Bootstrapping your software as a service or SaaS company means you’re doing it without the help of outside investors. No venture capital will be supporting your early growth and market breakthrough. However, you’ll maintain complete control of your product without worrying about pleasing investors. While they can fund companies, their interest in a startup’s success often does not extend beyond strong financial returns.
While this independence is compelling, I’ve observed that bootstrapping comes with its own set of challenges. You’re relying on limited resources, including smaller cash flows. Founders are also tasked with navigating competitive markets with a lean business model. If you’re considering bootstrapping a SaaS business, it’s entirely possible to succeed by executing low-cost strategies. Here are a few to consider.
1. Determine Demand In The Beginning
You don’t want to develop your product only to discover you’ve miscalculated demand potential post-launch. It’s more challenging to recoup losses after investing significant resources into software the market doesn’t want. While verifying demand pre-launch seems like a no-brainer, it’s easy to get swayed by enthusiasm. As marketers soon learn, however, internal perspectives and preferences don’t determine whether a concept will succeed.
Although you might not have a powerhouse marketing research team in the beginning, low-cost ways exist to verify demand. For instance, you could create a landing page to generate leads and sign up customers for your product before launch. You might also publish videos demonstrating how your software will work, including a link to sign up for ongoing developments.
Another idea is to have a curated list of prospects emailed to you via a tool like Growth List. The tool funnels B2B sales leads to your inbox, with 100 of these coming in at no cost each month. This allows you to grow your pipeline of prospects who are in the market for new software-based services and products—no chasing required.
2. Rely On Low-Cost Development Tools
Your operating budget is lean, so you’ll need to consider how to maintain quality without breaking the bank. From developing your app to building a website, you can leverage a range of low-cost tools to assist you. These options often let you balance efficiency with acceptable production standards and results.
Examples include open-source and low-cost coding software, which enables efficient app development. You can create a minimum viable product or MVP without needing a coding bootcamp. There are also no-cost AI tools to assist with content marketing and low-cost backend solutions to scale SaaS app development.
If you’re concerned about how you’ll get a website up and running on top of developing your app, rest assured. Low-cost tools exist for this as well. One option is ROI Marketing Applications, which helps create websites for free. You’ll pay hosting fees but will have one of the most critical marketing platforms ready to go.
3. Focus On Organic Marketing Channels
You don’t have to overspend on marketing to grow your company. Focus on organic channels like online content, digital communities and social media sites instead. Not having a full-time content team could be a hurdle in the beginning. However, outsourcing or using low-cost content tools may be viable options.
For instance, ChatGPT can generate blog outlines and basic posts. You’ll get a head start on your latest piece without spending hours at the brainstorming table. Flesh out the content AI creates by adding your unique insights, statistics and real-world examples. Even the most seasoned writers and editors benefit from platforms like Hemingway Editor, which double-check for structural and grammatical errors. You don’t have to be an expert wordsmith to get started.
Other low-cost solutions exist to help with SEO research and social media post management, including automated scheduling. Online communities like Reddit could serve as starting points where you can leverage word-of-mouth. Identify trending topics, add value to existing conversations and consider building your own forum.
4. Recruit With A Lean Model In Mind
For startups, achieving more with less can be tough. You’ll find the people you bring on board will need to initially wear multiple hats. Yet, you don’t want to stretch them too thin. Simultaneously, you might not be able to secure all the skills your business needs by hiring a smaller team.
To make the most of your resources, determine what capabilities you require in-house and which functions you can outsource. For example, relying on a few freelancers to augment your content marketing may be more cost-efficient than an internal team. Likewise, you might want to keep software development and sales in-house.
One approach is to build an internal team with the core skills your SaaS business requires. Then, delegate the non-core functions to outside experts. These non-core functions usually encompass one-off projects and areas where you need to supplement the output of your employees. Also, consider hiring part-time staff for roles where full-time hours may not be justified.
Low-Cost Bootstrapping Strategies
The decision to bootstrap your SaaS business versus seeking venture capital is a significant one. You’ll be attempting to fuel your company’s growth with more limited resources, at least in the beginning. However, bootstrapping doesn’t mean you’re restricted to your immediate resources. You can leverage minimal-cost tools and strategies to successfully break into the market.
Although 51% of SaaS early startups are backed by venture capital, data shows bootstrapped companies have lower customer acquisition costs. The average cost per customer is $21,000 for venture capital-backed businesses versus $5,000 for bootstrapped competitors. With comparable year-over-year growth rates, bootstrapping lends the advantage of efficient progress. Plus, you’ll have the benefit of influencing where that growth leads.
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