u/Top_Mirror211

No investors. No huge ad budget. Just enough cash to make a few moves before you either gain momentum or burn out. Honestly I feel stuck on what to do next.
What would your first 30–90 days realistically look like?
Would you:
Spend on ads immediately or avoid them?
Go heavy on organic TikTok/Reels?
Focus on influencers/UGC?
Cold DM people?
Build an email list first?
Double down on one sales channel only?
Try marketplaces before scaling your own site?
And how would you split the money?

I’m especially curious about people who’ve actually done this starting with very little cash. What worked, what completely failed, and what would you do differently now?

A lot of advice online assumes you already have thousands to spend, but I want to hear the scrappy version the “I need to make this work with almost nothing” approach.

Would love detailed answers, especially from people who managed to get their first sales and build momentum without a big budget.

Hi everyone,
I’ve recently received a £600 Fixed Penalty Notice from Ealing Council (environmental enforcement / alleged fly-tipping at)

They say evidence of my name and address was found in waste, but I genuinely believe this was a situation where I tried to dispose of a household rubbish bag in a public bin that was already full/overflowing. I did not intentionally dump anything.
I’ve now been issued the FPN and I’m really stressed about it because I’m a student and I can’t realistically afford a £600 fine.
I wanted to ask if anyone else in Ealing has had something similar happen:
Did you pay it?
Did you challenge it or ask for reconsideration?
Was it ever reduced or withdrawn?
Any advice or shared experience would really help.

What should I do moving forward?

EDIT: Briefly, what happened is that I tried to dispose of a household rubbish bag in a COMMUNAL BIN COMMUNAL BIN COMMUNAL BIN COMMUNAL BIN COMMUNAL BIN bin, but the bins were already full/overflowing. I attempted to put the bag inside properly, but I believe it may have ended up outside the bin. I did not intentionally dump any waste. Someone tore my bag open and found my address. That’s what happened.

For me it’s no inbetween. I went to the charity shop and thrifted 6 beautiful items to sell. Two were high prices luxury. I haven’t gotten any views on most of them. Other items I post like old football shorts, etc or a bag. That gets tons of favourites but no purchases. Have you ever had this problem? How can I solve this?

For me it’s no inbetween. I went to the charity shop and thrifted 6 beautiful items to sell. Two were high prices luxury. I haven’t gotten any views on most of them. Other items I post like old football shorts, etc or a bag. That gets tons of favourites but no purchases. Have you ever had this problem? How can I solve this?

So I’m planning to buy a few Lululemon tracksuits maybe some alo. But how do I price it like what’s the formula for pricing? Sorry I’m new to this. I’m starting with lulu as that’s the easiest to sell (I know what women like I’m a woman myself) later on I plan on selling designer heels, bags, though I’m sure they will be harder to move.

By “proper desk job” I mean grad schemes, office jobs, analyst roles, admin, marketing, finance, tech, recruitment etc not retail or hospitality work while job hunting.

I’m curious how long it realistically took people after graduating:
How many applications did you send?
When did you start applying?
How many interviews did you get?
Did you get onto a grad scheme or just apply directly for entry-level jobs?
And what degree did you do?

I graduate in 2027 after doing a placement year in my own business, and I also run an online business, but realistically it’s not enough for me to comfortably live off long term. I’m honestly tired of being broke all the time, so I’m hoping to get a stable desk job while continuing the business on the side.

Just trying to get a realistic idea of what the job market/process is actually like now.

Has anyone else had problems with Zen Educate regarding DBS refunds, onboarding delays, or communication?

I paid for my DBS months ago and spent around 4 months chasing a refund/update with barely any response. I only got contacted properly after leaving a negative Google review.

They’ve now apologised and said my application got stuck due to a system issue, and they’re looking into it with UCheck.

I still want to work with them if they can actually provide consistent shifts, but the lack of communication is really frustrating. I keep emailing them but the communication is incredibly lack lustre. It’s making me think are they actually in the office doing any work?

