Understanding Amazon FBA for International Marketplaces

Amazon FBA allows sellers to store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers. Amazon then picks, packs, ships, and provides customer service for these products. For international marketplaces, this means leveraging Amazon's extensive logistics network to reach customers in different countries. However, optimizing your listings for these marketplaces involves more than just shipping products overseas.

Keyword Research for International Markets

Keyword research is crucial for Amazon FBA optimization, especially when targeting international markets. Different countries have unique search behaviors and language nuances.

Localizing Keywords

Begin by localizing your keywords. This means understanding the local language and how potential customers search for products. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and local Amazon search data can help identify high-performing keywords in different languages.

Competitor Analysis

Analyze your competitors in the target marketplace. Identify their top-ranking keywords and see how they optimize their listings. Tools like Jungle Scout and Helium 10 can assist in this process, providing insights into competitor strategies and keyword performance.

Optimizing Product Titles

Your product title is one of the first things customers see, making it a critical component of your Amazon listing. It should be clear, concise, and include your primary keywords.

Title Structure

For international markets, adhere to the local Amazon marketplace guidelines for title structure. Typically, a good structure includes the brand name, product name, key features, and size or quantity. For example, if you're selling a coffee maker in Germany, a well-optimized title might look like this: "BrandName Kaffeevollautomat, Modell XYZ, mit Milchaufschäumer, Schwarz."

Enhancing Product Descriptions

Product descriptions should provide detailed information about your product while incorporating relevant keywords. For international markets, ensure your descriptions are well-translated and culturally appropriate.

Using Bullet Points Effectively

Bullet points are essential for highlighting key features and benefits. For international listings, use clear, concise language, and avoid idiomatic expressions that may not translate well. Ensure each bullet point addresses a unique selling proposition of your product.

A+ Content

Amazon A+ Content allows sellers to enhance their product descriptions with rich text, images, and comparison charts. This feature is especially useful for international markets as it provides a more engaging and informative shopping experience. Ensure your A+ Content is localized and optimized for the target market.

High-Quality Images and Videos

Visual content plays a significant role in customer decision-making. High-quality images and videos can dramatically improve your listing's appeal and conversion rates.

Localization of Visuals

Ensure your images and videos are relevant to the local market. This might involve using models who reflect the local demographic, showcasing the product in familiar settings, and including localized text in images.

Pricing Strategy for International Markets

Pricing is a crucial factor in attracting and converting customers. When selling internationally, consider factors such as local currency, purchasing power, and competitor pricing.

Competitive Pricing Analysis

Conduct a competitive pricing analysis in each target market. This involves comparing your product prices with similar products in the local marketplace. Adjust your pricing strategy based on local market conditions to remain competitive.

Include All Costs

Ensure that your pricing includes all potential costs such as shipping, customs duties, and taxes. Transparent pricing helps build trust with international customers and avoids any unpleasant surprises during checkout.

Optimizing for Mobile Users

A significant portion of global shoppers uses mobile devices to make purchases. Therefore, optimizing your Amazon listings for mobile is essential.

Mobile-Friendly Listings

Ensure your product titles, bullet points, and descriptions are concise and readable on smaller screens. High-quality images should load quickly and look good on mobile devices. Test your listings on various mobile devices to ensure a seamless user experience.

Leveraging Amazon Advertising

Amazon's advertising options can significantly boost your visibility in international markets. Utilize Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads to reach more customers.

Targeting Strategies

Develop targeting strategies tailored to each market. Use automatic targeting to gather data on what works best, then refine your campaigns with manual targeting. Consider using local influencers or popular keywords to enhance your ad performance.

Managing Customer Reviews and Feedback

Customer reviews and feedback are crucial for building credibility and trust, especially in new markets.

Encouraging Positive Reviews

Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Follow up with a polite request after purchase, and consider offering incentives like discounts on future purchases.

Handling Negative Feedback

Address negative feedback promptly and professionally. Resolve issues to improve customer satisfaction and demonstrate your commitment to quality service.

Using Amazon FBA Tools and Analytics

Amazon provides various tools and analytics to help sellers optimize their listings. Tools like Amazon Brand Analytics, Seller Central Reports, and third-party tools like Jungle Scout and Helium 10 can offer valuable insights into market trends, customer behavior, and listing performance.

Regular Monitoring and Adjustments

Regularly monitor your listing performance and make necessary adjustments. Analyze your sales data, customer feedback, and competitor performance to continuously improve your listings.

Expanding to New Markets

Once you have successfully optimized your listings in one international market, consider expanding to others. Use the insights and strategies you have gained to enter new markets more effectively.

