In business, the term "bootstrapping" refers to the process of starting and growing a company using only personal or internal resources. This often involves starting with a small amount of capital and relying on personal savings, profits from the business, and loans or investments from friends and family to fund the company's growth. Bootstrapping can be a challenging but rewarding way to start a business, as it allows the founders to retain full control over the direction and management of the company and to avoid giving up equity to external investors. Some successful companies, such as Dell and Zappos, were initially bootstrapped and later received outside funding as they grew.