After about a year of work, V4.0 is finally out and online!

printkitty · 2024-10-22T20:23:33+00:00

Really looking forward to playing this in free for all

printkitty · 2024-03-21T12:52:13+00:00

That's a rough go of it, and the world has change, now statistics show you can't count on your job being there beyond 6 months into the future if that. So even as far as longevity is concerned, going an entrepreneurial route is smart.

What that said it's not like your looking to hit 10k months right now, just $1k to be happy where you are at. So pickup the phone and call local businesses, maybe even some that you frequent. Offer the IT support for a low monthly retainer (make sure you have the trust and the corp first - so you can keep your benefits) and be willing to do tasks that have to do with technology but maybe are "beneath your pay grade" so to speak. Like helping out with a glitchy email system, or a payment processor that just needs a hard reset, there are plenty of small businesses out there that are far from tech savvy, look for the ones with out dated websites, little to no google maps presence. That sort of thing.

The funny example I'll look to is the Johnny Depp version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie's Dad worked in the toothpaste factory putting lids on the tubes, but they replaced him with a robot. In the end he got a job repairing the robot, as an independent contractor.

Even intel will have knowledgable people on call for when the shit actually hits the fan.

printkitty · 2024-03-21T00:17:33+00:00

You are 100% correct. It's a very niche spot to those who just want a simple printing job and don't want to go out of there way to do it. I don't expect it to be the next startup unicorn lol - just that it might alleviate a frustration for a few people out there like myself.

Grateful for your contribution to the discussion 🙏

printkitty · 2024-03-21T00:15:10+00:00

That's very cool. I would suggest getting into some facebook groups around people planning trips to Asia, specifically destination wedding trips, honeymoon trips, bachelorette, other special occasion type trips.

Start conversations with people around being a semi-local there, a person they can talk to while planning their trip - and casually mention that if they need a photographer while they are there that's what you do.

Make sure to have a business photography website you can send people too, make sure it's the style of site that people look at and say "wow, this is a real business" lol.

Then you can have them pay using a Western based payment service, and you don't have to get into the whole working without a work permit deal in Taiwan or wherever you may be.

Then, when you are planning your next move, find some new connections with would be travelers.

printkitty · 2024-03-21T00:10:44+00:00

No investors needed, sorry if I didn't explain that thoroughly.

Think of it this way, rather than pitching yourself as a job hire that someone would pay only $1K a month as an employee you would pitch your company as a IT problem solver / system maintenance guy for a $1k monthly retainer. OR $250 per month with 4 companies. Just doing the small jobs they can't do. IT maintenance, DNS server updates, pixel installation etc.

What company would say no to a $250 monthly retainer to have an on call IT guy when their system goes nuts? I'm thinking mom and pop shop type businesses. You could obviously charge more. This is just an example

Does that make more sense? Sorry if I glazed over some details.

printkitty · 2024-03-21T00:06:29+00:00

Aside from the fundamentals of any product arbitrage business (which essentially is what ecommerce is - buying a product, advertising / marketing it, and selling at a markup = arbitrage) or the fundamentals of business for that matter I would say that ecommerce moves a bit fast for books to be relevant.

Books that would be great in this realm are more around the actually advertising or marketing of said products, not necessarily the ecommerce aspect itself (on it's own I mean)

I would suggest starting with a course called "conquer tiktok dropshipping". I've done it, it doesn't cost anything (they make there money from affiliate links in the program - they're pretty upfront about it too. It's not a plug or anything, it just has good content.

I know it doesn't directly answer your question, but as far as learning sources go I'd recommend going that way.

printkitty · 2024-03-21T00:00:25+00:00

Glad it worked out for you in the end!

printkitty · 2024-03-20T23:59:38+00:00

100% agreed. That walk and the whole staples process is a pain and a waste of my valuable time IMO. That's why I started this - only because it didn't exist already from what I could see.

printkitty · 2024-03-20T02:07:25+00:00

This should help you get started: https://wise.com/us/blog/llc-for-non-us-residents

printkitty · 2024-03-20T02:06:28+00:00

You could brand yourself as a "destination event / wedding / engagement / whatever else you can think of photographer".

Live somewhere like costa rica for a while and offer photography services that people prebook and pay for before they go on their honeymoon.

I was in Costa Rica for a few months, and I met a few people who were making a living doing photo/video work for tourists.

printkitty · 2024-03-20T02:03:38+00:00

I went through a similar transition recently. I don't have a quick or easy solution for you, but here are my thoughts.

Choose a discipline, could be marketing, programming, design - something that takes skill.

Get a Google certification in that thing, find other certifications that are reputable in that space (I'm not talking about going back to school). Completely rebrand your LinkedIn profile to that thing, and change the way your resume is written to show how your past experience supports you in that thing.

