SaaS Products

[JayJethwa]

Hi all,
I have developed two B2B and B2C SaaS products and spent my final penny. How do I move this product into the next phase. Get paying customers to use my products bearing in mind I have run out of funds. What options do I have?

 

[fisicx]

Hallo @JayJethwa and welcome to UKBF

Not many options I’m afraid. The internet is awash with saas products of all types.

If you want attract paying customers then you need to do some marketing and that costs money. The days when you could launch a product and be picked up on the tech news sites are long gone. If you don’t have a marketing budget it’s going to be a very long uphill struggle. You will be spending every waking hour finding niche sites and blogs, forums, social media and other resources where you can do some promotion. And even then, the chances of getting new business is very slim.

Sorry to be so blunt but a marketing plan should come before you write your first line of code.

 

[obvious94]

You do actually have an option

 

[obvious94]

JayJethwa
You can contact <deleted> I know that he helped start some SaaS businesses from scratch with getting the first clients.

 

[Mark T Jones]

In finest UKBF tradition.

New member has a problem. Another new .ember provides the solution.

The wonder of social media

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

@JayJethwa What sort of services do the SAAS's offer?

 

[micheldf]

Hi all,
I have developed two B2B and B2C SaaS products and spent my final penny. How do I move this product into the next phase. Get paying customers to use my products bearing in mind I have run out of funds. What options do I have?

Hey, I can relate. I have developed a SaaS product as well, but mine is going well, attracting new users every day and a few subscriptions.

You need to offer excellent customer service and invite your customers to review your business on review platforms.

 

[JayJethwa]

@JayJethwa What sort of services do the SAAS's offer?

So, I have 2 applications, one provides administration support for people who provide B2B training, booking and generate certificates etc.. Another application connects estate agents, landlords and property owners with tradespeople for property maintenance.

 

[JayJethwa]

Hallo @JayJethwa and welcome to UKBF

Not many options I’m afraid. The internet is awash with saas products of all types.

If you want attract paying customers then you need to do some marketing and that costs money. The days when you could launch a product and be picked up on the tech news sites are long gone. If you don’t have a marketing budget it’s going to be a very long uphill struggle. You will be spending every waking hour finding niche sites and blogs, forums, social media and other resources where you can do some promotion. And even then, the chances of getting new business is very slim.

Sorry to be so blunt but a marketing plan should come before you write your first line of code.

Hi,

I understand, its just circumstances that lead me here.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Thanks for the clarification.

When you wrote your business plan for each of these products, how did you propose that your were going to promote them? Do you have experience of these markets (they are very different!).

On the basis that you do not have funds to promote, you appear to have the following options:

1. Create a JV with people who know the markets and can bring value
2. Take investment - difficult on an unproven product
3. Work with someone who can market the product, but expect to share a lot of equity
4. Sell the products as a complete package to recoup your investment

 

[fisicx]

So, I have 2 applications, one provides administration support for people who provide B2B training, booking and generate certificates etc.. Another application connects estate agents, landlords and property owners with tradespeople for property maintenance.

Nothing new about either of these. A google search will show you any number of products that will do just this. And many of these products do a lot more.

With regards the second product. I'm a landlord, if I need a tradesman to do some work I can find any number in seconds on Google. Estate agents already have a list of people they can call. Same with most property owners. What they don't need is an SAAS product that might or might not have a local chippy listed. Which brings us onto the next question: have you fully populated the database with a fully set of tradespeople's data? If not then it's just not going to work without a lot of investment.

 

[JayJethwa]

Thanks for the clarification.

When you wrote your business plan for each of these products, how did you propose that your were going to promote them? Do you have experience of these markets (they are very different!).

On the basis that you do not have funds to promote, you appear to have the following options:

1. Create a JV with people who know the markets and can bring value
2. Take investment - difficult on an unproven product
3. Work with someone who can market the product, but expect to share a lot of equity
4. Sell the products as a complete package to recoup your investment

Thank you. these are good options. I am looking at option 1 and 3, having a win-win solution can motivate and prosper everyone involved. Option 4 would be good but this maybe tired with reasons from option 2.

 

[JayJethwa]

Nothing new about either of these. A google search will show you any number of products that will do just this. And many of these products do a lot more.

With regards the second product. I'm a landlord, if I need a tradesman to do some work I can find any number in seconds on Google. Estate agents already have a list of people they can call. Same with most property owners. What they don't need is an SAAS product that might or might not have a local chippy listed. Which brings us onto the next question: have you fully populated the database with a fully set of tradespeople's data? If not then it's just not going to work without a lot of investment.

Yes, its hard to develop anything thats unique now, and if you have something unique its not long before your competitors will copy it. Populating database is the next stage. These are new products.

 

[fisicx]

which comes back the question of marketing. Neither of your products offer anything new. Which means there is no incentive to switch from existing systems. I fear this is going to be a lost cause unless you can find someone to support the project financially.

 

[JayJethwa]

JayJethwa
You can contact <deleted> I know that he helped start some SaaS businesses from scratch with getting the first clients.

Hi,
For some reason it’s deleted.

 

[Ditata]

@JayJethwa If I were in your shoes I would proactively approach your ideal customers and offer them a free 30 day trial, let them use the product without restriction to feel the full benefit of it then focus on converting those free users to paid users.

Use LinkedIn, UKBF, knock on doors in your area... whatever it takes, just get the ball moving, when a user doesn't convert ask them why? When a user does convert, ask them why and for intros to other potential users!

 

[JayJethwa]

@JayJethwa If I were in your shoes I would proactively approach your ideal customers and offer them a free 30 day trial, let them use the product without restriction to feel the full benefit of it then focus on converting those free users to paid users.

Use LinkedIn, UKBF, knock on doors in your area... whatever it takes, just get the ball moving, when a user doesn't convert ask them why? When a user does convert, ask them why and for intros to other potential users!

That looks like the way forward. I have got 7 days free trial but may have to change to 30 days.

 

[Ditata]

What is the product called? How can UKBF members find it?

That looks like the way forward. I have got 7 days free trial but may have to change to 30 days.

 

[fisicx]

What is the product called? How can UKBF members find it?

Link is in his profile

 

[JayJethwa]

What is the product called? How can UKBF members find it?

Not sure if I am allowed to put my link here.

 

[fisicx]

Not sure if I am allowed to put my link here.

If you visit their profile it’s in the ‘About’ section