Hire a bootstrapper

Filed in archive Bootstrapping Opportunities on December 19, 2007

Just a few days after publishing the post on my departure from the old R&H it has become the most popular on the website. Wow! Who would have thought?

And after just two days at the new gig (I'm lovin' it by the way) I've come to a conclusion that employers and prospective bootstrap entrepreneurs may want to consider.

If you're looking for a way to improve your business's operations regardless of what department, forget about spending on loads more staff or equipment. Just hire a bootstrapper.

Here's why:
• More equipment costs a lot of money. And it may not really improve your performance as much as you think. A bootstrapper will look for every way possible to use available resources first to increase your bottom line.
• More staff is more of a headache. Way too many companies view hiring as something you do automatically when you have more money without considering whether more help is needed. A bootstrapper can tweak your operation to its optimal efficiency helping you tell whether you truly need more help.
• Managers are trained in inefficiency. I can anticipate some cranky comments coming. Not all managers are "inefficiency experts", but beware of hiring managers who look good on paper for their experience in a particular field. Bootstrappers are generalists and can look for unconventional ways to grow your current business without more expense.
• Bootstrappers love to bootstrap! They love to solve problems and are not simply seeking career advancement. They will take on the toughest most challenging problems (how to make more out of less) simply for the joy of solving them.
• Bootstrapping is about using existing resources. If he/she were not working for you, a bootstrapper would be trying to start a personal venture with existing resources. Imagine what would happen if you could harness that energy for your own company.

For more on bootstrapping and what it's all about, visit Guy Kawasaki's "The Art of Bootstrapping" or Greg Gianforte's informative site.