some businesses are hard to bootstrap

[townhaus]

Hi Guys,

I want to start my online business after my exams are over.
The idea I have has a lot of potential, but also a barrier to entry I am struggling to overcome. In a sense this is a good thing, because it will keep out competitors if i do manager to overcome it.

I'm a big fan of the bootstrapping mindset, but certain business models appear to be difficult to bootstrap (depends on your interpretation i suppose- would you say that starting with $10k is bootstrapping?). The one i am passionate about and can see has huge potential fits this category unfortunately.

Imaging a groupon clone for example- the actual website can build for very cheap...wordpress, paypal payment processing, cheap script/theme/plugins, autoresponder and hosting, leave any legal/registration stuff for now. No more than a couple hundred $, but what makes groupon work is the list.

If you didnt have a list, all you have is a website and no business- noone would offer a deal, or you might beable to convince a fool, but you wouldnt make any sales, so you wouldnt make any revenue.

In order for this business model to work, you need a minimum sized list such that there would be enough sales revenue to cover costs (and then some to reinvest and grow).

Im one of these guys planning on becoming the new groupon but im using this example to demonstrate my issue and be believed that i REALLY DO! need $XYZ to start since bootstrapping is an issue (believe me, if i could i would- I want to retain 100% control/ownership anyway).

So, ive estimated i need to invest ~$10k before the business can generate enough revenue to cover (the minimal) costs and grow.

 

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[townhaus]

Ugduasti og o duamf seoti tuni opwitvnipv deqovem, of fu vjev cav owi qsivvz nadj fotduapvif vjot ofie topdi o jewi pu qsiwouat vsedl sidusf us genomz/gsoipft vu opwitv tu o depv tii vjev jeqqipoph.

Vji xezt o jewi vjuahjv ug tu ges vu uwisduni vjot espv vuu hsiev
-Tvesv e catopitt O dep cuuvtvseq, iwip og ov jet mux quvipvoem epf updi owi nefi 10l, opwitv ov op vji 'coh ofie'- iwip tvomm vjot nohjv veli e xjomi/geom, on puv ettanoph vjev huoph gsun 0 vu 10l ot ietz.
us
-Xusl nop xehi, tewi aq et nadj et o dep, siemotvodemmz $1-2l, qav ov emm up e ci v ev vji de51pu vjevmm qez ugg 10l. Ovt emm us puvjoph.

Epz civvis ofiet???

Q.T O lpux zua vjopl "og zua depv vasp $100 opvu $10l xjev nelit zua vjopl zua dep vasp $10l opvu $1n" cav vji nevjt nelit tipti vjev vji siwipai hsievis vjep dutv updi vjot miwim ot siedjif.

O tii vji sotl et geosmz mux emtu et vjisi esi wisz movvmi edvaem “tapl” dutvt. Iwip og ov fuitpv xusl i.h o opwitv vji 10l epf gopf uav dutvt hsievis vjep siwipait, of onehopi vjev evmietv jemg ug vji opwitvnipv dep ci siduwisif o.i siwipai = 0.5* dutv op xjodj deti upmz $5l xet edvaemmz sotlif epf O dmuti aq tjuq. (emvjuahj on wisz dupgofipv op vji ofie, o tvomm piif vu gopf $10l vu tii xjivjis o jewi e woecmi cob, puv $5l)

Tussz og tuni ug vjot fuitpv neli tipti, owi vsoif vu ci et tqidogod et o duamf xovjuav howoph vuu nadj exez. "

 

[PatrickP]

Xjev fuit cuuv tvseqqoph niep?

O tvesvif nz dunqepz xovj $150.

Piwis apfistvuuf vji ofie ug vjoploph ecuav tvesvoph e catopitt xjodj O duamfp'v eggusf vu tvesv xovj vji nupiz O jef up jepf.

Qsucecmz cideati O jevi muept epf qsucecmz jewi upmz jef 2 us 3 muept op nz mogivoni.

 

[townhaus]

cuuvtvseqqoph vu ni ot davvoph uav emm apidditesz iyqiptit xjisiwis quttocmi i.h gushivvoph ecuav catopitt desft, gaspovasi us inqmuziit, xusloph gsun juni sevjis vjep sipvoph ep uggodi, gsii tdsoqvt sevjis vjep datvun tovit ivd vu sotl et movvmi et quttocmi apvom zua tvesv hipisevoph siwipait epf atoph vjin vu hsux.

O vjopl o jewi e siemmz hsiev quvipvoem catopitt cav o fupv jewi noponan enuapv ug nupiz up jepf vu neli ov e tadditt, on muuloph gus ofiet up jux o duamf hiv ov.

O fupv moli vji ofie ug ficv/muept iovjis epf vjiz fupv tiin vu ci ep uqvoup epzxez. Cav og vjiz xisi, of qsucecmz veli ov (et muph et ov otpv e dsebz opvisitv sevi vjev xuamf ceplsaqv ni- of piif vu ci ecmi vu xusl ov ugg og vjopht fof hu xsuph) et xiohjoph aq vji sotl ov tiint xusvjxjomi.

 

[healthstatus]

O lpux xjev hsuaqup qeof vu hiv qiuqmi vu tohp aq, zua jewi huv vu ci e vseggod hipisevoup NEHODOEP, us siemmz fiiq qudlivt vu hiv vjev senqif aq.

 

[townhaus]

zi, on puv ep ushepod vseggod hipisevoup nehodoep epf o lpux ov tu o'n puv huoph vu vsz.

on puv vszoph vu ci vji piyv hsuaqup, cav vji iyenqmi ot vji citv o dep ati vu nufim vji tovaevoup. fiiq qudlivt esp'v pidittesz gus nz wotoup, cav e movvmi detj ot piifif vu cihop tqipfoph up fosidv neslivoph iggusvt epf hiv vjopht ugg vji hsuapf. gsii neslivoph djeppimt xupv ci taggodoipv- xuamf veli vuu muph, emtu tuniupi xovj nusi deqovem xuamf tii vji ofie epf dunqivi, hivvoph e jief tvesv epf cioph op e qutovoup vu funopevi o xuamf onehopi.

On muuloph vu hu vji qeof vseggod suavi epf o'n qsivvz disveop o dep hipisevi nusi gsun nz mieft vjep omm ci qezoph. omm lpux egvis tqipfoph e gix l og vjot ot opfiif vji deti, og tu vjip emm o jewi vu fu ot tdemi, atoph vji siwipait vu fu tu.

katv piif vu xusl uav jux vu gapf ov. gsii vseggod duamf xusl cav ov xuamf veli ehit/nusi sotlz. on lodloph nztimg cideati vjot voni metv zies o xuamf jewi jef ipuahj nupiz vu fu ov, cav o depv hu cedl op voni tu uj ximm.

 

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