Bootstrapping a Business to 3,500 Customers While Having an Impact

The Future Is Borderless

Mark Sims is the Founder and CEO of Fikes, a company that provides various facility services for businesses, including disinfection, deep floor cleaning, pest control, and custom scenting. In 2003, he bootstrapped his company, initially working out of a 10x10 storage unit. Mark has grown Fikes to 3,500 clients, serving them out of various distribution centers across the West Coast. He graduated from Montana State, where he was an all-conference Division 1 defensive football standout.

In this episode...

Are you planning to start and build a company but are hesitant about relying on outside investments for capital? If so, why not consider bootstrapping?

You can learn a lot from a successful entrepreneur, Mark Sims, who bootstrapped his company from a struggling startup to a thriving operation that attracts thousands of clients. When bootstrapping, Mark found that it’s easier to market your new business to a potential client than it is to acquire enthusiastic talent. He advises creating a culture that empowers, challenges, and supports individuals while allowing them to grow professionally.

In this episode of The Future is Borderless, David Nilssen sits down with Mark Sims, Founder and CEO of Fikes, to discuss how you can bootstrap a thriving business. Mark talks about the challenges he faced bootstrapping Fikes, the catalyst for Fikes’ rapid growth from zero to 3,500 customers, how he nurtured and developed Fikes’ culture between his domestic and international teams, and advice for building networks.