Loopy Pro: Create music, your way.
What is Loopy Pro? — Loopy Pro is a powerful, flexible, and intuitive live looper, sampler, clip launcher and DAW for iPhone and iPad. At its core, it allows you to record and layer sounds in real-time to create complex musical arrangements. But it doesn’t stop there—Loopy Pro offers advanced tools to customize your workflow, build dynamic performance setups, and create a seamless connection between instruments, effects, and external gear.
Use it for live looping, sequencing, arranging, mixing, and much more. Whether you're a live performer, a producer, or just experimenting with sound, Loopy Pro helps you take control of your creative process.
Download on the App StoreLoopy Pro is your all-in-one musical toolkit. Try it for free today.
Who is running a small business?
And more importantly what are the biggest mistakes you have made so far?
Tips are more than welcome!
Comments
I ran a small studio in Japan for a bit. Mainly recorded indie bands. Biggest mistake was being bad at the business part of it. Loved recording the bands that game through, but had a really hard time billing appropriately for my time, chasing down unpaid bills, sending analog gear in for maintenance, cleaning, keeping track of expenses, etc. Doing what I loved was great until the business stuff got in the way. Sadly wasn’t making enough doing it to bring in a business savy partner, so eventually closed up shop.
Sounds like a good experience @DYMS
The recording studio business is an unbelievably difficult one to make a living from I would imagine. Many of the great ones have had to close the doors over the past few decades.
The importance of contracts, limits on the number of revisions and some type of deposit before beginning work are things that many people in the field advise.
Also never send the finished material before the cheque clears...
Not run one myself, but have been around plenty who have (including my dad). Biggest mistakes I've seen are:
Then there's the restaurant business where quite frankly I'm amazed anyone makes a living sometimes...
I'm running a web design business. No mistakes particularly over the last 15 years, but sometimes the competition becomes a bit more ruthless and underhand than you expect, or the market changes, so it can dent your income for a while.
My tips: keep your overheads as low as possible, be ready to diversify if you have to, and try and have a revenue stream in place that provides regular cashflow to pay the bills if new work dries up.
My wife ran her own art instruction biz from our space. Luckily, I have a regular gig so healthcare and the like was not an issue. The problems were mostly related to the comings and goings of the students - sometimes too few, sometimes too many (though this second was more enviable for obvious reasons). Having a good way to promote the biz was really important. One must always plan for fallow times.
Small business owner here (mastering studio). The only real mistake I can think of that I made early on was being so desperate for work that I took on jobs my gut told me I would be better passing on. Due to difficult clients usually, but sometimes it was unrealistic delivery times/goals. It took me a long time to realize that one of the most powerful things about running your own business is that you can tell people no, I don't want to work with you (nicely of course). Would have saved me so many sleepless nights and stress-filled days over working with people who had no idea what they were doing or were downright rude to me for no reason.
Tips?
Thanks all for the great responses so far
I'm curious if @MonzoPro would be able to help me out. I'm torn between hiring a web designer or using something like squarespace. I would need a solution that allows me to easily add updates and changes to the site with ease?
I hear you on the gut feeling thing @Tarekith. I have ignored these quite a few times in the past and the outcomes were never good!
It's really down to your budget, and what you want to achieve from the website.
Squarespace, Wix etc. type 'hosted' solutions are a quick, and initially cheap way of getting a website online. The downside is if you have a problem and want to transfer your website to another host, you can't. You can't download any of your website content or the theme they provide. And if they go offline, or stop trading, you lose everything. And of course your website will look pretty much like everyone else's, but with a few style tweaks. It's also worth checking the small print to see if they charge for 'extras' - remarkably they include email accounts as an extra.
And of course you have to build the whole thing yourself, so the finished result will be as good as your own design skills. I've seen some atrocious hosted websites.
In contrast, most freelance designers or companies will build everything for you, with a bespoke design that matches your brand - and if you don't have one they'll create this for you as well, and put all the content on your website for you. They'll have experience of what will appeal most to your target audience, and help you get the best from your website. Speaking personally, we use a content management system that as well as allowing you to update your content and add new pages, provides complete flexibility for future expansion - so if you wanted to add eCommerce, built-in membership system, forum etc. you can do so cheaply and easily. We also give you complete control over your hosting account so you have ownership of all your files and content and can download these at any time.
