| Bootstrapping Your Startup |
|
|
|
| Written by John Davis |
|
Bootstrapping has to do with getting the most value for your limited budget so that you can propel your website forward. It is at this point that a lot of small businesses stumble. They fail to shop around and instead they simply latch onto the first thing that they see without asking the right questions or making sure that the rates are competitive. This leads them to pay more than they have to or not get precisely what they need. With this in mind, here are some bootstrapping ideas to get you on the right track. Startup Space Service businesses should begin in a home office. Conference room space can be rented or borrowed for those occasions when you do need it. Once you are ready to rent space, only rent that which you need. Only retail businesses should ever consider paying for prime space. Your other option is to sublease a portion of a larger, nicer space. If you eventually need it, then you can take it back when the lease expires. Another thing to consider is if you are starting out in a home office you should list your phone number as residential. Very few businesses need to be listed in the Yellow Pages anymore, especially if you can be found online. What is even better is to use VOIP as this will save you a lot of money and allow for video conferencing too. Your Website Make sure that you don’t spend too much money on hosting and web or graphic design. Be sure that you understand exactly what you need and then shop around. You can find hosting for under $10 a month and still have a shopping cart. Finding Software Whenever you are looking for software, check eBay first. Purchasing a slightly older version of the software, or finding an open source version of it, can save you a lot of money. What IS Worth Investing In It is worth getting a mentor as this can save you a lot of money and increase your income faster. You will see truly successful people doing this. They also outsource some projects to freelancers, especially ones who are overseas. Conclusion While it may look as though cheap is always better, this isn’t necessarily the case. What you want to do is make sure that you shop around online before settling on a price or a specific option for your business.
|






