Bootstrapping With Services

I’m publishing this series to discuss the nuances of bootstrapped entrepreneurship. Please subscribe to my Best of Bootstrapping series and never miss an article.

As I started analyzing various paths to success via bootstrapping, a second formula also became absolutely obvious: doing services projects and then formulating a product through that process. We gave this a name: Bootstrapping with Services, and published a book on the subject:

Entrepreneur Journeys Bootstrapping Using Services

Over 99% of entrepreneurs who seek financing get rejected. The seed capital gap leaves many entrepreneurs struggling to get their businesses off the ground. Bootstrapping, a tried and true method to self-fund a business, is a must to bridge this gap in seed funding. And offering a service is one of the best ways to bootstrap.

Bootstrapping Using Services, the eighth volume of Sramana Mitra's Entrepreneur Journeys book series, turns the spotlight on entrepreneurs who have successfully bootstrapped their ventures using services, and in many cases, raised venture capital. As an entrepreneur, writer and founder of the One Million by One Million (1Mby1M) global virtual incubator, Sramana gives readers a seat at the table with eight successful entrepreneurs during her in-depth interviews. She synthesizes what is learned in this inspiring and educational book for everyone looking to take their business concepts to the next level.

Below are five case studies on the topic that you can read on the 1Mby1M blog:

• Bootstrapping Using Services to $40 Million: ActiveCampaign CEO Jason VandeBoom
• Bootstrapping Using Services to an Awesome Business Model: Inspyrus CEO Nilay Banker
• Bootstrapping Using Services from Russia: Ruslan Fazlyev, CEO of Ecwid
• Bootstrapping Using Services: James Kane, CEO of RWS
• Bootstrapping Using Services: Taylor Tyng, CEO of Wiredrive

Looking For Some Hands-On Advice?

For entrepreneurs who want to discuss their specific businesses with me, I’m very happy to assess your situation during my free online 1Mby1M Roundtables, held almost every week. If you are visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, come meet me at an upcoming Rendezvous meetup. You can also check out my LinkedIn Learning course here, my Lynda.com Bootstrapping course here, and to follow my writings, click Follow from here.