Assets, Assets, Everywhere Don't wait for capital to grow--use the people you have around you to make it happen.

When entrepreneurs tell me they can't afford to hire the executives they need to grow, I wonder if they have what it takes to survive as a startup.

Every startup could use more people, more marketing expertise, more product development skills, more fundraising contacts--the list goes on and on. But entrepreneurs committed to their business don't wait for capital to grow. They find a way to make it happen, often using the people they already have around them: their employees, vendors and even customers.

For example, rather than pay a full salary to hire new executives, consider paying them on an escalating scale: As the company grows, so does the salary. Another take on the idea: Instead of offering a $25,000 bonus, increase the base salary from $75,000 to $90,000 after performance goals are achieved.