What's the Most Common Question/Topic on SBF?

[Runum]

Looking through SBF history I see this version went 08-06-2008 with an update in 2010, 8500 threads, almost 90,000 posts, about 18000 members,

What are the most common questions or topics that are posted about here at SBF?

Some of you have been around long enough to know?

[Harold Mansfield]

"How do I get more business?" or a variation of it such as "How do I market my business?", "How do I get customers?", "What can I do to increase sales?".
Hands down that is the question that gets repeated over and over again.

A lot of people put more time and effort into what their business cards will look like than they do how they will attract and land paying customers.

The next one is usually something like

"How do I get started?" , and "Where can I find someone to give me some money?"

[vangogh]

Yep, exactly what Harold said. Some variation of how to get more business is the number one topic. Maybe it could be phrased "how do I make more money?"

What I find interesting is the different ways the question gets asked. I don't mean the specific words used to phrase the question, but the general sense you get from the post. With some you can tell the person wants to do the work, but isn't sure how or where to direct their effort or maybe the person has tried a bunch of things and is looking for new ideas. With others you can clearly tell the person is just asking for 2 or 3 quick and easy steps that will make them millions by next week.

The question of how to get more of something so you make more money does get asked in a lot of different ways and by a lot of different people. You get a sense for who are the people you''ll still be chatting business with in a few years and who are the people you probably won't be.

Another question that gets asked often is something along the lines of "how's my website?" This question also comes in a variety of flavors.

[Freelancier]

What amuses me isn't the common questions, but the common answers. Seems that to many people with a hammer every problem looks exactly like a nail. Once you've been in business long enough, you realize that you need a lot more tools than just a hammer to be successful.

[Fulcrum]

What amuses me isn't the common questions, but the common answers. Seems that to many people with a hammer every problem looks exactly like a nail. Once you've been in business long enough, you realize that you need a lot more tools than just a hammer to be successful.

But a hammer is my favorite tool. I think I've got about 12 of em - all different shapes, sizes and applications.

[Runum]

OK, most common question, check. Kinda surprised. I figured it would be "Is this a good business idea?"

The askers seem to be focused on their own needs more than the needs of their customers.

What is the better question they should be asking instead?

How do I reach and serve more customers? How do I keep life long customers?

[Harold Mansfield]

OK, most common question, check. Kinda surprised. I figured it would be "Is this a good business idea?"

The askers seem to be focused on their own needs more than the needs of their customers.

What is the better question they should be asking instead?

How do I reach and serve more customers? How do I keep life long customers?

Well, what they are asking basically is how market and run their business. Generally those are questions you ask BEFORE you start the business not after. But I understand. I had no idea when I started either, but I at least knew that I would have to know and I learned, and kept learning, and still learn.

Forums helped me a A LOT. But I would never ask a question like that. Typically I would have already gone the extra mile to learn something about Marketing and promotion on my own and need to ask specific questions on things that weren't clear. Not all of marketing in general. People who ask those kinds of questions either aren't serious, or don't have the drive to go the extra mile.

I don't waste my time answering people who appear not to be even trying to find out things on their own. That may sound harsh but that's how I learned. People on forums helped with details and expert advice, but had I asked a general question like that back in the day they would not have been as nice as we are to people.

Sometimes it takes people more time to type out a new forum post than it does to search Google and just get the answer in 30 seconds.