

Ask HN: Too many costumers, no time - zeynalov

I would like to ask you what would you do if you have too many costumers. Now my business have a great attention from target group. In our inbox there are 5000 emails asking for our premium service and ready to pay. But I have only three workers, and I can't answer all of my costumers. I need more workers, but I can't do it because I have no time to be a CEO of my company. I am a medicine student, everyday I must study, read. Would you think about a University drop-out?<p>P.S. sorry for my bad english, I am from Germany.
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pedalpete
Can you maybe re-write your 'Would you think about a University drop-out?'
sentence?

If you are asking 'should' you drop-out? The answer is that it depends on what
you want in life, and what your goals are.

If you've always wanted to run a company, and love the field that your company
is currently involved in, then I'd say drop-out and go for it.

I assume you can always go back to school if you want to. You won't always
have more customers than you can service. Consider yourself extremely lucky to
be in the situation you are in.

I guess the question comes down to.

a) if you leave school, and work on the business,what are the positives and
negatives.

As a positive, you'll learn a ton as a business owner, and be more rounded
outside of the medical field. This could be VERY valuable in the long term
even if you go back to medicine.

The negatives?? You may never go back to school (your choice though) or your
degree may be delayed. You are taking a risk and hoping that financially
you'll come out on top, but if customers are so keen on your product, that
risk is probably small.

b) you stay in school. Will the business fail absolutely? do you care? Will
you be wondering what would have happened had you taken a shot?

From an outsiders point of view and considering that you've posted this on HN,
I think most people would suggest you go for the business.

Another way of looking at it might be to ask what you would do if the business
didn't have so many customers right now? Would you still be operating the
business because you enjoy it and it is't too much drain?

If the problem really is that their are too many customers to service, that is
an absolutely amazing problem to have. Maybe try adjusting the parameters of
the situation and see what you feel most comfortable with.

Example, can you take less classes to lower your school workload? Can you
limit the number of customers you service, and raise your price. Can you
create a wait list type situation for your service? Can you hire somebody to
answer the emails for you?

If I misunderstood your question, I'm sorry.

~~~
zeynalov
Thanks you for your comment, I appreciate it.

Actually, I would drop-out with no doubt if I were in second or third year of
my study. It's already 7 years that I study medicine and there are only 4 more
years to be a maxillo-facial surgeon. These surgeons earn in Germany per month
100.000-500.000 USD. I dont hate medicine but, I think I like entrepreneurship
more than medicine. I discovered that I have great entrepreneurial skills and
I started my business, so I made in my first month 40,000 USD. It's already 6
month, and it's growing. I calculated, next year I'll earn some hundred
thousands per month.

But, we know that business is not safe and you can always go down, bankrupt.
But to be a physician means you have always a standard routine work, and
you'll earn good. But earnings are limited, and you can't earn more than half
million per month as a surgeon. My goals are to earn too much money to be able
to realize my other projects.

Now, actually already 2 years or so, I consider whether to drop out or not. I
have 2 more projects, on which I am sure I can earn money with them. But those
7 years on medicine makes me thinking, because, after drop-out you can't go
back and continue, you can only start from 3rd year.

~~~
fbnt
I'd say only few lucky surgeons in private practice make that kind of money. I
have no reason to doubt your good faith, but my BS-detector is getting some
signals.

So, what's the business about? Can you disclose?

------
trevelyan
Hire someone to answer the emails, create a waiting list and increase your
prices.

~~~
zeynalov
Thanks for your comment. Actually I doubled the prices, but the number of
costumers are not decreasing. I know it sounds scary but its true. I think I
found a niche business, a hole on the market, and my business grows like
balloon. Hiring someone on my business is not so easy, because it a special
service work, they must have my skills, that I've learned in many years. I
mean I must teach minimum 10 days my new workers, what they must do, otherwise
they can't do it. And for that I have no time, this is the problem.

~~~
trevelyan
Hmmm... I wouldn't leave medicine for "service work" because it doesn't scale
and it leaves you open when other people with similar skills enter the market.

That said, it sounds like a great time. If it were me, I would get family or a
friend involved. You say it takes 10 days to train someone. So have them
literally work with you for 10 days and train on the job.

As far as the time goes, I find it hard to believe your program can't let you
take two weeks off. Any sizable institution has to have students with family
emergencies and other issues. Also... if you are willing to drop out and
abandon your degree, you must also be willing to let your grades drag a bit.

~~~
zeynalov
thanks for the ideas. I appreciate your comment

