37 Creative Ways Founders Got Their First 100 Customers (Without a Big Marketing Budget)
Getting your first 100 customers is one of the hardest and most defining stages of building a business.
Budgets are tiny. Nobody knows you. Every customer feels personal.
So we asked founders, marketers, and operators one simple question:
What is one creative way you acquired your first 100 customers without a large marketing budget?
The answers are gritty, clever, and full of real-world lessons earned in the trenches.
Here are 37 of the most useful strategies, grouped by category so you can apply the ones that fit your business.
Content and SEO Plays Crucial Role
1. SEO Content That Does the Selling
Tactic: Michael’s team created high value SEO content targeting long-tail keywords their ideal customers searched for. Each article solved a real problem and positioned them as experts. Organic traffic converted without ad spend.
Takeaway: Helpful content becomes your sales team when aligned with search intent.– Michael Lazar – CEO, Content Author
2. AI Powered Articles for Fast Rankings
Tactic: Will leveraged AI to publish optimized articles consistently. They ranked faster than expected and inbound leads followed without a big budget.
Takeaway: Consistency and smart content beat random bursts of activity.-Will Melton – CEO, Xponent21
3. Niche SEO Bigger Players Ignored
Tactic: David targeted hyper-specific SEO keywords in global education that large competitors ignored. Leads arrived already trusting the brand.
Takeaway: You do not need broad rankings. You need the right ones.– David Cornado – Partner, French Teachers Association of Hong Kong
4. Authority Building Through Public Insight
Tactic: Bennett posted real-time breakdowns of SEO changes on LinkedIn and Twitter, building authority in public. Inbound customers followed.
Takeaway: Your thinking is your ad budget. Publish it.-Bennett Heyn – Founder, Backlinker AI
5. Educational Guides That Spark Calls
Tactic: Brian created educational guides about safety and sustainability. People began calling to discuss the content and became customers.
Takeaway: Teaching starts conversations that selling cannot.-Brian Tetreault – Co-Founder, Kitching and Co. Dirtworx
Free Audits, Workshops and Education
6. One Painful Fix for Free
Tactic: Nirmal audited 50 local websites, recorded personalized videos explaining one major flaw, and offered to fix it free in exchange for introductions.
Takeaway: Fix one expensive problem and earn referrals, not discounts.-Nirmal Gyanwali – Founder and CMO, WP Creative
7. Live Workshops and Real-Time Audits
Tactic: Brandon hosted free SEO workshops and did live website audits in front of attendees. Many hired him immediately.
Takeaway: Let people experience your expertise, not just hear about it.-Brandon Leibowitz – Owner, SEO Optimizers
8. Trust Building Through Library Workshops
Tactic: Mike taught home selling strategies at local libraries. When homeowners decided to sell, they already trusted him.
Takeaway: Education builds trust faster than advertising.-Mike Wall – Founder and CEO, We Buy Gulf Coast Houses
9. Hyper Specific Operational Workshops
Tactic: Karl offered NetSuite problem-solving sessions inside niche business communities.
Takeaway: Solve one shared headache and demand follows.-Karl Threadgold – Managing Director, Threadgold Consulting
10. Workshops for People in Crisis
Tactic: Christopher ran workshops for families navigating sentencing, appeals, and release planning. Those families then referred others.
Takeaway: In stressful industries, clarity equals trust.-Christopher Zoukis – Managing Director, Zoukis Consulting Group
11. Free Grant Navigation Training
Tactic: Ydette’s team trained nonprofit and police departments on grant navigation, helping one department win funding and triggering referrals.
Takeaway: When you help someone win something meaningful, your name spreads on its own.-Ydette Macaraeg – ERI Grants
Guerrilla Offline and Scrappy Tactics
12. Burner Phone and Curiosity Cards
Tactic: Patrick printed cards saying “SEO Audit. 0 dollars. Text Only.” Placed them in cafés. A 92-dollar experiment brought 8,500 dollars in revenue and grew from referrals.
Takeaway: Simple curiosity beats glossy branding.-Patrick Beltran – Marketing Director, Ardoz Digital
13. Door Tags on Aging Garage Doors
Tactic: Craig hung service tags on old garage doors. Most homeowners saved the tag until the door broke. First 100 bookings arrived in weeks.
Takeaway: Go where the visible problem exists.-Craig Focht – Co-Founder and CEO, All Pro Door Repair
14. Gym Cookies Instead of Ads
Tactic: Dirty Dough handed out free cookies at gyms and coworking spaces instead of running ads. People later visited the store.
Takeaway: Sampling is better than slogans.-Bennett Maxwell – CEO, Franchise KI (Dirty Dough)
15. Free Dog Training in Parks
Tactic: Mark hosted obedience sessions in public parks. Owners saw improvement, told friends, and joined paid programs.
Takeaway: Demonstrate results where others can witness them.-Mark Spivak – Founder, CPT
16. Offline Shows for an Online Platform
Tactic: Ran psychic readings live at spiritual fairs to drive users to an online platform.
Takeaway: Human connection accelerates digital trust.-Amy Bos – Co-Founder and COO, Mediumchat Group
17. Suitcase Selling on the Beach
Tactic: Julia carried handmade swimwear in a suitcase and talked deeply with women about body image. Loyal buyers followed.
Takeaway: Empathy can outperform any funnel.-Julia Pukhalskaia – CEO, Mermaid Way
Referrals, Partnerships and Networks
18. Give Partners Free Leads First
Tactic: Joe sent warehouses free leads so they would promote Fulfill.com in return. Combined with forum participation, this brought 60+ customers.