Market Research

Conduct thorough market research before entering a new international market. Understand local regulations, customer preferences, and market dynamics to tailor your approach accordingly.

Scaling Operations

Ensure your supply chain and logistics can support the expansion. Utilize Amazon's global fulfillment network to streamline operations and deliver a consistent customer experience across markets.
By implementing these strategies, you can optimize your Amazon FBA listings for international marketplaces, increasing your visibility, enhancing customer engagement, and driving more sales.
Utilizing Amazon Seller Tools
Jungle Scout is a comprehensive tool that can greatly assist with the best practices for packaging and labeling products for Amazon FBA. It offers features that help ensure your products meet Amazon's strict guidelines. With this software, you can research successful competitors to understand how they package and label their products, ensuring compliance and enhancing your products' appeal.
The tool's data-driven insights can help you select appropriate packaging materials that protect your products during transit, reducing the risk of damage and returns. Additionally, it can guide you in designing labels that are both compliant with Amazon's requirements and visually appealing to customers. This includes ensuring that barcodes are correctly placed and scannable, and that all necessary information, such as product weight and dimensions, is accurately included.
Using the Amazon tool's inventory management features, you can also track your packaging and labeling supplies, ensuring you never run out and can maintain consistent quality. This proactive approach helps you avoid delays and maintains a smooth fulfillment process, ultimately leading to higher customer satisfaction and better reviews.
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Hey KS - As the title states have the below two knives for sale. Payment via PayPal G&S. Shipping included in CONUS.

1. Spyderco Techno 1, excellent condition with box and paperwork. Original edge, smooth action and centering. Bought off the swap, never carried by me. Light snail marks on blasted Ti scales as you’d expect from handling/desk duty No issues or marks on blade.

Price: $210 shipped

1. PM2 Crucarta Cruwear blade. Bought new by me and has never been carried or used. Desk fidget but not so much that the blade has even picked up any tarnish. Keen sharp edge, good centering and lockup, slight bit of lock stick. Scales are pristine. Comes with box and paperwork.

Price: $165 shipped
Pictures and timestamp Video

Originally purchased from Fellow in October 2022. Still works perfectly and the exterior is in good condition; just minor wear and tear but nothing you wouldn't expect.
Used daily for one or two cups of filter coffee. Selling because I primarily drink espresso now, and my DF64 manages fine for the odd cup of filter coffee.
I'm not willing to sell the burrs separately as I bought them preinstalled on the Ode and have no other burrs for it.
Asking $200 cash. And local sale only right now; pick up in San Francisco.
https://imgur.com/a/66SlCOp

My spouse (42f) and I (42m) have known each other since we were eight. Our families grew up together. Her brothers were like my brothers. We were married.at 25 after a year of dating. (When you've known someone that long, you don't have to spend much time getting to know them.)
We both didn't want kids and that was a foundational part of our relationsship until about seven years in when she decided if she didn't have a child she was missing out on a key part of life. We went back and forth for a while and I finally agreed. First kid was born in year 10 of our marriage. It was during that time I decided it was time to address my ADHD and depression so I'd be a better dad.
By the time the child was four my spouse decided she wanted another child because our child needed as sibling and she wanted to have that experience again. The pregnancy and birth were hard and we both said and did not great things. Now that child is 1.5 years old and eldest is 6.5.
After 16 years and many ups and downs, rounds of therapy, counseling, and trying many new things, I've been informed by my partner that she can't be my person. She loves me, has affection for me, thinks I'm a great dad, and I'm finally the man she knew I could be, but too much has happened.
We both knew the connection was broken after the youngest was born. I've tried everything I can to rebuild since then. There's been no physical abuse, cheating, substance abuse the entire marriage. There hasn't even been any yelling. Just intense conversations filled with misunderstanding, avoidance, and silence. I'd still work on it if for nothing else to make a secure home for our kids, and save our home which we bought ten years ago and refinanced in 2021 with a less than 3% interest rate.
We've both changed and improved through separate therapy. Our communication is better. She's said there's no new trauma since our son was born, but she's no longer in love with me and all my trying has done is shown her that she's truly not interested.
I'm sad but I get it. I feared this was coming ever since the near miss and I grieved a lot during that time while we were separated. This was still a raw blow. I've cried but I haven't grieved. I feel like I already did that. There's also an odd sense of closure since I no longer have to live in fear of the news coming or wondering if what I'm doing is enough. It turns out for her it was over back then. She's just been in denial until the day before yesterday. She says she's sure and I believe her. She wants to coparent with me. She wants to be my friend. She thinks we can pull this off without a lengthy and expensive legal process and wants to explore an uncontested divorce.
I told her I disagreed that I thought saving this was impossible but that I would not fight her. I get that what was is over and if I'm honest, I've felt like I've been chasing a kind but disinterested stranger hoping something would happen. I know I need to let her go. We both work. We don't make that much money even together. I make slightly more. Our home is worth way more than the mortgage and we have small but separate retirements set up. She doesn't want the house and I don't want to live here alone. It's too much house for one and she's right, there's a lot of sadness here, so selling the house will probably not be an issue, although the house does need a lot of work to get ready for sale.
Are we delusional in thinking we can dissolve things amicably? I know she will do what's right by the kids and she's seen what ugly divorces can do to kids through other family members. I do believe she won't try to screw me and she vows she'll never disparage me to the kids. I believe her but I also know divorce is the ugliest thing two people can go through, even well meaning people. If you went through an "amicable" or "uncontested" divorce, I could really use some advice. I want what's best for her because I do love her and I believe what's best for her will be what's best for the kids, but I also know that I have to do what's best for me so I can be what's best for the kids as well, and no one is going to do that for me but me.
Thank you for your time. I'm sorry you're taking this journey as well and I'm hopeful there are better things ahead for each of you.

