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The Balance of Life
in BootStrapMe, on May 10, 2009
...oblem: maintaining a balance between your entrepreneurial endevears and the rest of life.
You do have a life , don't you? You should.
Inc. had a piece recently that looked at the balance be...
How Sound is Your Business Plan?
in BootStrapMe, on April 27, 2009
I recently reported at BizPlanHacks on some research that shows that business plans don't get start-ups funded by VC's. But what do we care?
A business plan takes on a whole new meaning in the context of a bootstrapped business. PE Hub 's Joanna Glasner rightly points out that the...
Resources for Women Entrepreneurs
in BootStrapMe, on April 19, 2009
Adam over at Blogtrepreneur points out the prominent role women play in the bootstrap community and the larger world of entrepreneurs today. He uses suffrage as a point of reference; 90 years ago women couldn't even vote. "You've come a long way, baby." (Hope that doesn't...
Before You Start a Business, Do an Internship
in BootStrapMe, on April 4, 2009
Before you start a business, you can gain a lot of insight into you new industry or market by doing an internship in a business in the same sector of your economy. That was the advice of Karen E. Klein at BusinessWeek last month. She called it an "inexpensive way to avoid mistakes when you la...
The Value-Price Relationship
in BootStrapMe, on March 31, 2009
...ose to lower your price, something else may suffer. No matter how tough the market gets, you'll have to stick to your principles to sell the value that differentiates you from your competition. Fa...
The Personality of an Entrepreneur
in BootStrapMe, on March 25, 2009
Young Entrepreneur had a piece recently on entrepreneurial personality. It was an interesting look at the importance of matching personality to your job function.
The article interviews consultant Bill Wagner of Accord Management Systems. Word to the wise, we can't change our personality bu...
VC's Overrated...
in BootStrapMe, on March 19, 2009
Brad Feld had an interesting piece recently that I thought my BootStrapper friends would smile about. It was on the relationship between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. When I think about who I spend most of my time with, it's entrepreneurs. When I think about who really drives innovati...
Confessions of a Startup Addict
in BootStrapMe, on March 11, 2009
...om your failures. So I did. Finally he looks at how to take full advantage of this disorder (if you have it). It's a tongue-in-cheek look at life as an entrepreneur. I enjoyed it.
Photo courte...
The Bootstrapper's Fable: Is a VC Hunting You?
in BootStrapMe, on February 28, 2009
...en a venture capital firm sinks its money into you, it also sinks its teeth into you. You no longer have complete control of your business.
You can read the fable here .
Photo courtesy of iSto...
Due Diligence Comes in Flavors
in BootStrapMe, on February 16, 2009
Sometimes it's easy to forget that there's more than one type of due diligence. At the start-up stage, remembering to do both legal due diligence and business due diligence is critical.
Scott Dig posted a good description of the two type of due diligence earlier this month. He's ...
Seth Godin on Succeeding in a Down Market
in BootStrapMe, on February 9, 2009
...also encouraging. Among his tips for start-up businesses in this economy: Recognize that you'll have less competition and expect your costs to go down. You should know that this (the recession) is...
20 Bootstrapping Tips
in BootStrapMe, on February 4, 2009
Evan Carmichael has a good piece today that looks at ways you can bootstrap. What it amounts to is 20 tips for succeeding as a bootstrapper.
The tips are basic: Hire people on a part time basis
Automate wherever possible
Don't quit your day job (and we've said that before)
Form ...
Building a Start Up from Scratch
in BootStrapMe, on January 21, 2009
Evan Carmichael over at the Young Entrepreneur blog has a nice basic step-by-step on how to start out with nothing and build yourself a start up business. Here are the steps that I took. This process helped me build my business with $0 in startup capital. Hopefully you can learn from my experien...
Unemployment Benefits? One of the Risks of Going it Alone...
in BootStrapMe, on January 15, 2009
National Public Radio had an interesting story yesterday that highlighted the plight of many people involved in entrepreneurship and home-based business. If their business fails, they are just as unemployed as a laid off autoworker. But they are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Most people ...
The Place of Loyalty in Your New Company's Values
in BootStrapMe, on January 12, 2009
...e ground and you've hired a few people. Then hard times come along. Does loyalty matter? If you have to let someone go, what role does past loyalty play? The Welch's make a very good point jus...
Fear Not! In a Recession, Fear Will Kill Your Business...
in BootStrapMe, on December 25, 2008
Brian Solis over at TechCrunch had an excellent piece early this week on the negativity and fear that comes with a recession. While bootstrappers are probably a little less prone to fear and panic than most other business people, Brian 's advice is still timely.
