My Statement of Transparency

My Statement of Transparency:

I started this guide to help small businesses.  Both those that are up and running, and those that are still buried deep in the minds of future entrepreneurs.  This is a series that I wish I had when I first started my business several years ago.  A lot of what I’m going to share are “Tools of the Trade” that I’ve learned, sometimes through the “trial by fire” mode, and others through just experience and figuring out what are the best practices that work for me in my businesses.

Within the first phase of this series, I want to show how you can get what you need within the first year of your business for $365 or less.

In this series, I’m going to be as detailed and as transparent as possible in what I share, because I not only want to give my opinion, but give you what you need to go out and get things done by trying new things and exploring for yourself.  In an effort of full disclosure, I want to be sure that I announce that a have a number of affiliate relationships with tons of brands and products sold over the web.  In most cases, my use and/or recommendation of said products and services took place BEFORE the affiliate relationship began, in that I really loved something, then I went to see if there’s the possibility of receiving a commission for referring others to it.  Sometimes there is, others there aren’t.

Since I’m not an “affiliate marketer” in the purest sense, I don’t recommend products or services just to make a commission.  In fact, I can say, that to date, I haven’t made any significant commissions on anything I’ve recommended to anyone personally or professionally.  The idea for starting this series came about out of a true desire to help both aspiring and active entrepreneurs, and that is my driving force beyond the products and services I talk about.

In most cases, I am biased.  I’ll only recommend something that I’ve used, or would use, or would buy under the right circumstances, and I won’t purely promote something just to receive money in a commission.  But I wanted to be sure that I’m upfront about the fact that a number of the links that I post throughout this site will likely be from a company that I have an affiliate relationship with.

At some point, a bit farther down the road, I’ll actually dedicate a podcast episode to affiliate marketing and how you can work it to your advantage in your business, and my tips and advice in that episode will be a lot more detailed in terms of how to do it, and the best way to go about it to maximize your earning potential.

As an affiliate marketer, I can’t do anything to prompt you to click the links on this site, but I can tell you that by supporting me and my recommendations, you enable me to continue making this content and helping others.   And that’s about all I think I need to say on this topic.
Don’t forget to check out the YouTube videos that have already been uploaded to my Youtube Channel which can be found at YouTube.com/BootstrappingWithout

Leave comments on this blog, or send me an email at “podcasts[@]bootstrappingwithoutboots.com”.  There’s also a Twitter account where you can reach out to me in 140 characters or less, and that’s withoutboots.  Finally, you can give me a call on my Google Voice Line at 615-59-BOOTS (that’s 615-592-6687).

Kindra Cotton, Small Business Survival Specialist
Serial Entrepreneur: Jill of All Trades and Master of Two (Information, Technology).