I'm not a professional, so please correct any errors.

1. Currently, Faraday's total outstanding shares are 434.30 million (source).
2. Let's assume the short interest on the 15th is accurate (11,990,000 shares, source).
3. I will sum up the shorted shares from the 16th onwards, totaling 1,324,783,247 shares (source).
4. We don't know how many of these 1.3 billion shares have been covered, so let's calculate using both 95% and 90% coverage scenarios:(1,324,783,247+11,990,000)×5%/434.30m≈15.39%(1,324,783,247 + 11,990,000) \times 5\% / 434.30m ≈ 15.39\%(1,324,783,247+11,990,000)×5%/434.30m≈15.39%(1,324,783,247+11,990,000)×10%/434.30m≈30.78%(1,324,783,247 + 11,990,000) \times 10\% / 434.30m ≈ 30.78\%(1,324,783,247+11,990,000)×10%/434.30m≈30.78%

If the short interest rate is 30.78%, then it is within the range for a potential short squeeze. So the question arises, if hedge funds only have a small amount of uncovered shares (10 million shares on May 15th), why not exit rather than attacking us with 1.3 billion shorted shares over the past two weeks? There could be two reasons:

1. They believe the shorting profit will be very high, thinking FFIE will inevitably be delisted.
2. They actually have a large number of uncovered shares from two weeks ago, and covering them would result in significant losses, so they continue shorting.

When I tried to calculate the coverage ratio, I found something interesting: the short volume on May 14 was 520 million shares, while the stock price soared. According to the data, from April 30 to May 15, there were only 10 million shares uncovered, which seems unlikely. If shorts covered on May 14 during a price surge, there would be huge losses.
Therefore, I believe hedge funds have a large number of uncovered shares, and the short interest rate could likely be 40% or higher.

I'm blown away by how this industry has exploded in scope (and advertising)
But the mark-up on fitness supplements can be massive
I'd like to hear about how people get good deals on price and quality and quantity; as some of these King's Birthday weekend sales still seem like giant rip-offs
Here's my strategies:

• Check NoWhey and WheyDeals for discounted products
• Quickly survey emails about sales and combo deals
• I have moved to repeat purchasing from NZProtein because the flavour is so much better than the NoWhey Pea/Vegan protein, plus they have powdered peanut butter and sugar free chocolate drops, and flavoured collagen options that seemingly no one else offers
• I have also started doing more bulk import orders from BulkSupplements in LasVegas as you can trigger free shipping at $150+ purchased (They have a lot of negative reviews that you can read, but my order was fast, clean and I was happy with the product)
• I use Reactiv as they offer single-ingredient options and the dude is very polite in emails

I'm not shilling for anyone/any site - just ... I recognise that this can all be so overwhelming because there's dozens of competing sites. I've purchased from NZMuscle, SprintFit, Scorpion, MyProtein, iHerb, Supplements . co, Sportsfuel, Xplosive, Xtreme ... and many more over the years.

