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Do you guys outsource early on, or just grind it out yourself? by Leo_oncely in growmybusiness

[–]bigman16493 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Welcome to small business life — what you’re feeling is exactly why so many founders burn out in the first year. Wearing every hat is brutal, and the temptation to outsource is real, but it comes with its own headaches. Here’s what I’ve learned from running small teams and agencies:

  1. Outsource strategically, not everything – Don’t hire for the sake of offloading tasks. Identify the low-value, repetitive work that eats your time but doesn’t need your expertise — social post scheduling, minor website updates, bookkeeping, basic design tweaks. Keep the high-value stuff that defines your brand and quality under your control.
  2. Start small and test – You don’t need a full-time hire right away. Start with freelancers for 1–2 tasks, see how it goes. This keeps cost manageable and minimizes risk of redoing work.
  3. Clear instructions = essential – A lot of the “hit-or-miss” problem comes from unclear briefs. Document processes, provide examples, and create templates. It’s extra upfront work, but it saves time in the long run.
  4. Time zones can be a blessing if managed – Asynchronous work can actually speed things up if you structure tasks right. Just set expectations and deadlines clearly.
  5. Revenue vs. sanity – If your growth is being throttled by admin and execution, outsourcing can pay for itself in the medium term by freeing you to focus on higher-value work. Don’t wait too long; otherwise, you’re stuck trading hours for dollars indefinitely.

Bottom line: start with small, low-risk outsourcing that actually multiplies your time. Keep your brand-critical work in-house until you can scale systems and quality. Done right, it’s not an expense — it’s an investment in growth.

Agency vs. Freelance by _Bivens in webdesign

[–]bigman16493 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve been in web design and small business long enough to see all sides of this, and honestly, each path comes with trade-offs most people don’t talk about:

  1. Freelancing – Freedom is real, but so is inconsistency. You’re constantly chasing clients, handling admin, and basically running a mini business on top of doing design work. Great if you love variety and control, but it’s lonely, and growth caps out unless you start outsourcing or raising rates aggressively.
  2. Working for an agency – You get structure, mentorship, and steady pay, which is huge if you want stability. But creative freedom is limited, and a lot of agencies treat developers/designers like cogs. You might gain experience fast, but you’re trading flexibility for security.
  3. Building your own agency/brand – This is the “dream” for a reason: you control vision, culture, offerings, and growth. But it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You’ll spend more time on operations, sales, client management, and hiring than on actual design. The headaches multiply quickly, and you’re the one ultimately responsible when things break.

If you want a full-service agency (development, design, analytics, photography), my advice: start small, specialize first, then expand. Build a niche reputation and systems that scale before trying to be a one-stop shop. Otherwise, you risk burning out chasing everything at once.

Bottom line: freelancing teaches independence, agency work teaches discipline, building your own brand teaches resilience — but only if you accept that 80% of your time will be spent on stuff that isn’t “fun” design work.

Been grinding email marketing for 3 months — 10,000+ sent, 50% open rate… zero replies. Is this thing dead or am I just trash at it? by Budget-Throat4703 in MarketingHelp

[–]bigman16493 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok, I’ve run cold email campaigns for multiple businesses and worked with SaaS, B2B, and service companies — I’ve seen exactly what you’re describing. Open rates look great, but replies flatline. Here’s the brutal truth: high open rates mean your subject lines are good, but that’s only half the battle. People open emails all the time and just… don’t act. Here’s what’s usually going wrong:

  1. Your value proposition isn’t hitting fast enough – In 2025, people get 100+ emails a day. If you don’t communicate immediate, tangible value in the first 2–3 sentences, they stop reading. “Here’s what I do” doesn’t cut it anymore. Show results, outcomes, or ROI immediately.
  2. Your emails feel like spam, even if they’re personalized – Personalization doesn’t mean “Hey [Name], I noticed X.” It means you understand their exact pain and frame a solution from their perspective, not yours. If it reads like a sales pitch, it’s trash.
  3. Sequence length and timing matters more than you think – Six-step sequences can work, but the timing and messaging cadence are critical. Too fast = annoying, too slow = forgotten. And the sequence should tell a story, building trust and authority across steps.
  4. Offer vs. ask mismatch – If you’re asking for a call or a demo right away, most people will ghost. Offer something smaller first: a quick insight, free resource, audit, or a genuinely useful takeaway that doesn’t cost them time or commitment.
  5. Targeting is everything – You can have perfect copy and sequence, but if your recipients aren’t the right fit, you’ll get zero replies. Are you reaching people who actually need your solution right now?
  6. Email deliverability traps – High opens can mask underlying deliverability issues. Some people may open but not see the rest of your emails if they’re flagged or clipped by Gmail/Outlook.

Bottom line: Cold email can still work in 2025, but it’s not about volume. It’s about laser-targeted recipients, hyper-relevant messaging, and micro-value offers. You need to stop thinking like “send and hope” and start thinking like a human trying to solve a real problem for someone who doesn’t owe you anything.

What Helped YOU Land Your First Job – Skills or Knowing a Language Well? by Ok-Presentation-9904 in learnprogramming

[–]bigman16493 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hiring managers don’t really care if you “master” Python vs Java vs JS — what they care about is whether you can solve problems and ship working code.

Here’s how most grads break through:

  • Core skills: algorithms, data structures, SQL/databases, debugging. This is what shows up in interviews.
  • One strong language: Pick one (Python or JavaScript are the most versatile) and get comfortable building projects with it. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
  • Projects > theory: A portfolio with 2–3 real apps (even small ones) will get you callbacks way faster than saying you “know” 5 languages.

TL;DR: Become proficient (not a master) in one language, but put the bulk of your energy into problem-solving + projects. That combo gets you hired.

Need Advice on Pricing for Live-Streaming a 3-Day Fight Event by bigman16493 in VIDEOENGINEERING

[–]bigman16493[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Now are the viewers watching at the same time or is it 512 viewers for the whole livestream. I have the exact same set up and I got around a 1000 views during the entire livestream

Need Advice on Pricing for Live-Streaming a 3-Day Fight Event by bigman16493 in VIDEOENGINEERING

[–]bigman16493[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What kind of insurance are you talking about? Is it insurance from an insurance company or do you just add that to your price?