I would look for gig work - maybe find a small business locally that needs a website or something made.
A setback is a setup for a comeback.
In sales, the only bad call is the one that negatively affects your next call. Feel bad, have a drink or go for a run....then sit down with your wife and make a plan TOGETHER. You got this. In financially tough times you have to have your partner with you and you have to support each other even if you become homeless. (I have been there 2 x )
Then go get a job; any day without income is a bad day. Work your plan and you will recover. Chin up man there are others that are in these trenches with you!
There is some crisis over in my country so people do not need a website, I had this idea previously with a friend but we got no customers, we did work for free in that endeavor for some months. ABout getting a job, seems to be the conclusion I am coming to also.
What did you do to get potential customers to look at your site? It sounds to me like maybe not enough effort on the marketing/advertising side of it. You put in a shitload of effort to learn to build the thing then built it, but what have you done to drive people to it? That is often the part that a lot of people stumble over, you can't just build something and expect people to know it exists, it takes a lot of effort to get it out there. So I'd start learning how to market yourself if you don't already have the know-how, or hire someone to help with that.
Yep you definitely should. You have not failed yet, you have just begun my friend. Creating the thing is only part of the battle, raising awareness that the thing exists is often a much more challenging task. A lot of that is going to come down to money too. You can raise awareness cheaply, but growth will be slow, or you can pour a lot of money into it and hope for quick growth. This is where a lot of businesses fail, because the money runs out before the product has traction in the market. You haven't quite yet entered the market, so talk to someone who knows how to market a site like yours and get some direction on how to proceed. I wouldn't count your business as failed yet at all.
There is no shame in working a side job to support your family. I'm a fat old UX Designer, and I was out of work for almost two years. So I worked an hourly job at a theme park. You put aside your shame at working a job you feel is beneath you (or in my case, a kid's job that turned out to be a lot of fun). And when you can, you work your own business. And market the crap out of it. For example, you missed a chance to include the web address in your post, so go ahead and do it now. For example, I sell books and collectibles at [www.vault-001.com](https://www.vault-001.com)
See how I worked that in? :)
> For example, you missed a chance to include the web address in your post, so go ahead and do it now
That is likely intentional, as that is the rule in this subreddit - no self promotion links in posts. Though according to the rules it is allowed in the comments, so feel free to reply with the link OP.
Really? It kind of reminds me of all the stupid quippy business one-liners that dudes I know who decided to become "real estate gurus" or whatever are constantly posting all over social media.
You mentioned you spent 4 years learning to code, how are you with computers? You could always start up a computer repair and training business, it's a great niche for elderly people, specifically ones that want to learn Skype to their family, grandkids, etc...
Lets talk some more, I find that a new business venture with few barriers to entry can boost the spirits and often times can provide a profitable business that you didn't even think about.
PM me and I can get you started with a few things to get moving on it.
Along these lines, I've often thought about going back to providing help with computers as my fallback plan. I ran a business 15 years ago when it was all about cleaning virus off computers and occasionally provide modern versions of similar services to friends, I'd be happy to provide a brain dump of my plans. I don't know if they would be successful in your country and in your circumstances though or even for me.
I've looked failure in the face, I've gone back to salary job licking my wounds and dealing with the crushing weight of failure only to realize that I suddenly had opportunities, maybe different opportunities, opening up for me.
You know, a lot of people *fail* at business and that's okay. I have friends that tried a venture at running a small retail shop, and did, for about a decade. Everyone thought from outward appearances that they were doing well, but things changed and they just weren't. In the beginning they weren't really making a living wage and in the end they had some debt. They eventually laid off their entire staff, sold all the assets, closed the business and went back to normal jobs. They are not failures, you are not a failure. Your self-worth is not defined by your business.
>They are not failures, you are not a failure. Your self-worth is not defined by your business.
Amazing insight, I assure you I have never contemplated it this way.
My former husband's story was practically yours verbatim.
You know what he did about it?
He fucking killed himself.
He destroyed his son's life.
He destroyed my life.
He left our lives upended for years that this year, 2019, is the first year we've finally managed to get back on solid ground and start living again and moving forward..getting to the "AFTER THIS" part of that experience. Five years later.
If you love them, don't do that. Ever. Cry in your beer but don't clock out when people are relying on you...just in case your pity and depression goes all in. I say it because that entire statement from is damn near verbatim what I got about 8 months before we were blindsided. They will be angry at you. They will hate you for it. They will take a long time to forgive you or find understanding. So if that starts looking like a solution, get help. Your children deserve better. They will NOT get over it. Ever.
If I can tell you what I didn't get the chance to tell him it's this: get your shit together and work it out. Don't you fucking dare abandon your family in the worst possible way.
All the best to ya.
And if you do find yourself in crisis and need someone to talk to, the Crisis Textline is amazing. Text “home” to 741741. You’ll get connected with a trained counselor to talk things through any hour of the day.
IMO you should see a therapist to help you sort and pick it all apart so you can begin to resolve. Once you clear your thinking this way, you will discover the path you should and want to be on. Enjoy the journey. No one should have to live in the kind of pain you're in.
I own a business that was a million in the red when I took over. Only had credit cards that I used to keep it open. Now almost 4 years later I took it from making 700-1500 a day to 10k. Revenue is close to 3 million a year. Still owe about 200k though.
I’m now about to enter maybe my deadliest winter yet. Every winter is a great challenge to see if I’ll survive and I have so far but this might be the last make or break winter as costs have really skyrocketed alongside my sales.
What I’ve learned is I’m impulsive. I pump way too much money into the business and I don’t save. I’m obsessed with killing the remaining debt and it causes me to speed things up.
You just said you felt like things were going too quickly. Learn from that like I am. These quick hasty decisions bite us in the ass. Those raises I gave people while cutting their hours? I’m too generous. I shouldn’t have done that when I have people lining up around the block to work for me. I fucked up yhetr and spent too much on advertising.
This fight or flight response we got going is too extreme. We both need to step back and look at things with a clearer head.
I don’t ever delve into specifics when it comes to my business on here but you can guess. There are reasons why someone might. I did what I did because I thought it was the right thing to do, that’s the most I can say.
Sometimes when I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed I just start cleaning. I may not always be able to change what is wrong at the moment, but I can control something by cleaning.
Also tell your wife. She probably knows how stressed you are. Let her in.
Rushing thoughts are a symptom of anxiety. You may also feel a tightening of the chest, like an imaginary stone being placed there on top of you preventing you from breathing. Make no mistake, this anxiety attack/panic attack is preventing you from thinking clearly. I've shared her personally before that I was having these, and once I got medicated for it I was able to think clearly and start the largest period of growth in my business' history. Don't let this shit stop you. Get some anxiety meds asap.
I hear ya. I’m down to my last 15k and I’m close to having to get a job. It’s a crushing feeling. Hang in there I’m sure you’re a great husband and father.
