“ShoeMoney” switches focus, sets sights on building software startup

After eight years of building and selling companies in the affiliate and performance marketing realm, Jeremy “ShoeMoney” Schoemaker (left) of ShoeMoney Capital is ready to stick it out with his next venture, a software startup. Schoemaker, a Lincoln, Neb.-based entrepreneur, is best known for his blog dedicated to his experiences in the performance marketing space,…

 

Jeremy Shoemaker said his PAR internet marketing software helps its users “do everything from A to Z.”

After eight years of building and selling companies in the affiliate and performance marketing realm, Jeremy “ShoeMoney” Schoemaker (left) of ShoeMoney Capital is ready to stick it out with his next venture, a software startup.

Schoemaker, a Lincoln, Neb.-based entrepreneur, is best known for his blog dedicated to his experiences in the performance marketing space, ShoeMoney.com, which touts a daily readership of more than 30,000 visitors.

But he also created AuctionAds.com, an eBay affiliate marketing service that serves eBay auction ads on contextually relevant sites, which he eventually sold his stake in after it earned about $2 million in revenue in early 2007, according to company representative.

From there, Schoemaker bought a mixed martial arts website called Fighters.com, which he subsequently sold in 2009.

He’s also the creator of ShoeMoney Tools, a program that features internet marketing tools, and Elite Retreat, an annual networking conference focused on internet and affiliate marketing.

In 2010, following a six-week contest, Schoemaker earned Fast Company’s title of the “Most Influential Person on the Internet.”

Earlier this month, he released his autobiography, “Nothing’s Changed But My Change: The ShoeMoney Story” (right).

Schoemaker’s latest endeavor, however, is not something he’s interested in selling, despite its early growth.

The PAR (People Acquisition and Retention) Program is an enterprise service that aims to take a one-time web visitor, acquire them as a customer for any company and then keep them coming back to buy products through email and social media, Schoemaker said in a recent phone interview.

“We provide the application side of it, but because we’ve got eight years of internet marketing under our belt, we’ll do everything from A to Z – everything from helping them write the copy to email templates,” Schoemaker said.

The PAR Program came out of beta about four months ago and, according to Schoemaker, now boasts about 20 clients, mostly service-based and e-commerce companies.

The service charges clients based on a monthly package per-user fee.

“So we have basically three packages that we start at, and then from there it’s kind of a custom thing,” Schoemaker said.

Unlike other websites and companies Schoemaker created, he’s interested in growing along with the PAR Program rather than selling.

“I feel like I’d really cut myself short in the past,” Schoemaker said. “This one is out of the gate growing as fast as any company I’ve had, and this is the point where usually I sell. I have to bring on a lot bigger staff, bring on more programmers. It’s a new educational experience, something that was very frustrating, but it’s working out now. We’ve got a great big space downtown.”

Schoemaker moved to Lincoln from Des Moines in 2005 when his wife was offered a job there. He said one of his biggest challenges so far in operating out of Nebraska’s capital city has been finding talent to work for him.

“But the longer I was here… I’ve been able to find some remarkable talent,” he said.

ShoeMoney Capital has seven full-time employees and three interns in Lincoln, as well as outside contractors across the country.

“We need probably five to ten more people right now,” Schoemaker said. “The PAR program is rapidly growing and our bottleneck is client management and sales.”

While Schoemaker said his company is looking to hire, one thing it’s not looking for is investment.

“One thing we don’t need is money,” he said.

 

Credits: Screenshot from parprogram.com. Jeremy Shoemaker photo courtesy of ShoeMoney Capital. Book cover from amazon.com.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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3 responses to ““ShoeMoney” switches focus, sets sights on building software startup”

  1. […] John Stancavage: What to do if you spent on credit cards this holiday You may be tempted to take advantage of the first-of-the-year sales, but you need to know the current state of your finances. “Instead of buying awesome pair of shoes you saw at the mall, you can put this shoe money to your credit card … Read more at Tulsa World code EPD collection Shoe Money Glenwood Students Thanks to a grant from Shoe Carnival and Skechers, all kindergarten through fifth grade students in Glenwood Leadership Academy is a new pair of shoes for the school year begins to come. Now Evansville Police Department officials are to contribute … Read more at Courier & Amp; Press this code “ ShoeMoney ” button to focus, sets sights on building software startup After eight years of construction and sale of businesses in the affiliate and performance marketing field, Jeremy “ShoeMoney” Schoemaker (left) of ShoeMoney Capital is willing to hold it with his next company, a software startup. Schoemaker, a Lincoln, Nebraska. Read more at Silicon Prairie News […]

  2. […] EPD collection Shoe Money Glenwood Students Thanks to a grant from Shoe Carnival and Skechers, all kindergarten through fifth grade students in Glenwood Leadership Academy is a new pair of shoes for the school year begins to come. Now Evansville Police Department officials are to contribute … Read more at Courier & Amp; Press this code “ ShoeMoney ” button to focus, sets sights on building software startup After eight years of construction and sale of businesses in the affiliate and performance marketing field, Jeremy “ShoeMoney” Schoemaker (left) of ShoeMoney Capital is willing to hold it with his next company, a software startup. Schoemaker, a Lincoln, Nebraska. Read more at Silicon Prairie News […]

  3. […] The PAR (People Accqusition and Retention) Program is an email marketing platform that pulls a customer’s social information into a profile. They have worked with clients such as Blu electronic cigarettes, Baby Age, Chitika and Top Velocity. See our 2013 story on the development of PAR. […]