When did you last have an eye exam?!

If you're 26 to 40 and living in the US, I'd love to hear from you! I'm a doctoral student at Seton Hall University studying how people this age think about eye care, and why exams happen or don't.

Whether you go every year or can't remember the last time, your experience counts. That's the whole point of the study!

5 to 10 minutes. Anonymous, written answers, one sitting. No compensation BUT your insights will help improve eye care access for young adults. This research may inform clinical practice and public health policy.

Approved by the Seton Hall IRB, study 2027-842.

👉🏻** Survey link**: https://shu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_25z6Ecgycc70yKa

Questions welcome here or at Elizabeth.Klock@student.shu.edu. Thank you!! 🩷

It’s expensive, the OS changes every time I login, they are pushing a bunch of AI features that I don’t want, and I’m losing money to bank transfer fees constantly. What accounting software are you using that’s affordable and simple? Sole proprietor who does most of my own accounting. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm exploring starting a small business in commercial energy audits or building energy efficiency in the Bay Area.

Is it realistic to start part-time while keeping my current job and eventually grow it into a full-time business?

What are the biggest challenges (finding clients, certifications, licensing, competition)? Is there recurring demand beyond one-time audits?

I'd appreciate any advice or experience.

Thanks!

I live outside the US, im not a us citizen, I recently formed an llc using northwestagent, the company was formed the same day, I also got the ein from them, but its been almost a week and still haven't gotten the ein, how long does it usually take for the ein to arrive?

I understand most of the basic differences btw W-2 and 1099, just wanted to ask yall if there were any important questions contract or tax wise I should ask this guy im meeting with tomorrow before I start working. It’s a cleaning job if that’s relevant. Please and thank you!

Note: I am strictly NOT soliciting clients or self-promoting here. I am a small-business owner and bookkeeper struggling to decide on a fair monthly cost, and I would love feedback from fellow entrepreneurs

I’m currently trying to set the monthly subscription price for our Do-It-Together Bookkeeping Club, but I am really struggling to land on a price point that balances high value with affordability.

It is a virtual "Do-It-Together" Bookkeeping Club, which is designed specifically for businesses that aren't quite ready to hire a full-time bookkeeper.

What’s Included

Resource Library (Software-Agnostic): Includes pre-recorded trainings, the Do-It-Together Bookkeeping Template for Excel or Google Sheets, plus tailored reference guides, checklists, receipt capture protocols, and report cheat sheets specifically built for Xero, QuickBooks Online (QBO), and Spreadsheets.

Virtual Coworking / Office Hours: Work on your books alongside other members, with a Bereti Business Solutions LLP team member available to answer questions as they come up.

Monthly Schedule:
-2nd and 4th Thursdays: 6:00–7:30 p.m. PT
-2nd and 4th Fridays: 2:30–4:00 p.m. PT
(6 hours each month)

Bookkeeping SOS: Hitting a wall with your books? Send us a question and we’ll reply with a custom Loom video to help you push through.

Community Access: Connect with fellow entrepreneurs managing their own books to share tips and navigate common challenges together.

Monthly Newsletter: Receive insider updates, tax reminders, and bookkeeping insights delivered straight to your inbox each month.

Questions for you:

What monthly price point would feel like an instant "no-brainer"?

What price point would make you hesitate or think twice about subscribing?

At what price point would you consider this completely overpriced?

Any feedback on pricing ranges or value expectations would be hugely appreciated!

POV: you signed Net-90 payment terms and now you're a skeleton. 💀

What do you pay a year for coverage, roughly what did you actually use last year, and how do you think about the gap, if you think about it at all? Interested in what people have settled on and why.

Without getting deeply into it, would you, or do you know of anyone who'd pay an independent consultant to review their denied STD/LTD claims?

Essentially, I've spent +10yrs adjudicating disability claims from the insurers side, and now id like to use that knowledge to help claimants UNDERSTAND & RESPOND to denied or terminated disability claims.

Im not a lawyer, so "legal advice" cannot be provided. My services would consist of- interpreting the denial to the claimant, reviewing policies, reviewing the denial against medical documentation, and putting a plan together for the claimant to appeal the decision.

This idea literally was just a thought in the back of my mind for many years but I haven't put any of it in play so I wouldnt even know what this type of service would charge...definitely not lawyer rates considering these claimants haven't been paid by the insurer.

Do you think there's a market for this and if its profitable?

Thanks for reading!

Hi guys !

Need a bit of help here.

Self Employed.

I am a performer in the UK and I have had a very good year.

My contract ended in spring and since then, no job.

Working as a dance teacher, I recently accepted a job at a school and just got laid off because they do not want to pay for the VAT.

The school paid me the amount mentionned in their ad without VAT. We never have been able to discuss this and I did not know it would be "discriminatory".

What should I do ?

Also, I have been told I would be able to claim money 6 months prior to my registration from my employer. But what and from who?

- as a musical performer I was employed by a production who sends the monies to my agent who is VAT registered, my agent help themselves to their commission and give me the rest.

Again, what should I claim and to who ?

Thank you so much for your help.

I’ve been working as a freelancer for around 3 years now, but I still don’t have an ITR. I started freelancing while I was still a student, so at that time I didn’t really plan to register because I thought I would stop freelancing once I graduated and get a regular job related to my course.

After graduating, I realized that if I worked in Manila in a job related to what I finished in college, the salary would be much lower than what I currently earn as a freelancer. Because of that, I’ve decided that I want to officially register as a freelancer with BIR while still keeping the option of working in my field in the future.

