StartUp Funding! Tips, Ideas for Bootstrappers

Written by Robyn T. Braley

If you are reading Brandit for the first time, we are in the midst of a series packed full of practical ideas about how to Bootstrap a company into existence. If you are about to start a business and have limited capital, you are in the right place for tips and ideas.

Many Bootstrappers are thrust unexpectedly into starting their own business. The timing is not always of their own choosing. Some were downsized and left with few other options.

The key is to have passion and enthusiasm for what you are about to do. With little money to work with, knowledge, ingenuity and persistence will be your primary resources. Add a healthy dose of motivation, and you are good to go!

At some point, Bootstrappers need capital. Without sounding cliché, it takes money to make money. However, before scheduling a meeting with your banker, let’s explore a variety of options for leveraging your resources.

How to Create a Perfect Company or Product Name

Written by Robyn T. Braley

So, you are starting a new company! It may have been born out of desperation! You may have been laid off from your previous company, and the job market is exhausted. You have little money, but there is no other choice. You will bootstrap a new company into existence.

Or, the opposite may be true. The economy in your trading area is popping. There are hundreds of opportunities to exploit as a new business.

There may be an emerging need in your market, and the company you work for is set in its ways, resists change, and has no interest in pursuing new opportunities. You have new ideas about how to adapt to changing times and respond to new possibilities. This is the time to strike out on your own.

You must satisfy that itch!

As an entrepreneur, you may have an unscratchable itch! You can’t find relief in any other way than to start your own company. You are driven by a big idea and an overwhelming desire to succeed.

O.K., I’ll stop now! Whatever your reason for starting your startup, you need a sticky name that people will remember.

A Lame Name in the Next Lane

How often have you been waiting for a traffic light to change when you notice a truck sitting in the next lane? You can’t believe your eyes. The name on the side of the truck is the silliest and lamest company name of all time. How can that happen? 

The answer is more understandable than you think!  

·         The owner was up against an incorporation deadline and needed a name – fast!

·         The owner just got her first order and needed a name before she could invoice for   badly needed cash

·         The owner chose the name years ago but the meaning is no longer relevant

·         The owner’s nephew in high school Drama chose it because he is really creative

·         The owner chose the name against all available advice, particularly from his spouse

What Drives You - 10 Tips for Staying Motivated in Demotivating Times

What drives you to achieve?

Written by Robyn T. Braley

There are three types of people who will read this post; 

1. Those who are down on themselves and need to be motivated

2. Those who must inspire others to be motivated

3. Those who are self-motivated and every day look for new ways to keep it that way. 

Before you hurriedly click out of this post, relax! This is not a droning academic study of the psychology of selling. 

While anyone at any point in their life may find this ... shall we say ... motivating, it originated as part of my series about Bootstrapping With Broken Laces. Bootrappers are unique people who start businesses with few resources and need to succeed NOW in order to feed their families and keep shoes on their feet! 

Born to Sell; What Makes a Sales Champion

Written by Robyn T Braley

When the economy dips, it’s time to dig down deep and evaluate every area of your business. What works really well? What isn’t working well? 

What areas just get by because they have been ignored for years? 

Selling is the fuel that drives the engine of business. No sales, no revenue. No revenue ... well, you know the ending and its not pretty. 

Fuel for Champions

I started writing a single post with tips for honing sales skills. As I got into it, the article became longer and longer and evolved into 10 story ideas. Each is meant to be a quick read by people who’s livelihood depends on sales success.

If you are a sales or fund raising professional, the posts will help you review the fundamentals. If you are a Bootstrapper who is starting a new business with few resources, they will introduce you to basic sales knowledge and strategies. 

Finally, if your life is indirectly impacted by sales – which is everyone – these posts will help you understand sales and sales professionals

Think As if There is no Box! Creative Solutions for Challenging Problems

Think as if there is no box!

Written by Robyn T. Braley 

Business survival depends on producing results even when economies tank. To keep existing clients while trying to find new customers, the challenge is not to think outside the box. It is to think as if there is no box!

Every market segment is different. They just are. And, that is the fun in working with unique clients.

So, to suggest there are one-size-fits all solutions runs counter to the way we think at Unimark Creative. We like to walk beside our clients, learn more about their needs, and find ways to solve their marketing problems.

I always feel uncomfortable when asked to come up with lists of “must-have” marketing tools. The secret to business success is to identify your client’s needs and provide a solution that will meet them. Simple, right?

Hold on. When hit by an unpredictable economy, business owners are forced to consider programs they may not have considered previously. Some get back to the basics that helped them get started. Others do things they've never done before as they shore up existing business while also searching for new opportunities.