If you have ever dipped your
toe in marketing, you must have undoubtedly heard of Seth Godin. It is hard to
describe what Seth Godin actually is precisely,
because he is so many things when it comes to thinking, questioning and probing
about current business affairs, especially in the marketing field. There is one
definition that comes to my mind whenever I encounter on Seth’s work: the
marketing and business philosopher.
If you know about Seth, you
know he is a prolific writer as well. He is the author of nineteen
international bestsellers that have been translated into over 35 languages, and
have changed the way people think about marketing and work. For a long time,
Unleashing the Ideavirus was the most popular ebook ever published, and Purple
Cow is the bestselling marketing book of the decade.
But today we will not talk
about his most famous work, but about the one he has written more than 20 years
ago: The Bootstrapper’s Bible. You see this is the evergreen book for entrepreneurs.
It talks about how to start and build a business with a great idea, but almost
no money. Sounds familiar to your story perhaps?
So who is a bootstapper?
quoting:
“TAPE THIS TO YOUR BATHROOM
MIRROR AND
READ IT OUT LOUD EVERY NIGHT
BEFORE YOU GO TO BED:
I am a bootstrapper. I have
initiative and insight and guts, but not much money. I
will succeed because my
efforts and my focus will defeat bigger and better-funded
competitors. I am fearless.
I keep my focus on growing the business—not on politics,
career advancement, or other
wasteful distractions.
I will leverage my skills to
become the key to every department of my company, yet realize
that hiring experts can be
the secret to my success. I will be a fervent and intelligent user
of technology, to conserve
my two most precious assets: time and money.
My secret weapon is knowing
how to cut through bureaucracy. My size makes me faster
and more nimble than any
company could ever be.
I am a laser beam.
Opportunities will try to cloud my focus, but I will not waver from my
stated goal and plan—until I
change it. And I know that plans were made to be changed.
I’m in it for the long haul.
Building a business that will last separates me from the
opportunist, and is an
investment in my brand and my future. Surviving is succeeding, and
each day that goes by makes
it easier still for me to reach my goals.
I pledge to know more about
my field than anyone else. I will read and learn and teach.
My greatest asset is the
value I can add to my clients through my efforts.
I realize that treating
people well on the way up will make it nicer for me on the way
back down. I will be
scrupulously honest and overt in my dealings, and won’t use my
position as a fearless
bootstrapper to gain unfair advantage. My reputation will follow
me wherever I go, and I will
invest in it daily and protect it fiercely.
I am the underdog. I realize
that others are rooting for me to succeed, and I will gratefully
accept their help when
offered. I also understand the power of favors, and will offer them
and grant them whenever I
can.
I have less to lose than
most -- a fact I can turn into a significant competitive advantage.
I am a salesperson. Sooner
or later, my income will depend on sales, and those sales
can be made only by me, not
by an emissary, not by a rep. I will sell by helping others
get what they want, by
identifying needs and filling them.
I am a guerrilla. I will be
persistent, consistent, and willing to invest in the marketing of
myself and my business.
I will measure what I do,
and won’t lie about it to myself or my spouse. I will set strict
financial goals and honestly
evaluate my performance. I’ll set limits on time and money
and won’t exceed either.
Most of all, I’ll remember
that the journey is the reward. I will learn and grow and enjoy
every single day.
In fact you can find all
this and more…for FREE, if you download The Bootstrapper’s Manifesto, which is
a shortened version of the book itself. You can downloaded here.
Remember these 9 magic rules
that Seth offers in the book:
I would also urge you to subscribe to daily Seth’s blog. it is worth a gold mine.
Why don’t you START IMMEDIATELY by downloading a simple tool to build your business plan.
Here is what you will find when you hit Download button:
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