The big claim behind the greedflation is that ... companies set their prices to maximize their profits. Isn't that a pretty basic shared understanding amongst everyone about how capitalism works?
It's not a useful way for understanding inflation. If companies increased their prices to increase profits, why didn't they do it before? Because previously that higher price point wasn't the most profitable. Why that is the case is the harder and more useful question to learn. The economic conditions must have changed to make this the be increase in price possible. Unless the claim is that companies weren't greedy before (a really naive take if you think about it).
Companies are always greedy. They are greedy when they increase prices, they are greedy when they decrease prices. Companies decrease prices to maximize their profits (encouraging people to buy from them instead of a competitor, or to get the profit from a sale of someone who can't afford a higher price).
Some goods fluctuate in price a lot due to supply and demand fluctuation like eggs or gas. It's obviously the companies trying to make money at any given point, not companies forgetting and then remembering to be greedy.
I've seen lots of people comment on big box stores cutting prices by saying that this "proves" the companies inflated their prices to be greedy ... which makes me wonder, did these people think in 2019 that companies set their prices altruistically??? Do they think companies have sales out of the goodness of their hearts?
Often times, companies raise prices because they have a limited supply of it so they want to sell all of to the richest X people who are willing to pay the higher price. This way they make more profit, which means among other things, they may be able to spend that money on alleviating production bottlenecks. Having a lower price just means that there will be a shortage, but less money for the company. YMMV if you think that is good or bad.

Hello,
I've started a POD etsy shop and was hoping to get a critique. For the critique, I'm looking for any help, especially when it comes to listing titles and tags.
About my shop I'm not a typical POD seller in that I illustrate all of my designs which I think sets me apart from other POD sellers. I started my shop so I can make use of my art and actually enjoy drawing rather than just posting on social media. I would eventually like to be profitable, but for now, I'm really focused on increasing visibility and engagement, both with my shop and my instagram. I'm still fairly new but have done quite a bit of research, including asking a few question on this subreddit.
My products are inspired by my love for plants and my love for drawing spooky things in a different style than some things I've seen. I just have a lot of ideas and wanted to bring them to life. To that end, I believe my target market is primarily Millenials & Gen Z who are quirky plant enthusiasts who also might like witchy, spooky things with some hints of mysticism (tarot, astrology, mythology.)
Although there are plenty of designs in this niche, I think I differentiate myself by my art style as well as the compositions and ideas I have. I currently have quite a few design ideas that I'm working on and sharing progress on instagram to increase engagement.
I've listened to quite a few etsy podcasts to improve my shop, focusing on tags & listing names, increasing listings, and working on engaging social media posts.
My sales haven't been great, although I've been supported by a few people I know which is great, but I'd like to branch out to people who don't know me. I did get one of my items favorited the other day which was promising. If I could get more items favorited, I'd be very happy with that.
I'd really like feedback for anything anyone will offer, but primarily I'd like to be critiqued on:

1. Listing names and tags
2. Listing photos

Please note, I know I need to add more listing photos. If there's any advice on how to make the process of creating them more quickly while still having accurate/engaging photos, I'd love some help with that. Currently, I've bought a few Photoshop templates, but it can still eat up a huge chunk of the day where I've been putting my focus into creating new illustrations and social media posts.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DoomAndBloomDesign?ref=dashboard-header
If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

I’m a recent graduate of art school and so I just lost my access to the art and animation programs I was using during my time there. Since CSP is compatible with photoshop stuff and has animation tools, I was thinking about upgrading my Pro 1.0 to an EX 2.0 or 3.0 depending on which has better tools for the price (if there’s not much difference between 2.0 and 3.0 I’m getting 2.0). My problem and question is, when reading online, it seems they expect you to upgrade twice, once to get to Pro 2.0, and then Pro 2.0 -> EX 2.0. If this is true, is this more cost effective then buying a whole new license and if not any ideas when the next sale will be? Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. A few months ago I made this post as an update to my residential cleaning business journey. Well, I've made the decision to put an end to that journey and shut the business down. This was not an easy decision to make. I noticed a lot of people got value out of the last post, so I felt compelled to make this final update.
To preface everything, one of the main reasons for me making my original post had to do with the fact that, generally speaking, when I saw content on the internet related to cleaning services it was very reductive of the difficulties that one actually faces when starting up a business. I won't deny that I was sold on this idea of "Create website + Put a business on Google LSA + Hire contractors = Big Moneys 🤑" I thought this would be a pretty simple come up, but I learned quickly that that's not the case. Below I'll talk about why I’m leaving, go over some common myths I see, and what my future plans are, and some other stuff.
I hope that this post reaches anyone interested in doing this business — not to deter you from doing it, but rather as a forewarning for what you may be getting into. (Hint: It's not sitting on your ass all day while contractors and VAs do the work for you.) I think there’s a lot of value in learning from other people’s experiences and mistakes, and please remember that this is just my personal experience — results may vary.

