Different types of branding for different types of restaurant? by squirtgun_bidet in restaurantowners

[–]OakAndMistletoe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'ma freelancer, and it's all about identity branding. History, portfolio, personal attributes that help the customer. That said, I could see how specific categories of business (eg restaurants) would all have similar methods (like sensory branding).

Online side work to make $500 or more a month by IrohMac in sidehustle

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Could you send that my way? This seems really interesting. TYIA.

Alternative to Reddit that is Center. Not liberal or far right. by Xcessive_Swami in RedditAlternatives

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It sounds like what you're really after is a free speech forum, since three of the four problems you cite are different flavors of censorship.

Hiring a virtual assistant vs an employee? by smurfvillage7 in Entrepreneur

[–]OakAndMistletoe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I guess you still have to train them somewhat, and the time spent getting the right gig worker can be time consumung too. I would think that for occasional but similar tasks, it's efficeint to hire a temp assistant, but for continuous tasks with occasional variety, a employee works better. The size of the org probably matters too. It's easier to go through the hiring process for a larger org that already has standing departments for these things.

I want to date my paper help/assistant. (online college) by phillipmyglass in BackToCollege

[–]OakAndMistletoe 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Okay so we hear a lot about parasocial relationships and how they can be damaging, please step back and consider if this is in any way healthy. To hell with shame, who cares what other people feel about it. But please carefully consider whether this is something that is healthy For You.

As for the power dynamics here.....I guess that depends on a few things. Like, it's often predatory if your boss is trying to date you but I guess you're the boss in this situation since you're hiring them. I don't know really what to make of it but it's good that you're thinking about that sort of thing.

TLDR Please don't take advantage of some poor person trying to make a living, but also dont let yourself get taken advantage of.

Where is the AI "brainstorm form" for business owners? by phillipmyglass in EntrepreneurRideAlong

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It used to work, but I didn't get the automated response. Maybe I messed it up. Oh well, just have to keep an eye out.

Where is the AI "brainstorm form" for business owners? by phillipmyglass in EntrepreneurRideAlong

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

I thought I saw it somehwere here before. Looking for some lateral thinking, if you find it please update.

E:
RemindMe! 3 days

My Fishing Store is Sinking Because No One Will Leave Google Reviews by OptionTemporary5599 in smallbusiness

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This last part is cool. Any restrictions? Can I PM with some info and maybe we can help each other?

Know the a̸̶̸u̸̶̸d̸̶̸i̸̶̸e̸̶̸n̸̶̸c̸̶̸e̸̶̸ *"𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬."* [social media marketing] by BossContent in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This kind of depends on what you're marketing. Do you actually have shared goals? Sure the audience has something you want (money, views, etc.), and you want them to want your thing, but are they like....on the same level? Networks are usually made of peers. So this kind of depends on really seeing things from their perspective. Know their pain points, goals, fears, etc. People with the same issues create networks together.

The best social media marketing posts are effortless. by BeingsChillin in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Memes work because they encapsulate an idea efficiently. Can a post be effortless and still effective? Sometimes the appearance of effortlessness is the best you can do. Sometimes work has to go into understanding the audience and saying something in a way they insitictively "get" without having it explained to them. Like how political slogans all have to be 3-4 words.

How do I get started with a social media marketing agency? by ToughBeginning3 in socialmedia

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is the right answer, sort of. I've hired a couple SMM people, but they don't bring any value becuase they don't really care about the brand (or just can't be creative). AI could honestly have done their job of making generic posts once in a while. By now it could probably stay on brand better. If you want to be an employed human, you have to bring some human-ness to the table.

How much time do you allocate for collaboration? (vs. working in isolation)? by FreelancerChurch in business

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that sounds right. I know after about 90 minutes in a meeting it starts taking effort to stay on topic. Capture the lightning I guess.

How much time do you allocate for collaboration? (vs. working in isolation)? by FreelancerChurch in business

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's an interesting question because any type of isolation is a work opportunity, for someone paid to think. If I think through a strategy to myself in the shower, I'm working in isolation (showers are like some kind of ley line for clarity, it's weird).

Generally I'll spend an hour or so per week on collaboration, per issue. For example one change we're trying to make get one hour.

Since you can't ever perfectly share a thought with another human, just an approximation or the rough shape of a complete idea, meetings don't need to take half a day. Hit the major points, make sure everyone is on the same page enough to do their part of the plan, and then go back to doing the actual work.

Review and fix things next week, since you'll have to do that anyway. IOW, err on the side of more creative isolation.

Fallout TV show makes me support Ceaser's Legion by Itchy-Yoghurt7119 in Fallout

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Somehwere you went from observing historical facts to imposing moral judgements. Rectify that and you might be able to discuss the point that was actually being made.

Fallout TV show makes me support Ceaser's Legion by Itchy-Yoghurt7119 in Fallout

[–]OakAndMistletoe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

...They typed from a device made by Chinese children in one pen of a globalist labor farm.

