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  3. How do you start a company with 5000$ - any ideas? any opinions?

How do you start a company with 5000$ - any ideas? any opinions?

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  • S Smart Not Clever

    what if everything is done- idea is big. product is ready. registraion is all done. only need to sell.how do u do that with 5000$ ?

    M Offline
    M Offline
    Mechanical
    wrote on last edited by
    #31

    Smart-Not-Clever wrote:

    what if everything is done- idea is big. product is ready. registraion is all done. only need to sell

    [0] Spend some money on marketing. [1] Make a simple, easy to navigate website. [2] Do a lot of SEO. Have the SEO people write about your product in blogs etc - Complete lies will work better. [3] Offer all kinds of businesses (big and small) - Different license types for people with different amounts of money. [4] Put up a trial version to download and test - Make it less buggy - Bugs in trial version will kill your product.

    NULL

    S 1 Reply Last reply
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    • S Smart Not Clever

      How do you go about starting a company with 5000$ - any ideas? any opinions?

      R Offline
      R Offline
      R Giskard Reventlov
      wrote on last edited by
      #32

      Write a business plan. Even if you ar enot trying to sell the idea or raise money it gives you a route map of things you have to do to make the business work. Include a marketing plan, an executive summary(the whole thing in 2 paragraphs) and, last but not least, construct an elevator pitch: can you sell the idea in 30 seconds? If you can't it probably does not have any legs - if you can't explain it you don't understand it or it's incomplete and not yet viable. I've started ventures on less than that: some worked, some bombed big time. You don't try, you'll never know. Good luck.

      Tychotics "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program. And if we become extinct because we don't have a space program, it'll serve us right!" Larry Niven

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      • H hammerstein05

        You have to make a decision here. You don't want to use the internet to market, but outsourcing marketing is expensive. You've only got marketing the product to generate sales left to do from what I see, so if you trust in your products success, $5k on marketing is nothing. Is your product an online product, or a physical one? If it's online, why not a google ad campaign and a well developed website? If you post on forums, make sure your website is mentioned in your sig with a link directly to your product (don't go overboard, be subtle) and I would imagine that would drive some sales your way.

        S Offline
        S Offline
        Smart Not Clever
        wrote on last edited by
        #33

        That's a good one -the signature one !- btw the product is a online version & a Lan version.The other day i saw a few posts - saying "shamelessly advertising my product".is that allowed and ok ?

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        • S Smart Not Clever

          assuming - the idea is reasonably good.the product is ready.it's all hosted on a dedicated server.it only needs to sell.i just cant figure out how to sell. dont belive in online advertising.now if you could add furher opinions to that

          E Offline
          E Offline
          Ennis Ray Lynch Jr
          wrote on last edited by
          #34

          A prime, #1 way to reach people that is why so many do it. Conferences, shows, seminars, anywhere your target is you have to be giving out cards. Get good business cards to not those crappy laser printed ones.

          Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane

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          • S Smart Not Clever

            That's a good one -the signature one !- btw the product is a online version & a Lan version.The other day i saw a few posts - saying "shamelessly advertising my product".is that allowed and ok ?

            D Offline
            D Offline
            Dalek Dave
            wrote on last edited by
            #35

            Shameless and Obvious Advertising Breaches The Spirit of the Law and the Letter of the Law. However a small link in the sig and a namecheck is common and not overly frowned upon. As said above, subtlety works better than a slap in the face, and less is more.

            ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave

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            • R Rama Krishna Vavilala

              Jim Crafton wrote:

              If it's a stupid idea, and everyone with a shred of common sense knows this, why on earth are you wasting time on it?

              There is no such thing as a stupid idea. There are ideas which succeed and make you money and ideas which do not.

              J Offline
              J Offline
              Jim Crafton
              wrote on last edited by
              #36

              Completely disagree. There are stupid ideas. They may still make you money, but only because there are enough gullible people out there to buy into it. Giving massive loans to people without the income to pay them back is a stupid idea. Some people made money off it.

              ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

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              • J Jim Crafton

                Completely disagree. There are stupid ideas. They may still make you money, but only because there are enough gullible people out there to buy into it. Giving massive loans to people without the income to pay them back is a stupid idea. Some people made money off it.

                ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

                D Offline
                D Offline
                Dalek Dave
                wrote on last edited by
                #37

                Jim Crafton wrote:

                Giving massive loans to people without the income to pay them back is a stupid idea.

                Banks for example?

                ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave

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                • J Jim Crafton

                  Completely disagree. There are stupid ideas. They may still make you money, but only because there are enough gullible people out there to buy into it. Giving massive loans to people without the income to pay them back is a stupid idea. Some people made money off it.

                  ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

                  R Offline
                  R Offline
                  Rama Krishna Vavilala
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #38

                  Jim Crafton wrote:

                  Some people made money off it.

                  Then in their context it was not a stupid idea. It was an idea which made money.

                  Jim Crafton wrote:

                  there are enough gullible people out there to buy into it

                  That, my friend, is marketing.

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                  • R R Giskard Reventlov

                    Write a business plan. Even if you ar enot trying to sell the idea or raise money it gives you a route map of things you have to do to make the business work. Include a marketing plan, an executive summary(the whole thing in 2 paragraphs) and, last but not least, construct an elevator pitch: can you sell the idea in 30 seconds? If you can't it probably does not have any legs - if you can't explain it you don't understand it or it's incomplete and not yet viable. I've started ventures on less than that: some worked, some bombed big time. You don't try, you'll never know. Good luck.