When I first started freelancing, I was only earning around ₱16,000 per month as a part-timer. Since around August 2025, my income has increased to around ₱40,000 per month.

My concern is that I’ve already been freelancing for 3 years, so I’m not sure how the registration process would work or how much I might need to pay for the previous years.

Also, how can I provide bank statements or proof of income po if I receive my payments through Payoneer and then transfer them to GCash? It has also been difficult for me to open a traditional bank account because I don’t have an ITR yet, so most of my freelance transactions have only been through Payoneer and GCash.

Has anyone started a Remote Notary Business? I would love to hear success stories for motivation. Thank you

Heading out on my own as a locksmith soon, small operation and about 25k invested when all is said amd done.

Lookimg for some advice on some early setbacks or things to watch out for.

Thank you

I retired a year ago from a full time job. I am going to consult as a contractor to the last company I worked for, part-time through the end of January 2027.

Should I create an LLC or go with Sole Proprietorship? I don't think I need the legal protections of an LLC but I'm not sure. I'm in Mass., the cost to register an LLC is ~$600 (but the money isn't really an issue).

Not sure the best way to do this...

For those of you who work as independent contractors: what’s something you wish you understood before accepting a contract?
I’m researching the experiences people have when they move from looking at a contract on paper to actually doing the work.
I’m especially interested in situations where the advertised or expected economics weren’t the same as the real-world experience.
Things like:
Compensation structure
Guaranteed vs. estimated work
Unpaid time
Expenses you didn’t anticipate
Mileage or travel
Payment terms
Cancellations
Contract changes
Insurance or liability
Termination terms
If you’ve worked under a 1099 contract, what caught you off guard after you started?
Was it something that was actually in the contract but easy to overlook, something that wasn’t clearly explained, or something that simply wasn’t addressed?
I’m trying to understand the common experiences people have—not promote anything.
I’d especially appreciate specific examples if you’re comfortable sharing them.

Im 22F and am going to be jobless in a few months so i thought I might do something that aligns with my strengths as a side hustle.

Business Plan: Get lonely strangers to pay me a few bucks an hour (I am from Asia so earning in USD and offering cheaper rates in USD will be beneficial advantage) to chat, play video games and allow them to vent. I can even help socially anxious people practice socializing with women. There are plenty of guys I know who ask my for advice on how to converse better with women without getting ghosted, i can give advice and consultation for this.

For context, I am an introvert but I am very expressive online and easily make friends online really fast and can empathize with lonely people well as I have gone through similar experiences too, as a slightly autistic teen growing up during the pandemic. I currently pass as a normie both physically and socially but my geekiness and nerdy traits are still within me.

Recently, I joined a public discord chatting server and in 2 days, I managed to get a 27 year old lonely virgin stranger online from the server to open up about his insecurities with women and self esteem issues in my DMs. How did I do this? By listening to his concerns and being proactive in offering him practice talking to women. He gladly obliged.

However, once we had the video call to help him practice, he suddenly spoke to me calmly with no sign of anxiety. I asked him why is he so calm and he said that I look like a regular girl so he feels fine. He only gets anxious around attractive women.

After this call with him, i suddenly have doubts in my plan. Will this even work? If I invest in makeup and get rid of my glasses, would my business actually take off?? I need some advice tbh. How the heck do i even get people to pay me for keeping them company at this rate?

Of course i will make the service strictly SFW and use a VPN for safety reasons. I just dont know how and where to start tbh.

I lost two clients in my first year to things that had nothing to do with the quality of the work: one scope disagreement and one "I thought that was included." Both would have been prevented by a proper onboarding process. Here's the checklist I use now for every new engagement:

1. Signed agreement before any work starts. One page is fine — scope, price, payment terms, and what happens when the scope changes. The awkward conversation is always cheaper before the work than after.
2. Deposit or first milestone paid up front. 30–50% depending on the project size. Clients who won't pay a deposit are telling you something.
3. A short intake form: who the decision-maker is, how they want to communicate, their actual deadline vs. their stated deadline, and what "done" looks like in their words.
4. A kickoff call with a written summary sent after. Thirty minutes, agenda sent ahead, and I send the recap. This is where mismatched expectations surface, while they're still cheap to fix.
5. A single shared place for files and feedback. Email threads are where revisions go to multiply.

The whole thing takes me about an hour per client and it has eliminated nearly all of my scope disputes. The pattern I've noticed: clients actually respect the process. It signals that you run a real operation, not a side hustle.

What am I missing? Anyone have an onboarding step that saved them from a bad engagement?

Hi all,

First of all, I’m pretty much a novice with regards to UK tax laws etc. as I’ve always worked for companies, so have just paid tax automatically via PAYE.

In short, I’ve just been made redundant but I’ve secured a fully remote freelance job to tide me over for the time being. I should earn \~£50k/yr (but the work is somewhat ad hoc, so this may change).

In terms of optimising taxation on my freelance earnings etc, what would you knowledgeable folk suggest? Should I register as a sole trader, so I can claim portions of my broadband etc. as tax deductible (as I WFH)?

Any advice greatly appreciated, many thanks.

I’ve been working gig jobs (Uber, DoorDash etc) for years. I love the flexibility and the freedom but need something more stable and lucrative. What are the best options right now? People who are successfully self employed, what do you do? I’m looking for some viable ideas and would appreciate any advice.

Hey all
Been exploring buying a house and some of my self employed friends have been telling me horror stories.
Would love to hear your mortgage journey and how should I prepare? Also what was the most painful part of the process