It's true the bootstrapping entrepreneur starts with little outside capital to build a company.

What he/she does have is effort, good old sweat equity, and that effort should be directed pretty much toward marketing.

Here's why marketing is the bootstrapper's capital:

• Good marketing can take very little money, think viral marketing including, of course, efforts on line.
• Good marketing first can be key to sales/orders/cash flow, a way to leverage your startup without capital resources.
• Good marketing is conversation (see the video on successful business blogging in this previous post and the below comments from Sage Lewis) and will give you feedback to improve your product or service and grow your company.

• Good marketing can aide product development by helping you learn the market and avoid costly errors by supplying what customers want.

Here's a list of top marketing blogs from The Viral Garden, an important resource for any bootstrapper seeking to learn the marketing ropes.

And maestro of marketing and bootstrapping guru Seth Godin is also creating a new 8 hour DVD box set of his marketing wisdom out soon so contact Seth if you want a copy.