Why did I start a cleaning business in the first place? Why am I leaving now?

Truthfully, I had dreams of achieving “financial freedom” and living the good life. I wanted to build "passive income" while enjoying a relaxed life, living where I wanted to, driving what I wanted to, and ultimately doing what I wanted to. In the guru space, the cleaning business is sold with these dreams in mind, and I genuinely believed that it was the path that I was headed down. It was only a matter of time and hard work. Looking back now, I realize these reasons were a bit superficial. Not necessarily in and of themselves, but as a premise for getting into this business. This led to me realizing something really important, that is probably the underlying lesson learned: If you don’t have passion or genuine interest, you will probably burn out. If you don’t burn out, then honestly more power to you. For me, I reached a point where I had to ask myself if this was what I really wanted to do. If, for potentially the next 5-10 years, I would be happy and fulfilled with this pursuit. As you now know, the answer was no.
Now, I definitely consider myself entrepreneurial and I love business — it energizes me, it’s one of the few things I find truly engaging and get excited about. But one of the main reasons I’m shutting down is that I have zero passion for this business at all. I actually did some cleanings myself in order to learn what was going down, and I absolutely hated it. I went out and put flyers on mailboxes and hated it. I hated talking about my business to people. I hated being the little guy on the block while the franchises and the 300+ five star review businesses were booming with business. I don’t think many people talk about this, but getting over this curve at the very beginning is really tough. Not just in a business sense but also psychologically — you’re really grinding from the ground up. I also have zero connections in the area, so I couldn’t really ask around for referrals to build upon. So yeah. I knew all of this at first, and I thought I’d be able to toughen through it. But again, I think it comes back down to the lack of passion that I had. I didn’t have it in me to push through, probably because deep down I didn’t really want to. And I think that’s okay. You’re allowed to not like stuff. I'm still happy that I went and did it instead of always having wondered “What if?” There were a lot of good lessons learned from this experience.

Grievances

Now, I want to dive into some of the specifics. Particularly, I want to debunk some of the things I hear and don’t hear from content creators, gurus, and people on the internet.

1. The Contractor Model & Getting Employees

This: I genuinely don't understand how people get away with doing this. When I started off I used contractors and found it VERY difficult to control the quality of work, as well as ensure what would actually be done during the cleaning, whilst maintaining a legal relationship with contractors. As I'm sure most of you know, you can't provide training or anything like that to contractors, and it's a bit harder to hold them accountable. If you see my last post you'll see some of my horror stories from the beginning (stealing cash, messing up cleanings), and in the end there wasn't much I could do about it. I decided to work with some part-time employees, but this honestly opened up a whole new world of problems to be solved. Getting supplies, where to store supplies, learning about the chemicals, training the cleaners, what exactly to include in cleanings, getting payroll stuff set up, managing the cleaners, etc. to name a few. Keep in mind that prior to this I had no experience with actual cleaning outside of cleaning my own home. So I knew there was a mountain of learning ahead of me. Which is fine, that’s how starting a business is. Except for one thing: this technically wasn’t “part of the original deal.” I was just supposed to do business stuff, and let the cleaners clean. The majority of online guru advice you see just simplifies this into “hiring contractors,” or even to take it further it’s just a matter of “getting good employees.” There’s actually so much more that comes with it though. This was one of the biggest factors in me deciding to stop the business, again tying it back to the lack of passion. When it came down to me actually learning the cleaning stuff, I hated it. So keep this in mind. If you do want to go the employee route, you might have to get into the trenches yourself, and you might find out that you do not actually like it. Again, a lot of these internet personalities claim to use contractors and have really successful businesses. I mean I guess it technically is possible, but I felt really anxious about not having quality control over what’s going on, and having that lack of security. There’s really nothing stopping a contractor from fucking you over. I know it’s the same with employee, but it still feels a little different by principle. Dunno. If it’s really working for them and anyone else, more power to them. The employees that I did have were great, but they were family friends so it came with a bit of strings attached and there were just some nuances that I won’t get in to.

