Investor relations: create a plan for your startup
Our experts explain how to build and maintain positive relationships between your company, investors and other stakehold...
You might have heard the phrase âpull yourself up by the bootstrapsâ. In modern English, it means to do something without help from anyone else. This is where the terms âbootstrappingâ and âbootstrap fundingâ come from in the startup scene.
In this article, weâll explain what bootstrapping is, break down the pros and cons and offer some useful tips to help you self-fund.
In startup funding, bootstrapping means funding your business with your own money, income from your companyâs sales and, occasionally, money from friends and family. You can also think of it as funding your startup without taking venture capital investment.
Some startups take investments from angel investors during a bootstrap round, but itâs usually a small amount (under ÂŁ50,000) and the deal terms (i.e. the details of the investment) are straightforward in comparison to those of a venture capital deal.
 Bootstrap | Venture capital |
 Raise a small amount | Raise a large amount |
 Keep equity/ give away small amounts | Give 10-20% equity in exchange for capital with each funding round |
 Retain control in your company and make  your own decisions | Influence of VCs means founders have less of a say in decision-making |
Agree to straightforward deal terms | Agree to a long list of nuanced deal terms
|
The table above lists the key differences between bootstrap funding and venture capital. Bootstrapping is a less formal way to raise capital and one that keeps the founder in control because you donât have to give away a lot of equity (ownership) in exchange for investment. VC funding gives you access to a large amount of capital, but it also means youâve got to give away ownership to get the money. This comes with disadvantages like having less control in your company and pressure from VCs to grow fast.
When you raise startup money from friends and family, you still need basic deal terms that cover the essentials like how much equity the investor gets or the terms of paying them back if itâs a loan. These deal terms act as something formal to show a transactionâs been made. Venture capital deals, on the other hand, need to cover a lot of additional terms because the investment is much larger and venture capitalists have to protect the interests of their company.
The deal terms that you agree to with friends, family or angel investors when youâre raising bootstrap funding cover all the basics and act as something formal to show a transaction has been made. Venture capital deals, on the other hand, need to cover a lot of additional terms.
Should you bootstrap your startup? It depends on whatâs important to you as a founder. Do you crave the glitz and glam of landing a massive VC investment? Or do you prefer the challenge and reward of self-funding? Letâs take a look at the pros and cons and bootstrapping your startup.
Itâs not just about being frugal. In fact, frugality can stunt the growth of your company. Itâs rather about being strategic and playing into your strengths. If youâre thinking about self-funding your startup, these are our top tips for how to do so. Read them, research them further and decide if theyâre a fit for you and your team.
Before you spend money on creating your offering, gather as much information as you can to understand whatâs going to be worth spending money on and what people will pay for.
The key to bootstrapping is to keep costs low. Consider all the ways you can keep things lean:
You can cut legal costs and keep things organised when you raise bootstrap funding on SeedLegals. Our bootstrap funding service helps you easily take investments from friends and family and we guide you through each step:
Aleena MuhammadThe bootstrap round is the simplest way to complete a funding round on SeedLegals. If you want to receive money from investors who need to see key commercial concepts in a formal document but arenât concerned about adding their own complex terms, the bootstrap round is right for you. Itâs most commonly used when founders are taking investments from friends and family, however, itâs entirely fit for angel investors too. With a bootstrap round, the key deal terms are set to market standards so founders know theyâre in line with commercial norms
Fund expert,
Need a bit of inspiration before you pull yourself up by the bootstraps? Here are some success stories about well-known companies that bootstrapped their way to success.
This popular email marketing company was sold for ÂŁ10 billion. Before selling, they acquired 13 million users worldwide and generated ÂŁ675 million in revenue annually without the help of venture capital. Mailchimp started off small. Founders Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius ran a web design agency together and noticed that their clients (small business owners) all needed a simple, automated email tool. So they created one on the side as an experiment. That humble side hustle is what we now know as Mailchimp.
Founder Sara Blakely is an inspiring figure for many entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. She started the global brand Spanx with just ÂŁ4,000 of her personal savings and never took any investment. The company was funded entirely on product sales and hit ÂŁ3.5 million in revenue in its first year. Sara Blakely kept 100% ownership of the company.
The well-known computer game was sold to Microsoft in 2014 for ÂŁ2 billion after starting as a side hustle just five years before. Creator Markus Persson funded the company on sales alone and generated ÂŁ1 billion in profit before selling to Microsoft.
We have a dedicated team of experts who can help you raise a bootstrap round and answer any of your startup funding questions. Book a call below, weâll be happy to help.
Article Sources
Post image by Vectonauta at Freepik