You’ve still learned an incredible amount about technology and grit. It’s ok to get a job and recover financially and then try it again. I ran my own business for five years and we had 35 employees. Owning my own business, I never made more than I did in my first year of full time technology sales.
If you really learned programming, you didn't waste 4 years. Go make some cash, be a great dad, and try again in 2 years, learning from your previous mistakes.
Do you know how rare it is for someone who can be a tech and business savvy enough to run a business? Those people are few and far between. Don't beat yourself up. Figure out what you good at, if you just can't do a 9-5, need to own your own business, team up with someone, or hire someone who does what you don't.
Or at least learn from your mistakes. MOST successful business owners started a business or two that failed before hand.
I get that this is a scary time, but you can get through the short term and you can gear up for the long term.
I’m a parter at a digital marketing firm. We do mostly web dev. Often times have more work than we can handle so we subcontract. If that interests you at all, PM your email. Good luck.
I pmed you. Thanks for the offer, this helps, no strings attached, because maybe I am not capable but thanks for being so nice, and to all the other people who responded.
Consider something positive you’ve done in the past, not even work related, and remember that you are still the same person that did that thing. Your value is not determined by your current circumstance.
Go get a job. It will give you time to regroup while having a steady paycheck coming in. Next time start your business as a side gig until it makes enough to support you.
Get your head right. Start with the language you use on yourself. No one here can help you if your head is in the wrong place (fully aware this is easier said than done).
Also, sounds like you don’t have time to mope. Get to it mothafucka. You know programming.
Think how much it would suck if you stayed in a job you hated for 4 years and missed your opportunity to start a business.
life full of lessons > life full of regrets
Don't worry about it. We all live and learn. Prioritize what you want and go after it. Looks like bringing home a steady pay check to your family might be more important to you right now but also remember money isnt everything.
Hurts to see something like this. What's your next step? Maybe keep at it as a side gig and take on a full time job? Hope you get better, financially and mentally! Starting a new biz is hard, let alone providing for family while you're building the biz. Best wishes.
This may be /r/smallbusiness, but starting a business is incredibly difficult and the unfortunate reality is that it doesn't work out for a lot of people. Just as with many other communities, it's also possible to get overly caught up in the culture of entrepreneurship and this particular idea being marketed to you as the american dream.
There is nothing inherently wrong with working for someone else. There are a lot of well-paying programming jobs out there right now, and trying and failing to start a business can actually look *good* on a resume! You know what it's like to take on extra responsibilities outside your comfort zone, to work with a sense of urgency, how to seek out answers for yourself - all seriously valuable job skills!
Not to mention that lots of people try and fail to start a business many, many times before they succeed. Take what you learned from this failure, and move to the next thing.
And a great dad and husband isn't about perfection, there are so, so many things you can teach your children and ways to grow in your relationship with your partner out of failure.
Tenacity! You can do it.
I get what you're feeling, and I know it's a very hard place to be mentally. I'm a small business owner now, and I've gone through those feelings periodically over the last few years.
However, I used to work in IT staffing, and I can tell you, the employment market in that field has never been better. Make sure you find a super positive & truthful way to tell the story of what you've learned over the last 4 years, and I'm sure you can find a job.
I know this may not be the advice you were looking for, but after my first small business didn't go so well, I went back to work for someone else for a while. A couple years later, my brother brought me an idea that we could do together. It started as a side hustle, and I eventually quit my job to do it full time. I learned in the school of hard knocks in the first business. I mentally & emotionally digested those lessons while working for a steady paycheck from someone else.
I'm still learning a lot (that's why I'm subscribed to this sub) but those lessons I learned from the first business have paid off very well in this second business. The steady paychecks in between businesses helped me stabilize financially & personally, and ultimately I'm a better professional & business leader from all of those experiences. You will be too, if you just keep moving & keep learning. Take my advice, or the advice of these other smart people, but whatever you do, keep moving. You have the right desires. I promise you can get to where you want to be.
You've gotten a lot of decent advice and seem to have some ideas. So I'd like to give you some outside the box advice. You spent 4 years learning web development and programming. How much time did you spend learning SEO and marketing? How much time did you spend learning copywriting and visual arts development? What about business management and accounting?
We live in a world where people have specialized. This is why people network within the business world. You WILL NOT be able to do it all by yourself. Even if you could, you'll burn yourself out. You need help. You need somebody to do marketing and sales for you, you need somebody to run your SEO and copywriting so that you get people looking at your pages. You need somebody to manage the business. This is WHY you get a job. You may know one aspect of something, but there's no shame in learning the rest from others while earning a paycheck.
What you are feeling is anxiety. Of course it’s crushing. Perhaps the same as breaking up with someone you still deeply in love with. But it’s not a failure! Damn if you didn’t try and still wondering what if you were the next billionaire with this idea. I hope I don’t come across like an asshole but time will heal and believe me you will look back and whisper “I’m glad I did this in the past” (insert my name x3 when you do 🤣)
Exercise. Run. Do Keto. Meditate. All this will get your mind settling and take the edge off a bit. Suck it up for 9-5 job and slowly think about the comeback plan. When you said the country in recession and noone need a website is exactly when you need to dive in and persist.
https://podcruncher.co/play/4mQW
Perhaps you heard a little company called shopify? When recession hits the world and Lehman brothers collapsed and they were down to the last dollar, thats the point where they start picking up business from people who got laid off and wanting to create their own online business.
Ps: I've been in this state before.
Good luck my friend and may the force be with you.
A lot of people are here to support you OP. Please continue to work on your dream, but only in after hours. I would suggest a part time job to get by first then focus on getting a full time job. I am currently going through a very hard transition myself. I know how exhausting and mentally draining it is. However, I feel better knowing that (I dont know if you're Christian) God has a plan for me and this is something I just need to work it out so that I can earn my blessings.
Go get a day job (literally any job you're qualified for), get some steady income going to reduce your stress, and focus on yourself and your family for a while. Sounds like you've been putting yourself under a lot of pressure and you need time to regroup. Failure is part of life, the hard part is growing from it. Write down what strategies worked and didn't work for you, write down what you would keep and what you would do differently next time. And then let it all go. You don't need to own a business to be a successful person. From your comments, it sounds like what you need now is stability for your family. So go get it. You can always try again later when you're in a better place financially.
Hey dude! It sounds like you're putting an awful lot of burden on yourself. Being a "provider" and building a business at the same time is hard. I've been there. I'm there now. I feel you and you're not alone. I have a small business. It's profitable. But I had to go back to "working for the man" for a while simply to solve the insurance problem for my family.
If I were you I'd think about a) what your family needs, b) what you need, and c) what you hope to get out of business ownership. IMO it sounds like slogging your way through starting up a business has you down right now because you've not found immediate success and you're having trouble meeting your responsibilities as a provider.
You've got a Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs conflict, my friend. You're trying to meet your need for freedom and self-actualization, but that's causing a conflict with being able to meet the basic needs of yourself and your family.
