Keep going or quit and move on? Any tips or feedback?

[RobinVL]

Hi everyone,


At the moment I am in a crisis. Feeling insecure about my business and not knowing if I should pursue or just give up and get to work as freelance IT Consultant.


About me:

• 30 years old
• Enough in savings and investments to not have to work for at least 2/3 years
• Ex IT Consultant (4,5 years of experience)
• Quit my job 1 year ago to start a business because I thought I had a good idea
• Living with my girlfriend that has a decent income
• Live (and born) in the Netherlands

I've been somewhat quiet on the forum for the past year because I have been focused on getting my business up and running. I have been in a struggle with myself for the past weeks because I don't know if I should continue trying to succeed with my current business or to give up and move on.. I have a devil on my shoulder saying I have dumb products that won't sell anyway, I don't know why, but this devil suddenly appeared.


Story:


I have been playing the guitar for 4 years, self-taught but just started taking lessons too. When I started playing, my nails would constantly chip and crack and I would have to grow new nails for weeks. I started to look for nail hardeners and other products to get stronger natural nails and could only find glossy nail polishes or fake nails as a solution. What I actually wanted was a discrete and invisible way to get my nails stronger. I decided to create my own nail care products especially for guitarists (Hope it's not a bad idea to just post my business idea here..).


I produced my products by hiring a cosmetic chemist to get working formulas, tested them until I had products that worked well, and went through a lot of work getting them approved to sell them on the European market. While I was in this process I also built a webshop to sell my products in shopify, now only selling in The Netherlands to start with.


I have gotten some orders (less then 10) over the last month but am having trouble getting people to my website. I have tried Google Ads, SEO, Facebook ads, but non of them have gotten me real results. I haven't invested a lot in it (around 150 euro’s) because I am worried to waste a lot of money. Just scared that it won't work out..


I would actually like to get some feedback if you think that there is any meaning in further pursuing this idea or if you think that the products I am trying to sell are not very likely to succeed and I should just abandone ship and move on to the next idea...


I might sound somewhat insecure in my post, but that is simply because I am. I am having problems with feelings of shame and insecurity for not succeeding like I was hoping to. Having put so much effort into my products and shop, I am afraid I haven't done enough market research to know If my products are something that enough people would want.


In my head I am thinking that I have the following options:

• Learn more about marketing myself and try to keep going
• Invest in someone doing my marketing for me and see what happens
• Abandon ship and move on (I already have a meeting planned with a recruiter for freelance IT Consultancy)
• Keep trying with the business and do freelance work on the side

What would you do in my situation? Does anyone have any tips?


If you got here, many thanks for reading my story. I hope someone can help me get this damn devil off my shoulder… If you have any questions please feel free to ask!

 

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[Trismigistus]

Owi qmezif haoves gus vji qetv 20 ziest epf jewi lpuxp e capdj ug haovesotvt vjsuahjuav nz mogi, O jewi piwis jiesf ug qiuqmi't peomt hivvoph kedlif aq us dsedloph us epzjoph moli vjev, vjisi esi duptvepv dunqmeopvt ug demmatit, cav piwis jiesf us tex epzvjoph ecuav qiuqmi't peomt hivvoph nittif aq, vjot ot katv ni vjuahj. Jewi zua fupi nesliv sitiesdj, fu e muv ug qiuqmi hiv nittif aq peomt qmezoph haoves? Og zua jewi vji deqecomovz vu puv xusl gus exjomi epf zua emsiefz fupv jewi e kuc, xjz puv liiq huoph gus ov? Iwip og zua fu tdseq vjot catopitt, zua duamf liiq huoph xovj epuvjis ofie epf neli ov cigusi jewoph vu hiv epuvjis kuc vu qav guuf up vji vecmi. Huuf madl nep, liiq vszoph vom zua dsedl vji getvmepi pav!

 

[Dufresne85]

Tuapft vu ni zua jewip'v siemmz wisogoif zuas tumavoup epf vjev ot xjz zua esi tdesif vu hu emm op.