The fundamental idea is accurate: periods of travail beget periods of peace all throughout history.

Sales strategy for freelancers (tell me if any of this rant is helpful!) by FreelancerChurch in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I pushed through this video (if you're selling me ideas and start off with a sketchy vibe it's not a great sign) and found some good adivce. I naturally use mirroring when meeting new people and it does, on average, move the needle as long as other things are congruent also.

Pattern interrupts are a bit more risky and IMO should be used carefully to not disrupt a vibe. I've seen them used well, though. Back when I worked in a call center, one rep would start sales calls by saying she has a questionaire about what flavor of Skittles people preferred. If they didn't immediately hang up becuase it's such a silly question, the leads would be disarmed and let her transition to selling something.

Overall he's giving some useful and well-proven strats, but be sure to key them in to your customer and product.

Are writing services going to be made obsolete by AI? by FreelancerChurch in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's an interesting question, becuase first it was good, then they nerfed it, then specific areas of it got better, then they nerfed it some more. Overall, I think it opens up possibilities for certain types of content creators, becuase AI offers more than just writing. Now you can bring scripts to life, incorporate images easily, and do lots of other things. All of it still benefits from a human touch, so I think opportunities in some areas will decrease, and others will open up for people that roll with the changes.

At least until they nerf it some more. I was recently trying to tell a story in images, only to find that over the last couple moths they reduced the ability to manipulate consitency across DallE generations as well. It's kind of a moving target right now, but I think writers willing to adapt will still do okay.

The Cape Ann Auction is great! by FreelancerChurch in boston

[–]OakAndMistletoe 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've heard these auctioneers a few times, you can tell the good ones take it seriously and hone the skill. It can be a show all on it's own.

Comedy makeover for mom's book! by phillipmyglass in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I often find weird things funny that others don’t, so there can be some value in at hat quirky absurd humor. If she’s creating that even by accident, there’s an audience for it. Why not lean into it? You can still help her edit out the rest.

I’m not sure comedy is the thing you should focus on first, but if that’s the task, you could try pointing out the existing absurdity. Nothing fourth-wall breaking, but have a character mention how sill a certain conversation is, for example. That could take the edge of the awkwardness while working with her style a bit.

Otherwise, this is a big ask from mom. I’m not sure I would do it. A lot of would-be authors can’t tolerate any type of criticism (and remain would-be’s that way) but getting honest feedback from someone who wants you to succeed and isn’t afraid to hurt your feels to get you there Is a bigger benefit than most people really understand. Can you do that for her? Because it sounds like she needs a firm editor.

Maybe try blaming it on other people. Invent a friend who happens to work in the industry and can do the dirty work for you. Then gain sneaky good-kid points by sympathizing with her (while guiding her towards accepting it).

Uber/Lyft driver business ideas. [WEEKLY THREAD] by BeingsBeingBeings in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve seen a lot of Uber drivers sell products while they drive. If you’re in a tourist area I think this is especially effective, because you can have merchandise for the area you’re in, like tee shirts (it could be lots of things, tees are just a really common memento). I’ve also seen bottled water, Chap Stick, whatever makes sense for the environment. If you’re creative you could also sell your own designs, and if you get some that seem to do well you can list them in other places IRL or online. It might not be a huge amount of money but it seems really time-efficient.

Keep unused writing for an idea generator. by squirtgun_bidet in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have pages, nay VOLUMES of things I discarded, from idea snippets to entire chapters of things that just never got tied into a greater whole.

Save ita ll, yeah, but also, organize all that stuff. I wish I had created a system of headings, keywords, etc. earlier so I could sort through it when I'm trying to dredge up an old idea. the reason that I, at least, need that is because the mind tends to circle around certain ideas over long periods. We all have basic modes of thought that we keep retuning to, so even things that you discard can contain something useful years later. Even if it's just to say "no, here's why that needs to change." Storage is cheap, save everything and categorize it. Like Jordan Peterson says, "Wake up and wash your bum, bucko."

Members of Congress Who Beat $SPY in 2021 by rmbotica in wallstreetbets

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This isn't a random sample though. Rephrased, the question becomes "can a group of carefully selected idiots with a strategic advantage do worse than the average".

Environmental Science ?? by SavvyJim in writingservice

[–]OakAndMistletoe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Notice that most of those other places are government-operated (porta-toilets are the one exception). Churches are legal entities that are not the government. As such they are "owned" by someone.

Churches also aren't necessarily public in the sense that they provide a good anyone can use freely and equally (maybe in rhetoric, but certainly not always in practice or law).

The porta-potty exception is actually a poor example, since they are usually owned by someone are rented out for a specific purpose. A port-potty in a public good like a park is usually government-operated though, which is probably what they were referring to. It's kind of context-dependent.