Frustrated & Uncertain. Should I quit or persevere?

[ConstantineKA]

Hi guys, I'm new here.

I'm 34 and I'm an international trade agent/broker/intermediary/consultant. Been doing this business for over 2 years with my current partner. My partner and I are tight, bring skills which complement each other, and we're both committed to making our business successful and growing it further. Even though we haven't made any money in that time we have worked hard, and almost closed several multi figure deals. But after two years of constant trial & error & inevitable failure I feel like we are back to square one. Currently things have been dead or close to it for the last two months. I don't know if we simply haven't found the right people to do business with or whether we're just too small time for this game. I'm starting to feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. When I first started, I thought we would have closed 1 deal and made some money by now. But still nothing. I feel stuck. Part of me feels like we're just spinning our wheels in the mud going nowhere, and that I should quit. The other part of me feels like we just need to hang around on a little longer, as I am aware that businesses can take 1-3 or 3-5 years or more to become successful and self-sufficient.

I'm not sure whether I want encouragement or discouragement. I just feel lost & stuck, and that life is passing me by with no progress in life whatsoever, and that there never will be. I feel doomed to be eternally stuck where I am. Don't if its just me or the times. I feel like I should have been something by now. Not sure what to do. Guess I just want to know if other people are going through the same thing, & if they did what they did, or what circumstances changed for them to succeed in their business? Or if not, when did they decide to quit?

 

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[svekk1]

Even though we haven't made any money in that time we have worked hard, and almost closed several multi figure deals

What happened? Why didn't you close? Did you learn something from it?

I just feel lost & stuck, and that life is passing me by with no progress in life whatsoever, and that there never will be. I feel doomed to be eternally stuck where I am.

I think it's pretty easy/normal to feel discouraged, especially if business is not going the way you hoped.

I would spend some time figuring out what happened whith those almost closings and how can I make sure that will be successfull next time.

 

[Kevin88660]

Hi guys, I'm new here.

I'm 34 and I'm an international trade agent/broker/intermediary/consultant. Been doing this business for over 2 years with my current partner. My partner and I are tight, bring skills which complement each other, and we're both committed to making our business successful and growing it further. Even though we haven't made any money in that time we have worked hard, and almost closed several multi figure deals. But after two years of constant trial & error & inevitable failure I feel like we are back to square one. Currently things have been dead or close to it for the last two months. I don't know if we simply haven't found the right people to do business with or whether we're just too small time for this game. I'm starting to feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. When I first started, I thought we would have closed 1 deal and made some money by now. But still nothing. I feel stuck. Part of me feels like we're just spinning our wheels in the mud going nowhere, and that I should quit. The other part of me feels like we just need to hang around on a little longer, as I am aware that businesses can take 1-3 or 3-5 years or more to become successful and self-sufficient.

I'm not sure whether I want encouragement or discouragement. I just feel lost & stuck, and that life is passing me by with no progress in life whatsoever, and that there never will be. I feel doomed to be eternally stuck where I am. Don't if its just me or the times. I feel like I should have been something by now. Not sure what to do. Guess I just want to know if other people are going through the same thing, & if they did what they did, or what circumstances changed for them to succeed in their business? Or if not, when did they decide to quit?

So your business's potential revenue resource is from big deals only?

If there are smaller deals more easily made it could give you the motivation and cash to stay in the game longer to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Johnny boy]

Need more eyeballs on your stuff bro.

You're probably not putting yourself in a position to succeed, where nobody hears about you even if they would like to do business.

 

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[Robdavis]

Hi guys, I'm new here.

I'm 34 and I'm an international trade agent/broker/intermediary/consultant. Been doing this business for over 2 years with my current partner. My partner and I are tight, bring skills which complement each other, and we're both committed to making our business successful and growing it further. Even though we haven't made any money in that time we have worked hard, and almost closed several multi figure deals. But after two years of constant trial & error & inevitable failure I feel like we are back to square one. Currently things have been dead or close to it for the last two months. I don't know if we simply haven't found the right people to do business with or whether we're just too small time for this game. I'm starting to feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. When I first started, I thought we would have closed 1 deal and made some money by now. But still nothing. I feel stuck. Part of me feels like we're just spinning our wheels in the mud going nowhere, and that I should quit. The other part of me feels like we just need to hang around on a little longer, as I am aware that businesses can take 1-3 or 3-5 years or more to become successful and self-sufficient.

I'm not sure whether I want encouragement or discouragement. I just feel lost & stuck, and that life is passing me by with no progress in life whatsoever, and that there never will be. I feel doomed to be eternally stuck where I am. Don't if its just me or the times. I feel like I should have been something by now. Not sure what to do. Guess I just want to know if other people are going through the same thing, & if they did what they did, or what circumstances changed for them to succeed in their business? Or if not, when did they decide to quit?

Have you got a website?

Can you post a link to it, so we can see your marketing?

What country are you in?

I don't understand why you can't sell consulting, to small businesses who are looking to expand by starting to export for the first time. I understand that this would mean starting with working on an hourly or day rate, or selling a consulting package. "We will come into your business and set up everything you need to get you exporting" for a fixed fee or on some sort of rate card.

It may be that with little to no sales, you lack credibility in your potential customer's eyes and so you can't get sales. Solve this by selling lower priced work, or by selling to people who know you and so already have confidence in your ability.