[Steve]

I started my first company internet company with no money down. I was 15 years old, had no Credit Cards, but I just landed a deal making me 50% of the profits on the software sales of a company (than called Chironex Software - a friend who was not a marketer needed help selling it).

Since I had no money for a domain or hosting, I offered to trade services. Someone bought me a domain and gave me 3 months free hosting in exchange for me programming them a small Image Gallery script.

After I was finished we had LiveTronix.com and a host. I built the web site for free (myself) and than it was time to launch. We got 4 sales the first day -- but since we used RegSoft.com we would not recieve that money for 30 days.

We still had no money and we ran into another problem, we offered a free demo download and a lot of people downloaded the demo, about 15 days in, the host that offered 3 months kicked us off because we had used 45 gigs of b/w. We temporarly switched it to a friends home computer T1 line -- soon to learn that his provider had shut him down for using too much bandwidth.

That was the time to ask to borrow my dads Credit Card and we bought our first dedicated server.

I don't think this was the fastest way to success but if definitely shows if you are resourceful enough you can make any business go with little to no money. ANY other similar stories?

[DragonHawk]

Hey Steve,

You know my story but I'll tell it all over again for the benefit of others...

I started of with nothing but an idea... I had nothing to lose at the time coz I was unemployed so I spent 3 months developing the idea from scratch. Planning, programming, testing etc...

Once I finished the script I put it up for sale through HotScripts.com hoping that I'd make a few dollars a month just to get me through the bad period.

My only expense at the time was for web hosting which cost me $5 to start for a shared plan. I'm now running 4 dedicated servers.

In case you don't know the business I am referring to is called DH Softwares. Have been running it for 2 years now.

I didn't really go into much detail here, but if anyone is interested to know more about setting up a site and selling software on the net, just post a message below and I'll elaborate

Cheers

[mike]

Very intresting stories. I had a bit more to start with though.

[Sampson]

Originally posted by DragonHawk
Hey Steve,

You know my story but I'll tell it all over again for the benefit of others...

I started of with nothing but an idea... I had nothing to lose at the time coz I was unemployed so I spent 3 months developing the idea from scratch. Planning, programming, testing etc...

Once I finished the script I put it up for sale through HotScripts.com hoping that I'd make a few dollars a month just to get me through the bad period.

My only expense at the time was for web hosting which cost me $5 to start for a shared plan. I'm now running 4 dedicated servers.

In case you don't know the business I am referring to is called DH Softwares. Have been running it for 2 years now.

I didn't really go into much detail here, but if anyone is interested to know more about setting up a site and selling software on the net, just post a message below and I'll elaborate

Cheers

Well I'd be interested if you elaborated.

[DragonHawk]

Well, it's quite simple really

I started writing the script because I wanted to do something different. Learn something new and try something out (since I had all that time anyway).

So I spend time completing the script, registered a domain and posted it up at HotScripts.com for a small price... I started getting tons of emails all with advice on how to improve it and what they wanted the software to include.

Most of them said that the software was way too cheap for what it can do

I kinda felt good about it since people value my efforts...

Anyway, back to the point... all I did was place a link at hotscripts.com and a number of other script portals, then thought that I should place a link at dmoz.org and soon enough, I was ranked fairly high up at Google too. I think my highest was position 3 for MLM Software (now it's dropped down to 10) and I have no idea what happened

That was the beginning, now all I want to do is maintain sales and maybe expand a little...

[ericesquire]

Good idea on the MLM software - although I'm not a fan of MLM, there is definately a need for that type of thing to keep track of your people.

[dgerik]

Dragonhawk...

looks like your product is pretty feature rich...

You have picked a great niche market for yourself... I think one other niche that is related to this market... would be to create something that would better help the individual representatives control their business...

There are a lot more representatives than there are companies...

Just some 2 cents...

[ericesquire]

dgerik

Explain what you mean by helping representatives control their business?

[DragonHawk]

Originally posted by dgerik
Dragonhawk...

looks like your product is pretty feature rich...

You have picked a great niche market for yourself... I think one other niche that is related to this market... would be to create something that would better help the individual representatives control their business...

There are a lot more representatives than there are companies...

Just some 2 cents...

Yep, that's a great idea! I've been thinking about how to do this for a while actually until one of my clients told me

Going to keep that a secret for now though until I find the time to develop it.

[ackerman7]

Your story is interesting to me. I'm going to LA next week to make my first order of my new brand of condom. I went to my cousins who have witness me struggle and fight to get my vision going for 2yrs. I told them that I need to raise money to get my first product. They threw in money and now I have the money I need to launch out. This is so exciting, finally. I know this is just the beginning, and their is much hardwork to follow, but I ready to take it all on.

When you believe in your vision nomatter what people say about it you hold on to it. Their were many days I wanted to throw in the towel, but I can't work 30yrs for someone else. Impossible! To creative, to hungry, to smart, to savvy for that.

I plan to head to Colleges and Universities to make deals. I will be outside bars and clubs to sell them. I made verbal agreements with the local cornerstores to sell them. All it takes is one contract from a health care provider and boom. I'm focused and ready to shake up the condom industry domestic and abroad.

Once I am established in the condom/HIV prevention industries, I will venture into latex gloves. I plan to manufacture my own latex gloves and condoms. Now I can see my entire vision all the way through. I only had could think pieces of the pie, not all at once. Until your vison clearly comes into focus, then you will truly be unstoppable.

Peace,

Irvin

[teana]

great thoughts and input. i just started my company, teanas, www.teanas.com, its a tea company and boy, all the things that i wish i knew before i jumped in. so many little costs kept creeping up that i never even thought of when i did the financial analysis and projections. the mantra of whatever you think it may cost, multiply by 3 and whatever time you think it may take, multiply by 3, then you hsould be ok, being paraniod i multplied by 4, but things dont always go your way and little costs like business cards, gas and the countless schmooze sessions add up and pick away at costs.

but in the end, i know it'll be worth it. its scary yet exciting at the same time to have your own company but not have that steady paycheck anymore. i know my parents are worried but i told them if it doenst work out after 1 year, then i will fold operations and go back into the work force...plotting my next devious plan to get me out of the rat race...or at least into a maze i created, if that makes any sense.

the best advice i was given was to take as mayn chances as you can while yer young and have no real responsibilities like mortgage or married and have kids. this totally rings true now, b/c if i were married or had a mortgage, i wouldnt be able to run my company full time. ahh the joy of having my own company, and the fear of having my own company.

when it comes to having a shoestring budget, especially for marketing, word of mouth definitely helps. most of my sales come from word of mouth and friends. so it helps to constatnly nag your friends to spread the word of your company. i know i do.

so spread the word, go to www.teanas.com!

-teana