Have you ever put on a pair of cowboy boots or other boots with the little tabs to help pull them on?  Using those is bootstrapping.  From Wikipedia:

Tall boots may have a tab, loop or handle at the top known as a bootstrap, allowing one to use fingers or a boot hook tool to provide greater force in pulling the boots on. The saying “to pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps” was already in use during the 19th century as an example of an impossible task.

Today “Bootstrapping” is the art of building and operating a business without outside funding.  Just you, standing on your own two feet, using your own personal money to fund your business. Continue reading →