                    Tychotics "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program. And if we become extinct because we don't have a space program, it'll serve us right!" Larry Niven

                    S Offline
                    S Offline
                    Smart Not Clever
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #39

                    No one is going to invest a dollar in my firm.It's just destined to start from nothing. The question is how? and when ? - can it be codeproject ! ______________________________________________________________ Redefine Defnition - (welcome to the next level of programing) [ T&C Vectors] [Enterprise Nervous Systems]

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                    • M Mechanical

                      Smart-Not-Clever wrote:

                      what if everything is done- idea is big. product is ready. registraion is all done. only need to sell

                      [0] Spend some money on marketing. [1] Make a simple, easy to navigate website. [2] Do a lot of SEO. Have the SEO people write about your product in blogs etc - Complete lies will work better. [3] Offer all kinds of businesses (big and small) - Different license types for people with different amounts of money. [4] Put up a trial version to download and test - Make it less buggy - Bugs in trial version will kill your product.

                      NULL

                      S Offline
                      S Offline
                      Smart Not Clever
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #40

                      advise taken well - _____________________________________________________ Redefine Defnition - (welcome to the next level of programing) [ T&C Vectors] [Enterprise Nervous Systems]

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                      • D Dalek Dave

                        Shameless and Obvious Advertising Breaches The Spirit of the Law and the Letter of the Law. However a small link in the sig and a namecheck is common and not overly frowned upon. As said above, subtlety works better than a slap in the face, and less is more.

                        ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave

                        S Offline
                        S Offline
                        Smart Not Clever
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #41

                        Now I have to start working on my - Reputation ! :) _____________________________________________________________ Redefine Defnition - (welcome to the next level of programing) [ T&C Vectors] [Enterprise Nervous Systems]

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                        0
                        • S Smart Not Clever

                          How do you go about starting a company with 5000$ - any ideas? any opinions?

                          R Offline
                          R Offline
                          Ray Cassick
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #42

                          Send me the 5k and I will tell you. :)


                          LinkedIn[^] | Blog[^] | Twitter[^]

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                          • S Smart Not Clever

                            How do you go about starting a company with 5000$ - any ideas? any opinions?

                            G Offline
                            G Offline
                            Gregory Gadow
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #43

                            I started a business as a humanist celebrant, ie someone who does non-religiou weddings, funerals and other ceremonies of life. The United States has rather loose rules with regards to religion, as our Constitution prohibit any legal definition or restriction of "religion." So, I simply got a mail-order "ordination" from the Universal Life Church, designed a simple website and wrote advertising copy for some of Seattle's weekly newspapers. Over the course of 4 years, I did 32 legal marriages, 3 wedding ceremonies (two were same-sex unions, one was non marriage commitment), 2 adoption ceremonies, 6 funerals and one coming-of-age. I ran it as a hobby, so it never made a profit; if I had $5000 to start with and was otherwise unemployed, I would have put in a lot more effort and probably could have made it work on-going. I had also begun the process to become certified by the Humanist Society which would have let me drop the ULC affiliation. I ended the business when work as a programmer picked up. It was a lot of fun, and if I ever semi-retire again, I will definitely take it back up.

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                            • S Smart Not Clever

                              How do you go about starting a company with 5000$ - any ideas? any opinions?

                              E Offline
                              E Offline
                              ErrolErrol
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #44

                              This is a trick question. It would be best to start with more money. It would be best to just stay home. But, if you are sure that you want to go, then I would suggest a couple of things for you to do. Check your motivations. Create or borrow a map, even if only fragments. Treat every decision as a life-or-death point. Think hard thoughts. Act as though you are in a lifeboat in the middle of the North Atlantic, that will help you decide who you want pulling on the oars with you and it will help you visualize what you are going to attempt. You are not really going alone, are you? Never even think about getting out of the boat, ever. Hope for luck, but don't count on it. Don't risk other peoples happiness or well-being. Make sure that your companions understand the trip. Learn to swim really well, just in case. Only work on things that keep the boat afloat and moving toward the shore. Be prepared to throw people to the sharks. You will NOT be able to save everyone, not everyone will have your passion or your willingness to suffer, so prepare for regret before you go. And on, and on, and on.....

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                              0
                              • S Smart Not Clever

                                How do you go about starting a company with 5000$ - any ideas? any opinions?

                                S Offline
                                S Offline
                                Sterling Camden independent consultant
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #45

                                I started my company on about $2800. Computer and business license. Been in business ever since. But my business requires no inventory or employees -- just my own brainpower.

                                Contains coding, but not narcotic.

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                                0
                                • J Jim Crafton

                                  Well congrats for him. All that proves is that PT Barnum's observation of "There's a sucker born every minute" is still alive and well.

                                  ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

                                  B Offline
                                  B Offline
                                  BrainiacV
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #46

                                  That's "A potential customer is born approximately every sixty seconds." And hopefully not that infrequently.

                                  Psychosis at 10 Film at 11

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                                  0
                                  • J Jim Crafton

                                    Completely disagree. There are stupid ideas. They may still make you money, but only because there are enough gullible people out there to buy into it. Giving massive loans to people without the income to pay them back is a stupid idea. Some people made money off it.

                                    ¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow

                                    B Offline
                                    B Offline
                                    BrainiacV
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #47

                                    As well as "Pet Rocks."

                                    Psychosis at 10 Film at 11

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