Rant and rave

[funkilicous]

Just want to rant but is there no help for new business owners out there every time I ask a question on answers it gives me junk that has nothing to do with my question. I guess I just need a mentor but there's no mentor system in SL its seems like there attitude is towards established business that have a lot of $L. Im just a man at a computer that wants to start a businesses. Yes I'm not 30d old but I have as much right to start a business as anyone else and I have no where to turn for help. The equipment I bought don't work and I IM the maker over 28hrs ago no response. Forums blogs knowledge base are useless. I asked how to change prices on ad boards and the answer gave me how to change my avatars hair. Really....

OK sure ive made someone mad with my ranting but if anyone knows where a new business owner can get help or am I stuck hoping the creator or my equipment logs on?

 

                                                                           thanks and have an awesome day

                                                                                          Myk West

[Dilbert Dilweg]

Well As a Business owner in Sl I found that it takes money to make money. You need to market and advertise In world at places by renting their ad space. Start small and work your way up. Create a group for your business. Make friends. Be kind to every one.

Use search To advertise. Study how the system works and make it work for you..

Run Special Events and give away things/$L. Open your search and thumb thru the events and see what is going on and how and what others are doing. ... You have to get your name out there and it is going to take work... It just doesn't fall in your lap

You can find just about every answer in the wiki. Goto the wiki at http://wiki.secondlife.com

You Should have received a notecard with your adboards with instructions on how to operate them. There are hundreds of adboard systems and not everyone work the same. If you did not get instructions then you should consult the creator of the product you purchased . You can investigate the adboards by right clicking them and edit and see who the creator is or chose INSPECT to view creator as well.

Competition is fierce.

[Wilhiam Hydraconis]

 

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funkilicous wrote:

OK sure ive made someone mad with my ranting but if anyone knows where a new business owner can get help or am I stuck hoping the creator or my equipment logs on?

 

                                                                           thanks and have an awesome day

                                                                                          Myk West

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What you are asking (aside ranting) is other's time to help you. That's only given generously by those that are truly indifferent to making money and have time for you in limitless amounts.

Good luck on finding any of those.

What Dilbert said : Competition is fierce.

Have a great day yourself.

[Darkie Minotaur]

Try this sub-forum of the Commerce forum - this should help you finding help on how to do business and how to improve it. As  Wilhiam wrote, people my not be willing to explain business basics to you, but you certeinly will find ideas there.

If you have ideas you want to try but just don't know if  the right tools are somewhere out there, check here.

 

As far as your board problems are concerned, you may also find someone to help you in the first forum you mentioned - other may use the same product.

[Willow Danube]

Have you attended any of the inworld classes?

NCI and Caledon University both provide business classes for beginners. But I can give you one basic lesson that you will need : Be Patient!

Starting up from nothing with the least amount of  knowledge is the easiest thing you can do in SL. Making it work is another beast to handle. If you don't have the patience now, I have a feeling that you'll be coming back with more rants.

IMs may not always received by the creator especially when he gets more than 15 IMs a day. Try sending him a notecard instead. By the way, I had a problem with one of my items I bought before and it took the creator about 72 hours to reply. Good service is optional in Second Life I'm sure you'll encounter more in a few weeks time...

 

[PeterCanessa Oh]

The most important thing to remember when asking for help with something in SL is - it's all custom.  There's no point in asking "how does my ad-board work", for instance, because no-one will know WHICH ad-board it is.  Even specifying you're just hoping that someone happens to have the same system.  If you want actual technical-support for something they'd also have to know the internals of how it works, which isn't usually disclosed by whoever made it.  Final answer - if you haven't got instructions and can't contact the creator or whoever sold it to you, you're probably stuck.

As for help on starting a business: apart from the NCI (and other) classes, the Commerce forum is usually very helpful with questions, I'm suprised it hasn't been for you - did you actually ask?  The Answers is less (read NOT) useful and searching for any information is more or less pointless.  The biggest problems with Answers are it has the world's worst interface and that discussion is not allowed - just a quick answer.  The forums are, normally, the place to ask, chat and discuss.

Joined any business groups?  Have you asked them for mentor (I spent a couple of hours with someone recently explaining what they'd need for their business-idea)?  Have you advertised in the inworld-employment forum for someone to help you establish the business?  Have you got a product and, if so, have you taken advantage of the free newbie-stores at NCI (and probably others)?

The thing is, you rant (that's fine, we all need to sometimes) that something you bought doesn't work but you don't tell us a) which it is, b) in what way it "doesn't work", c) what you're actually trying to do, d) what you've already done, e) who else you are doing it with.  These things help us help you.

