Bootstrapping

Building a Business

How to Know If Venture Capital Is Right For Your Business

Kevin Carter has invested in over a thousand companies, dozens of which have gone on to billion-dollar valuations. He says venture capital is not right for every business.

By Morgan LaVoie

Business News

We Built a 7-Figure Business Without a Single Investor — Here’s Why Saying No to VC Was Our Smartest Move

By Daniel Santos

Building a Business

How AI Can Make Starting a Business on Your Own Even Easier — and Faster

By Aytekin Tank

Building a Business

After This LGBTQ Couple Lost Their Jobs Within 30 Days of Each Other, They Started a Business — With Goats. It Led to More Than $150 Million.

By Amanda Breen

Building a Business

A Cambodian Refugee Paralyzed By Polio Says ‘Not Much’ Was Expected of Him. He and His Wife Built a Multimillion-Dollar Business That Beat All Odds.

Steve and Brittany Yeng were discouraged from pursuing their unique idea, but they didn't listen to the naysayers.

By Amanda Breen

Thought Leaders

Here’s What It Really Takes to Lead a Bootstrapped Business

Building a strong business without a safety net is about relentless resilience, bold pivots and turning setbacks into stepping stones.

By Mac Cummings

Building a Business

Thinking of Starting a Business? 2025 May Be Your Year

As we head into the final months of the year, I believe 2025 will be just as big as 2020 for startups — maybe even bigger. Here's why.

By Aytekin Tank

Building a Business

These Married Co-Founders Started a Business With a Name ‘Nobody Could Pronounce’ — Then Bootstrapped It From Their Garage to 8-Figure Revenue

Co-founders Irene Chen and Matthew Grenby are well-versed in the art of the pivot.

By Amanda Breen

Building a Business

The Power of Bootstrapping — How to Build a Thriving Business Without Venture Capital

Here's how to bootstrap a resilient startup by balancing slow growth with early revenue, turning limitations into strengths and defining success on your own terms.

By Arian Adeli

Building a Business

Starting a Business? Before You Seek VC Money, Here’s Why Bootstrapping May Be the Better Choice.

Here's why bootstrapping is the key to building a sustainable business that can scale.

By Aytekin Tank

Building a Business

After a Cancer Scare, She Bootstrapped a Business From Her Kitchen to 3,500 Walmarts. Here’s Her Secret Ingredient for Health — and Success.

Katie Lefkowitz, founder and CEO of Harken Sweets, is redefining indulgence with "superfood-infused" candy bars.

By Amanda Breen

Business Funding

You Don’t Need Venture Capital Anymore — Here Are 4 Funding Alternatives

Are you hoping to raise capital for your business without traditional investor interference? Here are four alternatives you could pursue.

By Hilt Tatum IV

Building a Business

3 Essential Skills I Learned By Growing My Business From the Ground Up

Discover the most effective (and cheapest) way for founders to learn team management, efficient decision-making and other essential leadership skills.

By Aytekin Tank

Building a Business

This Is How Entrepreneurs Can Achieve Financial Fitness

Entrepreneurs aiming for financial fitness, akin to physical training, must focus on bootstrapping — a process of self-funding a business.

By Mohammad Farraj

Building a Business

Bootstrapping vs. Seeking Venture Capital — How to Decide the Best Avenue for Your Business

Funding your idea is one of the most crucial aspects of getting your business off of the ground. But what's the best option between bootstrapping and seeking venture capital?

By Cyrus Claffey

Building a Business

How I Bootstrapped to $100 Million Without Venture Capital Funding

How I grew my business without any VC funding — and how you can, too.

By Joy Gendusa

Business Funding

The Complete 10-Step Guide to Bootstrapping for Entrepreneurs

Unpack crucial principles, practical strategies and inspiring insights that make bootstrapping a financial choice and a transformative entrepreneurial journey.

By Dario Markovic

Building a Business

In a World of Insane Valuations and Mega-Fundraising, Does Bootstrapping Still Matter?

Though venture capital-fueled unicorn companies make great headlines, there are key advantages for startups that go without external seed money.

By Yan Katcharovski

Thought Leaders

How to Find the Right Mentor: Insights From an Immigrant Entrepreneur

Why empathizing with the unique challenges and perspectives of an immigrant business owner can be vital in an advisor, plus tips on finding the right one.

By Tony Tran

Building a Business

3 Marketing Dos and Don’ts for Maximizing Profit on a Bootstrapped Budget

If you don't have a working marketing strategy, you're just as likely to feel stuck with money as you do without it - and a few key strategies make all the difference.

By Justine Beauregard

Building a Business

How to Bootstrap Your Way to a Debt-Free Company

If you can scale your expectations and business model to grow with revenue, you will increase your chances of building a debt-free company.

By Nathan Miller

Building a Business

Think You Need Venture Capital Backing to Start Your Business? Think Again.

Use this five-step guide to build your business on your terms.

By Jaime Schmidt

Building a Business

Why Seeking Out Investors Could Sabotage Your Business

Bootstrapping forces you to cut the fluff from day one.

By Naveen Dittakavi

Building a Business

What I Wish I Knew Before Bootstrapping My Startup

Here are some key strategies to focus on when bootstrapping a firm.

By Varun Sharma

Thought Leaders

This CEO-Turned-Investor, Who Sold His Company For $500 Million, Thinks Founders Should Stop Giving Up So Much Equity. Here’s Why.

Giving the good stuff away will only hurt you in the long run.

By Carey Smith

Building a Business

5 Valuable Lessons I Learned Growing My Company from $0 to a $700 Million Valuation

How to set your business up for success as painlessly as possible.

By Ross Andrew Paquette

Building a Business

This Is Why Your Business Should Avoid Taking Investor Money

These five advantages are a few of the reasons why bootstrapping is worth it in the long run.

By Ross Andrew Paquette

Building a Business

4 Essential Tasks New Bootstrapped Businesses Should Outsource

Sometimes work is better off served on someone else's plate.

By Tom Popomaronis

Building a Business

4 Ways to Successfully Build a Bootstrapped Business

The willingness and patience to grow at a smaller scale allows you the freedom to grow without outside pressure while retaining full ownership of your company and future vision.

By Austin Mac Nab

Building a Business

7 Ways to Bootstrap Your Community

Today it's more viable than ever to bootstrap your way to success. Here are seven self-starter tips that will build your business and the community that sustains it.

By Mitch Colleran