A tidbit from the piece: S...
What is a Bootstrapper?
in BootStrapMe, on December 24, 2008
...Dave Cheong had an interesting piece this week on bootstrapping. It was a nice, simple review of the concept.
"A bootstrapper is someone who uses his own time, money and resources to get a bus... ...rap. But the real art in his article was his summation of the attraction of bootstrapping: When you have less money, you have less bull-crap. We don't have 10 people in meetings that last for 3 ho...
Are You Successful...?
in BootStrapMe, on December 12, 2008
Dan Schawbel over at Personal Branding Blog has an insightful interview online at the moment Romanus Wolter , "the Kick Start Guy." And Wolter makes what I think is a very important point for today's world: you don't get to define success all by yourself.
"A person is su...
Cash Flow: Solving the Problem of How to Get it Started
in BootStrapMe, on December 3, 2008
...atch-22: you get a second job to bring in money for the start-up business that you no longer really have time for because of the second job you took to bring in money for it. Some people have the ener...
Free Guide to Social Media for Small Business
in BootStrapMe, on November 25, 2008
A Facebook friend of mine, Anita Campbell, pointed me toward a new free guide to social media for Small Business . The book is "Let's Talk: Social Media for Small Business," by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing. I just finished reading it and recommend you check it out. The guid...
What others have to say about Shawn Hessinger and BootStrapMe.com
in BootStrapMe, on October 20, 2008
... blog topic for me. As founder of PostRanger.com , an interactive blogging network, I share my own bootstrapping struggles with readers regularly and with them seek solutions.
Here's what others... ...ootstrapping struggles with readers regularly and with them seek solutions.
Here's what others have had to say about BootStrapMe.com:
I discovered Shawn Hessinger and BootStrapMe.com while in t...
Another book on bootstrapping
in BootStrapMe, on October 14, 2008
...s " book due out this spring.
In a post on her Distribution Solutionz blog, Chicke suggests bootstrapping may be key to innovation today because:
• Economic hard times tend to squelch innovat...
Bootstrapping key in tough economic times
in BootStrapMe, on October 13, 2008
... thrive in an uncertain economy because they:
• Do more with less. Since the very definition of bootstrapping is getting along without outside investment this implies a startup and growth without lo... ...nt this implies a startup and growth without loans and credit though some bootstrappers certainly have used it.
• Require a sharper business mind. This is due to the economic discipline that bootstr...
Tips for the serious bootstrapper
in BootStrapMe, on October 11, 2008
...s you'd like to do from day one in your business.) This presupposes, of course, that you're bootstrapping for the long haul not just long enough to get backing.
Remember, whether you eventua... ...ould be obvious to anyone. But, if the reason you became an entrepreneur is so you wouldn't have to do it, it's time for some unpleasant facts. Behind all the supposed glamour that comes with ...
Help me make this blog even better
in BootStrapMe, on October 8, 2008
...pers .
And, of course, I'll be providing more tips as well...and more tales of my own ongoing bootstrapping efforts .
But if you have any ideas about other things that could be added to make th... ...elpful to readers.
Thanks to all of you for visiting and responding.
In the near future I plan to have more interviews with other companies and entrepreneurs offering great services and tools for ...
Bootstrapping my blog network
in BootStrapMe, on October 7, 2008
...o link to my network by simply telling me you're a BootStrapMe reader.
You can also follow the bootstrapping of this interactive blogging network at ZooQ . If you would like to be added as one o... ...posts on both the Innovation and Entrepreneurship and On Startups groups on LinkedIn .
If you haven't joined yet, do so, and feel free to ask to link to my network by simply telling me you&#...
Make me an offer!
in BootStrapMe, on October 6, 2008
I'm setting pricing for my latest bootstrapped venture and could use your help.
PostRanger.com , the interactive blog network, is up and running and, as you've probably noticed, some guest posting is already going on, mainly for noncommercial purposes with a link back to a writer'...
Hunger gives bootstrappers their edge
in BootStrapMe, on October 4, 2008
... a different, unorthodox way to make money. The person that walks in with lots of cash, doesn't have to hunt immediately and isn't punished for being lazy or making mistakes. I bet on the pers...
Top 10 links on BootStrapMe.com
in BootStrapMe, on October 4, 2008
...sted in the Yahoo! Group at the end of September .)
