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BootstrappingStories.com was created with one simple idea in mind: to create a community of entrepreneurial bootstrappers, provide recognition, and celebrate the lessons that can be found in their stories. When a bootstrapper starts a business from scratch, and makes that business take off--powered by courage, passion, creativity and persistence--he or she creates something to be admired. Others may struggle, and their stories should be noticed, too. We may learn from these negative examples, what not to do.

As this site continues to collect Bootstrapping Stories, it is becoming more and more a valuable resource and repository. We wish to reward consummate bootstrappers with an awards program, offline publications, and the ability to be recognized in other venues such as our sister sites (under development): Bootstrapping Awards.com, and Bootstrapping Videos.com.

Each time a bootstrapper's story is posted on this site, we hope that he or she will gain additional recognition and local publicity by sharing this information with media contacts in his or her community. The most recent submissions appear on our home page, and our editors--aided by a sophisticated popularity and ratings algorithm--periodically select the best stories to disseminate in other formats, such as printed publications and with the media. In short, BootstrappingStories.com is the place where entrepreneurial dreamers and doers come to share, find new friends, and to be recognized.

What are the benefits?

• By joining and submitting your story, you will be recognized on this site.
• Our ranking system automatically recognizes popular stories, and identifies bootstrappers who deserve extensive promotion, which we provide on this site and elsewhere through our aggressive outreach efforts.
• Your story will be visible to members of the media as well as the publishing and entertainment industries.
• Prospective investors and business partners can find you here.
• Other bootstrappers can find you, and you will make new friends.
• You will be eligible for special recognition through our bootstrapping awards program.
• Your story may promoted through other venues such as conferences, books, videos, audios, articles, newsletters (and any other way that we can think of to promote you as well as bootstrappers in general).
• We will provide tools to help you promote and celebrate the fact that you are a bootstrapper, and proud of it.
• You can support our grassroots efforts to advocate for the entire community of bootstrapping entrepreneurs as we actively inform the opinions of governmental and investment community policy makers.
• You can share your wisdom, and lead the way for future entrepreneurial bootstrappers.
• You can brag to your parents, siblings, former boss, current (or ex) significant other, and say "I told you so -- I am a bootstrapper!"
• Our site is free to join (we support our site and programs through advertising, sponsorships, donations, merchandise sales and other efforts -- you are welcome to support us and the cause of bootstrapping through any of these).

If you would like to become a member and submit your bootstrapping story, sign up here.