The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Mike Key on March 14, 2012, 08:30:50 AM
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My business has generally low over head and expense involved with running it. But I was just thinking, what kind of advice might some of you have for running a Mustachian business?
What does that look like? If Mustachian principles can help me build up the personal stasch, how can that translate to the business world?
I'm mostly thinking a loud here, but I'd love to hear some input.
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I am not a fan of business loans. My idea of sustainable growth is to start producing income first, and then use the proceeded to buy whatever is needed.
In my case that meant using my personal truck and the tools I already owned for the first few jobs. I didn't even buy a dolly until I could afford to using the money I had made. For the first several years I never bought a tool or piece of equipment that wasn't fully paid for by the job I was buying it for. I didn't even set up a website ($25 a year) or signs for my truck ($50) until 2 or 3 years in.
Of course for a business with an actual location that would be more challenging, but I imagine getting started in a home office, or a roadside stand or something until making enough revenue to pay for rent.
Businesses would certainly grow much slower this way, but they would also have almost no risk, and they wouldn't have to pay a portion of revenue back to a bank in interest. Given how many small businesses don't last 5 years, those should be more important factors than potential growth rate.
Really, I'm not a fan of growth at all. I favor sustainability. If I business is providing jobs and income and goods or services, why does it need to grow at all? Of course, when the owner hires an employee to do their own job it means they can retire, but I feel there is something to be said for an owner actually doing the work they are getting paid for.
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Check into some of the recommended bootstrapping books. Lots of good ideas there.