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5 Tips to Remember When It Comes to Bootstrapping Your Company

Even though VC funding has plummeted, there's no reason for entrepreneurs to feel that this will pull them back from launching successful businesses.

BY SUNAYNA KANJILAL

PUBLISHED AUG 8, 2023

Venture capital (VC) funding has nosedived in the last couple of years amid towering interest rates resulting in less enthusiasm from the investors. Despite the downfall, entrepreneurs are staying positive when it comes to boosting their businesses in the initial stage. Even though VC funding has plummeted, there's no reason for entrepreneurs to feel that this will pull them back from launching successful businesses.

There's often a misconception that businesses will need a large chunk of money and without that cushion, they can never get a good start. Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to bootstrap your way to the top.

Lower your expectations. Best, have none!

Nobody needs a pile of cash to start a company, barring a few exceptions. On top of that, there are also major advantages to not having a VC. For instance, there's no external influence and there's more control on your part. Yes, funneling as much money as you can into the business will yield results in the long term. However, that has to be done by shuffling all your priorities. Yes, your business will affect your day-to-day life from the very beginning.

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M for Madness, M for Marketing

A sane level of marketing will not help! Yes, having a huge marketing budget is a privilege but businesses do it not because they can but because they have to! Also, effective marketing strategies are not always about a big budget and not every buck of yours will bring in positive results. It takes time and many failed formulas to get the right marketing recipe that works for your business and the target audience.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, one of the major reasons businesses fail is their poor marketing strategies.

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Retain talent and be clear about the business vision

Businesses are never more than the entrepreneur's vision and the people working day and night to see it succeed. Having the right team of people play a big role in the business's success. Finding them is a privilege and keeping them is a duty. The two major qualities to look for in a person are willingness and ownership.

The willingness to do what is required for the venture to succeed and ownership of any task one needs to take on. The second thing to remember is the vision and the purpose with which the business was launched. Self-funding becomes easier when you understand the market inside out.

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Be open to external opinions

Bootstrapping doesn't have to be lonely. While having the reigns can be a liberating feeling, it can also be a little pressurizing. Therefore, it is important to have a set of people who you can rely on when it comes to decision-making and important discussions. It's good to have 100% control but in the process of that, it's important to not lessen the number of voices in the company. Having a healthy mix of intelligent minds can be a great booster for any company and business owners can explore a plethora of opportunities with these valuable insights.

Expect long-term results

An extension of the first point is the reminder to not expect to earn money right away. Check the big companies, look where they were in the initial years of their legendary journey. Building something big and long-lasting needs passion, days and nights of grinding and strategic planning with consistent execution.

The venture will take time in return for big bucks, and there's no other way. Trying to make a quick buck will only alienate your audience from you and therefore, the list of principles has to have "patience" on it.