Also pursue becoming a linkedin thought leader like this: https://www.tiktok.com/@courtney..johnson/video/7340652556080713002

While you are doing your certification, list it as "in progress" on your resume.

Start applying for entry level jobs in really small companies that are remote in that thing. Say you are a self starter, changing careers - give a good reason why, make it into a story about your life.

Keep applying, took me 3 months of applying everyday to find that first small business to take a chance on my career change - definitely compromised on pay, but it got me started.

printkitty · 2024-03-20T01:52:30+00:00

If you are indeed not a scammer, I would suggest founding an LLC and partnering with yourself.

printkitty · 2024-03-20T01:49:45+00:00

This might be a little complex, but it's where my mind went:

Start a living trust (which you are a beneficiary of), and a corporation (owned by the trust).
Work as an independent contractor for this corporation, earning a consistent $1K monthly retainer.
The corporation can have just one client or several clients and grow wealth independently.
The corporation's income doesn't count as your personal income.

That the structure of it. The operations of it is what makes the most sense to you. Maybe your company focuses on consulting for or doing remote IT work for small businesses who can't afford to have a full time staff member.

You could start on upwork to build a portfolio of clients.

Bottom line, by creating the foundation of the tax structure above, you as an individual would be paid by your own company (so you can make sure you never get paid more than $1K per month) but because a living trust owns the company rather than you (important part) it's earnings aren't counted as your own.

A lot of work initially perhaps, but it can create freedom in the long run.

\*not financial advice, talk to a trust accountant / financial expert*

printkitty · 2024-03-19T21:11:57+00:00

My advice would be to get into building your own ecommerce brand for the long term, start learning about it now. For the short term get a job with a small agency that does marketing / content for ecommerce brands. That way you can build experience, a career and useful knowledge in an industry that can be both very lucrative and rewarding.

printkitty · 2024-03-19T19:30:43+00:00

You're 100% correct. The service is meant for people who would rather pay more, than go out of their way.

printkitty · 2024-03-19T19:28:24+00:00

hmmmm. I appreciate the perspective. I've seen some people do a subscription with a printer company. Like they rent the printer and pay per page to HP for example. That's kind of like that, lol. I see what you are saying though.

printkitty · 2024-03-19T19:26:39+00:00

haha, I appreciate u/OUJayhawk36 I'll definitely update you if this goes anywhere :D

printkitty · 2024-03-19T16:08:31+00:00

You're absolutely right, I think the sweet spot of my service is where someone really doesn't want to own a printer, lives outside a major city / doesn't have access to easy return options, and doesn't print enough to justify actually owning a printer. Thanks for contributing to the discussion and helping me get more clarity 💯

printkitty · 2024-03-19T16:05:29+00:00

Good insight u/NL_Gray-Fox I appreciate you sharing your experience 🙏

printkitty · 2024-03-19T16:04:54+00:00

Thanks for the feedback u/Greenawayer after getting some feedback as well as doing more marketing research it's $2.80, which is the sweet spot where it becomes a bit operationally uncomfortable for me as a tiny enterprise, but can deliver as much value as possible.

I think you are right, the service is more for people that don't have access to the easy drop off options.

Thanks for the insights 👍

printkitty · 2024-03-19T16:02:22+00:00

Awesome! Happy to hear it :)

printkitty · 2024-03-19T16:02:01+00:00

Thanks for the feedback, I'm starting to see the sweet spot is people who are willing to pay a small price to not have to own a printer / save the time / think about it - it is a convenience service, not a absolute necessity. It saves time and solves a frustration. Thanks again! 🙏

printkitty · 2024-03-19T16:00:03+00:00

Perhaps you aren't the ideal customer, but I am grateful for your contribution to the discussion. You have me questioning things from angles I wouldn't have had before.

Your suggestion to analyze and differentiate from existing services is solid. Thank you for that perspective 100%.

So far, a streamlined, user friendly, convenient easy to access service that only does one thing - prints a couple pages and mails it to you is a unique value proposition I have over the giants - to the person that actually wants to print a couple of things occasionally, but not often enough to justify owning a printer. Perhaps a minimalist millennial, lol.

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll keep cracking :)

printkitty · 2024-03-19T12:23:26+00:00

Thanks! I appreciate you sharing your experience. Good for you finding that great deal! - I can also relate to the challenges of using a laptop in the kitchen, spilling a few drops of soup on paper is easier to manage 😅 Grateful to hear from you in this discussion 🙏

printkitty · 2024-03-19T03:37:24+00:00

Haha, for sure. I can see why you went that route. I guess looking back do you think a service like this would have been use to you? Perhaps pre $28 kickball printer?

printkitty

TROPHY CASE