How to spend $500.00 for my business

**BrettStapper** · 10-26-2009 10:21 PM

I own the website HomeJotter.com

It is a website designed to connect landlords with college students nationwide.

Right now our marketing is based off of free classified and social networking websites. We contact companies by phone and email to get them to create an account and begin listing properties. So far we have properties listed in over 500 colleges across the country.

I am putting in $500.00 of my own money to help grow the business.

Any advice on how I should use it and what I should put it towards

Thanks!

**pjj1020** · 10-26-2009 10:41 PM

Put the money into getting involved in a wider range of colleges. The more colleges, the more hits.

Also, you should put an advert banner on the bottom of the page to make some money.

**davidansell** · 10-27-2009 12:03 AM

Get advertising on TV, Radio, also why don't you just directly visit each college, and have a meeting, with the owners, and also have meetings with housing agencies, landlords ect.

And Get Advertised on your American TV

In england If I done this idea, I'd of made 1 million already. so simple.

Web Advertising is pretty useless now days.

**myfayt** · 10-27-2009 08:55 AM

What to do: Talk to local colleges and universities and tell them about your plan. Make up a bunch of flyer's and brochures, or even business cards with the website and post them around campus. After permission.

What NOT to do: Do not advertise in the phone book or magazines. This is a complete waste of money. I spent $2,600 for an ad for a year, and only received two phone calls, one didn't buy. I went bankrupt because of it.

Word of mouth is the best advertising there is. Once you get your first customer, they will tell their friend where to go, and it starts to multiply.

**SantaCruzer** · 10-28-2009 08:18 AM

Before you spend any money on advertising you need to really ask yourself a series of questions.

Who "specifically" am I selling to? You need to know your customer inside and out.

What is the most effective avenue to connect with my customers?

With $500, your possibilities are limited. You might want to consider contacting the off-campus departments at universities to pitch your business there.

**Future of Edu** · 10-28-2009 08:37 AM

With $500, I would gather more data. Don't put any of that into advertising or flyers or business cards or ,,, anything. You have NOTHING to advertise right now. I went to the site, checked my state and left. (i also checked florida)

You need more content before you start pushing anything out there. Start pushing it now and people will see you have no info and NEVER go back.

$500 is about 40 or so man hours through some outsourcing companies. Do whatever you can to build content. Then work on advertising.

Enjoy Life,
Nick

**Future of Edu** · 10-28-2009 08:40 AM

One other thing. Start checking local community sites and college/university sites that offer local off campus housing info. What you are doing has been done time and time again at a local level. I haven't checked into naitonal. Do you have any competition? Anyway, check out local stuff to compile your data. Create profiles for them.

Enjoy Life,
Nick

**ucavik** · 10-29-2009 07:58 AM

your target users visit you directly or online? if you can answer this i will be in a better position to help you

**jake_russell** · 10-29-2009 11:26 PM

BrettStapper,

I went to your website to check it out and see if I could offer any advice. I saw one thing that was interesting. The "donate now" button. Are you asking people to donate to your business? I was just wondering because i have not seen this business practice before. It was a turnoff for me, maybe I am the only one though.

just my 2 cents

**Future of Edu** · 10-30-2009 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by jake_russell

BrettStapper,

I went to your website to check it out and see if I could offer any advice. I saw one thing that was interesting. The "donate now" button. Are you asking people to donate to your business? I was just wondering because i have not seen this business practice before. It was a turnoff for me, maybe I am the only one though.

just my 2 cents

great question.....