Three tips on how to start and sustain a bootstrapped startup

Fundraising is the new buzzword. Everyone seems to be wanting in on the action. The glowing press coverages, rock star status, and proclamations of the new ‘Entrepreneur God’ has everyone wanting to turn to entrepreneurship and get funded. Many founders and entrepreneurs think that the only way they can create a successful business is by getting funded right from day one. They forget that somewhere in the middle of all of that is the need to create a business. One that is sustainable and long lasting and not dependent on funding

In a recent 2014 study, there were some startling observations around startups and funding. In the data generated by the Kauffman Foundation's Firm Survey, one of the longest and largest studies ever of privately owned startups, researchers concluded that lower levels of startup capital don’t significantly alter a company’s chance of survival. The study also revealed that almost every company in the Inc. 500 – the 500 fastest-growing companies with $2 million or more in revenue – used bootstrapping to get where they are now. Therefore, even though it may seem like "everyone" is VC-funded these days, less than one per cent of startups in the US actually raise capital this way, which implies that the vast majority are self-funded or, as it is known, bootstrapped.

So what is bootstrapping? Simply put, bootstrapping is where you as an entrepreneur start your company with your own finances. This could include help from friends and family, but is basically your own money. The risks are huge. If you do not have the right financial management skills and the knowledge to create a process-based organisation and a positive work culture right from the start, you could end up not only failing but more damagingly with serious debt issues. On the other hand, if you can pull it off, the rewards are huge. There are some things that an entrepreneur must do to be successful.

• Have a fast revenue-generating business model

Most entrepreneurs fall into the trap of creating a marketing company rather than building a self-sustaining business. You need to develop a business model that will help you generate real cash and profits as much as possible. If that means forgoing the trappings of glitzy ads and media, so be it. The faster you generate cash, the higher probability of your business surviving and growing. Focus on creating and enabling world-class processes to ensure you can compete with other established brands in providing customers a stellar service.

For customer acquisition, focus on certain markets instead of the entire country. And try figuring out the best channel to do so. It could be acquisition through social media, emails, affiliates, online ads, radio, etc., or even through personal touch points depending on the products that you sell. Don’t get into TV advertising because not only is it going to be very expensive but you are probably not geared organisationally to handle the traffic which would impact your brand and end up being more damaging. Develop the ability to choose a good revenue source over one which is not, even though it might look attractive at the start.

• Focus on cash discipline with a monk’s zeal

Separate your personal and business expenses. It is advisable to incorporate the company right from day one. It’s a small expense but a crucial one. It helps you maintain a clean record from both a business management as well as a regulatory environment. Your business account needs to be monitored daily – what is coming in and what is going out and slated to go out. You cannot falter on this discipline. Once you do this, you would realise you have an amazing power to control the growth of your company. You would know exactly how much you can spend every month to grow your business and allocate funds accordingly.

• Be very frugal in everything

Don’t hire if you don’t need to. Learn as much as you can to run your own business. Hire only those you really need. Have a comfortable working space that makes you productive and not an expensive place that bleeds you financially even though it might be a great place for your friends to have coffee in! You are paying for all of that through your personal investment and the company’s revenues, so make sure every rupee is being spent only if it’s needed.

Bootstrapping is a mindset. It teaches you discipline and forces you to constantly sharpen and hone your business model and product offering. This will help you create a strong foundation that in the long run would help you meet your financial metrics and actually give you more negotiating power while raising funds. A financially stable company would always be more powerful in front of the VC’s than one which has nothing to show by way of achievements. You would have all the control and leverage to take your company in the direction you want to. And remember, the minute your balance sheet gets strong, you might not even need external funding as your company revenues themselves would open access to capital from your banking partners. That’s why a little patience in the beginning and financial discipline would allow you to focus on something very important – creating your successful business.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)