Is it possible to run a business by giving away your stuff? It sounds counterintuitive. But hey, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) gives away much of its offerings, right? I'm actually using Google Docs to write this column, for example.

True, Google is perhaps an exception (it certainly helps to have a huge user base and brand name). But it is worth exploring the concept. In fact, there is an excellent book on the topic -- Free: The Future of a Radical Price-- which came out recently.

Selling a business can be thrilling and frightening. For most business owners, this is a one-time event. And, it will likely be critical in terms of retirement.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to make some big blunders, which usually cannot be undone.

So, what are some things to consider? Let's take a look.

Let's say you're on the phone with a potential customer. She likes the product and wants to make a purchase. However, you need to fax over an agreement to get a signature. Also, you need to set up a method for payment.

Unfortunately, this takes a few days – and during this time, the lead goes dark. You lost a customer . . .

In today's tough economic times, it's absolutely critical to close customers quickly. But how?

Well, there are some helpful – and affordable technologies to help out.

Marketing is always difficult. Often, you need to experiment with a variety of approaches. And, of course, you need to measure things.

Obvious, huh?

Yet, when it comes to using social media like Twitter, Facebook and so on, it seems that many small businesses forgot to measure things.

Then again, if you read much of the how-to's on the topic, it does seem that social media is an elixir; that is, there is some type of magic that will create more business.

But, when I talk to business owners about the success of their social media, things get a bit fuzzy. Often, there are few tangible examples.

Back in the 1990s, Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) cofounders -- Larry Page and Sergey Brin -- played to their own drummer. Instead of taking gobs of venture capital, the dynamic duo did it on the cheap by themselves. For example, they built a sophisticated server platform using old PCs and free Linux software. And, when cash was low, they used their trusty credit cards.

You could say that Google built a business using old-fashioned bootstrapping.

And if Larry and Sergey can make it work, why not you?