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Bootstrapper Tips
by Shawn Hessinger on October 3, 2006

Here then, in honor of fellow business blogger and entrepreneur Ben Yoskovitz's "Blog About Five Things Week", are five tips to help you along the way.
They are:
1. What they don't know won't hurt 'em
Many cities and even small towns have a dizzying variety of regulations governing what you can and can't do with your property including the running of home businesses. Do yourself a favor. Unless you need signs or some other visible external changes to the building, don't ask your local zoning officer if you need a permit to sit around in your underwear blogging in the living room. Small town bureaucrats are usually regulation happy, so the answer to such questions will invariably be yes. Keep things low key. They'll never know the difference.
2. Pick another place to meet
In the years I've worked alone unsupervised in a newspaper bureau office, I've found myself going into that office less and less. Since I generally interact with people either over the phone, by e-mail or by traveling to meet them one on one, the office is often a hindrance to my daily routine, a place to go just to say I've been there. Just because you work out of your house doesn't mean you have to meet clients there, however. Many professionals from attorneys to consultants meet either at their clients' offices or in restaurants and other setting for a business lunch or conference. Clients and customers will appreciate that you're coming to them anyway and will enjoy the change in venue. And even if you occasionally have to pick up a check, it'll cost less than the rent for that useless office.
3. Don't be in a rush to hire that first employee
If you're not sure whether to hire that first employee or not the answer is probably don't. Employees come with a host of problems including added costs for wages, benefits and supplies and added risks in the work environment. (One word: Osha!) Besides there are a number of other options available if you get over worked without adding the responsibilities of another full-time person. (See the posts on Virtual Assistants for more details.)
4. Keep your Superman suit looking spiffy
As I've worked more and more from home since late 1999, I've learned to always have a business casual outfit or two laying out where I can get at them at a moment's notice. Not knowing when it might be necessary to rush out and meet someone on business, I want to be able to look my professional best without much preparation leaving my sloppy, bathrobe draped, coffee swigging alter ego in my home office for those all night projects and long weekend work sessions. All this split personality stuff has its purpose helping you separate the many roles you have to play in your own mind and can save an awful lot on business clothing.
5. Very few start-ups today need a business address
When deciding whether or not your business can be started at home, one important question may be whether any part of your venture absolutely requires an office, store front or other commercial address to function. With improving technology, fewer and fewer businesses do, and entrepreneurs are usually better off getting out and seeing customers or clients anyway than holing up in an office waiting for them to walk in the door. Even many retail businesses today can be launched on the Internet until they earn sufficient revenue to consider a bricks and mortar address. In fact, through drop shipping techniques many start-up retail operations can even get by with little or no inventory until added income warrants a larger investment.
Permalink: Five tips when starting a business at home
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Response from:
Tony D. Clark
(10/04/06 12:58am)
You make some really great points Shawn. I've worked with folks that combine #2 and #5 (and have done it myself) by getting into an executive suite deal. They pay a small monthly fee for a business address, and have access to the conference room for those times when not meeting clients on-site. It's a good alternative to either a regular office space or none at all.
Response from:
Ben Yoskovitz
(10/04/06 12:33pm)
Shawn - thanks for participating in Blog About 5 Things Week.
I like point #4 ... I'm lucky that I work in an office but don't have to wear anything much nicer than a t-shirt and jeans; but having a Superman outfit around comes in handy.
I like point #4 ... I'm lucky that I work in an office but don't have to wear anything much nicer than a t-shirt and jeans; but having a Superman outfit around comes in handy.
Response from:
James
(10/12/06 12:43pm)
Thanks for the post Shawn. This is my first visit to your site. It is great. This post really touches on an important point from my perspective. Most people starting a new business tend to think that they should "appear" larger than they are - renting an office space, getting a mailbox address, hiring someone to answer the phone, having a jazzy website.
I tell all entrepreneurs the same thing - do not waste your time and money appearing larger than you are. We will find out what is behind the smoke and mirrors no matter what. We actually favor entrepreneurs who don't have an office, only use their cell phone, and outsource or hire sparingly. This is for several reason - the most important being that a good entrepreneur knows that what matters the most is the real business, not the appearance of the business. If you look at Ebay as an example, you will see one of the most well run and profitable web companies with perhaps the ugliest and most horrible looking website! Functionality is sufficient and they are smart not to mess with a good thing.
Another simple reason why we look for these types of entrepreneurs is that when it comes to selling your business, your acquirer will take a close look at your debts and future obligations. No lease? No full time employees? No contracts? All great things that will make the transaction occur very quickly.
I tell all entrepreneurs the same thing - do not waste your time and money appearing larger than you are. We will find out what is behind the smoke and mirrors no matter what. We actually favor entrepreneurs who don't have an office, only use their cell phone, and outsource or hire sparingly. This is for several reason - the most important being that a good entrepreneur knows that what matters the most is the real business, not the appearance of the business. If you look at Ebay as an example, you will see one of the most well run and profitable web companies with perhaps the ugliest and most horrible looking website! Functionality is sufficient and they are smart not to mess with a good thing.
Another simple reason why we look for these types of entrepreneurs is that when it comes to selling your business, your acquirer will take a close look at your debts and future obligations. No lease? No full time employees? No contracts? All great things that will make the transaction occur very quickly.
Response from:
ViSalus
(10/18/08 10:37am)
Thanks for this excellent compilation of companies operating in this space.
Response from:
Joyce
(01/02/09 12:32am)
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Joyce
http://www.videophonesguide.com
Joyce
http://www.videophonesguide.com
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