Hi everyone! I'm Lindsay, the Founder of CitySwarm - a company that organizes group social experiences for young Chicagoans. We provide our customers with a no-hassle way to explore Chicago and socialize with peers, all while taking advantage of group-buying benefits.You can find out more on our website, www.cityswarmchicago.com.
Being pretty non-techy myself and not finding a suitable tech partner yet, I have been pretty much on my own to make this business happen. No manpower and no funding, yet we're still cash flow positive and have received great press from Time Out Chicago, NBC, and others.
In order to do this, I've utilized every cost-saving method in the book, and use revenue generated to move towards the next goal, bootstrapping like a champ. Here are my top 7 cost-saving strategies for any low-budget startup, like CitySwarm:
1. Google Apps - Utilizing Google Apps (free), I'm able to be mobile all the time - having all my documents and mail stored in one place. My favorite app is Google Voice, which lets me have an office phone number that forwards to my mobile phone. No one knows I'm really just on my couch in pajamas. In addition, I love Google Forms. Instead of paying for an online survey application, I use Forms to make all my surveys and collect customer data.
2. Mailchimp - Most probably know this already, but if not, MailChimp is an email client, similar to Constant Contact. It's fun to use, and best of all, it's free until you reach 2,000 contacts.
3. Eventbrite - EB isn't free, but they only charge you if you are selling tickets for a price. They take a small fee along with credit card processing fees, and you can choose to incur these costs or push them on to the consumer. EB offers great event management tools like waitlists, discount codes, and tracking. They also came out w/ a new iPad app recently that lets you sell tickets on the go but keep everything tracked in one place.
4. Get Interns - I have two summer interns who are already proving to be lifesavers. They are unpaid, but happy to get the amazing hands-on experience. All of my internships were unpaid so I don't feel bad. Instead, I treat them well, they get great perks, and we're having fun! You of course have to abide by all the rules of the Fair Labor act. To get interns, post on the local schools' websites or on Craigslist.
5. Do your own PR - this is the biggest mistake (in my opinion) when I hear that startups are hiring outside PR firms. All it takes it some research, networking, and emails to get some good PR, like our article on NBCChicago.com. It takes time, but it's worth it.
6. Law Clinics - While I would consider myself the Business one of the pair (if I ever become a pair), legalities are not my forte. So, when getting the basics of my company together, I consulted with an adviser from the Loyola Small Business Law Clinic. they are smart, know what they're talking about, and virtually free.
7. Weebly - this is perhaps the most shocking to some, and probably not at all shocking to others (programmers/designers?), but I do all my own website development using Weebly (there's also Yola, Wix, etc.). Although I would love to have a more techy site with awesome features, like Grubwith.Us, what really matters to me right now is building up my subscriber list and planning and executing great events. The fancy stuff can come later. I pay less than $50/year for my current website.
