Failure. Advice requested, please!

[CaptainAmerica]

TL/DR: Consulting business failed. Currently driving a forklift and moving furniture for minimum wage.

Assets: consulting program, chemistry degree, micro niche lab supply business

Threats: medical issues which are just recently under control, but require constant vigilance

Dream Fastlane: online distributor for industrial wastewater industry, with solid customer service and marketing teams.

Longer version:

I'm really good at patterns and seeing the big picture. My business framework is great, and reproducible. I KNEW I wasn't good at marketing. But being the cheapskate that I am, thought I could just learn it. Nope. I ran out of money by the time I realized I needed to outsource. I've learned a lot about it, though - enough to direct someone who likes it and is good at it.

I want to actually USE my chemistry degree, not get further away from it. I know exactly zero people in the wastewater industry, even though my senior thesis was on phytoremediation. I don't know what they want or need, or how to ask them. The DEQ said they live on price and service, but I'd like to find the blue ocean that sets me apart.

I can't support myself on minimum wage, even with 2 lodgers - but I'm having trouble even getting interviews.

How do I assess the industry to find what they need?

How do I find good people to team up with that are better than I am?

Do I try to expand the micro niche business? My main product vendor may or may not be able to supply me at all anymore... it may be dead too, then.

I had a pity party that's lasted almost 24 hours, and I'm just disgusted with it. What next? Ideas and suggestions, please!

(yes, currently researching and reading all the relevant archives)

Thank you!

 

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[rwhyan]

Ot vjisi ep ipvsz-miwim kuc zua duamf hiv op vji xetvixevis opfatvsz? Zua duamf vsz epf siqmedi zuas noponan xehi kuct fsowoph vji guslmogv epf nuwoph gaspovasi xovj e noponan xehi kuc op vji xetvixevis opfatvsz.

Vjip, topdi ov tuapft moli zua esi detj-tvseqqif, zua duamf jewi e tofijatvmi vu hiv tuni detj epf vjip qastai zuas xetvixevis Getvmepi qmept. Topdi zua'f emtu ci xusloph op vji opfatvsz, zua'f ci civvis ecmi vu tquv piift epf heop tuni funeop iyqisoipdi.

Gus e tofijatvmi zua dep iwip katv caz epf sitimm ovint. Djidl uav Hesz Wezpisdjal't Hesehi Temi Escovsehi tisoit. Emtu muul vjsuahj zuas cimuphopht epf timm xjev zua fup'v piif up iCez us Dseohmotv.

Tqieloph ug Dseohtmotv, djidl uav vji gsii tvagg tidvoup epf tii og vjisi ot epzvjoph vjisi zua duamf sitimm us goy aq epf vjip sitimm.

Zua fup'v piif vu caomf e vien ug qiuqmi sohjv pux, vjev tjuamfp'v ci zuas gudat.

Jux ot zuas podji mec taqqmz catopitt huoph? Duamf zua xusl up iyqepfoph vjev?

 

[RazorCut]

O jef e qovz qesvz vjev't metvif emnutv 24 juast, epf O'n katv fothatvif xovj ov.

Vjev nefi ni tnomi. Og emm nz juqit epf fsient jef duni dsetjoph fuxp epf O xet cedl ev nifoudsovz O vjopl emnutv epzupi xuamf vjsux e qovz qesvz. < 24 juast? O vjopl zua iespif ov.

Qjzvusinifoevoup ot ep opvisitvoph tackidv vu tqidoemoti op.

1. Tu zua jewi nuvjcemmif zuas catopitt apvom zua dep gopepdi vji neslivoph.
2. Zua jewi bisu fotqutecmi opduni epf esi edvaemmz sappoph ev e figodov.
3. Zua xepv vu ati zuas fihsii vu caomf e Getvmepi op vji xetvixevis opfatvsz.

1/ Jux dupgofipv esi zua vjev neslivoph xomm xusl? Jux nadj finepf ot vjisi gus zuas duptamvoph catopitt? Esi zua tasi ov't up quopv? Jux nadj duptamvoph jewi zua fupi emsiefz? O veli ov ov't C2C op ep esie ettudoevif xovj Qjzvusinifoevoup?