1. Our main url as might be expected
2. Bootstrapping brings competitive advantage , a post from December 2007
3. 10 reasons for a bare b... ...hoto courtesy of iStockphoto , Sergii Kravchenko
Sometimes it's good to know what your readers have found most helpful.
I recently checked the Google Analytics account for this blog and discove...
"Bailout" news may not be good for bootstrappers
in BootStrapMe, on October 2, 2008
... doubts that a credit crunch really represents the end of the world for small business, especially bootstrapping entrepreneurs .
Is there anyone else out there who finds it difficult to swallow that...
Join ZooQ and help bootstrap my business
in BootStrapMe, on October 1, 2008
... the tools available through ZooQ , the new problem solving application with implications for the bootstrapping entrepreneur , I've decided to try it myself.
Co-founder Edward A. Ipser, Jr. has...
Founder: ZooQ is for bootstrappers
in BootStrapMe, on September 30, 2008
...lection of tools offered by the site have passed the Beta stage, ZooQ will remain accessible to the bootstrapping community:
The business model is, essentially, to provide value across the entire sc... ...otstrappers usually are.
Ipser insists that, even once the collection of tools offered by the site have passed the Beta stage, ZooQ will remain accessible to the bootstrapping community:
The busine...
Bootstrapping your group or challenge with ZooQ
in BootStrapMe, on September 30, 2008
...group, challenge and solution functions on ZooQ
• Improve ZooQ. The site's makers have even created a place for visitors to help them improve the site through a series of challenges of their o...
ZooQ gives bootstrappers company building tool
in BootStrapMe, on September 29, 2008
...os and several links back your business or service.
Does this sound attractive to you? Some people have told me it does, but then what do we charge for the service? My idea is to keep the cost down m...
Forget the credit crunch: bootstrap your business
in BootStrapMe, on September 27, 2008
...cash flow and forget about needing money (or credit) to get started.
Here's more on bootstrapping and its virtues . Please consider joining our Yahoo! and MySpace groups to network with like... ...h as cash flow allows.
• Avoid other credit. Sure there are examples of entrepreneurs who have started their business with plastic, but be very careful when taking this route.
• Seek customers firs...
Reader's pick for bootstrapper principles
in BootStrapMe, on September 23, 2008
... © a2gemma
We've laid out a couple of what I consider to be among the most important bootstrapping principles over the last few days: Here they are .
But I want to keep this site as inte... ...an e-mail or share your thoughts on our Yahoo! or MySpace groups. I want you, the reader, to have a voice on this blog as well.
Your help is greatly appreciated and I'll include any suggest...
Bootstrapping principle #3: Freelance over full-time
in BootStrapMe, on September 22, 2008
...tstrappers too. Freelancing or subcontracting are among the easiest ways to start a fledgling bootstrapping business. They should understand the challenges you face and work harder to control costs f...
Bootstrapping principle #2: Partnerships over pay-out
in BootStrapMe, on September 21, 2008
... © Mel B.
Next in our series of top bootstrapping principles , we look at how partnerships triumph over pay-out or how sometimes teaming with others can help cut the costs of startup.
If you nee... ...tup.
If you need a refresher on what we are talking about when we discuss business bootstrapping, have a look at this .
LeadVine co-founder Allan Margate avoided the costs of programming in his o...
Bootstrapping principle #1: Cash flow over capital
in BootStrapMe, on September 20, 2008
...h flow edges out capital for startup because:
• The business must be operating to generate it. Bootstrapping guru Greg Gianforte explains in his " Bootstrapping your business " how bootstr...
Swerving off the bootstrapping trail...or am I?
in BootStrapMe, on September 18, 2008
...ld not be money. Portions of the company's cash flow would be reinvested for growth using basic bootstrapping principles.
The objective would be additional time gained by the entrepreneur to work... ...
A thought has been occurring to me recently, to the point where I have taken the next logical step in exploring a very...er...unbootstrapper-like???...possibility.
But is it really?
Here's t...
Bootstrap building blocks: From part-time startup to full-time business
in BootStrapMe, on September 15, 2008
... " From Side Product to Startup " conference in Portland, OR, deal with the importance of bootstrapping in these early stages. Specifically:
• Bootstrap if you want to maintain control. Ta...
My bootstrapping tools
in BootStrapMe, on September 14, 2008
... © quapan
Thought I'd take a moment this post to mention some key bootstrapping tools online.
Many regular readers know that in addition to editing this blog including tips, resources, int...
Ask Google for bootstrap news
in BootStrapMe, on September 13, 2008
... in the know not only about each new post here at BootStrapMe.com , but also on any information on bootstrapping anywhere across the world.
