Starting a Business with little Capital

Clay McIlrath — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:34:41 +0000

Everyone has their opinions and advice for starting a business, the problem is most of the advice out there tells you how to start a business with a capital investment or loan.. but when we started Chosen we didn’t want either.. we wanted to follow the same path that 37 Signals traveled by “getting real” with development and work-flow and then finding ways to have your money work for you rather than surviving on income alone. So we did just that.. with little capital and a lot of heart we dove into this business head first. So far we’re still breathing.

Starting a business without Capital Investment

It’s easy to say that it can be done, but it’s a whole different story to actually execute. Like I mentioned before, take notes from the Getting Real plan. Start your business by moonlight.. don’t quit your day job and jump right in (of course we’re hypocrites saying this because we jumped in, but I wish we had moonlighted first). Either negotiate with your employer to work part-time for a while or start your business at nights.. that way you have the income still to support your bills, but you can start planning and developing your business. Begin networking with other businesses in your field and going to seminars on weekends, because one of the greatest tools in starting a business is connections.

Along with the moonlighting, establish a budget. You may not know all of the costs to operate your business, and you may not be able to prepare for every road block or pitfall. What you can do, however, is give yourself a cushion. Depending on your liabilities (bills), you may want anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 saved up before you quit you job and go full-time as a business.

About our Web Company

This post is based on our opinions and testimonials with starting our Web Company. Thinkclay is a blog by Clayton McIlrath based out of Lansing, MI. You can find more us by searching: Lansing Web, Powered by Wordpress and Graphic Design Portfolio

Against Recession – Hype

Clay McIlrath — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:55:39 +0000

Are you sick of hearing about the recession? Did you lose your job because your company wanted to save money or lost work because a client wanted to save money? Join the rest of the globe. The so called “recession” is just a buzz word spun to us by the media that we absorb on a daily basis. I for one, am tired of listening to the media negatively spin and deliver economic reports to me.

Consider this
Gas has been cheaper in the last 3 months than it has been in over 2 years!
Produce sales haven’t escalated beyond normal scale
Inflation hasn’t risen dramatically

So what really is the source of this recession?! It’s all negative media. Like I said, recession has become a buzzword.

Let’s face it, people tend to be negative. What do you search for on youtube when you’re bored? I bet it’s not world causes or positive messages and uplifting words. No, you’re probably looking up worst car crashes, fights, celebrities at their worst, etc. This is what people want.. drama, and the media has fed us exactly what we’ve been craving for years.

But we’ve had too much…

People are getting sick of hearing the word recession. Business and families are being dramatically influenced and people are hurting. The only way to get rid of the recession is to reverse our thinking. Our thinking towards spending, and what we soak in from the media on a daily basis.

I’m making an effort to stand for something greater than myself.. will you join me?