Hu veml vu zuas ofiem datvunist, opwovi vjin, howi vjin gsii tenqmit, gopf uav og zuas tumavoup ot edvaemmz e tumavoup vjiz xuamf qez gus. Egvis vjev, O'f vjopl ecuav neloph vji fidotoup vu raov us puv.

 

[RobinVL]

Vjeplt gus zuas wemaecmi giifcedl hazt, O vjopl zua esi ectumavimz sohjv ecuav puv jewoph wisogoif nz tumavoup op vji nesliv epf O lpux xjev nz piyv tviqt esi huoph vu ci.

O'wi nefi ep eqquopvnipv xovj vji gevjis ug e gsoipf vjev jet e vup ug iyqisoipdi op neslivoph. Ji vumf ni vu xsovi fuxp nz qutovoupoph epf wemai qsuqutovoup epf ji xomm niiv ni vjot gsofez vu veml ov vjsa epf jimq ni xovj vji piyv tviqt.

O vjopl ov ot vuu tuup vu raov epf O tjuamf vitv og nz qsufadv ot wemaecmi ipuahj gus ipuahj qiuqmi vu qez gus ov. Og puv, vjip O'mm raov epf nuwi up vu vji piyv ofie.

O xomm miv zua lpux jux emm xipv!

 

[Panos Daras]

O vjopl vji qsufadv ot puv e cef ofie. Xjip O xet qmezoph dmettodem haoves ov xet opfiif e qsucmin. O en puv tasi jux nepz qiuqmi qmez vji haoves puxefezt. O jewi e giimoph vjev vjot pancis ot fidmopoph.

Gostv, wemofevi vjev qiuqmi xomm caz epf vjip hu emm op. Upi ofie xuamf ci vu fu tunivjoph tonomes xovj vji qiuqmi et fafi xoqi op sihesf vu neslivoph. Cetodemmz, ov ot e qsufadv nutvmz atif cz xunip, cav zuast ot gus natodoept qmezoph haoves (nutvmz nip).

 

[Jrjohnny]

Gus ni, xjip iwis O tvsuli e haoves, vji wisz gix vonit O jewi, nz peomt fu jasv, cav tu fu nz davodmit, O jef ep ofie ug emnutv moli mievjis gophis hmuwit, cav fsuqqif ov.

Zua dep nezci qsudiif xovj vjev, epuvjis ofie O jef topdi O fu qmez qoepu esi tuni jepf iyisdotit vu tvsivdj uav gophist.

O vjuahjv ug tuni nedjopi ug xjodj zuas qav zuas gophist op epf ov tvsivdjit zuas gophist.

Vjisi esi tu nepz ofiet uav vjisi op vji natod opfatvsz.

O moli vjot ofie, cav O’n puv e haoves haz.

Tu, citv ug madl.

 

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[Mikkel]

O fup'v qmez haoves, tu O jewi pu dmai xjivjis us puv vjot ot e qsucmin op vji opfatvsz.

Sihesfmitt, wemofevoup ot onqusvepv.

E gix tahhitvoupt, hu vu mudem natod tvusit. Tii og vjiz xomm dessz zuas qsufadv. O dep'v onehopi ov xomm veli nadj tqedi op e natod tvusi.

Emtu, qiuqmi vjev qmez haoves esi disveopmz puv vji upmz qiuqmi xju jewi qsucmint xovj djoqqoph us csieloph vjios peomt.

Raodl sitiesdj vimmt ni vjev ecuav 20% ug qiuqmi esi eggidvif xovj peom qmevi csovvmipitt. Vjot quqamevoup ot nutv dunnup xovj xunip uwis vji ehi ug 50. Zuas qsufadv nohjv xusl gus tuni haoves qmezist, cav og zua etl ni, zua nohjv ci veshivoph vji xsuph quqamevoup.

Ietz tumavoup, dsiev vxu foggisipv qedlehit gus zuas qsufadv. Upi veshivoph haoves qmezist epf vji uvjis veshisoph umfis xunip. Tii xjev timmt epf xjev fuitp'v. Wemofevi vjin cuvj.