Takeaway: Make partners money first and they become your sales team.-Joe Spisak – CEO, Fulfill.com
19. Property Managers as Referral Engines
Tactic: Justin offered free trial cleanings for problem tenants. Property managers kept sending more clients.
Takeaway: Solve one gatekeeper’s pain and unlock demand.-Justin Carpenter – Founder, Jacksonville Maids
20. Partnering With Foreclosure Attorneys
Tactic: Brandi became the trusted buyer attorneys sent distressed homeowners to.
Takeaway: Borrow trust instead of building it slowly.-Brandi Simon – Owner, TX Home Buying Pros
21. Selling Through Agencies
Tactic: Steven helped marketing agencies serve multiple clients better, earning wide distribution through them.
Takeaway: Sometimes the real buyer is the intermediary.-Steven Manifold – CMO and Director, B2B Planr
22. Referral Network of Movers and Realtors
Tactic: Movers handed out Glenpool’s storage flyers to people relocating.
Takeaway: Position yourself at the exact moment of need.-John Reese – Owner, Glenpool Storage
23. Coffee and Pastry Cross Promotion
Tactic: Partnered with the bakery next door, bundling café products.
Takeaway: Micro-collaborations unlock shared customer bases.-Allen Kou – Owner, Zinfandel Grille
24. Give It Free to Trusted Professionals First
Tactic: Therapists got free access and recommended the tool to clients.
Takeaway: Win the advisor and you automatically win the user.-Daniel Hebert – Founder, yourLumira
25. Solving “Problem Units” for Park Managers
Tactic: Removed difficult homes fast and earned exclusive referrals.
Takeaway: Make partners look good and business flows steadily.-Ian Smith – Co-Founder, We Buy SC Mobile Homes
Community, Conversations and Word of Mouth
26. Mom-to-Mom Advocacy
Tactic: Erin met parents face-to-face, shared samples, and built loyalty one parent group at a time.
Takeaway: In trust-sensitive markets, peer proof is everything.-Erin Hendricks – President and Owner, Sammy’s Milk
27. Turning Customer Stories Into Fuel
Tactic: Every positive story became public content, making new buyers feel like insiders.
Takeaway: Your customers should feel like your community, not your targets.-Chris Lin – Founder, Summit Breeze Tea
28. Forums and Tailored Free Trials
Tactic: Alvin answered questions in tech forums and quietly offered tailored free trials to good fits.
Takeaway: Help publicly, pitch privately.-Alvin Poh – Chairman, CLDY.com (Founder of Vodien)
29. Show Before-and-After Wins
Tactic: Ryan shared before-and-after photos and ROI numbers in forums.
Takeaway: Numbers plus visuals create instant credibility.-Ryan Nelson – Founder, RentalRealEstate
30. Personal Outreach With a CX Playbook
Tactic: Asad mailed a custom “CX Playbook” with personalized context to operators.
Takeaway: Content is powerful. Context closes deals.-Asad Mirza – President and CEO, ContactPoint 360
Product Led, Hyper Personal and Pre-Selling Tactics
31. “Solve Before You Sell” Dream 100
Tactic: Built custom mini-solutions for 100 ideal accounts before pitching.
Takeaway: A perfect solution for one account repeated 100 times beats any funnel.-Stanley Anto – Chief Editor, Techronicler
32. Personalized Workflow Audits
Tactic: Max created workflow breakdowns for dream clients and sent them with recommendations.
Takeaway: Radical specificity is memorable and shareable.-Max Shak – Founder and CEO, Zapiy
33. Pre-Selling Before Building
Tactic: Michel sold the vision before the product existed, improving it based on committed buyers.
Takeaway: Your first customers can buy conviction, not code.-Michel Leconte – CEO, SeoSamba
34. Changing the Business Model, Not the Product
Tactic: Let users verify data recoverability before paying. Sales instantly 10x’d.
Takeaway: Marketing issues are often pricing issues in disguise.-Chongwei Chen – President and CEO, DataNumen
Events, Challenges and Creative Campaigns
35. Growth Challenge as Lead Magnet
Tactic: Invited brands to submit problems and solved them publicly.
Takeaway: Gamifying access creates buzz.-Marc Bishop – Director, Wytlabs
36. Content Exchange With Micro Influencers
Tactic: Co-created stories with niche influencers across multiple categories.
Takeaway: Shared storytelling multiplies reach without paid ads.-Jason Hennessey – CEO, Hennessey Digital
37. Founder’s Challenge for Emotional Buy-In
Tactic: Early users helped shape features in exchange for lifetime perks.
Takeaway: Customers become evangelists when they feel like co-founders.-Dr. Christopher Croner – Principal and Sales Psychologist, SalesDrive LLC
How to Apply These Tactics Yourself
A few patterns repeat across nearly every story.
Value before pitch
Workshops, audits, guides, and live demos solve something first, sell later.
Go where your customers already gather
Forums, Facebook groups, shops, meetups, coworking spaces, beaches, libraries, trade shows.
Be radically specific
“Free advice” is vague. “Here is the broken thing costing you money” is undeniable.
Do the unscalable early
Handwritten notes, personal DMs, neighborhood walks. These do not scale but the relationships do.
Turn wins into loops
Every success should produce referrals, published proof, or partnerships.
You do not need all 37.
You need 1 tactic you can start this week and 1 channel where your ideal buyers already exist.
Then you refine from 10 customers to 50 to 100 and beyond.
Want to Share Your Story?
Have you used a creative tactic to land your early customers?
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