Bootstrap Financing Your Way to Business Success
by J. Stephen Pope
 
Do you need to start or grow your business but have 
little money? Before you look to banks and similar 
sources of financing, why not bootstrap your way to 
business success?
A bootstrap is a small loop of leather or other 
material that is found on the top rear or sides of a 
boot. The purpose of the bootstrap is to help you 
pull your boot on.
 
In business, bootstrapping has come to mean helping 
oneself without seeking outside help. It means using
your own resources to finance, promote, and develop 
your business.
Here, then, are some ways of financing your own 
business by using your own initiative and depending 
less on outside bank financing.
1. Operate a Home-Based Business 
 
Operating your business from home could save you a 
fortune. First of all, you eliminate the costs of 
expensive commercial rent, commuting, et cetera. 
As well, your business use of home expenses would be 
deductible for income tax purposes. Since your home 
is your base of operations, your travel and automotive 
expenses from your home to clients would be deductible. 
2. Accept Credit Cards
Rather than financing receivables and assuming the risk 
for bad debts, why not accept credit card payments?
For more information about accepting credit cards, visit:
http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/creditcards.html
3. Drop Ship Products 
Rather than financing and stocking inventory yourself, 
consider drop shipping.
With drop shipping, when you make a sale you contact 
the manufacturer or authorized distributor who ships 
the product to the customer with your invoice and 
shipping label. Advantages include no warehousing, 
shipping, or inventory costs.
For more information about drop shipping, visit 
http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/dropship.html
4. Use Your Customer`s Money 
Selling memberships, subscriptions, gift certificates, 
and coupon books are just a few ways of getting your 
clients to pay upfront. Obtaining advance deposits 
and retainers from your customers can help finance your 
business operations and reduce or eliminate the need 
for bank financing. 
5. Licensing
Instead of trying to finance the manufacturing and 
marketing of your invention, which could cost millions 
of dollars before you have your first sale, why not license it 
to a company with the necessary expertise and capital? 
You will then receive royalties in return for your idea. 
For more information about licensing, visit: 
http://yenommarketinginc.com/licensing.html
6. Other Bootstrap Financing Methods 
Aggressively control costs, barter, get extended terms from 
suppliers, establish strict credit and collection policies
and procedures, rent (or lease) instead of buying equipment, 
buy used equipment instead of new, sell off excess inventory 
and equipment, obtain free publicity instead of paying for
advertising, and do whatever else is necessary to generate 
cashflow and profits. 
In these ways and many others not listed here, you may be 
able to start and grow your business successfully with very 
limited capital. Thus, you will avoid having to obtain 
expensive debt or equity financing. 
Many who were unable to obtain financing from any other source 
have successfully bootstrapped their way to business success.
For more information about financing your business, 
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/financing.html
RESOURCE BOX:
J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., 
http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping 
clients to earn maximum business profits for over 
twenty-five years.
For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, 
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/
 About the Author 
RESOURCE BOX:
J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., 
http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping 
clients to earn maximum business profits for over 
twenty-five years.
For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, 
visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/