We have had quite a few people email us and ask about ways they can save money while starting up their business or even saving some pennies here and there with their current business. So here are not 5 but 7 ways you can bootstrap your business start-up:

1. Think big, start small.
   Have a great big idea? Awesome! But before you make the jump remember you have to take baby steps before you can walk or let alone run. Sometimes we tend to try and speed things up when we should be looking in the long term mirror.
2. Start at home.
   Many don’t like to do this simply because they imagine this big huge office that is in the far distance from now. Save your money where you don’t have any overhead. Besides you’ll never be late to work.
3. Barter.
   Trade out your product/service with someone else where it can benefit the both of you. It saves you money, allows you to have something you need and others learn about you.
4. Walking billboards.
   Okay not really walking billboards that’s just unrealistic, we’re talking about t-shirts. T-shirts can be cheap but if you slap your logo on there and hand them out to contacts, friends, family etc. they become a walking advertisement for you.
5. Hire friends and family.
   It’s not the worst thing in the world to work with friends or family…they can actually make it fun and even push you harder than someone else would. Let them help you (without bugging them to death) rather than hiring someone else. But definitely cook them up some BBQ once and a while.
6. Get the off brand cheerios.
   You know the college student that stands in the middle of the cereal isle looking at which cereal is cheaper? That’s you. You have to watch your money that you spend and it’s totally okay to not have the flashy brand because some other things work just as well as the one with more buttons…
7. Drink less coffee.
   Okay not really but what we mean is when entrepreneurs start out they want everything to come together quickly. They want to buy the new computer, cell phone, car, office, etc. but what you really need to do is be smart and cut back to only things you truly need. And if you do need something don’t spend top dollar for it.

Those are just a few tips but we have oh so many more to provide since we have been there done that before. If you ever want to email us questions feel free and send them to info(at)businessbeware(dot)biz

And of course don’t forget you can always learn more at our show too.

COMMUNICATION is definitely the key.

If you are upfront with your customers from the start that’s great! Keep the communication going throughout the time you work with them so there (hopefully) won’t be any miscommunication. Now here’s where it gets tricky…What if you have a customer who you were up front with the entire time but when it came down to collecting money from the recent job you did they won’t get back with you at all?

This happens all the time even with some good customers and not just the CustoMonsters. Sometimes no matter how many times you try and reach out to them or contact them they won’t call you back. This is where we come in to help you as the business owner. We help get the communication started and let the customer know that you just want to work out the situation before it becomes a problem, collect your money and be done with it. Your first step with BB is to try our “beware letter.” It’s a pre-warning letter as we call it. So rather than filing a complaint you simply let them know you have the chance to file a complaint but just want to work out your situation.

Just the other day a business owner in OH used our letter and days later his customer sent him the payment he had been trying collect from the customer for over 2 months. The total amount was a little over $13,000. Nice huh?

So let us help you get the communication started with your customer. Find out how with our how it works page.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Business Beware Show! Tis the season to be jolly…and eat lots of food!

Tickets just went live for UnGeeked Orlando today. Make sure and get your tickets so you don’t miss out on the party in March! Get tickets here.

*background credit: Vladstudio

“A customer of mine owed our business a total of $3200 after a project we did for him over a year ago. We were about to write him off and not try to collect from him because we never could get ahold of him. I stumbled across Business Beware and wanted to give their beware letter a try. We could not afford to hire a collection agency so I thought “what do I have to lose?” About 2 weeks after the letter was sent to this customer they called us and said “I have a credit card ready to pay you.” I could not believe it, after all this time and they finally responded to this letter. And the absolute best thing about it is we got to keep the full $3200. It just doesn’t get better than that. Thank you Business Beware for providing this to small business owners everywhere. You are superheroes.”

Now that is exactly why we do what we do and why we do it. Period.

Wanna learn more?

It’s about time that someone wrote a book to young entrepreneurs out there about how the real world truly is. You know how we feel about people writing fluff (aka customer service books) and trying to make people believe it all. Scott is as real as they come and so is this book.

Definitely check out the NGRJ Council that Scott has put together to start a movement for young entrepreneurs.

AND we just interviewed him for the show so don’t miss it.

Make sure and tweet Scott or send him a shout over at NGRJ.com

You’re a mean one, Mr. CustoMonster
You really are a pill,
You’re as rude as they come, you’re as charming as an eel, Mr. CustoMonster,
You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

You’re a non-paying monster, Mr. CustoMonster,
The only way you pay us is with coal,
Your brain is full of nonsense, you have anger in your soul, Mr. CustoMonster,
And it’s not just because you’re old!

You’re a foul one, Mr. CustoMonster,
You never crack a smile,
You’re only nice when you get something for free, Mr. CustoMonster,
You constantly ask “what’s in it for me?”

You’re a mean one, Mr. CustoMonster,
You think you’re always right,
You treat employees like dirt, you never pay on time, Mr. CustoMonster,
When honestly you’re not worth the fight!

I wish you actually cared, Mr. CustoMonster,
But you make me want to pull out my haaaaaaiirrrrrrrr……. (*deep man voice*)

*song lyrics, words and photo used above were from the original and infamous “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

Okay if you don’t know who Scott Gerber is then we suggest you get to know him. We have had the pleasure of talking with him on the show twice already and each time it’s been oh so awesome. And he will be on the show in the next coming weeks so don’t miss it!