If you have a good eye for design, and just want a simple website for personal use, and have a small budget then the hosted systems might work best for you. If it's a company website, or you have future plans to expand the website into something bigger and more complex then I'd recommend getting some quotes from design companies.
Always worth checking out the prices first and getting quotes anyway - you might find a custom built website works out the same as a hosted system in the long term.
Thanks for that @MonzoPro
I do have access to some grants that would cover 80% of costs for certain things. I suppose my main concern is being able to add blog posts, tutorials and downloadable content myself once the site is up and running.
I would ideally have custom animations and a simple but non confusing interface that stands out a bit from the standard templates. The homepage would be a box where clicking the sides would take the guest to various pages with a slick animated movement.
I'm wondering what would be a rough estimate of the cost to get something like that online?
As long as the website is built around a 'content management system' (e.g. Wordpress via a web company, or the Wix type hosted systems) then you should be able to do this easily.
Would you sell content, or require log-ins/subscriptions for downloadable content? If that's the case the Squarespace type providers wouldn't be a good option.
Depends on how it's to be animated, if it's a CSS type thing then that would be more compatible with mobile devices, and keep download speeds at a decent rate. Personally I advise clients to keep to a standard navigational system as this works better for search engine indexing, and doesn't confront visitors with an unusual UI.
Years ago I was brought in to redesign a website for a well known computer company. For part of this I replaced their graphical, animated menu with simple CSS HTML text and as a result hits went up, and their sales multiplied by 8x.
I'd also advise against home 'splash' pages. For SEO and indexing I recommend getting as much relevant content and keywords on the home page as possible, with 'teaser' boxes to introduce and link to sections inside the site. Splash pages might work great for big brands or companies that have a budget for promotion, but for individuals and small companies, you want the search engines to pick up your website as quickly as possible.
Thanks for the helpful advice! @MonzoPro
I will need to think about this carefully...
A lot of people get into running a business because they are good at something or have an interest in something, but that is only half the story. Have a business plan that sets stretching but realistic targets, be clear how you will market your services and win new clients. At least half your time will probably be devoted to sales and marketing, rather than doing the job. And cash flow is critical - have a system to chase up debts and don’t be afraid to get tough with difficult clients when you need to. It can also be very satisfying, occasionally exillerating! And having been your own boss, most people are reluctant to work for someone else again. Oh I ran my own business for 15 years before taking early retirement last year, although I still earn from a sideline hobby.
Spending more than I had to as "investment" into venture, when it really created more stress to pay back.
So, use minimal tools(like anything) from tools, labor, hardware, supplies, parts, advertising.....
Maximize about with Skelton Crew approach.
Also, be sure to use "soft openings" for events and venue based ventures. Get the issues taken care of first.
You know like apps that aren't ready to be released but are.....applies to all.
I guess many are also industry specific so common sense is best.
No shortcuts. You always lose in the end. I know.
I've run a number of operations down the years and the one commandment I've ended up basing what we do now on is: Work with and for nice people. In a somewhat related matter it took me a long time to come to realize that the 'Wish, Want, Walk' method of general negotiation is applicable to all businesses. I am not a follower of 'self help' cults, fads or doctrines, but this guy outlines the general idea well:
https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Negotiating-Michael-C-Donaldson/dp/1259584801/ref=mt_paperback?encoding=UTF8&me=&dpID=51YpECiyElL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70&dpSrc=detail
Essentially when I came across this I recognized it was espousing what I had had to learn (slowly) over a long time. Wish I had just read his codified thoughts earlier. It's not perfect, but the essence is very helpful.
I went out of business last year and am back to being a satellite comms tech. The business was an in-home care franchise. Several factors went into my decision to close the business...
Hope that helps. For me, at the end of the day, I'm quite happy to be a worker bee once again. The stress of running a business, particularly if the revenue stream is inadequate, took its toll on me.
Wordpress is really easy to get started with if you want to blog and whatnot. Lots of tutorials and things to get you started, and a lot of pre-made themes out there that make it even easier. I found mine on themeforest.com.
The downside with that is when devs abandon themes. A few keep them updated for years, but many abandon them or replace them with new products.
