Hello, Steppers!

Today’s post is all about… ME!

Haha just kidding. It’s about you and wherever you are in your entrepreneurial journey. I’ve gathered together some of the most helpful material for entrereneurs, yet produced by yers truly.

Not everything I write is pure gold. But every once in a while I get something write (er, RIGHT) that resonates with my Steppers.

So I’ve cobbled together an “internal roundup” of the FIVE most-read, most-shared, most commented and hopefully, most helpful posts so far on Shoestring101.

Inside you will find posts on:

My foundational marketing strategy, the “Shotgun/Laser“ technique…

…the results of one of my 30 Day Challenges to make a business from scratch and take it to $1,000 profit or more in 30 days…

and how that business later reached the $10,000 per month level…

…a post that comprises all Five of the Shoestring Steps being used by another ‘business-from-scratch guru’, along with my comments…

…and finally the “Secret” Seven Hacks that I used to COMPLETELY REPLACE all my “paid” marketing efforts in my local businesses. If you own a local business and are spending money on Google or Facebook PPC, read this one ^  first.

Why I’m Sharing These Top Five Posts With YOU

I’m taking my friend Ana Hoffman’s advice and doing a full blog audit according to her checklist …

Another one of MANY Helpful Checklist from the Queen of Traffic …Click to Go There

…chucking out the less valuable stuff, but saving the gems for YOU.

Later on I’ll be sorting through the checklist and updating this content, supercharging it for value and sharing. For now you can see them in their original form.

BTW if you don’t know by now, Ana Hoffman is my “guru” (is “guru-ette” a word? Pro’ly not…) for all things TRAFFIC. When she speaks, I listen. For just one of MANY helpful checklists with tips, tricks, hacks, the things to do and the order in which to do ’em… go here:

http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/update-old-content-checklist/

So, while “Ana”-lyzing on the most engaged, most downloaded, most commented and otherwise interacted-with stuff, I found that THESE FIVE posts seem to be faves of the general Shoestring101 audience. Maybe they will be yours as well…

TOP 5 Posts on Shoestring101. Danger: Profits Ahead!

If you have a small business or are thinking of starting one, this post has all the basic

Target Marketing… Narrow the Focus for Best Results

foundation about how to market it. It introduces the shotgun/laser technique…

http://www.shoestring101.com/effective-marketing-on-a-shoestring-budget-part-one/

Oh! Just in case you are wondering:

Yes, Virginia, there IS an Effective Marketing on a Shoestring Budget Part Two, a Part Three, and Part Four. The last one is actually called the “World Domination from ZERO” technique.

More Helpful Posts on Starting and Scaling Your Business

These next two posts go together, because they show the start of one of my most successful 30 Day Challenges. My 14 year-old son Pierce and I determined to start a business from scratch using part time effort, and bring it to the $1,000 per month level in the first month.

We did it.

The second post shows how we were able to scale that same business from the $1,000 per month level to $10,000 per month in the busy season. NOT shabby…

To watch the progress of this local business go from scratch… to making some serious scratch, check ’em:

http://www.shoestring101.com/we-made-it-30-day-thousand-bucks-challenge/

http://www.shoestring101.com/another-case-study-five-steps-to-five-figures/

Noah Kagan’s How to Make Your First Dollar

The following post is one of the most-favorited and shared of all. Enjoy Noah Kagan of Appsumo uses the principles from his How to Make Your First Dollar course.

Noah starts a business from scratch that earns $1000 in its first 24 HOURS, selling (of all things) a subscription for beef jerky.

This post is my insane jealousy rant glowing review of Sumo Jerky and its founder.

In only a 24-hour period Noah applies all five of the Shoestring Steps (see if you can spot ’em!) and makes a grand, while in my own Thousand Dollar Challenges I give myself 30 days to accomplish the same thing.

Zombie Noah. Sorry bro… get better soon.

For his insolence, I sentenced Noah to Zombiehood.

This one’s a treat…

http://www.shoestring101.com/my-take-on-the-sumo-24-hour-challenge-sumo-jerky/

Hack Google Local Results for Free Front Page Listings

Finally, this last post has hit international fame as the top result when you search “hack local seo” or “hack local search results”. It will show you how I replaced my paid advertising with FREE exposure on Google local search results.

How I Use Google to Promote My Local Martial Arts Studio and Screen Repair Biz without “Breaking” the Bank

I no longer pay ANYthing to advertise my martial arts studio, or the screen-repair business referred to in the 30 Day Challenge posts above.

Yet Google generates thousands per month for me in new business… not shabby.

Could your local biz use some visibility? Learn and embrace these 7 “Ninja” techniques for getting free listings and traffic:

http://www.shoestring101.com/seo-ninja-7-ways-to-hack-local-search/

Thank You For Being a Shoestring Stepper!

Okay, Steppers!

The above are the “BEST OF”, erm… so far at Shoestring101.

I’d love it if you would choose one of those posts above that apply to YOU most… and use it to help your own marketing and sales.

I’d love THIS even more: let me know if and how these posts have helped you in your pursuit of greater profits and fulfillment in owning your own business.

So if you think of it… drop me a line in the comments box. Let me know what YOUR biggest challenge is in starting or growing YOUR business.

I’d love to help. If I have an answer, I’ll share it with you. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll point you out to someone much smarter (like Ana Hoffman or Noah Kagan) who does.

That’s a promise.

Because this is who and what I write Shoestring101 for..

to help YOU with growing and enjoying YOUR business.

You’re the best. Thank you for reading Shoestring101.

Keep Stepping,

Kurt

P.S. Please go check out one of those posts now! It’ll take ya between 3-7 minutes depending on which one you choose, maybe 2 minutes more if you leave a comment (pretty please!)

Here they are again:

http://www.shoestring101.com/effective-marketing-on-a-shoestring-budget-part-one/

http://www.shoestring101.com/we-made-it-30-day-thousand-bucks-challenge/

http://www.shoestring101.com/another-case-study-five-steps-to-five-figures/

http://www.shoestring101.com/my-take-on-the-sumo-24-hour-challenge-sumo-jerky/

http://www.shoestring101.com/seo-ninja-7-ways-to-hack-local-search/