by Chris Osborn & Will Craig
Bootstrapping is the act of building a business with little or no outside funding. Most all of us are familiar with this as 95 percent of small business owners struggle alone, typically relying on savings and early cash flow to get things going. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s no better feeling than becoming a self made success, elevating one’s self by grabbing the straps of our boots and pulling with great intention.
The phrase implies achieving the near impossible. The reality is that we know it can be done. Bootstrapping is akin to “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” When the situation becomes difficult, the strong work harder to meet the challenge and elevate their professional expertise. Isn’t this what coaching is all about?
In today’s world, bootstrapping has become common place in computing. “Booting up the computer” actually refers to the computers starting with a small amount of seed code and then using that foundational code to build a fully functional interactive and highly capable machine. What a great image and understanding for each of us to inject into our lives. A small amount of knowledge combined with energy, intention and process can yield an enriching and fulfilling career helping others.
With the New Year upon us, building on a great practice and enhancing our coaching knowledge is key to generating more cash flow. We can each grab our bootstraps and see our intention seed the foundational energy that brings great personal and professional success. Look down at your own boots…
Chris Osborn is President of Coach Training Alliance. His passion for coaching comes from his own experience as a coaching client, executive, investor, and entrepeneur.
Will Craig is the Founder of Coach Training Alliance and is the past president of the International Coach Federation (ICF) Denver chapter.