I’ve had loads and loads of enquiries from potential clients with broken websites, due to themes being abandoned, and one had lost a serious amount of money when the out of date ecommerce theme they were using was hacked.
I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole, and they’re not that cheap these days either. You’d be better off with the official free ones or get something with regular support.
That book looks like a good one, thanks for the recommendation @JohnnyGoodyear
Running any business, not just a small business, is an exercise in endless sleepless nights and managing risks. No matter how much one prepares it’s never enough. On-the-job experience is what you get and what you learn daily.
Everyone should experience running their own business.
Our family runs a small noodlesoup/streetfood restaurant in Saigon, Vietnam.
Biggest mistake was to not get our own team of delivery drivers, and now have to use various delivery app services that suck.
Buy a portable credit card reader do not go with the big boys or they will bend you over a barrel.
A portable device means you can take money at shows, exhibitions etc.
If you presently know someone who has one and they recomend you, you get a discount they get a reward.
Sum up was one I began using before the big boys gave me a sore bum!
Great thread topic. Hopefully lots of valuable insight to be shared here… currently, only a very small part (1% to be exact) of a small biz that has yet to generate any income, and maybe never will, but that’s another story. But have worked at a few, almost started a few, and have a few in the family. Plus my pt job, is at small, unregistered business, well operated under his name, where I’m constantly trying to convince the owner to do things the right way…
Not a mistake but a valuable lesson is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Find out, if you don’t know what they are, and when able to hire someone, or get a a freelancer make sure they are proficient in the skills you lack.
Make it legal, LLC or scorp, etc..
Insurance
Accounting
Sales, Marketing
Also
Have a mission statement, or main brand ideas/feelings you want to convey then base all your branding and communication accordingly. The design/aesthetic, logo, font, content, words, writings, colors, etc… all of that and more should all be chosen for a specific reason. Why do most restaurants have the color red in their logo… well… in a couple brief words, red inspires hunger
Know your market, and/or your niche, and how to market and sell to people in that subset, as well as broader markets that intersect and might be interested.
Know your competitors, find out what they charge, how they operate, can you spot your advantage?
Price it right. Know your costs, you need a baseline to know the number or minimum price you have to charge before you start to take a loss. Then have a number with a fair profit, and then have a markup price. Find out what you can charge, price yourself, and know your margins, markup to leave wiggle room to negotiate.
Build value, and trust
Choose your words carefully in all communications, especially outside communication, even more especially sales. 1 word could be the difference between a sale or not.
Content, content and more content. Lol.
Take constructive criticism objectively. Get free advice, do research.
You can do a lot of marketing and advertising for little money. Sure time is a big factor, but social media, Wordpress, YouTube, etc.. is basically all free. (Yes you must pay for the server if you have a website)
Network, make connections, visit trade shows, talk to people, know the industry, people in it, new technologies, and potential upcoming changes/advances in that Market. get the word out, get ideas, fact finding, know the players, try to anticipate changes, etc... the only constant in life is change. Stay informed on industry trends.
Revenue streams - there are always multiple ways to generate revenue, Even from 1 thing.
Ok, I’m done, lol. Dam that was quite a ramble, lol. I’m still not done but I’m tired of typing this…
Good stuff peeps, this is all valuable info from people who've been there and done that.
Thanks for reminding me why I don't run a small business.
But yah in a couple years I will probably be phased out by AI and wish I did.
I’ve run a graphic design business for over a decade, and here are a few nuggets I learned the hard way that might save someone a lot of time and heartache. For “clients” also read “customers” or “service users” etc as applies to your situation, and some of this will not apply so readily to other kinds of business, but hope there’s something useful …
the best way to do great work is to love what you do (Steve Jobs) so find something you love doing that other people want to pay you for. This might mean trying a few things until you find it, or diversifying.
if it doesn’t pay, chop it. I stopped doing web design on the side because it wasn’t bringing in enough to justify keeping my skills current. it was also too stressful to be required to work out why something was broken. Also, a website is a live organism - you might have delivered a working site today, but an update to the OS/website framework/plugin etc can cause problems and you can be absolutely sure that your client will be on the phone wanting you to fix it for free, even if you don’t have a service contract with them, so be warned.
Make sure you’re clear with clients on what they’re paying for, and that expectations are mutually clear before you get going.
