By every stretch of the definition, SoJo is a lean start-up – and since we have not yet defined our inflows of revenue, we must be responsible with our financial outflows. The limited funds that we do have are bootstrapped by the co-founders and will not last very long. Instead of being discouraged, we are embracing an entrepreneurial spirit of getting others to believe in your vision – even before you have any results to show for your actions – and being resourceful to gather the support and resources necessary to execute on that vision.
Although SoJo has not yet received its first injection of funding, we remain focused on our goals and achieving our vision.
So how does a lean start-up push forward on a slim budget? Answer: We’re getting tons of in-kind support!
This includes professional advice that saves us hours of online researching, a workspace at a high-tech firm, shared bandwidth on project management tools, such as Smart Sheet, working with an incredible team of student designers from OCAD like Daniel and Bill and reaching out to friends like Michael who lend off their technical expertise to help us get our website up and running.
I don’t see this in-kind support provided to us as charity, but rather a manifestation of camaraderie. Our supporters know what it is like to be in start-up mode, are excited by our vision and take pride in knowing that they are an integral part of a very promising start-up, which is in its infancy. That’s exciting – and we’re more than happy to share ownership (and future bragging rights) with all of our supporters.
SoJo is extremely grateful for its early-supporters who have been generous to share their time and resources with us. To sweeten the deal, some of this support was offered to us without even asking for it!
Our insights to share with you: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, share your vision with others, and let people know where you need help – all without expectations of something in return. You never know who may be inspired by your vision, who they may tell and the wonderful things that will come your way.
[Let it be known, as evidenced by our previous posts, we don’t have it all figured out and still have many unanswered questions. That didn’t deter amazing individuals from offering their support...]
Although SoJo has not yet received its first injection of funding, we remain focused on our goals and achieving our vision.
So how does a lean start-up push forward on a slim budget? Answer: We’re getting tons of in-kind support!
This includes professional advice that saves us hours of online researching, a workspace at a high-tech firm, shared bandwidth on project management tools, such as Smart Sheet, working with an incredible team of student designers from OCAD like Daniel and Bill and reaching out to friends like Michael who lend off their technical expertise to help us get our website up and running.
I don’t see this in-kind support provided to us as charity, but rather a manifestation of camaraderie. Our supporters know what it is like to be in start-up mode, are excited by our vision and take pride in knowing that they are an integral part of a very promising start-up, which is in its infancy. That’s exciting – and we’re more than happy to share ownership (and future bragging rights) with all of our supporters.
SoJo is extremely grateful for its early-supporters who have been generous to share their time and resources with us. To sweeten the deal, some of this support was offered to us without even asking for it!
Our insights to share with you: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, share your vision with others, and let people know where you need help – all without expectations of something in return. You never know who may be inspired by your vision, who they may tell and the wonderful things that will come your way.
[Let it be known, as evidenced by our previous posts, we don’t have it all figured out and still have many unanswered questions. That didn’t deter amazing individuals from offering their support...]
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