| Attention! Are you ready to enlist in Bootstrap | | | | you with some case studies of how others have |
| Financing Boot Camp? TODAY'S MISSION: Business | | | | bootstrapped and acquired the start up funding |
| Start Up Funding Tactical Maneuvers. Start Up Soldier, | | | | needed to grow successful food businesses. Some |
| I'm going to be giving you a crash course in how you | | | | suggestions? How about a Personal Chef Service, or |
| can start a small business, without BIG bank loans. | | | | perhaps you could start up a company baking delicious |
| Before you can get started, you must first pass | | | | energy bars and organic snacks, like the owner of Clif |
| through 3 check point pre-screenings. | | | | Bar & Company. |
| Check Point 1: Do You Have What it Takes? | | | | A Case Study |
| Are you willing to travel through rough and tough | | | | That's exactly what Gary Erickson (owner and |
| terrain, without going A.W.O.L.? Do you understand the | | | | founder of Clif Bar & Company) did. He began |
| risks involved with starting up a new business? Think | | | | trying out energy bar recipes in his mother's kitchen. |
| carefully cadet -- and remember, nothing worthwhile is | | | | This is a definite bootstrap financing success story. In |
| ever going to be easy. | | | | 1990, Gary lived in a garage with his dog. Two years |
| Check Point 2: Are You Willing to Do Whatever it | | | | later, he launched what would become one of the |
| Takes? | | | | most successful natural and organic privately held |
| Are you ready for hand-to-hand combat with your | | | | snack food companies, with sales topping $150 million. |
| bank book? You must be willing to make personal | | | | The future for Clif Bar remains bright. Especially since |
| sacrifices to get the job done? Essentially, living with | | | | they have me as one of their loyal customers. I'm |
| less to gain more. Will you do whatever it takes to get | | | | munching on one right now, as I peck away on my |
| to where you want to be? Will you show no mercy | | | | computer. I would say my family goes through a case |
| and cut back on frivolous expenditures, like satellite | | | | of the organic Z Bars in a week! :-) |
| TV? | | | | Lesson 2: Plan a Bootstrap Business Start Up Funding |
| Check Point 3: Do You Know How to Take...? | | | | Strategy |
| ...Orders that is soldier! Can you take orders? Not for | | | | This requires that you first have a streamlined personal |
| fries and a shake, but direction from others. Are you | | | | budget in place. Once you have accomplished that |
| willing to learn something new, or to try unfamiliar ways | | | | goal, the next step is to create a bootstrap financing |
| of doing something quite ordinary? If you aren't | | | | plan for your business. This will involve making a |
| teachable, then bootstrap financing is not for you. You | | | | complete list of your start up and operating costs, and |
| see, it goes against the grain -- the established ways | | | | employing varied bootstrap finance tactical maneuvers |
| of doing things. Most "experts" will tell you that the only | | | | to reduce and/or eliminate many of these costs. |
| way to start a business, is if you have access to | | | | Lesson 3: Learn the Art of Bootstrapping |
| some major cash of your own; or if you're willing to | | | | Bootstrapping is not just self financing. It is the art of |
| borrow from banks or investors willing to front you the | | | | acquiring business start up funding sources that don't |
| business start up funding you need. | | | | put you into long term, or high interest rate debt. |
| Congratulations - You've Just Earned Your Stripes! | | | | Did you know that you can find free sources of start |
| You've made it. You are no longer a cadet, but a full | | | | up funding? Turn your dreams into a success story. |
| fledged Start Up Soldier - and you have the battle | | | | Get on the road to success by starting your business |
| scars to prove it. Now, onto the crash course in | | | | TODAY - even if you have little money, poor credit, or |
| bootstrapping. | | | | don't own a home. |
| Lesson 1: Start With a Highly Profitable Idea, Product or | | | | To learn more, request your free copy of "The |
| Service | | | | Bootstrapper's Business Start-Up Planner", by visiting |
| This step is absolutely key to your success. If you | | | | my website. |
| were to tell me you'd like to start a café or | | | | ©2009 Kimberly Kelly - All Rights Reserved |
| restaurant business, I'd do my best to talk you out of it. | | | | Worldwide. |
| If you were one of my soldiers, I'd order you to rethink | | | | Permission to reprint this article is granted strictly on |
| your decision. It is next to impossible to bootstrap a | | | | the condition that it be reprinted in its entirety, with all |
| restaurant or retail food business with very little money. | | | | live links and author bio in tact. |
| However, if food was your passion, I would present | | | | |