My first business success without big investments - sharing the lessons based on experience

In 2013, we launched our first product - an e-commerce CRM system (I don't want to put link here, it's not for advertisement). Soon, I'll drop the link on IndieHackers profile once our new site is ready.

🕰Quick traction timeline:
Launch: October 2013
Hit $1000 per month: March 2014
Hit $3000 per month: May 2014
It's been going strong every month since far 2013!

🔑What did we do:
Started with my boyfriend (now husband). He handled development, and I took on everything else he couldn't manage due to time constraints.

• He focused on development.
• I created video & text guides, built a knowledge base, and stress-tested every feature.
• Managed social media groups and posts (I reached out via calls and messages).
• My husband crafted site design, did CEO optimization work.

🔼Customer growth journey:
We started slow but eventually picked up speed. Our name spread among a niche of online sellers, thanks to word of mouth. This was Leap #1.

Then came Leap #2. We found a partner who saw the potential in our affiliate program. It was lifetime-based then; they earned money each month by recommending our CRM. This partner, mentoring newbie internet entrepreneurs, fit right in. Our CRM was cost-effective, and it was a simple solution to mass sales with numerous functions.

🟥The Marketing Money Barrier:
All the time we thought that marketing is paid ads. We had not any experience in marketing and product promotion. We thought our efforts were good (helping clients, partnering, active social communication, blogging), but where was marketing? Advertising on social media? That needed funds.

💡The insights!
I was young (22) and marketing-naive. No education in it, just a degree in Public Administration.
I love read. Once I saw the book of Philip Kotler's "Marketing Insights From A to Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs to Know". It turned my mind!
I was shocked and thrilled, I realized that marketing wasn't only paid ads. Everything we did was marketing - putting ourselves in clients' shoes, living the product, building reputation, support, discounts, adding features by request, even handling midnight urgent queries.

📍So I understood why did we get the result:
Money started flowing in. We attended conferences, did a bit of advertising - all minor compared to our focus on maintaining quality.

💡Kotler's Idea:
Marketing is too important to leave only to the marketing department. Every team and employee must work on it.

🖇Key Takeaways:

• You can promote without heavy investment.
• If you're uncertain, remember your product solves a problem. Your task is to inform clients about it and highlight their problem. After that you even will not need to sell.

Support my debut article with a like and comment! Our first product has thrived for 10 years. Our new launch is on the horizon; find the link in my profile.
🔗 My Twitter: @ann_kasumova