this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2025
34 points (100.0% liked)

No Stupid Questions

3395 readers
27 users here now

There is no such thing as a Stupid Question!

Don't be embarrassed of your curiosity; everyone has questions that they may feel uncomfortable asking certain people, so this place gives you a nice area not to be judged about asking it. Everyone here is willing to help.


Reminder that the rules for lemmy.ca still apply!


Thanks for reading all of this, even if you didn't read all of this, and your eye started somewhere else, have a watermelon slice 🍉.


founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I need some advice on making the psychological shift from being a business employee to a business owner. I started a couple of businesses five years ago, and I'm surviving as it is, but I'm right on the lower limit. I can feel that it's my own psychology that is holding me back. I don't struggle with the practical running of the business, my problem is feeling like an exploitative schmuck because I'm charging people money for stuff. I can push just enough to let myself survive, but after that I freeze. It's a big block for me, and I just can't seem to get past it on my own.

I know there are tons of business self-help books out there, but I don't have the time/money to sift through all of them to find the non-icky diamonds in the rough. And I figure there have to be at least a few people out there who have made this transition and faced the same problems. So:

  • Have you confronted this problem for yourself? How did you approach it?
  • Were there any resources you found helpful to wrap your head around the transition?
  • Do you have any experience with business coaches and/or associations, and were they helpful (ie. worth the money)?
  • Are there any Lemmy/Reddit/Discord/other groups you found supportive/helpful?

Thanks much in advance,

~Archie

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] sacredfire@programming.dev 9 points 1 month ago

How much is your time worth to you? If you have a business that you feel provides a worthwhile product and the amount you charge for that product does not provide the lifestyle you desire, either improve the product, accept a lower standard of living, or quit/change the business.

If you feel you could charge more but it would be “unfair”, don’t worry, no one will buy it unless you are doing something unethical, like a dishonest mechanic or a doctor who lies to trick people into procedures they don’t need or you have a monopoly on an essential need.

If that doesn’t describe you, then charge a fair price for your cost and time. It seems like you don’t value your product or your time and you are looking for a way to trick yourself into be ok with that?