Here's how to get started:
• Go to the Google Alert...
So what's the definition of bootstrapping again?
in BootStrapMe, on September 11, 2008
...t taking venture or angel , and assume that it means you're investing your own money. To me bootstrapping a business means that the business funds itself by making money from day one.
Cooperm... ...nding team making his only cost the domain name
• and I'm embarrassed to say how little I have spent on the basic infrastructure for PostRanger.
Bootstrapping means spending little or no money o...
Bootstrapping and presidential politics
in BootStrapMe, on September 9, 2008
© zenobia_joy
With both major party presidential conventions behind us, it seems the coming general election holds little promise for bootstrappers here in the U.S. (See the video from JibJab below).
However, as suggested in an earlier post on this blog , there may be at least one third...
BootStrapMe readers: Join my Linkedin network
in BootStrapMe, on September 6, 2008
...e rest.
As mentioned in a previous post , networking can be among the most important parts of the bootstrapping process allowing fellow entrepreneurs to share ideas and resources.
Connect with read... ... up soon including increasing opportunities with my own bootstrap venture PostRanger.com .
If you haven't joined Linkedin yet, create a profile and send me a request to join my network mention...
What's your bootstrap venture?
in BootStrapMe, on September 6, 2008
...s an e-mail and share your experiences with us.
If you would like more information on bootstrapping, what it is and why it may be the best way to start a business today, read our mission statement...
Bootstrapper's hall of fame: Cartoonist makes bootstrapping an art
in BootStrapMe, on September 6, 2008
...
Aspiring cartoonist Michelle Prestileo has discovered bootstrapping need not be limited to entrepreneurial startups on line or in the real world.
A decade ago, the Pennsylvania based artist m... ...reneurial startups on line or in the real world.
A decade ago, the Pennsylvania based artist might have had to rely on getting her portfolio into the hands of the right agent, Hollywood producer or p...
The ultimate bootstrapping trait?
in BootStrapMe, on September 5, 2008
...elieves it is one of the integral parts of the "founding team" of any successful bootstrapping venture.
How large is your social network and what steps can you take to grow it? The suc...
Bootstrapper's Labor Day
in BootStrapMe, on September 1, 2008
...revious posts come to mind both bearing on this day and its significance (or lack there of) to the bootstrapping entrepreneur.
• First, blogger Steve Pavlina reflects on why you shouldn't even...
Connectors key in bootstrapping
in BootStrapMe, on August 31, 2008
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 6695073
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST
Still, not only those with a product or service to sell or job to offer are welcome on LeadVine .
In fact, the very concept behind the network is that some members of the community with nothing to buy or sell may...
Bootstrapping tip: Call your competitor
in BootStrapMe, on August 31, 2008
... Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 6219339
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST
Not just a bootstrapping tool, LeadVine is a bootstrapped venture itself .
At last check, the site boasted 169 us... ...f domain names for the site that hosts the new application, the greatest expense for LeadVine would have been the programming.
However, after several failed attempts to offshore the project, Margate ...
Bootstrapping tool inspired by simple business need
in BootStrapMe, on August 31, 2008
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 6413338
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST
Interviewed last week after the launch of his new venture , co-founder Allan Margate admits LeadVine was born out of a very simple need shared by all bootstrappers and indeed all businesses starting out.
&q...
Bootstrapping tool makes sign-up easy
in BootStrapMe, on August 31, 2008
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 833614
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST
We saw last time how LeadVine creates a new tool for bootstrappers helping them with possibly the biggest challenge of operating a business: recruiting sales and customers.
Of course, best of all is that signing ...
Bootstrapping your sales force with LeadVine
in BootStrapMe, on August 28, 2008
Got a product or service, but no time or resources to get it to those who may want it most?
That's where LeadVine.com , a recently launched website built to serve as a sales tool for bootstrap entrepreneurs, comes in.
"We're basically crowd sourcing the whole sales process,&quo...
Bootstrapper's hall of fame: Bootstrapping in Eastern Europe
in BootStrapMe, on August 27, 2008
...only as the starting point to a business that must grow and evolve over time.
• The bootstrapping lifestyle. In the end, the bootstrapping life is a hard one, Dorobantescue says, but worth the cha...
Bootstrapper's hall of fame: Bra strap bootstrap
in BootStrapMe, on August 24, 2008
Shelli Styles did not start out as a bootstrapper seeking to make a pile of money for herself.