Here is some info and background on Scott’s book: (taken from Amazon)

A lot of business books hold your hand, make you feel good, and are set to convince you that your passion and “unique” business idea are enough to plow through your competition, garner new leads, and make millions just because you can write a business plan that says so.

This is not that kind of book.

A twenty-something hustler, rainmaker, and bootstrapper who has survived and thrived despite never having held the proverbial “real” job, Scott Gerber is the ultimate “Generation Y-er.” He’s a self-taught serial entrepreneur who built several successful businesses without storied business connections, a business school background, executive training—or investment dollars. And in Never Get a “Real” Job, he shows you how he succeeded so you can overcome today’s chronic conditions of mass unemployment, underemployment, and dead-end 9-to-5s.

Gerber gives you the no-bull reality on turning your business idea into a viable enterprise capable ofgenerating real income now—based on his hard-knocks lessons learned in the entrepreneurial trenches. From the perils of doing too much too fast, to bogging down a promising start-up with infrastructure long before it’s needed, Gerber has experienced firsthand how you can sabotage your own business. Never Get a “Real” Job will help you avoid the costly mistakes that can take down your enterprise at any time, helping you to get off the ground, establish your business, and keep it successfully up and running.

But Gerber isn’t just giving you a collection of war stories. He gives you insights from a fellow young entrepreneur on how to start from absolutely nothing—building a viable business model from the ground up. Along with straight-shooting advice on creating contacts and cultivating clients, he offers practical, affordable, step-by-step instructions on how to constantly analyze, refine, and target your business offerings—while minimizing wasted time and keeping you on track.

With vast resources like online tools, Web sites, checklists, and hard coaching, as well as thousands of dollars worth of connections to free and discounted small business services, Never Get a “Real” Job takes you off the unrewarding resume and cover letter cycle, while putting you on the road toward becoming a self-sufficient business owner, and creating a life that gives you a real shot at the success you deserve.

Sounds sweet huh? Well get on over to Amazon and get the book, get it for a friend and wrap it up as a gift or get it for a family member and put it in their stocking (it’s perfect size!).

Check out Scott’s site Never Get a Real Job and make sure to watch the show when we have Scott come on the show and chat with us about his book.

2. Business sent out late notice after late notice for over 7 months.

3. Business is about to give up and not worry about collecting money.

4. The business owner finds Business Beware *tada!*

5. Sends beware letter to customer.

6. Customer sends check in the mail 7 days later.

7. Business keeps all the money ($1890) and can afford to give out Christmas bonuses (kidding).

Lesson learned: use Business Beware to your advantage and collect the money that you’re owed and keep it ALL.

**Testimonial sent in by Kyle Davis of Jackson, TN

I used to be a member of the BBB years ago.  After paying out many thousands of dollars I decided that the investment was not worth the little or no return I was getting on my dollar.  Then after many attempts by the BBB of strong arm tactics telling me if I joined that they could help “protect” my reputation I was done with them forever.  I have also been told that if I paid my dues that my rating would improve quickly!  What did you say?  Looks like I wasn’t the only one that this was suggested to.  I guess they have finally tried their nazi tactics to many times on the wrong people.  Here is a link to a youtube.com video that 20/20 did on the BBB.  Very enlightening to say the least. (watch the clip at the bottom)

In over 30 years of being a business owner I have heard the phrase” I’m gonna call the BBB on you and complain………”, only three times.  Each and every time my response to them was,  If you have time to waste go on and waste it because you’d be better off sicking your poodle on me!  If they weren’t mad before the conversation just heated up.  Every business person gets tired of hearing this watered down threat.  Don’t get me wrong there are some very unscrupulous companies out there, but there are some award winning wacko customers too.  We commonly call them our “CUSTOMONSTERS.” 

This is just another slap on the face of Americans In this age of major companies falling or having to be bailed out,  Problem with all of this is with the BBB now finally showing their true colors it really makes what little strength they had start to trickle away!  As I said before the worst of it is this is a not for profit organization.  There is no profit left I guess when you have outlets in over 100 cities in the U.S. and many of the directors of these outlets are well into six figure salaries!  Wow, sounds like they might need a bail out soon too.

No matter what anyone says, we need an organization like the BBB.  Just as much as we need Business Beware to help balance the scales.   What a great opportunity each has to be an advocate for the business and the consumer. 

All I have got to say is make it right BBB.  You definitely will lose income by dropping the strong arm tactics, but will re-strengthen your company and regain some of the trust you have lost or keep going the same way and you are doomed!  When you make a mistake admit it and correct it then move on. 

Although the verdict is out, right now we give the BBB a grade of “F”, but if you send me a payment I can re-evaluate my findings and do a little grade curve.

People know what we stand for here at Business Beware and some friends sent this over to us via Twitter to take a look at. So of course it got us thinking that we had to take action and talk about what’s going on with the BBB. We will be talking about it in the upcoming show episodes and of course through our blogs and articles. So send in your thoughts as well we would love to hear from you and maybe even have you on the show to chat with us about it.

P.S.Who gives Wolfgang Puck a bad grade seriously?!