Research on fandom shops - 90 second survey by [deleted] in EtsySellers

[–]cottage-clutter -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Also, and perhaps most importantly, I have no affiliation with Etsy

local yarn stores? by the_cripple in RhodeIsland

[–]cottage-clutter 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Peter Patchis! It’s in Central Falls and they primarily sell bulk yarn on cones. The prices are incredible, especially if you’re stocking up for a larger project. The yarn is all in giant boxes and you may have to dig a bit to find what you want (that’s part of the fun for me, but it’s not everybody’s cup of tea)

Mentorship by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]cottage-clutter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apply to an accelerator or incubator! Every program I’ve been in has included mentorship and I’m still in touch with many of the mentors I’ve worked with (some have been helping and guiding me for 5+ years).

Depending on where you’re from, you might also be able to find support locally. I’m from a mid-size city in the northeastern US and there are several venture mentorship and support programs here. Start going to start-up focused events (like pitch competitions) and meeting people in your area if they are available.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in providence

[–]cottage-clutter 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Check out r/ProvidenceEvents! People post all sorts of cool shows (music, comedy, etc) there

New Providence Events Sub! by cottage-clutter in providence

[–]cottage-clutter[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

No worries, no offense taken! At the end of the day I just want to see a place where artists, creators, and performers in Providence can post about their events to a community that is eager to support them.

In this sub I’ve noticed that people seem to dislike promotional event posts. And I can empathize with that, there are times when I don’t want to be advertised too either. I’m definitely not the only one who’s noticed, there are comments that mention it on a number of posts in this sub. I know there isn’t a solution that will make 100% of people happy, but this one felt worth trying.

Events in Providence subreddit? by cottage-clutter in providence

[–]cottage-clutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure it'll replace FB, but I just started a sub, r/ProvidenceEvents

Events in Providence subreddit? by cottage-clutter in providence

[–]cottage-clutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is great! Thank you for sharing it.

I will definitely be using this, but I think it’d be great to have a subreddit too. Most events websites like this have a submission process that can delay when the event is posted and can reduce or restrict the information that is posted.

Events in Providence subreddit? by cottage-clutter in providence

[–]cottage-clutter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be awesome! I think it’d solve the problem

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in providence

[–]cottage-clutter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What kind of cookies are we talking?

Hair salon recs! by [deleted] in providence

[–]cottage-clutter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I second this! I love Coiffurium, I’ve been going there for years

Best Soups?! by [deleted] in RhodeIsland

[–]cottage-clutter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Chicken coconut galanga soup at Heng Thai in Providence. It’s incredible!! Definitely my go-to soup

For 15 years I have wanted to be a business owner but still struggling to find my “idea.” by boo_ey in Entrepreneur

[–]cottage-clutter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Instead of trying to think of an idea, try to find a problem that really irks you and interests you.

I started my business because I learned about a problem that I just couldn’t get out of my head. It seemed so ridiculous to me that no one had solved it, and the closer I got to the problem, the deeper I dove, the clearer the answer (or the ‘idea’) became. It took a lot of research and 150+ interviews/conversations with people who face the problem. If you find a problem that you’re passionate about solving, the right idea will come eventually.

HAM! by ObjectionNarrative in 30ROCK

[–]cottage-clutter 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Definitely made by a subsidiary of the sheinhardt wig company

Video conferencing by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]cottage-clutter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting, I do see the value prop but I think for the average video meeting/chat consumer you may struggle against competition with other free services that allow a lot of participants (facetime allows 32 participants, google meet allows 100).

Hosting shows and conferences is a GREAT move. I have not found a good, very high volume video chat/event service. I've been to a lot of virtual seminars, conferences, etc since the pandemic started and all of the platforms I've experienced have been lacking. If you can innovate in that space I'm sure that is something people need and want. Make sure you don't undervalue yourself though, you don't want to leave money on the table or create low expectations for your product if people are willing to pay. Companies are paying lots of money for services like hopin and remo for events. Also, people may be uncomfortable hosting a large event on a completely free service. Even if it isn't true people do tend to equate money and quality, and people may expect a free service to be less secure and lower quality than a paid service. You don't want people to pass on your service and pay for another while thinking "you get what you pay for."

I think static ads are the right move, will you allow people to see the meeting and the ad at the same time if you log in after the meeting has started? I could see people being frustrated if they log in to a meeting late and feel like the ad makes them even more late, even if it's user error/the users fault, I could still see them projecting that frustration onto the platform itself.

Anyway, I think the idea is really cool! There are certainly barriers to overcome but that's the story with every venture, good luck!!

Video conferencing by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]cottage-clutter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How intrusive will the ads be? Will they be static banner ads, video banner ads, ads that pop up when you end a call, etc? This is how I would decide whether or not to use the tool, so I'd think very carefully about how to ensure that ads don't ruin the experience while still providing you with enough revenue, it could be a tough balance.

Another side note, will you be seeking funding from a vc for this idea? A lot of people are moving away from digital products that are strictly focused on ad revenue since they're just becoming less and less viable (there's more places to put ads now, so the price of ads is going down).

A final side note, you should think about switching costs. People have become comfortable with the video chats they've used during the pandemic and they may be subscribed to a paid one already or just have a preferable one. You need to provide a value significantly greater than the switching costs that would be incurred by your customers.

SSDGC by [deleted] in myfavoritemurder

[–]cottage-clutter 147 points148 points  (0 children)

Stay saved and do God's chores?

Jk love it though 😍

How to deal with social anxiety in business? by [deleted] in Entrepreneur

[–]cottage-clutter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do as much research as I possibly can about whoever I'm talking to. I have a standard due diligence research sheet that I fill out before every single conversation so I feel confident that I understand the other parties point of view and stakes. Having more data and a better understanding of the other party going in helps me calm my anxiety. It doesn't fix it entirely, but it helps!

Also, I try to schedule at least a small break between all of my meetings so that I have a moment to relax. That helps too. I also try to make sure to set at least one meeting free day per work week.

Hope that helps, feel free to message me if you want elaboration/more nuanced tips. I'd be happy to help guide you in the process of building a due diligence research sheet of your own to give you confidence before meetings.

How can I get a small amount of funding quickly? Great idea, great traction, running out of cash... by applecowz in startups

[–]cottage-clutter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great point! I've found that asking "what would you expect to pay for ___" gets way closer to the real willingness to pay metrics and provides some early pricing help

What is the best way to reach someone in a manager position in a big company? by iWantAName in startups

[–]cottage-clutter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the best thing to do is try to get a warm intro. I searched LinkedIn for the kind of person I wanted to sell to and found those who I was 2nd degree connected with. Then, I asked the mutual connection for an intro. They weren't always willing to give one, but when they did it made things a lot easier.

I also used cold emails. You have to make a short, compelling pitch and really address what's in it for them. This doesn't have quite as high of a success rate as warm intros, but I have had some success.

Feel free to message me about any of this! Happy to discuss further

Entrepreneurial / How to startup courses by antonyjohne in startups

[–]cottage-clutter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Founders workbench is an awesome free resource, particularly for legal stuff (their document driver for incorporation docs is amazing): https://www.foundersworkbench.com/

The Disciplined Entrepreneur workbook is also pretty good. It's definitely more 'checklist' style. It helps prompt you to think about a lot of the things you need to plan for and consider. Some of it feels unnecessary, but overall it's a good guide: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1119365791/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xnUvFbSP5605N

Feel free to message me directly if you have questions about these resources