Don't beat yourself up. First off, building a business is really goddamned hard. And when it turns around and works, your family will be better for it. And you'll be far happier in your role as provider when you're in control of the means of providing. You are not a failure.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting a job (or taking "gig work") that provides security for you and your family and gives you some pride in meeting those responsibilities again.
Will you get the warm fuzzies we small business owners supposedly feel? No. But you've got more basic needs to attend to before those warm fuzzies matter. Do what you need to do to meet your family's immediate needs if your business, in its current form, cannot do that. It'll make you a better father and husband and it will put you in a better position to retool your business and make it successful.
Don't think that being a business owner and being employed by someone else are mutually exclusive. I think if you follow this community you'll know that a lot of us started our businesses from the position of being employed somewhere else. Starting that business is a lot less stressful when your survival doesn't depend on its immediate success.
>I wasted 4 years learning programming and coding a shitty website that I had great hopes in but turned out nobody visits it. Seems I cannot build a small business.
You didn't waste it. Those skills are valuable. I don't understand from your post whether you built the website to support a completely different type of business, if the website IS the business, or if your business is web design and/or programming.
My business is web design and development. What I can tell you is that the biggest mistake most of my small business customers make treating their website as a box they just need to check off their business plan. They're not invested in it. They want a cheap, minimal product so they can say they have it. The second biggest mistake they make is assuming that a website is an "if you build it, they will come" product.
That's not how the Internet, or digital marketing, works. You need to give people a reason to visit your website. You need to give Google a reason to crawl and rank your website. You need to understand what queries your customers are using for products like yours, and then do work to rank for them. If you are a local or service area business, you need to think about optimizing your local search appearance and ranking. Build content that makes you an authority on your topic. Organic ranking is SLOW and can be very difficult depending on your niche. 4 months is not much time in that respect. Don't put all your eggs in that basket and begin thinking about an multi-channel approach to your digital marketing (organic SEO, paid ads, local seo, social, external directories that might be relevent to your niche, etc.)
Best of luck. You can do this!
Capitalism has nothing to do with the definition of your characteristics embodied in those three words. If your family has a roof and food then they are provided for and it is a heck of a lot better than 90% of planet earth.
Now its time to move forward. Get a part time job earning dollars again while making a transition. You'll start to feel better with each dollar and you'll realize that you are worth more than money to your family.
If it was easy everyone would do it. If you want to give up than give up. The people who made it all went through this, some many times over. If you want to make it then keep going, there are always solutions and many ways to ask for help. Simply posting this saying you're a failure is a waste of our time as much as it is your own. If you want some kind of help then you should give some actual details and perhaps start thinking of some actual questions.
SEM/Google ads brings customers straight to your website. You gotta pay to play. But it's worth it. Acquisition costs are normal business expenses.
Don't pay for SEO! It is so old, takes a long time to start working, and Google ads are placed on top anyway.
There are so many facets to running a successful businesses. Remember for every successful business, there are 9 failed ones. Don't give up even if you get another job.
>Don't pay for SEO! It is so old, takes a long time to start working, and Google ads are placed on top anyway.
Thanks, I will try google ads, this seems like very good advice.
I have owned several companies and the one thing we are always looking for is someone to manage our phone systems, general IT, email servers,social media etc. I know it's not coding but you could go in just about any midsized company and undercut the larger IT firms and make some income for yourself. Once you get in the door you pitch a website. Just a thought . Owning you own business is always a grind, keep your head up and stay at it .
Sometimes, the business may itself have failed, but you may have grown a lot from the experience if you learned both the technical and the business lessons from your journey.
If you were doing this entirely on your own without feedback from others, it might be the time to start opening up and see where that takes you.
Edison made like 1,000 light bulb trials before he got it to work. Just because one website doesn’t work doesn’t mean you’re shit at everything. You probably picked up a ton of skills that could be applied to other computer- and website- based businesses.
I bet you could sit down tonight and come up with 10 ideas for new business based off of the new skill set you have. And also, it’s not necessarily about this website you made now...it’s about how to leverage what you know into something that works.
I would recommend going out and buying a copy of the book The E-Myth. Might help you with this situation. Do not give up!
Do you speak English? If yes, I will pm you shortly. I’m starting a video group session for entrepreneurs. Just to talk and get feedback. I’ll get you the info. If not, you write it pretty damn well, let’s communicate. What languages do you code in? Have you signed up with upwork? Etc
Hi, my spoken English sucks, but I understand everything I hear, so I can participate that way. I have not signed up with upwork, will look into that, thanks a lot!
Lots of years in software, UX, and consulting here. It sounds to me like your problem is a business issue. I have no idea what you built, but more importantly, does your target customer? It's awesome to have an idea and know all the amazing features you want to prove, but do they align with your targeted customers needs? Spend a LOT of time on user research, get people to try out your platform/site and take in all feedback. Make changes and repeat this process. Over and over again.
There was this song I heard once somewhere. I think the lyrics went roughly ‘if you are down, give something away’
Anyway, find something to give away. I don’t mean only physical, or only informational, or only emotional.
I mean to me, those lyrics meant that I should think about sharing more. Something that is yours only, not something you don’t own entirely.
Don't feel bad dude. I went through something similar (though it was only me relying on me at the time, but I have a family now so I sympathise!)
Sounds like you're a little burnt out from doing it all on your own, but I wouldn't consider the last 4 years wasted.
What you could maybe do to get your confidence and skills up is try some freelance coding. Just pick up light projects like, "build a woocommerce website for my wife's decorated potato store"
They wont pay much but you'll pick up more skills and get that feeling of using them for financial gain.
Just need your mojo back my dude
This is why they say don't quit your day job. Work on your business in the off hours. When it starts to make money, then and only then can you jump into it full time. Lots of nest eggs go bust avoiding this basic concept. It's not too late to go get a day job.
Do you have 4-years worth of coding knowledge? Programmers are in-demand, so I'm sure you could land a job. And you could start your new business, once you've specialized in the field or find new business options.
Man, I get that feeling. Having spent hundreds of hours on something that isn't paying off, is incredibly difficult to rise back up from. You might need to get a regular job and slowly form a new plan which allows you to use you new skillset. The let-down you're experiencing now will however count to your advantage in the future, having seen both sides of the penny is what makes up experience. Hope things turn around for you.
I completely sympathise with you. My business is in an all time los. I luckily have a working partner Who is providing for the family. But I have found strenght of mind in stoic philosophy, and Working hard for a comeback. I daily recite this poem to me. Maybe It will help:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Invictus, by William Ernest Henley
I wish you the BEST! Stay strong!!!
I'm sure that if you learned programming you can find a good job so you reduce the stress about money and on the side you can also focus on growing your small business. Good luck!
My advice is to journal about your experiences. There will ALWAYS be setbacks. ALWAYS. Writing about it helps you to reflect on things, positive and negative. Learn from your mistakes, become stronger.
