AcceleratorsAccelerators
Accounts PayableAccounts Payable
Accounts ReceivableAccounts Receivable
BookkeepingBookkeeping
BootstrappingBootstrapping
Break-even PointBreak-even Point
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Burn RateBurn Rate
Business CreditBusiness Credit
Business Credit LineBusiness Credit Line
Business Credit ScoreBusiness Credit Score
Business DebtBusiness Debt
Business EquityBusiness Equity
Business Expense PolicyBusiness Expense Policy
Business GrantsBusiness Grants
Business InsuranceBusiness Insurance
Business Interest ExpenseBusiness Interest Expense
Business LoanBusiness Loan
Business OverheadBusiness Overhead
Business PlanBusiness Plan
Business Risk ManagementBusiness Risk Management
Business Savings AccountBusiness Savings Account
Business TaxBusiness Tax
Business ValuationBusiness Valuation
Cash BudgetingCash Budgeting
Cash Conversion CycleCash Conversion Cycle
Cash Flow ForecastCash Flow Forecast
Cash Flow ManagementCash Flow Management
Cash RunwayCash Runway
Competitive AnalysisCompetitive Analysis
Competitor ResearchCompetitor Research
Cost ControlCost Control
Cost StructureCost Structure
Cost of Customer AcquisitionCost of Customer Acquisition
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Credit ManagementCredit Management
CrowdfundingCrowdfunding
Customer Lifetime ValueCustomer Lifetime Value
Debt FinancingDebt Financing
Digital PaymentsDigital Payments
E-commerce FinancingE-commerce Financing
Economic Value AddedEconomic Value Added
Entrepreneurial RiskEntrepreneurial Risk
Equity FinancingEquity Financing
Exit StrategyExit Strategy
Expense ReimbursementExpense Reimbursement
Expense TrackingExpense Tracking
Financial BenchmarkingFinancial Benchmarking
Financial Contingency PlanningFinancial Contingency Planning
Financial CushionFinancial Cushion
Financial ProjectionFinancial Projection
Financial Record KeepingFinancial Record Keeping
Financial ReportingFinancial Reporting
Fixed CostFixed Cost
FreelanceFreelance
Gig EconomyGig Economy
Gross ProfitGross Profit
Growth StrategyGrowth Strategy
IncubatorsIncubators
Inventory ManagementInventory Management
Investment in BusinessInvestment in Business
Invoice ManagementInvoice Management
Long-term FinancingLong-term Financing
Market AnalysisMarket Analysis
Mentorship ProgramsMentorship Programs
Merchant ServicesMerchant Services
MicroloanMicroloan
Mobile PaymentsMobile Payments
Monthly Recurring RevenueMonthly Recurring Revenue
Net Operating IncomeNet Operating Income
Net ProfitNet Profit
Online Payment ProcessingOnline Payment Processing
Operating Cash FlowOperating Cash Flow
Operating LeverageOperating Leverage
Operating MarginOperating Margin
Operating ProfitOperating Profit
Personal GuaranteePersonal Guarantee
Point-of-Sale SystemPoint-of-Sale System
Pricing StrategyPricing Strategy
Pricing StructurePricing Structure
Profit MarginProfit Margin
Profit Margin AnalysisProfit Margin Analysis
Profit ProjectionProfit Projection
Profit ReinvestmentProfit Reinvestment
Profitability AnalysisProfitability Analysis
Recurring RevenueRecurring Revenue
Resource AllocationResource Allocation
Revenue CycleRevenue Cycle
Revenue DiversificationRevenue Diversification
Revenue ForecastingRevenue Forecasting
Revenue GrowthRevenue Growth
Revenue StreamsRevenue Streams
Revenue per EmployeeRevenue per Employee
Sales ForecastingSales Forecasting
Sales TaxSales Tax
Seed FundingSeed Funding
Short-term FinancingShort-term Financing
Side HustleSide Hustle
Small Business Administration (SBA)Small Business Administration (SBA)
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Bootstrapping

Definition

Funding a business with your own money and profits instead of asking for outside help. Using personal savings and early sales to cover costs keeps control in your hands and avoids debt.

What to consider

  • Ensure you have enough personal funds for startup costs.
  • Expect slower growth without external capital.
  • Track every expense carefully.

Real world scenarios

  • Maria used $10,000 of her personal savings to open her neighborhood bakery and handled every expense herself.
  • David, a freelance web designer, reinvested all earnings from his first three projects to buy new equipment.
  • Lisa ran her coffee shop solely on her early profits, avoiding any external funding for six months.

Related terms

Equity Financing
Business Risk Management
Incubators
Digital Payments
Business Interest Expense

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