Instead, the founding of Strappity-do-da , a company that markets specialized beaded bra straps from South America, was motivated by a desire to lift her husband's family out of poverty.
Here ar...
Bootstrapper's hall of fame: VA ventures
in BootStrapMe, on August 23, 2008
...ck in 2006, Denise was just getting started after being laid off from a full-time job.
We hope to have a lengthier conversation with Denise soon about how her business is going. For now though, from...
Wanted: bootstrapper tools
in BootStrapMe, on August 21, 2008
... Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Skip ODonnell
In addition to editing this site, I'm also a bootstrapping entrepreneur in my own rite, with my current project being the launch of the fledglin...
More bootstrappers join the party
in BootStrapMe, on August 20, 2008
...link back to your own website and tell fellow members more about what you're up to. I'm bootstrapping PostRanger.com, a new social blog network, and I'm hoping other bootstrappers will use... ...ub on MyBlogLog .
In the case of Yahoo! and MyBlogLog you'll need a Yahoo! account. You'll have to sign up for MySpace too if you want to take part in the Bootstrap Your Business Today group....
Bootstrapper's hall of fame: Printing with promise
in BootStrapMe, on August 19, 2008
...ove, love, LOVE Printing for less. Seriously, I use them over our local printers all the time. They have such amazing customer service that it's almost as if you have someone there doing a press c...
Bootstrapper's hall of fame: Pregnant mommy fashion
in BootStrapMe, on August 18, 2008
...aeden, now 2.
Here's the whole story:
• How she got started. O'Callaghan talks about bootstrapping her startup with very few resources and a LOT of creativity.
• What resources she used... ...ounty, CA, office of Women's Economic Ventures.
• How she got by. Though a loan might have been available for her fledgling company, O'Callaghn, like many bootstrappers, decided to pass.
...
Guest blogging on bootstrapping and entrepreneurship
in BootStrapMe, on August 15, 2008
... Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 5521746
Have you got a blog with a need for posts on bootstrapping or more broadly entrepreneurship?
I'm seeking the opportunity to do some guest blogg... ... Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 5521746
Have you got a blog with a need for posts on bootstrapping or more broadly entrepreneurship?
I'm seeking the opportunity to do some guest blogg...
Why you should join our Yahoo! Group
in BootStrapMe, on August 14, 2008
...you have to offer.
• Team building. I've saved perhaps the most important for last. Bootstrapping guru Bijoy Goswami suggests team building may be at the heart of the bootstrapping process. Fi... ...g:
• Networking. Knowing what your fellow bootstrappers and their supporters in the community have to offer can be critical to the process by helping the bootstrapper determine what resources are ...
Why you should bootstrap the business of your dreams today
in BootStrapMe, on August 13, 2008
...stin Horrocks
It's the basic idea behind our MySpace Group , and, I guess, the idea behind bootstrapping itself.
Why wait to start that business you've always dreamed of until someday in...
More blog posts at BootStrapMe's MySpace site
in BootStrapMe, on August 12, 2008
...for this blog as well.
You can become a friend by either creating a new MySpace profile or, if you have an existing account, just signing in and adding us.
You'll meet more friends interested in...
Why bootstrapping is so damned sweet
in BootStrapMe, on August 11, 2008
...teryna Govorushchenko
O.K., so there are reasons every entrepreneur might be intimidated by the bootstrapping approach.
I've committed to bootstrapping the startup of my own blog network Pos... ...ou feel comfortable risking. Forget all that 'you need money to make money" crap. If you have a product or service you can trade for cash, there's no reason to mortgage the house.
• Abil...
Why bootstrapping is so damned scary
in BootStrapMe, on August 7, 2008
... below.
Our first question is listed above and I'd like to answer it with a few points below.
Bootstrapping is so damned scary because:
• It means working without a net. Without big investors ...
Bootstrapping growth in an existing firm
in BootStrapMe, on August 5, 2008
...mart growth even at most established companies these days often means using existing resources, or bootstrapping , at first with the idea that great revenue will allow for growth.
So here, from my o... ...ites, e-commerce and blogs, of course, but also lots of conventional goods and services you haven't tried offering before, including perhaps some that have little to do with the company's core...
Let's create the ultimate bootstrapper's group
in BootStrapMe, on August 3, 2008
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Image# 5822932
The action has cooled down somewhat on our Bootstrapper's Group over at Yahoo! , but the possibilities are now better than ever with a new Rich- Text editor Beta .
This allows you the same kind of linking possibilities available in mos...