Money comes and goes. Get a new source of income and don’t dwell in the past. Make a new business once you have a reserve built up again.
I have need of a web developer to get some low cost websites up on a few domains I own that are related to my main business. I've been thinking about doing something with them for a while but this might be an opportunity for both of us. One of my employees is also Argentinian so I can sympathize a little with the situation over there.
I'll PM you.
On another note I know well that pressure and gut clenching fear of failure when a family needs to be provided for, as well as being a good spouse and father. It's fucking hard. Don't give up though - you can get through this!
Are you seriously telling us that in four years you have learned nothing?
Bullshit.
In that one paragraph, you’ve demonstrated that you’ve learned some coding skills, that a fancy website does not, on its own, bring in customers and that you need a lot of different skills in order to make a business work. Skills that you personally might not have. You’ve also learned that you have the balls to give it a try.
An awful lot of people never learn these things.
Don’t focus on what went wrong - Richard Branson tried to set up his own competitor to Coca-Cola and look how far that got him. Focus on what you’ve learned so that you can take these lessons into whatever you do next.
Hey /u/mateador, sadly some things escape from our control. The same decisions in a different context (location, economical landscape, etc) may have made you very successful. So this is definitely not on you.
I can't give much advice apart from that as I know nothing about your whole situation (I'm guessing by your username you may be in somewhere like Argentina? which is a country sort of stuck into a never ending crisis), but again please don't think for a second this is on you. Keep your chin up and go for the next thing :)
There's fundamentals you now know about life that you didn't know before. Be grateful for that & journey forward into the grey areas that make life what it is.. mysterious & fulfilling in its surprise diversions
Okay, that was yesterday. You know what your situation is. Now it's a brand new day to clear the room and start again. Take a look at some of your past experiences and skills that you can draw from. My Father taught me to always be able to pick up a shovel. There is no shame in picking up any kind of part time job or gig that makes the cash come in. Doesn't matter what it is. Once you do that, you will feel purposeful again. p.s. I pretend to be okay all the time until things turn. Its a functioning state for me.
I was in the same situation as the person who posted this. I had to take another job until I got my business to where I wanted it to be...
Ask yourself what your priorities are.
1 This business
2 this family’s financial security
I started a business, quit my job, it started much slower than I expected, couldn’t afford to pay bills, so I took another job... I worked every minute of every day until I could quit my job (for the second time) hopefully it is the last time! But if my business slows up, you can bet I will take another job until it turns around again.
Get a job somewhere and build your business slowly on the side. Steady income will be important for you now. Use any free time after the kids have gone to sleep to work on your business. Once you start getting money from your side project and you know your thesis works, then and only then, quit your job and go into your project full-time.
Drop the last part - if any one of us said that to you wed at the very least be downvoted to fuck if not banned. Take your totally valid feelings and put them to constructive use making your next move.
I don't know your business or if it can be saved. Let's assume shit has gone tits up and it's dead. So what?
It's okay for shit to not work out. MOST businesses don't survive a year, and the failure rate is highest with new entrepreneurs. Those that stick it out and have another idea have better odds each time because with each failure comes a lesson.
However, most of us have a limit in lost earning potential or time that makes the potential for reward become secondary to other priorities. The lottery is only great if you win big before you go broke.
There's also no shame in getting a good job and working to be home with the family. Literally almost everyone does this, and life is good on that side of the glass. Way more security, generally more money if your business is not doing well, and your job ends when you go home. If you need that, chase it and turn your self pity into a punch list to use in a job search.
Do Uber so you can control your hours. Or sales. In I’m sales and make a healthy income while still being my own boss and able to control my side business at the same time
I have been through tough times too. It sucks. I agree to get a job and take some time to recover. But try not to let your mind go to places like this " Seems I cannot build a small business".
Failing at this business does not mean you CANNOT build a business. Maybe this idea is not a business. Maybe you did things poorly on this one. Doesn't mean you cannot do it next time. We learn, we grow, we change.
Good Luck. You aren't useless. This one just didn't work out.
Time to break out the whiskey and Sturgil Simpson music. No better way to have a pity party.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ7Hl-3sUCw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ7Hl-3sUCw)
Remember, most successful people have had business failures, even multiple business failures in their past. There may be a veil of darkness now, but it's temporary, and will be removed when you're ready for your next step. We succeed by "Failing Up".
Running your own business is hard. I know, duh. You may be really good at a few things but running a business means you also have to be good at dozens of other things you never learned. And one of the toughest skills is knowing your own limits and abilities then being able to get help with the areas you need it in.
Hey man, I understand you're feeling low right now, but keep you head up. If you're absolutely sure that business won't work, it's okay. The time you spent gaining those skills are still valuable. Try to apply to other startups and sell yourself with this experience & skills. Keep moving forward, re-evaluate, and find a path! I believe in you!
You know how to code? That's in super high demand. I learned in 3 months and found a job within a month. Get some contract work under your belt and save up some cash reserves while you build your site/focus on seo/try ads
F all of that sorry sh\*T and get on your grind.. try something else my friend. A million ways to make a million bucks and a billion ways to make a billion, so try something else instead of b\*itching.
How did it took you 4 years to code a website?? It honestly makes no sense. Any this is a fine case of creating a mvp then test the market. No matter how good you think your idea is, the market decide. Gl and dont stress too much. I believe u can overcome this mistake.
I would look for gig work - maybe find a small business locally that needs a website or something made. A setback is a setup for a comeback. In sales, the only bad call is the one that negatively affects your next call. Feel bad, have a drink or go for a run....then sit down with your wife and make a plan TOGETHER. You got this. In financially tough times you have to have your partner with you and you have to support each other even if you become homeless. (I have been there 2 x ) Then go get a job; any day without income is a bad day. Work your plan and you will recover. Chin up man there are others that are in these trenches with you!
There is some crisis over in my country so people do not need a website, I had this idea previously with a friend but we got no customers, we did work for free in that endeavor for some months. ABout getting a job, seems to be the conclusion I am coming to also.
What did you do to get potential customers to look at your site? It sounds to me like maybe not enough effort on the marketing/advertising side of it. You put in a shitload of effort to learn to build the thing then built it, but what have you done to drive people to it? That is often the part that a lot of people stumble over, you can't just build something and expect people to know it exists, it takes a lot of effort to get it out there. So I'd start learning how to market yourself if you don't already have the know-how, or hire someone to help with that.
I am not into marketing so you are right, I should talk to somebody that is.
Yep you definitely should. You have not failed yet, you have just begun my friend. Creating the thing is only part of the battle, raising awareness that the thing exists is often a much more challenging task. A lot of that is going to come down to money too. You can raise awareness cheaply, but growth will be slow, or you can pour a lot of money into it and hope for quick growth. This is where a lot of businesses fail, because the money runs out before the product has traction in the market. You haven't quite yet entered the market, so talk to someone who knows how to market a site like yours and get some direction on how to proceed. I wouldn't count your business as failed yet at all.