1. The Intimate Nature of the Business

This is something I rarely hear talked about online. This is relevant to both the business aspect and the cleaning aspect of things. From a business side, it’s actually kind of hard to convince people to let complete strangers come in to their houses. I know it seems intuitive but again, I never hear it mentioned. Pair it with the fact that you’re a newer business with <20 reviews and you’re going up against long time businesses: Who do you think people are going to choose? Who would you choose to clean your house? I’m definitely not saying you can’t build your reputation up, but it takes a lot of work and grit. It’s not just “Slap your business on Google LSA and your phone will ring off the hook!” From a cleaning side, it is soooo much different cleanin in someone else’s home than cleaning your own home. I hear people say all the time how “they love to clean” and what not. I like to clean too, my space is pretty well kept. But when you go into someone else’s space and you have to get up close and personal with their mess, with their problems, with their own life, it’s really a different experience. Maybe some people don’t feel this way but this was a huge problem I had. It’s pretty difficult psychologically. Granted, I had one really, really bad experience with this but I’ll save it since this post is going to be pretty long as it is. (If you want to hear just lmk in the comments.)

1. Dealing with People

This isn’t really addressed by the guru’s. Dealing with people is not always that easy. Everyone has their own preferences, they want extra this, extra that, discount this, add on that, etc. It’s not always going to be that you have a good client that’s straightforward, wants to book, and goes through with that booking. Again, it seems pretty obvious, but it’s rarely mentioned. If you’re not that comfortable with sales and talking to the variety of personalities that the world has to offer, this might be something that’s difficult to deal with.

1. Being a Solopreneur

Not directly related to the residential cleaning business, but it is tough doing this on your own. For context, I’ve had a couple of ventures in the past that I did with friends that didn’t end up working out, but I always carried this sentiment with me that I could run a business on my own, and that I would do it more efficiently, it would be easier, etc. I can’t stress how difficult it is when you’re liable for everything that’s going on, and you have no one to help. It sucks. I’m glad that I learned this lesson, but damn my respects to solopreneurs out there, you have to be really mentally tough for this.

Final Numbers

I’m not going to go into much depth with this. I did a little spreadsheet last post but tbh I don’t really feel like it this time (sorry). We ultimately did $4.3k in revenue, and around $5k in expenses, including maybe like $1-2k of my own money that I sank into this. Honestly not a huge loss considering how much some people invest into their businesses from the jump. I’d say it was money well spent considering the lessons I learned. I will say this: If you do start something like this, don’t listen to the guru’s that say “You need this booking software! This accounting software! Etc! Etc!” I honestly sunk a lot of money into that stuff, and in hindsight I probably could have gone this whole time without it. Yes, it’s nice when you do have it, but it’s not really worth the cost when you don’t have much volume to start with. I think I had the idea in my head that I was going to be booming with business so I needed to “be prepared.” Honestly, take care of the absolute necessary’s first (LLC if you want, insurance, bonding) and get the extra stuff once it actually makes sense.

Consider your background

I think this is important to touch upon. There’s a narrative that I see that goes something like this: "Degrees are worthless, plumbers, electricians, lawn care owners make six-figures. You should do the same!” And then I guess presumably you are supposed to hear this and follow a similar path. As you know, I kind of fell into this narrative. I figured cleaning can make good money, the numbers made sense, so why couldn't I do it? Let me say something really quickly though. You might not be cut out for this kind of thing. I definitely wasn’t. I’m going to be honest, I don’t come from riches but I do come from middle class: solid upbringing, good university, parents got me a car in high school, you know the vibes. I usually had to work jobs to support myself, but I had a cushion to land on if it really came down to it.
Now, let’s think about the demographic that ends up doing these harder, boots-on-the-ground, laborious jobs: e.g. Plumber, electrician, lawn care, house cleaning, (I’ll just refer to them as “blue collar” jobs for the sake of brevity). Oftentimes, it’s not people that end up with business or accounting degrees, or even get the opportunity to pursue higher education or whatever. Not that that's a bad thing, but it's just what it is (or what I've noticed at least).
Like we established, I do come from the latter category, and as we know, I (and I’m now seeing many others online) tried to do a little segway into the former category.
I say all this to say, that you need to think long and hard about if you’re actually cut out for this. Because blue collar work is no joke, and if you think you’re just going to waltz in and play Mr. Capitalist and rake in a bunch of money while others do the tough work, you should reconsider what happens when it comes time for you to step in and get your hands dirty. For anyone that doesn’t actually know, cleaning a house is hard asf. If you’re considering going into this business, I encourage you to try deep cleaning a house that isn’t yours. You’ll see. This whole section might be personally anecdotal, and I hope that this doesn’t come off as patronizing, but I see a lot of people similar to me thinking that they can just follow the magic formula presented online, not realizing that they're entering a whole different world. After all this, I have even more respect for people that do blue collar work, boots on the ground, every day. It’s a grind that a lot of people will never know or understand.

