bootstrap
Say it: BOOT-strap /ˈbutstræp/ · verb
What “bootstrap” means
Build a business using your own money and its earnings.
More precisely: To start and grow a business using your own money and revenue, without outside investors.
Example: “They bootstrapped the company for five years before taking any investment.”
When to use it
In start-up discussions, when founders grow a business using personal funds and sales instead of outside investment.
Similar words
self-fund, self-finance
Where it comes from
From the phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps."
Quick check
You start a candle business with your savings and use each month's sales to buy more supplies. You…
borrow or bootstrap?
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bootstrap
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