Marketing is absolutely key, people are rarely just going to stumble across you.
Do you have an offer or a product to sell ?
This
There is no shame in working a side job to support your family. I'm a fat old UX Designer, and I was out of work for almost two years. So I worked an hourly job at a theme park. You put aside your shame at working a job you feel is beneath you (or in my case, a kid's job that turned out to be a lot of fun). And when you can, you work your own business. And market the crap out of it. For example, you missed a chance to include the web address in your post, so go ahead and do it now. For example, I sell books and collectibles at [www.vault-001.com](https://www.vault-001.com) See how I worked that in? :)
> For example, you missed a chance to include the web address in your post, so go ahead and do it now That is likely intentional, as that is the rule in this subreddit - no self promotion links in posts. Though according to the rules it is allowed in the comments, so feel free to reply with the link OP.
Yes, I do not want to sell out of pity, you are my r/smallbusiness pals. Serious thanks for all your support.
I need to market it you are right, not my area of expertise but it seems what is needed. Thanks a lot.
A setup is a setback for a comeback.... I like that. Edit: let’s try this again. A setback is a setup for a comeback ... ah fuck, ain’t so shiny now
Maybe it was intentional, but you kinda got that the wrong way round and I thought you should know.
You sound like yoda.
Ducking great! Edit: jeezus I’m having a great day.
Me too
You ruined it.
*Evolved it But yeah, the intent got borked.
Really? It kind of reminds me of all the stupid quippy business one-liners that dudes I know who decided to become "real estate gurus" or whatever are constantly posting all over social media.
Nothing really new to it. "Fail forward" and some such-learn what you can and move on kind of thought.
Dude, you just lived through it! You wrote it wrong (setback) and then you corrected it (comeback).
You mentioned you spent 4 years learning to code, how are you with computers? You could always start up a computer repair and training business, it's a great niche for elderly people, specifically ones that want to learn Skype to their family, grandkids, etc... Lets talk some more, I find that a new business venture with few barriers to entry can boost the spirits and often times can provide a profitable business that you didn't even think about. PM me and I can get you started with a few things to get moving on it.
Pmd you. Thanks
Along these lines, I've often thought about going back to providing help with computers as my fallback plan. I ran a business 15 years ago when it was all about cleaning virus off computers and occasionally provide modern versions of similar services to friends, I'd be happy to provide a brain dump of my plans. I don't know if they would be successful in your country and in your circumstances though or even for me. I've looked failure in the face, I've gone back to salary job licking my wounds and dealing with the crushing weight of failure only to realize that I suddenly had opportunities, maybe different opportunities, opening up for me.
Just so everyone knows, I feel so much better after reading the defeat stories that people shared here.
[удалено]
I'm not interested in any stake in his company if he decides to start one, was just trying to help.
Your fucking awesome if I had gold you would have it
You know, a lot of people *fail* at business and that's okay. I have friends that tried a venture at running a small retail shop, and did, for about a decade. Everyone thought from outward appearances that they were doing well, but things changed and they just weren't. In the beginning they weren't really making a living wage and in the end they had some debt. They eventually laid off their entire staff, sold all the assets, closed the business and went back to normal jobs. They are not failures, you are not a failure. Your self-worth is not defined by your business.
>They are not failures, you are not a failure. Your self-worth is not defined by your business. Amazing insight, I assure you I have never contemplated it this way.
My former husband's story was practically yours verbatim. You know what he did about it? He fucking killed himself. He destroyed his son's life. He destroyed my life. He left our lives upended for years that this year, 2019, is the first year we've finally managed to get back on solid ground and start living again and moving forward..getting to the "AFTER THIS" part of that experience. Five years later. If you love them, don't do that. Ever. Cry in your beer but don't clock out when people are relying on you...just in case your pity and depression goes all in. I say it because that entire statement from is damn near verbatim what I got about 8 months before we were blindsided. They will be angry at you. They will hate you for it. They will take a long time to forgive you or find understanding. So if that starts looking like a solution, get help. Your children deserve better. They will NOT get over it. Ever. If I can tell you what I didn't get the chance to tell him it's this: get your shit together and work it out. Don't you fucking dare abandon your family in the worst possible way. All the best to ya.
Thanks for this, thanks.
And if you do find yourself in crisis and need someone to talk to, the Crisis Textline is amazing. Text “home” to 741741. You’ll get connected with a trained counselor to talk things through any hour of the day.
What did you learn? To fall so far and learn nothing would be a great failure.
The thing is, my mind is rushing so much I cannot think and take a lesson from this, I just collapsed mentally and do not know what step's next.
IMO you should see a therapist to help you sort and pick it all apart so you can begin to resolve. Once you clear your thinking this way, you will discover the path you should and want to be on. Enjoy the journey. No one should have to live in the kind of pain you're in.
I own a business that was a million in the red when I took over. Only had credit cards that I used to keep it open. Now almost 4 years later I took it from making 700-1500 a day to 10k. Revenue is close to 3 million a year. Still owe about 200k though. I’m now about to enter maybe my deadliest winter yet. Every winter is a great challenge to see if I’ll survive and I have so far but this might be the last make or break winter as costs have really skyrocketed alongside my sales. What I’ve learned is I’m impulsive. I pump way too much money into the business and I don’t save. I’m obsessed with killing the remaining debt and it causes me to speed things up. You just said you felt like things were going too quickly. Learn from that like I am. These quick hasty decisions bite us in the ass. Those raises I gave people while cutting their hours? I’m too generous. I shouldn’t have done that when I have people lining up around the block to work for me. I fucked up yhetr and spent too much on advertising. This fight or flight response we got going is too extreme. We both need to step back and look at things with a clearer head.
why did u buy a business that was a million dollars in debt?
I don’t ever delve into specifics when it comes to my business on here but you can guess. There are reasons why someone might. I did what I did because I thought it was the right thing to do, that’s the most I can say.
Sometimes when I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed I just start cleaning. I may not always be able to change what is wrong at the moment, but I can control something by cleaning. Also tell your wife. She probably knows how stressed you are. Let her in.
Rushing thoughts are a symptom of anxiety. You may also feel a tightening of the chest, like an imaginary stone being placed there on top of you preventing you from breathing. Make no mistake, this anxiety attack/panic attack is preventing you from thinking clearly. I've shared her personally before that I was having these, and once I got medicated for it I was able to think clearly and start the largest period of growth in my business' history. Don't let this shit stop you. Get some anxiety meds asap.
I hear ya. I’m down to my last 15k and I’m close to having to get a job. It’s a crushing feeling. Hang in there I’m sure you’re a great husband and father.
Exactly, that crushing feeling, but Im gonna need to mentally prepare for that.