So what’s next?

It’s definitely bittersweet leaving the business. Despite not going on for long, I put a lot into it; it’s pretty much everything I thought about for the last few months. I had a lot of hopes and expectations for this to not only work out, but I also thought I was going to become rich af lol 😂 I’m not saying it’s not possible, but please be wary that you will not get rich quick. At least not without being unethical in some shape or form. Up until now I’ve only really done small businesses for work. It’s provided a ton of unique experiences and lessons that were priceless and that I’m extremely grateful for, but it’s been extremely exhausting and stressful doing this for the past few years. I’m still pretty young, and I think that after learning everything I have, I’m ready to try to segway into some career of sorts. I’m looking heavily into a sales career (maybe tech). I think it would be really nice to hone in on one particular skill (rather than try to manage ten things at once), and I like how transferable sales is, in case one day I do decide I want to come back and try my hand at another business. I’m sure this isn’t the end of my entrepreneurial journey.
Anyway, if you made it this far, thank you so much! I know this was kind of a long post but I wanted to get everything off my chest and get some closure with the business. I genuinely do hope that this provides some value and insight to someone. I get a lot of my own information from people’s stories on Reddit and conversations with them, so I hope I can return the favor. I look forward to your questions and discussions in the comments, and let me know if I can help you out in any way! Best of luck to everyone and their own pursuits :)

Client: Sarah’s Furniture Store
Challenge: Despite having beautiful furniture, Sarah’s store was hidden online and struggling with low sales and minimal foot traffic.
Solution: Sarah decided to hire experts to boost her online presence using Google Business Profile SEO.
Approach:
Profile Makeover: The team revamped Sarah's Google Business Profile with high-quality photos of her stunning furniture, accurate store hours, and lively posts about new arrivals and special sales.
Local SEO Magic: They optimized keywords and encouraged happy customers to leave glowing reviews, making sure Sarah’s store topped local search results.
Results:
Top Search Rankings: Within a week, Sarah’s store appeared at the top of local search results.
Increased Foot Traffic: New customers started visiting, mentioning they found her store on Google.
Sales Boom: Sales jumped by 35% in just one month.
Outcome:
Sarah’s furniture store transformed from a quiet shop into a bustling hotspot. The inviting photos and regular updates attracted new customers every day. With the help of Google Business Profile SEO, Sarah’s business is now thriving and lively.
Conclusion:
This success story shows how powerful a well-optimized Google Business Profile can be. Sarah’s experience proves that with the right SEO strategy, any business can achieve real-world success.
Note: I Help Furniture And Interior Businesses To Develop Their Websites And Improve Seo & Google Ads To Increase Sales. Drop message for project.

Hi Everyone , got some Wolverine Codes ready for sale.

• Wolverine 40
• Wolverine 45
• Wolverine 46
• Wolverine 47
• Wolverine 48
• Wolverine 49

Each of the above for 0.80 £

• Wolverine 50

Last issue of the series for 1.50 £
I have the codes as well for 41-44 and a few before 40 where the codes have been received by email , haven't been used but are past time limit.

So I have most of the nintendo consoles and I have the ps 3,4, and 5, and also a steam deck. I pride myself in being able to play probably 99% of games available. Vr games have long been somthing I wanted but there just weren't enough games to convince me. Seeing the new state of play made me look it back up and I was surprised to find out that they play different games. I'm considering getting both but starting off with the 1. What games I can play make a big deal to me. I don't want to spend the money if I can only play a couple games that interest me. So far I would want to play re7, ASTRO bot, iron man and skyrim on the psvr 1. I believe those are all excluded from the 2... on the 2 I would want re8, re4, gt7, horizon, plus the new game from the state of play. These titles are barely enough to convince me. I am tempted by the psvr refurbished price of $80. Maybe refurbished is a bad idea? $400-500 for the 2 is kinda scary. Is there good sale times? I would definitely use cinamatic mode which I think is only for the 2? Any way... please convince me! Also my internet is garbage so if vr requires good internet then that's a deal breaker. I run all my downloads from my mobile Hotspot. It's enough to download games and updates though it takes a long time.

