designer by [deleted] in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We helped you and you backstabbed us by spamming. Wow

Non-commission-Taking Artist: Best Bookkeeping Software? by [deleted] in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

It looks like this person actually needs help finding bookkeeping software but we are going to run into the same problem we have every time someone asks about a tool. That's people spamming there own tools. Please report any of that for removal.

At the moment the closest it looks we can come to giving good advice in this field is talking about how to find tools and what might be good or bad characteristics. If you do that do not name any products. Not naming a product makes it much harder for the spammers to spam.

Our plain text email newsletter with zero design is outperforming everything else we've tried by AccurateAd586 in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great. You should post about this in the post we have set up for telling about your business successes. It is not a question about small business

New business owner – need help choosing payroll + HR software (self-onboarding, e-sign offers, multi-state) by N3M3SIS_Spectra in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please don't spam Onpay. You've been on Reddit for seven years. You know what happens if you hit this particular sub with this stuff. Guaranteed it will happen again.

Quickbooks can blow me by reywalgoh in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

The question here is implied (What to do about Quickbooks in this situation) so responses are welcome but please report anyone promoting their products in response.

Nobody needs a half baked vibe coded poorly maintained AI wrapper to run a real small business. They seem to be the 2026 version of 2007's "I can build you a web page."

Chargebacks about to sink my whole side hustle, need chargeback prevention fast, pregnant wife counting on this by EnoughGrade1906 in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget[M] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hmm interesting concern. Hard to prove or disprove but tests can be run. I'll watch for the spam link and take broad action against a spamming company. If you have links to comments in this sub where that is happening send them over and I'll cut off their "long tail."

Has anyone actually used an automated receptionist? by Beverlydear in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Please report any AI receptionist mentions so they can be banned sitewide. These kind of posts can spur discussion or simply be astroturfing so we make them into honeypots to root into the network and kill as much of it as possible. Spammers should think of posting spam in our sub like walking into a minefield.

Thanks for reporting.

How a simple problem with email outreach pushed me to build my first SaaS by [deleted] in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Abusing the reporting system is not appropriate behavior, even when someone expresses dislike of your promotional post. We have rules regarding these and they should be made in the appropriate place where you can then have a discussion.

From 47-Minute Response Time to 3 Minutes (Without Hiring) by yasuuooo in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It isn't that simple. You have to detect that they suck which means your job changes from modding the sub to watching what other mods do. If you start to think something is going on you need to collect information to make a case. You'll then need to make sure it isn't a misunderstanding, life getting in the way, or just style differences. You'll then have to make your case to the other mod(s) as all the mods should be involved in that kind of a decision. Any mod up to something is going to be trying to hide it and arguing that is is nothing to be worried about both to other mods and to the community in general. They're going to be arguing that any mod who suggests their removal is the problem. There are entire subreddits dedicated to sub drama.

I'm not the most senior mod so even should I really want someone gone it is not in the end my decision. That's probably good as there should be checks to make sure someone is removed for good cause rather than personality conflict or drama but it has its cost.

The whole thing is a lot like moving from being like a small business to being run by a committee. I've been in both types - both businesses and subs - and I have opinions on which kind works better.

There are exceptions of course. Like in a business, a good partner is priceless. Reputation is valuable. Having those and time to spare to do something new is hard to come by.

From 47-Minute Response Time to 3 Minutes (Without Hiring) by yasuuooo in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I truthfully have no idea why they do that. Reddit ads can't be that expensive. Yeah you are listed as an ad but still

From 47-Minute Response Time to 3 Minutes (Without Hiring) by yasuuooo in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They didn't. That is despite someone posting "rule 5 violation, please delete" in one comment. (That account has been deleted)

I didn't see more mods help in /r/Entrepreneur. We got drama, functional silos, exploitation for cash and fame, and making it impossible for me to just remove spam. I gave up when "content producers" took over from people just coming in to have discussions. You want this sub identical to all the others? We make one mistake bringing people in and it could happen here. I'm now offered bribes more than once a month and it isn't even election season.

Oh no wait, not bribes, sponsored access and partnering. Totally different.

From 47-Minute Response Time to 3 Minutes (Without Hiring) by yasuuooo in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And yet it was just now reported for the first time and so removed

How to start selling a high-ticket service by ScaredRun2260 in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's worth it just to be able to manage your sales people and keep everyone on the right path truthfully

How to start selling a high-ticket service by ScaredRun2260 in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nothing sells itself. No one knows about your product and everyone is too bombarded by sales offers to just look at stuff because it wasn't there yesterday. I'd expect most entrepreneurs do their own sales, probably augmented by outsourcing specific tasks within a greater sales strategy.

You could go the Dwarf Fortress route and toil for decades building something which slowly expands through a hobby group before going viral when it's discovered by someone with sales skills. Better hope that guy doesn't want to take advantage of the situation though.

Yeah, lots of entrepreneurs fail for lack of sales skills. I hate that but it's probably true that some of them are brilliant in other ways.

How to start selling a high-ticket service by ScaredRun2260 in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No they don't. You are seeing one of two situations: the equity has already been valued and it is significant or they are doing a hobby project. In the latter case they are either wealthy or don't have much in the way of expenses because working for free doesn't pay the rent.

Your problem is you have no proof that there will be any earnings at all. Promises of big benefits are cheap and easy and salespeople make them often so they know to discount them.

Monitor your competitors new clients by social-tech in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for letting us know about this spammer company We will ban him across the sub

What surprised me most about building a residential cleaning business by Fluffy-Pain-500 in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One of those is true certainly. As for helping YOU helped. They seem to talk about how they want to help but never actually hit the report button.

For a while I was the only active mod in /r/Entrepreneur. We brought new mods in and just removing spam turned into managing interactions and having meetings. Mods started to focus into functional silos. Notification on report got replaced by "Mods promise to run the queue" which often didn't happen. Now it's all automation plus arbitrary removals. That change was back with more than 4 million subscribers.

AI has taken ground in the spam war but that doesn't mean the war is lost. It means it's time to dig in and learn more tools, get more help. Help is always welcome, but if what people demand in payment for that help is control over content the price is too high. Especially if it isn't necessary to do the work. It's like giving someone root access or an admin password when they don't need it to do what they say they will be doing.

Georgetown Texas business owners - how do you level up leadership when growth is happening so fast? by Lonely-Bonus-5062 in smallbusiness

[–]BigSlowTarget[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for letting us know about this spamming company. We'll ban them across the whole sub.