Running your own business on your own terms can mean freedom in your schedule and business approach. It can also mean slim funding. This serial entrepreneur and cofounder of The Baby Einstein Company sought to avoid entanglement with venture capitalists and discovered doing business on a cash-only basis was the answer for him.

MotiveQuest founder, David Rabjohns, describes how he addressed key challenges in starting and growing his company–via bootstrapping–to number three in the “brand monitoring in social media” industry sector.

How do you deal with things when your business is on the verge of going bust? This author lays out a financial plan for working through lean years to sustain a business. Key tips: stash away cash during good times, downsize quickly if need be, and consider relocating to a lower-cost area of the country.

In the first three years of running her printing solutions company, Wendy Fergerson borrowed roughly $60,000 per month on credit cards without paying any interest. Out of that experience, she recommends credit cards as a way to bootstrap a company as long as you pay attention to the details on each card for which you apply.