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced similar issues or if this was just bad luck?

What’s your experience with ZenEducate? Do you actually get any shifts? I’m desperate to get out of hospitality. This is so upsetting honestly I was so excited to work with kids.

Has anyone else had problems with Zen Educate regarding DBS refunds, onboarding delays, or communication?

I paid for my DBS months ago and spent around 4 months chasing a refund/update with barely any response. I only got contacted properly after leaving a negative Google review.

They’ve now apologised and said my application got stuck due to a system issue, and they’re looking into it with UCheck.

I still want to work with them if they can actually provide consistent shifts, but the lack of communication is really frustrating. I keep emailing them but the communication is incredibly lack lustre. It’s making me think are they actually in the office doing any work?

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced similar issues or if this was just bad luck?

What’s your experience with ZenEducate? Do you actually get any shifts? I’m desperate to get out of hospitality. This is so upsetting honestly I was so excited to work with kids.

When people go missing, where do they usually end up and how do they go missing in the real world?

I’ve been selling on Vinted for a little while now and honestly didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I do. Something about managing orders, packaging things up, talking to buyers it just clicks for me. I enjoy it wayyyyy more than having a service based business. I’ve got access to a couple of clothing suppliers, not many shoe suppliers though so the sourcing side isn’t really the issue, it’s more about how hard I’m willing to push it.

For those of you who took it seriously from the start , what did month one actually look like? Not the polished version, the real numbers. How many listings, how many sales, how much profit after fees and postage?

And for anyone who’s been doing it longer, do you think reselling is genuinely a viable income stream in 2025/2026, or is the market too saturated now? I’m just doing it as a side hustle for now.

I’m trying to register as a seller, and the process has been incredibly frustrating. I’ve filled everything out correctly multiple times, but my application keeps getting rejected because of “abnormal risk assessment” with no actual explanation.

I’ve contacted live support, but they’ve been no help at all they just repeat generic responses and can’t tell me what’s wrong or what needs fixing.

At this point I’ve made several accounts trying to get approved, and I’m honestly tempted to go to headquarters in person next week just to get a straight answer.

For anyone selling beauty/cosmetics on TikTok Shop is it actually worth all this effort? Has it been a good sales channel for you, or am I better off focusing elsewhere?

This has been so stressful as a new business owner with limited funds. Honestly I thought TikTok shop would be a good way to start and get revenue/generate awareness, but it seems so ridiculous. I’m already so angry all the time.

I’ve heard older relatives mention it like it was almost seen as practical, cheaper, or even preferable to years of dental work.

If that was a real trend, does anyone think “Turkey teeth” is the modern equivalent chasing a perfect smile now, even if it means doing something drastic to otherwise workable teeth?

Curious whether this is genuine social history, regional/class-based, or mostly myth and whether we’re basically repeating the same mentality in a different form.

Either way, I think it’s a horrible thing to do 😂😂😂 just a lifetime of issues. Yes braces are expensive and painful initially but they’re cheaper in the long run.

I’m trying to make around £1,000 by the end of May selling on Vinted. I have roughly 150–200 (I can add a lot more) women’s items to list, mostly a mix of PrettyLittleThing, Primark, some unbranded pieces, plus coats, dresses and shoes in good condition. Some designer items.

I started listing yesterday, but the few basic items I uploaded got very little/no views, so I’m wondering what actually works.

A few questions:

How many items should I post per day?

Is there a best time/day to upload?

Do bundles help more than individual listings?

Is it worth listing cheaper basics, or should I focus on coats/shoes first?

Any tips for getting more views/favourites on a new profile?

Would love advice from people who’ve sold a lot successfully especially if you’ve shifted a big wardrobe clear-out quickly.

Is it possible to make this amount of money? Sorry I’m just trying to get some more pocket money for my holiday in June 😅 so kinda desperate.