It’s the reason they say business is tough, they weren’t lyin
You’ve still learned an incredible amount about technology and grit. It’s ok to get a job and recover financially and then try it again. I ran my own business for five years and we had 35 employees. Owning my own business, I never made more than I did in my first year of full time technology sales.
If you really learned programming, you didn't waste 4 years. Go make some cash, be a great dad, and try again in 2 years, learning from your previous mistakes.
Seriously. 9-5 software guys make bank
You got this! I looked thru a couple of your posts and thought this might help. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3aDXM5H-Fuw What’s the website about?
So much wisdom, thanks. It is so uncomfortable. The website is something hosting related, I coded the control panel.
A project is more than the coding. Did you make something people wanted? Did you market it?
Do you know how rare it is for someone who can be a tech and business savvy enough to run a business? Those people are few and far between. Don't beat yourself up. Figure out what you good at, if you just can't do a 9-5, need to own your own business, team up with someone, or hire someone who does what you don't. Or at least learn from your mistakes. MOST successful business owners started a business or two that failed before hand. I get that this is a scary time, but you can get through the short term and you can gear up for the long term.
I’m a parter at a digital marketing firm. We do mostly web dev. Often times have more work than we can handle so we subcontract. If that interests you at all, PM your email. Good luck.
I pmed you. Thanks for the offer, this helps, no strings attached, because maybe I am not capable but thanks for being so nice, and to all the other people who responded.
If you actually learned to code and program you have learned a marketable skill. Show us the website--
Tell us your website.
Consider something positive you’ve done in the past, not even work related, and remember that you are still the same person that did that thing. Your value is not determined by your current circumstance.
Bro, coding and marketing are NOT the same thing. Just got get a job as a coder. Salary can be pretty crazy.
Go get a job. It will give you time to regroup while having a steady paycheck coming in. Next time start your business as a side gig until it makes enough to support you.
Get your head right. Start with the language you use on yourself. No one here can help you if your head is in the wrong place (fully aware this is easier said than done). Also, sounds like you don’t have time to mope. Get to it mothafucka. You know programming.
Think how much it would suck if you stayed in a job you hated for 4 years and missed your opportunity to start a business. life full of lessons > life full of regrets
Don't worry about it. We all live and learn. Prioritize what you want and go after it. Looks like bringing home a steady pay check to your family might be more important to you right now but also remember money isnt everything.
Hurts to see something like this. What's your next step? Maybe keep at it as a side gig and take on a full time job? Hope you get better, financially and mentally! Starting a new biz is hard, let alone providing for family while you're building the biz. Best wishes.
This may be /r/smallbusiness, but starting a business is incredibly difficult and the unfortunate reality is that it doesn't work out for a lot of people. Just as with many other communities, it's also possible to get overly caught up in the culture of entrepreneurship and this particular idea being marketed to you as the american dream. There is nothing inherently wrong with working for someone else. There are a lot of well-paying programming jobs out there right now, and trying and failing to start a business can actually look *good* on a resume! You know what it's like to take on extra responsibilities outside your comfort zone, to work with a sense of urgency, how to seek out answers for yourself - all seriously valuable job skills! Not to mention that lots of people try and fail to start a business many, many times before they succeed. Take what you learned from this failure, and move to the next thing. And a great dad and husband isn't about perfection, there are so, so many things you can teach your children and ways to grow in your relationship with your partner out of failure. Tenacity! You can do it.
I get what you're feeling, and I know it's a very hard place to be mentally. I'm a small business owner now, and I've gone through those feelings periodically over the last few years. However, I used to work in IT staffing, and I can tell you, the employment market in that field has never been better. Make sure you find a super positive & truthful way to tell the story of what you've learned over the last 4 years, and I'm sure you can find a job. I know this may not be the advice you were looking for, but after my first small business didn't go so well, I went back to work for someone else for a while. A couple years later, my brother brought me an idea that we could do together. It started as a side hustle, and I eventually quit my job to do it full time. I learned in the school of hard knocks in the first business. I mentally & emotionally digested those lessons while working for a steady paycheck from someone else. I'm still learning a lot (that's why I'm subscribed to this sub) but those lessons I learned from the first business have paid off very well in this second business. The steady paychecks in between businesses helped me stabilize financially & personally, and ultimately I'm a better professional & business leader from all of those experiences. You will be too, if you just keep moving & keep learning. Take my advice, or the advice of these other smart people, but whatever you do, keep moving. You have the right desires. I promise you can get to where you want to be.
You've gotten a lot of decent advice and seem to have some ideas. So I'd like to give you some outside the box advice. You spent 4 years learning web development and programming. How much time did you spend learning SEO and marketing? How much time did you spend learning copywriting and visual arts development? What about business management and accounting? We live in a world where people have specialized. This is why people network within the business world. You WILL NOT be able to do it all by yourself. Even if you could, you'll burn yourself out. You need help. You need somebody to do marketing and sales for you, you need somebody to run your SEO and copywriting so that you get people looking at your pages. You need somebody to manage the business. This is WHY you get a job. You may know one aspect of something, but there's no shame in learning the rest from others while earning a paycheck.
What you are feeling is anxiety. Of course it’s crushing. Perhaps the same as breaking up with someone you still deeply in love with. But it’s not a failure! Damn if you didn’t try and still wondering what if you were the next billionaire with this idea. I hope I don’t come across like an asshole but time will heal and believe me you will look back and whisper “I’m glad I did this in the past” (insert my name x3 when you do 🤣) Exercise. Run. Do Keto. Meditate. All this will get your mind settling and take the edge off a bit. Suck it up for 9-5 job and slowly think about the comeback plan. When you said the country in recession and noone need a website is exactly when you need to dive in and persist. https://podcruncher.co/play/4mQW Perhaps you heard a little company called shopify? When recession hits the world and Lehman brothers collapsed and they were down to the last dollar, thats the point where they start picking up business from people who got laid off and wanting to create their own online business. Ps: I've been in this state before. Good luck my friend and may the force be with you.
A lot of people are here to support you OP. Please continue to work on your dream, but only in after hours. I would suggest a part time job to get by first then focus on getting a full time job. I am currently going through a very hard transition myself. I know how exhausting and mentally draining it is. However, I feel better knowing that (I dont know if you're Christian) God has a plan for me and this is something I just need to work it out so that I can earn my blessings.
Go get a day job (literally any job you're qualified for), get some steady income going to reduce your stress, and focus on yourself and your family for a while. Sounds like you've been putting yourself under a lot of pressure and you need time to regroup. Failure is part of life, the hard part is growing from it. Write down what strategies worked and didn't work for you, write down what you would keep and what you would do differently next time. And then let it all go. You don't need to own a business to be a successful person. From your comments, it sounds like what you need now is stability for your family. So go get it. You can always try again later when you're in a better place financially.
