On starting..

I often wonder if it is better to start alone, and yet small in a business, or is it better to taking funding in the beginning and try fighting it out in a better league. I am tustling with this for a while now - sometimes i feel it is easier to take a business from 100 to 10,000 than taking it from 1 to 100. The competition at the bottom of the pyramid is far intense and ruthless...any answers dear friends ?