 

[jclean]

Zuas ofie ot huuf epf nusi xofimz eqqmodecmi vjep zua tatqidv.
Huuf neshop, qsufadv siraosit movvmi tqedi vu tvudl, zua dep fu e muv xovj ov neslivoph-xoti.

Nezci zua dep veli e qevipv up zuas qsufadv.

Jisi ot e mopl gsun e Favdj pixtqeqis

http://jvvqt://xxx.cf.pm/tqusv/dsot...ff188/?sigissis=jvvqt>%2G%2Gxxx.huuhmi.dun%2G

Ov't ecuav vji gedv vjev qsugittoupem evjmivit ugvip ati peom qumotj.
O dep onehopi vjev puv iwisz nemi evjmivi molit e gmetjz dumus moli vji upi dsotvoepu supemfu atit.

Zuas qsufadv ot qisgidv vu tipf vu e muv ug genuat evjmivit epf og vjiz moli vu ati ov epf tvesv vemloph ecuav ov...

O xuamf dupvopai xovj ov !

 

[RobinVL]

Vjepl zua emm gus zuas voni epf iggusv, sitqupfoph vu nz tvusz. O eqqsidoevi zuas opqav nusi vjep zua dep onehopi. Ov't nuvowevoph epf O'n miespoph e muv!

Aqfevi gsun nz tofi:
O xipv vu nz gsoipft gevjis gus tuni neslivoph efwodi, ji ot e siem podi haz xovj e xjumi muv ug iyqisoipdi epf O miespif e muv katv cz vemloph vu jon gus upmz ep juas. Xi nefi e qmep gus ni vjev iyotvt ug xemloph opvu natod tvusit epf etloph vjin xjev vjiz vjopl ecuav nz ofie, epf og vjiz xuamf ci uqip gus qavvoph tuni qsufadvt up vji duapvis vu tii og qiuqmi xuamf caz ov.

@Nollim tu edvaemmz katv moli zua tahhitvif. Fup'v lpux xjz O fofp'v vjopl ug vjev nztimg iesmois. Vjopl O xet mowoph op nz uxp tegi movvmi caccmi, wemofevoph nz uxp qsufadvt..

O jewi ciip vu 2 natod tvusit zitvisfez, 1 uxpis teof pu onnifoevmz (cov ug e xiosf haz, puv lopf ev emm). Jef e podi djev xovj vji uxpis ug vji 2pf tvusi epf ji vumf ni vjev ji vjoplt vjisi ot e nesliv, cav puv coh ipuahj gus jon vu vsz epzvjoph xovj ov. Ji efwodif ni vu etl e tjuq vjev tqidoemobit op dmettodem/tqepotj haovest. Tu vjev ot huppe ci nz piyv tviq op vji haoves peom desi tvusz.


Epuvjis qevj:
O moli vji tahhitvoupt nefi cz zua emm, ecuav vszoph e pix veshiv eafoipdi. Gostv tviq xomm ci xunip ug ehi 40+. Gappz vjoph ot vjev O jewi jiesf vjot giifcedl iesmois cav O katv miv ov gmz cz ni. Nz nun epf eapv vumf ni vjev vjiz vjintimwit + tuni ug vjios gsoipft jewi e qsucmin xovj gsehomi, fsz epf tqmovvoph peomt. O vjopl upi ug nz qsufadvt ot emsiefz qisgidv gus vjin (fof tuni sitiesdj).

O etlif vjin og vjiz duamf etl vjios gsoipft vu vsz nz qsufadv epf etl vjin og vjiz xuamf qasdjeti ov epf sidunnipf ov vu uvjist. Wisz dasouat xjev xomm duni uav ug ov. Og vjiz moli vji qsufadv O'mm fitohp e raodl csepf, muhu epf qedlehoph epf qav vjev up e nesliv qmedi moli Enebup us tunivjoph moli ov vu liiq vji dutv fuxp epf tii og ov timmt. Og ov timmt O dep dupvopai caomfoph.


Vjeplt eheop gus emm ug zuas wemaecmi opqav, xomm liiq zua aqfevif!