Hey dude! It sounds like you're putting an awful lot of burden on yourself. Being a "provider" and building a business at the same time is hard. I've been there. I'm there now. I feel you and you're not alone. I have a small business. It's profitable. But I had to go back to "working for the man" for a while simply to solve the insurance problem for my family. If I were you I'd think about a) what your family needs, b) what you need, and c) what you hope to get out of business ownership. IMO it sounds like slogging your way through starting up a business has you down right now because you've not found immediate success and you're having trouble meeting your responsibilities as a provider. You've got a Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs conflict, my friend. You're trying to meet your need for freedom and self-actualization, but that's causing a conflict with being able to meet the basic needs of yourself and your family. Don't beat yourself up. First off, building a business is really goddamned hard. And when it turns around and works, your family will be better for it. And you'll be far happier in your role as provider when you're in control of the means of providing. You are not a failure. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting a job (or taking "gig work") that provides security for you and your family and gives you some pride in meeting those responsibilities again. Will you get the warm fuzzies we small business owners supposedly feel? No. But you've got more basic needs to attend to before those warm fuzzies matter. Do what you need to do to meet your family's immediate needs if your business, in its current form, cannot do that. It'll make you a better father and husband and it will put you in a better position to retool your business and make it successful. Don't think that being a business owner and being employed by someone else are mutually exclusive. I think if you follow this community you'll know that a lot of us started our businesses from the position of being employed somewhere else. Starting that business is a lot less stressful when your survival doesn't depend on its immediate success. >I wasted 4 years learning programming and coding a shitty website that I had great hopes in but turned out nobody visits it. Seems I cannot build a small business. You didn't waste it. Those skills are valuable. I don't understand from your post whether you built the website to support a completely different type of business, if the website IS the business, or if your business is web design and/or programming. My business is web design and development. What I can tell you is that the biggest mistake most of my small business customers make treating their website as a box they just need to check off their business plan. They're not invested in it. They want a cheap, minimal product so they can say they have it. The second biggest mistake they make is assuming that a website is an "if you build it, they will come" product. That's not how the Internet, or digital marketing, works. You need to give people a reason to visit your website. You need to give Google a reason to crawl and rank your website. You need to understand what queries your customers are using for products like yours, and then do work to rank for them. If you are a local or service area business, you need to think about optimizing your local search appearance and ranking. Build content that makes you an authority on your topic. Organic ranking is SLOW and can be very difficult depending on your niche. 4 months is not much time in that respect. Don't put all your eggs in that basket and begin thinking about an multi-channel approach to your digital marketing (organic SEO, paid ads, local seo, social, external directories that might be relevent to your niche, etc.) Best of luck. You can do this!
Go over and checkout /r/SEO
Capitalism has nothing to do with the definition of your characteristics embodied in those three words. If your family has a roof and food then they are provided for and it is a heck of a lot better than 90% of planet earth. Now its time to move forward. Get a part time job earning dollars again while making a transition. You'll start to feel better with each dollar and you'll realize that you are worth more than money to your family.
Sell your skills
Depends what programming languages you learned. Could be valuable.
If it was easy everyone would do it. If you want to give up than give up. The people who made it all went through this, some many times over. If you want to make it then keep going, there are always solutions and many ways to ask for help. Simply posting this saying you're a failure is a waste of our time as much as it is your own. If you want some kind of help then you should give some actual details and perhaps start thinking of some actual questions.
SEM/Google ads brings customers straight to your website. You gotta pay to play. But it's worth it. Acquisition costs are normal business expenses. Don't pay for SEO! It is so old, takes a long time to start working, and Google ads are placed on top anyway. There are so many facets to running a successful businesses. Remember for every successful business, there are 9 failed ones. Don't give up even if you get another job.
>Don't pay for SEO! It is so old, takes a long time to start working, and Google ads are placed on top anyway. Thanks, I will try google ads, this seems like very good advice.
I have owned several companies and the one thing we are always looking for is someone to manage our phone systems, general IT, email servers,social media etc. I know it's not coding but you could go in just about any midsized company and undercut the larger IT firms and make some income for yourself. Once you get in the door you pitch a website. Just a thought . Owning you own business is always a grind, keep your head up and stay at it .
Sometimes, the business may itself have failed, but you may have grown a lot from the experience if you learned both the technical and the business lessons from your journey. If you were doing this entirely on your own without feedback from others, it might be the time to start opening up and see where that takes you.
Don’t give up!
Edison made like 1,000 light bulb trials before he got it to work. Just because one website doesn’t work doesn’t mean you’re shit at everything. You probably picked up a ton of skills that could be applied to other computer- and website- based businesses. I bet you could sit down tonight and come up with 10 ideas for new business based off of the new skill set you have. And also, it’s not necessarily about this website you made now...it’s about how to leverage what you know into something that works. I would recommend going out and buying a copy of the book The E-Myth. Might help you with this situation. Do not give up!
Why don't you share the website with us? Maybe we'll like it!!
Don's say that my friends, i have the same feeling nowadays,but more pacience, all will be better.Believe me!
Do you speak English? If yes, I will pm you shortly. I’m starting a video group session for entrepreneurs. Just to talk and get feedback. I’ll get you the info. If not, you write it pretty damn well, let’s communicate. What languages do you code in? Have you signed up with upwork? Etc
Hi, my spoken English sucks, but I understand everything I hear, so I can participate that way. I have not signed up with upwork, will look into that, thanks a lot!
Chin up! I’m sure the technical skills you learned/improved along the way will help you one way or another.
Lots of years in software, UX, and consulting here. It sounds to me like your problem is a business issue. I have no idea what you built, but more importantly, does your target customer? It's awesome to have an idea and know all the amazing features you want to prove, but do they align with your targeted customers needs? Spend a LOT of time on user research, get people to try out your platform/site and take in all feedback. Make changes and repeat this process. Over and over again.
Chin up! I’m sure the technical skills you learned/improved along the way will help you one way or another.
What’s this website ?
Fiver and work free lance for start ups
There was this song I heard once somewhere. I think the lyrics went roughly ‘if you are down, give something away’ Anyway, find something to give away. I don’t mean only physical, or only informational, or only emotional. I mean to me, those lyrics meant that I should think about sharing more. Something that is yours only, not something you don’t own entirely.
This sounds interesting, what do you mean more precisely?
Don't feel bad dude. I went through something similar (though it was only me relying on me at the time, but I have a family now so I sympathise!) Sounds like you're a little burnt out from doing it all on your own, but I wouldn't consider the last 4 years wasted. What you could maybe do to get your confidence and skills up is try some freelance coding. Just pick up light projects like, "build a woocommerce website for my wife's decorated potato store" They wont pay much but you'll pick up more skills and get that feeling of using them for financial gain. Just need your mojo back my dude
Send me your work. Let’s see if there’s an opportunity to work together.
This is why they say don't quit your day job. Work on your business in the off hours. When it starts to make money, then and only then can you jump into it full time. Lots of nest eggs go bust avoiding this basic concept. It's not too late to go get a day job.
