Top 10 Ways to Make Bootstrapping Fun

All work and no play makes Donna Maria a dull girl. On the other hand, "work" is not really work for me. Instead, it's fun and empowering. Still, running a debt free business without tons of investors and mountains of credit cards is a challenge, but it's one I approach with discipline and a positive attitude. I like to make the process as much fun as possible, which is why I can always be found combining business with pleasure.

Of course, as I type this post on the day after Thanksgiving, I am reminded that I should take some of my own advice (see #10 below) and take a break. And I will. But blogging is fun for me. Additionally, when I get a thought in my head, it has to come out or I forget about it. So, here I am, excited to share with you the top 10 things I do to make bootstrapping my business fun.

1. Twitter

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that allows you to post 140-character summaries of what you are doing at a particular moment. For example, I just "Tweeted" (posted) this: "working on a blog post listing top 10 ways to make bootstrapping your business fun and empowering." People who have elected to receive Bootstrap Babes' Twitter posts will receive it. I will also post a Tweet when this post is done so that people who are interested can click a link to this post.

Twitter is fast becoming one of the most valuable tools for businesses of all sizes because it quickly and efficiently feeds tons of traffic to your website, and this is obviously a must if your business is to grow. Twitter is free and easy to use and if you don't have a Twitter account, I suggest you set one up right now. Check out this Beginner's Guide to Twitter by one of my favorite bloggers. Twitter offers a fun way to manage a business on a budget and, because it adoes such a good job of expanding your circle of influence, if you have a quality product or service, it will help your business grow.

You can follow Bootstrapbabes on Twitter at @bootstrapbabes.com or http://twitter.com/bootstrapbabes by clicking the follow button under our photo.

2. Connect Your Colleagues

I meet a lot of people online and when I meet two people who seem like they would complement one another, I introduce them using a quick email message. I share a link to each website and a short sentence or two about how I think they would enjoy knowing each other. I like seeing new relationships blossom due to connections I help create. It's rewarding and it makes being in business more fun when you know you are also helping other people succeed.

3. Leave at Least One Comment Per Day at a Blog

I visit several blogs each day to read what other people are thinking and learning. I also make it a point to leave at least one comment at at least one blog per day. I never have trouble doing that. In fact, I usually find myself leaving more than one comment. Leaving your digital footprint across the Internet in this way makes it fun to be a part of a global business community. Doing this consistently over time also increases the flow of traffic back to your website. No matter what, it's always fun when that happens!

4. Blog

A blog is the most powerful social media tool there is. Micro-blogging through Twitter is great, but by far the most fun and empowering thing you can do in your business is to manage a branded blog of your own. It's a huge investment of time, but when you're bootstrapping, you tend to have a lot of that. I started "diarying" at an old website in 2003, but my first real blog launched with my radio show in 2005. I had a rocky start because there weren't as many helpful tools back then as there are now. Now, I co-manage this blog with my fellow Bootstrap Babe and also still manage my other blog.

Blogging is fun and profitable for my business. It spreads the word in a powerful way and allows me to share things that are important to me with millions of people worldwide. Check out my blogging tutorial at Indie Business Blog.

6. Make Local Business Connections

Bootstrapping a business means you have to make every moment count. Even though it's hard sometimes to carve out time to make local, in-person business connections, it's worth it to do so. I make great connections through my local chamber of commerce and through a few local Twitterers. We meet for breakfast, lunch or whatever and as a result, some new and exciting business collaboration almost always emerges down the line. Staying locally connected gets you out of the office on a regular basis, and connecting with other business people is fun and encouraging. It helps me stay motivated, and every bootstrapper needs that.

7. Run a Contest or Poll

Contests and polls are fun ways to get your customers excited about what you are doing. If you have a new product to name, use your blog and/or newsletter to ask your customers to enter suggestions in exchange for a chance to win a prize for the best name suggested. If you make the prize juicy enough, not only will your regular customers participate, but they will tell their friends. It's a fun way to grow your subscriber list.

You could also take a poll about something your customers care about. If your business is "green," take a poll asking your customers how they green their businesses. Publish the poll results in your blog and/or newsletter. If the poll produces interesting results, it could get picked up by another blogger or information aggregator and that could result in lots of new leads. It's fun to learn about important trends, even more fun when your business can help announce them to the world.

8. Read a Fun Business Book

Inspirational business books are always fun ways to learn new things that benefit your business. I'm not talking about theory and "how-to" books, but books written about a particular business from the unique perspective of the person who launched the business. Here are a few of my favorites:

Bags to Riches: 7 Success Secrets For Women in Business. Linda Hollander shares how she made a business out of selling bags.

Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar & Co. In this book, author and Clif Bar & Co. found Gary Erickson tells the inspiring story of his business.

Open up to a chapter that discusses something you are working on in your business and get a quick course from another successful business owner.

9. Join a Free Club or Group

Regardless of your business and personal interests, there are always ons of free groups you can join online. For example, if you're a mom Twittermoms is fun and invigorating. There's always activity there and you can join different groups to connect with other moms who will encourage you and help you promote your business. There's a group on Twittermoms for just about everything, including moms in business, Christian moms, single moms, even one for moms who commit to investing time each week Digging each other's blog posts.

These types of groups cost nothing and are also fun ways to get the word out about your business. You can find these kinds of groups naturally by making it a point to get to know people using tools like Twitter and Facebook. When someone there mentions a group you think you'd like, check it out, join and start having fun there. You could also go to Ning, a popular social networking platform, and enter search terms geared toward what you are looking for.

10. Take a Break

Because I manage to get so much accomplished, people often ask me if I sleep. I guess it seems like I don't because I write so much, host a weekly radio show and am just generally always present online. Since my business produces 100% of my income, I admit that I have to be ubiquitous (and you should be too!) On the other hand, I use technology to do it so it's not as if I do everything myself. But it's still important to take breaks. Business isn't everything. A warm bath, a walk in the park, a roll around on the floor with young children in your family all can work wonders for revving up your engine and helping you muster the energy you need to take the next step.

Speaking of which, I'm off to the playground with my husband and kids!

Question: What did I miss? What other ways do you use to combine business with pleasure as you bootstrap your business?

Comments

[Dobes Vandermeer]

Regarding #8, be sure to read "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Persuasive". This book is fun to read and will help you make your marketing more effective by revealing the psychological principles of persuasion along with many fun stories and studies that have been done.

[Ron Robinson]

These are great tips that I will use for my new online beauty social network called beautystat.com. This site helps women find the right skin care products for their skin type by simply filling out a questionnaire. Beautystat.com does not support bias or favoritism to any beauty company. Recommendations come from members only. Ron Robinson, founder

[Donna Johnson]

Hi Dobes and Ron: thanks for visiting with Bootstrap Babes. I have not heard of that book. It's getting very good reviews on Amazon so I will contact the author and invite him to be on my weekly radio show. Stay tuned! Ron, I good luck with your new site. Let us know when it launches so we can check it out!