I've built everything but don't know what to do next

[betawise]

I am a software engineer, and I have built a site, and gotten my DBA. the site is 99% complete.

The idea is to save small and mid size companies money by outsourcing QA testing to professionals testers that wish to make extra money by moonlighting. There are other sites that do this but they "crowdsource" to the general public and there are sites that outsource everything over seas.

I am not doing that. My testers are U.S. residents that are professional testers. This is not intended to be their job but rather a way to make spare cash.

The site is: betawise.com

So I have things almost done, and I have no clients. I have 31 professional testers signed up and I need to get a couple clients in the door.

I have no funding and I think I might need it. I think to get a client, I am going to have to offer a free trial run but I would still need to pay the testers.

Can someone help me with the next step? Like I said, I am a software engineer so I got that engineering part down now I need to figure out how to get the business engineered.

So I guess the questions are:
1. Any ways you suggest I get a couple clients in the door?

2. If doing a free trial run is the best way, then what is the best way to get small amount of funding ($10,000 - $20,000) so I can pay some testers?

3. Any other thoughts on this at all?

Thank you for your time.

[fthom]

Try out having reduced prices for a select period to entice potential clients...but so that you can still cover costs. Also, market it as much as possible!!

[andymayhem]

how about contacting a couple of the best testers and offering them equity in return for free working?? by best i mean those with the biggest network!

[EBITDA]

What your asking is "how do I market my service?" Marketing can get distilled down to three things: message, media and market.

Message - first make sure you have a USP - a Unique Selling Proposition; i.e. why anyone should buy from you as opposed to anyone else. this needs to be communicated in your message.

Media can be as varied as your imagination. One I would seriously consider is direct mail. Look to rent a list from one of the trade journals of your target market and do a direct response mailing (don't just do one mailing, but rather do a sequential mailing).

All three legs of the stool are important, but I would weigh targeting the right market a little heavier. You might have the best message and use the right media to get to the market, but if the market doesn't care, then nothing else matters. A crappy message to the right market will work better than a perfect message to the wrong market.

To prime the pump, think about talking to associates and colleagues for business. Instead of giving a free trial upfront (unless you structure it as buy two - get the third free for a limited time) maybe consider giving an hour of consulting; or offer a "double your money back guarantee". I would avoid giving up equity to your testers - seems like an expensive way to pay wages.

Nick
TransCapital Pro

[bhnyc]

For funding, try a peer-to-peer lending solution like Lendingclub.com

In terms of marketing and getting new clients, your business seems perfectly suited to being promoted through Social Media. Follow some simple steps and teach yourself about social media from the wealth of resources on the net. Some steps to get started:

- Join twitter. Then use the search.twitter.com function to look up people tweeting about topics related to your business (eg: website, testing QA etc.).

- Follow these people, and start engaging in conversation with them. Look for people who are confused or asking questions related to the service you offer – join their conversation with some good advice.

- Follow other people with high follower counts, tweet some interesting and useful stuff (avoid tweeting about what you are doing today – boring…) and hopefully more people with follow you.

- Tweet about your business, why its so cool and how its useful to people.

- Make sure there is a link to your business website in your twitter profile.

- Start writing a blog (wordpress is a great, easy platform). You can demonstrate your expertise in your field through writing a blog.

- Make sure people understand why they would need your service. I think testing and QA is not the first thing a web entrepreneur who does not have an engineering or technical background would think of. I took a quick look at your website, and there was nothing telling me why I would even need your service. In my mind, this is the first thing you should do – craft a way of letting people know why they need you.

- Find discussion forums related to your filed, and join in the conversation.

- Go to a site like meetup.com and see if there are small business owner meetups in your area – maybe you can make connections there with people who need your service, or know of somebody who needs your service.

These are just a few quick thoughts – hope they help a little :-)

[mthomas]

Would you consider offering visitors a free trial offer? So, for the first 30 days they have access to the service for free or a reduced price. The hope is that they like the service enough where they don't unsubscribe after the first month.

Does it seem like there is enough traffic potential where you can offer this and maybe add some ad support at least until you have a cash flow?