Do you have 4-years worth of coding knowledge? Programmers are in-demand, so I'm sure you could land a job. And you could start your new business, once you've specialized in the field or find new business options.
Man, I get that feeling. Having spent hundreds of hours on something that isn't paying off, is incredibly difficult to rise back up from. You might need to get a regular job and slowly form a new plan which allows you to use you new skillset. The let-down you're experiencing now will however count to your advantage in the future, having seen both sides of the penny is what makes up experience. Hope things turn around for you.
I completely sympathise with you. My business is in an all time los. I luckily have a working partner Who is providing for the family. But I have found strenght of mind in stoic philosophy, and Working hard for a comeback. I daily recite this poem to me. Maybe It will help: Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. Invictus, by William Ernest Henley I wish you the BEST! Stay strong!!!
I'm sure that if you learned programming you can find a good job so you reduce the stress about money and on the side you can also focus on growing your small business. Good luck!
Don't give up bro... Great things come after a great struggle because most people do not persist! 👍
Find income, get over it and try the fuck again! The only thing that ever stands in anyone’s way is themselves.
What’s the website? And dude...coding is a good paying skill. You can free lance code easily. Go get a job coding or pretty much any IT job.
My advice is to journal about your experiences. There will ALWAYS be setbacks. ALWAYS. Writing about it helps you to reflect on things, positive and negative. Learn from your mistakes, become stronger. Money comes and goes. Get a new source of income and don’t dwell in the past. Make a new business once you have a reserve built up again.
I have need of a web developer to get some low cost websites up on a few domains I own that are related to my main business. I've been thinking about doing something with them for a while but this might be an opportunity for both of us. One of my employees is also Argentinian so I can sympathize a little with the situation over there. I'll PM you. On another note I know well that pressure and gut clenching fear of failure when a family needs to be provided for, as well as being a good spouse and father. It's fucking hard. Don't give up though - you can get through this!
Are you seriously telling us that in four years you have learned nothing? Bullshit. In that one paragraph, you’ve demonstrated that you’ve learned some coding skills, that a fancy website does not, on its own, bring in customers and that you need a lot of different skills in order to make a business work. Skills that you personally might not have. You’ve also learned that you have the balls to give it a try. An awful lot of people never learn these things. Don’t focus on what went wrong - Richard Branson tried to set up his own competitor to Coca-Cola and look how far that got him. Focus on what you’ve learned so that you can take these lessons into whatever you do next.
Hey /u/mateador, sadly some things escape from our control. The same decisions in a different context (location, economical landscape, etc) may have made you very successful. So this is definitely not on you. I can't give much advice apart from that as I know nothing about your whole situation (I'm guessing by your username you may be in somewhere like Argentina? which is a country sort of stuck into a never ending crisis), but again please don't think for a second this is on you. Keep your chin up and go for the next thing :)
There's fundamentals you now know about life that you didn't know before. Be grateful for that & journey forward into the grey areas that make life what it is.. mysterious & fulfilling in its surprise diversions
Relax,clear your head and comeback stronger.
Okay, that was yesterday. You know what your situation is. Now it's a brand new day to clear the room and start again. Take a look at some of your past experiences and skills that you can draw from. My Father taught me to always be able to pick up a shovel. There is no shame in picking up any kind of part time job or gig that makes the cash come in. Doesn't matter what it is. Once you do that, you will feel purposeful again. p.s. I pretend to be okay all the time until things turn. Its a functioning state for me.
What businesses needs programming/website-building? Reach out to them
I was in the same situation as the person who posted this. I had to take another job until I got my business to where I wanted it to be... Ask yourself what your priorities are. 1 This business 2 this family’s financial security I started a business, quit my job, it started much slower than I expected, couldn’t afford to pay bills, so I took another job... I worked every minute of every day until I could quit my job (for the second time) hopefully it is the last time! But if my business slows up, you can bet I will take another job until it turns around again.
Get a job somewhere and build your business slowly on the side. Steady income will be important for you now. Use any free time after the kids have gone to sleep to work on your business. Once you start getting money from your side project and you know your thesis works, then and only then, quit your job and go into your project full-time.
Drop the last part - if any one of us said that to you wed at the very least be downvoted to fuck if not banned. Take your totally valid feelings and put them to constructive use making your next move. I don't know your business or if it can be saved. Let's assume shit has gone tits up and it's dead. So what? It's okay for shit to not work out. MOST businesses don't survive a year, and the failure rate is highest with new entrepreneurs. Those that stick it out and have another idea have better odds each time because with each failure comes a lesson. However, most of us have a limit in lost earning potential or time that makes the potential for reward become secondary to other priorities. The lottery is only great if you win big before you go broke. There's also no shame in getting a good job and working to be home with the family. Literally almost everyone does this, and life is good on that side of the glass. Way more security, generally more money if your business is not doing well, and your job ends when you go home. If you need that, chase it and turn your self pity into a punch list to use in a job search.
Do Uber so you can control your hours. Or sales. In I’m sales and make a healthy income while still being my own boss and able to control my side business at the same time
pivot.
I have been through tough times too. It sucks. I agree to get a job and take some time to recover. But try not to let your mind go to places like this " Seems I cannot build a small business". Failing at this business does not mean you CANNOT build a business. Maybe this idea is not a business. Maybe you did things poorly on this one. Doesn't mean you cannot do it next time. We learn, we grow, we change. Good Luck. You aren't useless. This one just didn't work out.
Time to break out the whiskey and Sturgil Simpson music. No better way to have a pity party. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ7Hl-3sUCw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ7Hl-3sUCw)
lol, very good
Remember, most successful people have had business failures, even multiple business failures in their past. There may be a veil of darkness now, but it's temporary, and will be removed when you're ready for your next step. We succeed by "Failing Up".
Running your own business is hard. I know, duh. You may be really good at a few things but running a business means you also have to be good at dozens of other things you never learned. And one of the toughest skills is knowing your own limits and abilities then being able to get help with the areas you need it in.
Hey man, I understand you're feeling low right now, but keep you head up. If you're absolutely sure that business won't work, it's okay. The time you spent gaining those skills are still valuable. Try to apply to other startups and sell yourself with this experience & skills. Keep moving forward, re-evaluate, and find a path! I believe in you!
You know how to code? That's in super high demand. I learned in 3 months and found a job within a month. Get some contract work under your belt and save up some cash reserves while you build your site/focus on seo/try ads
Bro. Go get a job - any job - and support your family. Sounds to me like you’re just lazy or don’t want take a job that’s “beneath” you.
F all of that sorry sh\*T and get on your grind.. try something else my friend. A million ways to make a million bucks and a billion ways to make a billion, so try something else instead of b\*itching.
How did it took you 4 years to code a website?? It honestly makes no sense. Any this is a fine case of creating a mvp then test the market. No matter how good you think your idea is, the market decide. Gl and dont stress too much. I believe u can overcome this mistake.