I don't know man, this never used to happen before, my area is sector 45 and it's been a shit hole since past 1 week. Every day they cut the power for like 6 hours straight, give us the minimum oxygen for couple of hours and then boom, gone again.
This state owned lethargic corporation has babu's who have no clue what to do. If the surge in power was expected then why the F they didn't plan it? We pay taxes for what? The people in gated colonies are sorted but what about those who aren't?
We fucking pay for our electricity and infra but these guys never ever take us seriously. Now if the government privatises the corporation like Delhi did with its companies tab yeh sale road pe aa jayenge protest karne but kaam inko ghanta nai karna. Shameless utter shameless people.
Students, kids, working class people and elders, it's killing us but these incompetent sarkari lala Babu will never address the issues. I know this post won't make any difference but if we have to live like this in 2024 then God save my country because if bare minimum isn't provided in the smart city, ghanta koi development nai ho rhi.
F#k this shit.

Hello, I recently purchased my first bike, a 2019 Honda CRF250L Rally. Now I could use some help and insight on the proper gear for me. With the bike being a dual sport, I will be doing a mix of on and offroad. Trails would likely be at least 15 miles from my house so I need gear that can offer best of both worlds ideally?
I have made a gear list on Revzilla but it is just super confusing trying to find gear that offers good protection and not just paying huge money for brand name. The guy that I bought the bike from threw in a Gmax 64s helmet, but in the future I will likely get a Bell MX-9 Adventure Mips.

Should I order this gear or go with anything else? Also, should I go with a different pair of boots? I want something that offers good crush protection and still comfortable but $340 is quite a bit. Any better options? The jacket and pants include CE Level 2 armor. Would this likely be enough for trail riding for just this year? Or would it be best if I got a Vest that covered everything and buy the Leatt Shin guard right away? Any recommendations? 

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you for your help!
Gear List ▪︎Sedici Alexi 2 Mesh Jacket. $229.99 ▪︎Sedici Alexi 2 Mesh Pants. $169.99 ▪︎Alpinestars Men's Tech 7 boots. $342.10-(Amazon). On sale. ▪︎Joe Rocket Super Moto Gloves $54.99 ▪︎Klim Tactical Shorts $119.99
Future Gear- Bell MX-9 Adventure Mips $149.99 Leatt Dual Axis Knee/Shin Guards $99.99 ? Icon Stryker Vest ? $130

Hello, I recently purchased my first bike, a 2019 Honda CRF250L Rally. Now I could use some help and insight on the proper gear for me. With the bike being a dual sport, I will be doing a mix of on and offroad. Trails would likely be at least 15 miles from my house so I need gear that can offer best of both worlds ideally?
I have made a gear list on Revzilla but it is just super confusing trying to find gear that offers good protection and not just paying huge money for brand name. The guy that I bought the bike from threw in a Gmax 64s helmet, but in the future I will likely get a Bell MX-9 Adventure Mips.

Should I order this gear or go with anything else? Also, should I go with a different pair of boots? I want something that offers good crush protection and still comfortable but $340 is quite a bit. Any better options? The jacket and pants include CE Level 2 armor. Would this likely be enough for trail riding for just this year? Or would it be best if I got a Vest that covered everything and buy the Leatt Shin guard right away? Any recommendations? 

If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you for your help!
Gear List ▪︎Sedici Alexi 2 Mesh Jacket. $229.99 ▪︎Sedici Alexi 2 Mesh Pants. $169.99 ▪︎Alpinestars Men's Tech 7 boots. $342.10-(Amazon). On sale. ▪︎Joe Rocket Super Moto Gloves $54.99 ▪︎Klim Tactical Shorts $119.99
Future Gear- Bell MX-9 Adventure Mips $149.99 Leatt Dual Axis Knee/Shin Guards $99.99 ? Icon Stryker Vest ? $130

Bass pro is having a sale on a Minelab Pro-find 35 pinpointer for $99. Is it any good or what do people use for something around that price.

Hi all! I have been outbid on multiple (very competitive) offers. I have tried increasing EM, appraisal waiver up to x amount, offering way over asking price, but my realtor believes the issue is our home sale contingency. I have no doubts that my house will sell. We listed last year and had a much over asking offer within 1 day but due to medical emergency did not end up moving forward. Now that we are ready to move this year, we want to move quickly but our down payment is all tied up in the equity in our current place.
I started reading through these forums and doing research and see that some people are taking a HELOC to help with this. I already talked to my lender I received the primary mortgage preapproval with and he ran the #s and validated we can still qualify with carrying all 3 mortgages. My question is - is this a good idea and if so who are the best lenders for HELOC? Ideally one that you don’t pay on until you draw from it. I’m hoping that between offer acceptance and closing for the new place, we can sell our current place quickly and might not even need to use the HELOC but I’m thinking to have it there as a cushion so we can at least remove this contingency and make our offers more competitive.
Any advice is appreciated.