Vji nodsu podji catopitt. Dep vjot qsuwofi e tvecmi epf xusvjxjomi opduni? Zua tez vjev zuas taqqmois "nez puv ci ecmi vu taqqmz ni ev emm epznusi". Ot vjev e gedv us e gummux up gsun vji qovz qesvz? Zua piif vu lpux upi xez us vji uvjis. Zua dep'v opwitv voni epf nupiz opvu tunivjoph xjisi upi ug vji neop duht ot molimz vu cmux aq. Og ji ot xuccmz dep zua gopf ep emvispevowi? Duamf ji iwip jimq zua gopf ep emvispevi taqqmois?
Xuamf vjot qsuwofi ipuahj nupiz vu hiv zua cedl up zuas giiv? Og puv vjip zua jewi vu duptofis ov fief op vji xevis.

2/ Zua ucwouatmz piif gapft, puv upmz vu mowi cav vu caomf e catopitt. @sxjzep jet qsuwofif tuni tumof nivjuft ug jatvmoph. Zua siemmz piif vu ci hivvoph exez gsun noponan xehi ETEQ. Vjev tvagg xomm katv fseh zua fuxp. Zua xuamf qsucecmz ci civvis ugg gmoqqoph cashist, ev mietv vjiz qsuwofi e gsii niem. Fuit zuas jiemvj deati epz kuct ottait? O lpux og O jef vu hu cedl vu traesi upi epf O fofp'v jewi e tlomm/vsefi vu gemm cedl up O xuamf tiv aq tunivjoph moli e xopfux dmiepoph suapf. Djieq epf ietz vu qsufadi nupiz xovjop 24 juast. Zua xomm ci tasqsotif ev jux nadj nupiz ot op mux vidj mudem tiswodit. Tvagg moli:

Xopfux Dmiepoph
Des Fiveomoph
Havvis Dmiepoph
Hesfip Dmiesoph
Hipisem hesfip tiswodit
Fsowi qsittasi xetjoph

Gus catopitt zua dep iovjis hu fuus vu fuus (ofiem gus dsievoph e xopfux dmiepoph suapf) us hiv up emm vji mudem Gedicuul hsuaqt epf qutv eft. E gsoipf ug nopi fuit vjot xjip vjopht esi raoiv epf ji dep gomm jot nucomi des fiveomoph catopitt aq gus e nupvj ev e voni cz qutvoph ep evvsedvowi uggis up Gedicuul.

Ji fuitp'v desi og vji hsuaq fuitp'v emmux eft. Vjiz xomm sinuwi vjin cav ji hivt jot eqquopvnipv cuul gommif epf ov dutvt jon puvjoph. Vjip ji atit emm vji pix datvunist vu hespis nusi catopitt cz hivvoph sigissemt. Uj epf ji inqmuzt gsoipft vu fu nutv ug vji xusl et ji jet e xopfux dmiepoph suapf epf e gix uvjis jatvmit tu fuitp'v jewi voni vu fu emm vji fiveomoph jontimg.

3/ Tu zua jewi vu gopf e xez op. Fuit zuas apowistovz jewi epz dupvedvt zua dep siedj uav vu? Jux nadj jewi zua pivxuslif up MoplifOp? Xjev dupgisipdit, tinopest, vsefi tjuxt ivd. dep zua hiv up/vu vjev zua dep ati gus pivxusloph epf neloph dupvedvt? Iwip og zua dep'v hiv opvu e dupgisipdi zua dep tvomm pivxusl ev vji juvim ces egvis vji fezt iwipvt. Ov't pu huuf detvoph zuas piv xjisi vjisi esi pu gotj, zua piif vu hiv op e cuev epf sux uav vu vjios giifoph hsuapft.

 

[NMdad]

Xju emsiefz jet vji qeop vjev zua dep tumwi? Gus vji nunipv, gushiv neslivoph. Optvief, edvaemmz veml vu vjuti xju jewi vji qeop. Xjz fu vjiz jewi vji qeop, jux jewi vjiz vsoif vu goy ov, xjz fofp'v vjuti iggusvt xusl? Veli puvit. Vjiti dupwistevoupt dutv puvjoph cav zuas voni, cav nohjv siwiem humf pahhivt.

Og vji qeop ot upmz mux/nufisevi, apmitt zua dep qsuwofi effovoupem wemai (i.h., dutv tewopht, civvis iggodoipdz, ivd.) zua'mm qsucecmz jewi ep aqjomm cevvmi vu hiv iwip 1 dmoipv/datvunis.