[Venus Petrov]

Feel better now?  Some people post questions that are vague or poorly worded and it takes a few exchanges to get to the heart of the matter so try to be as specific as possible with your questions.  Do not expect someone to give you a short course on starting your business unless you pay for their services.  Sometimes people post questions seemingly expecting an A > Z on a general topic.

Take the advice of several posters here already and once you have done as much groundwork yourself, frame some specific questions to get additional help.  Good luck!

[Peewee Musytari]

 

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funkilicous wrote:

Just want to rant but is there no help for new business owners out there every time I ask a question on answers it gives me junk that has nothing to do with my question.

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Your posting history doesn't show that you have asked ANY questions on answers & I have always found the people on there to go out of their way to help people, despite sometimes having to "guess" what it is that some people are actually asking due to vague or badly worded questions.

 

I have also never noticed any predudice towards new resident, since most questions are in fact posted by newbies. Perhaps it is not a case of getting the wrong answers, but more one of asking the wrong questions.

I hope you find the answers you seek.

*reply rant over*

[Qwalyphi Korpov]

The resident who provided the previous content, if any, has replaced it with this generic statement.

[Tiffy Vella]

I'd recommend a daily read of the merchant forum here, and in another well known SL forum (can I say that here?) to stay abreast of any current issues. Plus hunt out any blogs written by others who run businesses in SL as they can really be helpful. Inworld, join business related groups, and keep an eye on the group chat, as well as ask questions there. I find people to be really helpful in most groups, if you just ask and be patient.

My experience was to start simple and small, gradually add features to my business as it developed, and spend time developing networks rather than expend a lot on advertising. Others may differ

When it comes to the product you have issues with, try googling it to see if there has been any discussion elsewhere. Or perhaps they have a support site? Keep contacting the creator though..they may just be away in rl for a few days.

 

[Peewee Musytari]

 

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Qwalyphi Korpov wrote:

I think the OP is talking about asking a question

not

Posting a question.

Like when you go to

questions

answers and you type in the box. Stuff shows up below that looks like junk having nothing to do with your question.

Then if you give up on that and Post a question... then maybe people are nice and offer some help.

So that's my suggestion: POST A QUESTION

(also I agree that Answers should be called something else... cuz I always wanna call it Questions)

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If thats the case then I take back my mini rant, I thought he was dissing the people that try to help over there.

 

[Cabbage Acanthus]

I want to be sympathetic.  I honestly do.  But sorry, nope.  Knowing how to perform the basic functions of running a business here is a pre-requisite for running said business.  That knowledge comes with study and experience, both here and RL.  There is no getting around that.  If you want to run a successful business, then do your freaking homework and stop expecting others to run up and beg for the opportunity to hold your hand.

While it has been years since I was less than thirty days old here, I have always been able to find the information that I required to accomplish any project that I wished to undertake here.  When I've been stumped (which still happens) I have found that if I ask a reasonably phrased, clearly defined question I get an answer from a helpful fellow resident in startlingly short order.

While I do chafe at LL pawning off it's customer support on the goodwill of the residents here, the answers forum is a boon to those who can ask a proper question (one would think that isn't too much to ask but apparently it is beyond some folks).  I participate on those forums and from what I've seen, quality advice there in plenty for the asking.

I would be happy to mentor you though.  I will charge you what I charge people RL for my time and services.  IM me inworld for a quote and scope of work.  If you chafe at having to pay a professional for their time, then I recommend you be content with the wealth of knowledge that is being offered to you for free.

[Wildcat Furse]

attend a RL course in entrepreneurship and then try out your new gained experiences in SL ...... *meows*

(but still think that real entrepreneurs are born as...entrepreneurs)

[Lyra Blackthorne]

Business in SL is just like RL business.  Pretty much all the same principles apply...and the time and energy required are also the same. As far as mentorship, most experienced merchants are busy running their own and between RL and SL there is little time to hold someone's hand.  But, if you have a specific question you could post in the merchant forum; my own experience with posting is terrific and appropriate response.  There are also paid inworld consultants who would walk you through the process..just make sure you understand fully the price associated and exactly what help they will provide. You can find these in search or the classifieds.  You could also post in the help wanted/needed forum.  If anyone offered help for free I would be very cautious...you usually get what you pay for, just like in RL

[Ishtara Rothschild]

I tend to agree with Cabbage. If you're looking to start a business here, you should know the basics. If you still need a mentor to find your way around SL, you might want to spend some more time learning the ins and outs of this platform.

PS: You might feel that you have a right to run a business, but you don't have the right to get free professional help with that task.