Talk about money in the first conversation. This is especially important if working for friends or family, so they are clear if this is something you can’t do for free. It’s difficult to retrofit the money conversation later, after you’ve begun working.
play nice. There may be a good reason why a client hasn’t been in touch or hasn’t paid, so tread gently at first when pursuing payment or trying to re-establish communications. Only up the ante if you really need to or encounter difficult behaviour. Firm but gentle usually gets me the info I need and also keeps them on side, and goodwill is so important.
related to this, most of your business will be “repeats” (clients coming back) or “referrals” (recommendations from happy customers), so PLAY NICE! Even if you want to smack them over the head, suck it up and put on your happy face because no one wants to deal with The Grinch.
related to this, work your contacts. if a regular client hasn’t been in touch for a while, drop them a line, wishing them well, and asking if there are any projects you might assist with. This can sometimes bear fruit.
learn to spot difficult clients and avoid them (there are great resource on the web about different kinds of nightmare client) e,g, “high demand/low budget” clients … one way to avoid them is to triple your usual estimate and rest assured they won’t darken the door again.
NEVER work in exchange for “exposure”. If they treat you like this at the start, and you let them, they will keep doing it. As you begin, so things will continue.
keep your returning clients sweet by throwing in little bonuses every so often, and giving excellent service.
it’s not easy to raise your prices, so don’t give a too low estimate for the first job. Better to pitch it too high because then you’ll find out what their limit is, and you can “negotiate” it down.
give a range rather than a fixed price. You NEVER know exactly how much work is involved, and you need to build some contingency into your quote range. Normally it takes 30-40% more work than anticipated. The price you would charge if all went to plan should be somewhere in the middle of the range.
think how you like businesses to treat you, then offer that to others. if I get great service, I go back. So will your clients. if a business is rude, dishonest, don’t keep their word, or don’t deliver on time, don’t communicate etc i don’t go back. Neither will your clients/customers. Do to others as you would have them do to you. It’s good for business and good for your soul!
don’t get too excited by buzzy initial conversations where people promise to hire you. Not all that glistens is gold. Sometimes someone is just enjoying the idea of it, or externally processing, and most of those conversations don’t lead to paid work. But some do. it’s not always easy to tell at that moment who really means it and who is just having a rush of blood to the head, which will be forgotten tomorrow.
follow up promising leads. Sometimes a friendly prompt will lead to paid work and demonstrates keenness and initiative which might convert a lead and win them over. I followed up a conversation with someone, and this led to over 20 design projects, some quite significant.
always do your best work. Do it for your own sake firstly, because as humans we thrive by seeking to be the best version of ourselves, and seeking to grow and develop and there is something invigorating about seeking to go beyond the basic requirements and add that little something that speaks quality. Your clients will notice it (well some will anyway). This links to the “love what you do” thing above - if you don’t love it, and feel a some passion for your work, you may be missing your calling elsewhere.
invest in ongoing professional development. This might be necessary e.g. to keep up with regulations or new technologies, or it might be about keeping abreast of current trends and market direction. I’m currently taking another book design course, because publishing work this is the kind of work I’m mostly getting now and it’s turning out to be what I love the most, so invest in what you want to do, and keep levelling up and practicing.
don’t let clients dictate terms to you. One client said to me recently before I’d agreed to the work or settled a price “I’ve put a little ‘gift’ in your bank account” to which i replied that it would be more than that, and they were a little taken aback, but paid up.
I might post more if I think of it, but that’ll do for now. I don’t always put the above into practice, but I’m trying to improve all the time.
Hope that’s of some help. Please ask about any of it …
Lots of golden nuggets here - thanks for sharing!
@craftycurate i might have to pick your brain at some point if that’s ok, been flirting with a startup forever, not exactly graphic design, but I feel like I’m getting closer to being ready to just do it.
Saying no is just as important as saying yes. Whether it’s in sales, or customers, or other aspects of the business. Particularly with sales, one of my expertise, it’s just as important to say no, as it is to say yes.
I think it will be more of a shift to a combination of the 2, instead of one eliminating the other. Human and AI together. AI is nothing without the right prompts and input. I see it as similar to the birth of the search engine, yea the search engine allowed you to look up whatever you wanted to on the internet, but if you don’t word your searches correctly, and find credible sources, you won’t get the most honest accurate information available.