Seven Sources Of Funding
Jul 13, 2011 in Banking/Finance
Are you all ready and raring to go to launch your small business, but still lack that financial boost? There are many ways to get the capital for your business idea. I have here several really good sources for finding the funds to get your business started or to make it grow.
1. Family and Friends
Some people are lucky they can borrow money from friends or family to start up a business. Compared to credit cards, this doesn’t put your credit rating at risk, but it surely can put your family reputation on the line. Depending on your relationship with your friends and family, this may not be the wisest source of funding, particularly if you run into problems with repayment.
2. Government Loans (SBA)
This is short for the U.S. Small Business Administration, a government agency that helps Americans start and manage small businesses by providing loans, disaster assistance, advocacy and training.
3. Peer to Peer Lending (Lending Club)
Lending Club is an online lending site where people can lend money directly to each other. Borrowers apply for a loan, filling out information for a credit check and the reasons for the loan and lenders can then browse through the loans to find the right investment. Lenders have the ability to see the results of the credit check and interact with the borrowers and ask them questions about their investment. Lending Club matches borrowers with lenders and manages loan repayment. Lenders can get started with as little as $25 and borrowers can receive unsecured loans up to $35,000. For borrowers, Lending Club is able to offer better interest rates than they would otherwise receive at a bank. The lenders receive the benefit of getting higher rates of returns than they would find from traditional investments.
4. Venture Capital Firms
A venture capital firm is a financial intermediary that pools the resources of its partners and uses the funds to help entrepreneurs start up new businesses. One benefit with Venture Capital is that these firms are typically used to the risk of investing in new start up ventures. However, they typically look for companies that are starting with novel and innovative ideas that have the potential to take off and earn exponential returns.
5. Home Equity Loan
It is sometimes called a second mortgage. Borrow from a bank or mortgage company using the equity in your home as collateral. Remember that this is a loan that is secured with your house. A default means a possible foreclosure on your home.
6. Credit Cards
It can be tempting to start-up your business with money from a credit card. Be careful to at least make the minimum monthly payments to protect your credit rating. This is one of the less recommended sources of funding. While it’s easier to get the money, the interest rates tend to be higher than other types of loans. Borrowing from credit cards should be a last resort.
7. Angel Investors
The typical angel investor is a retired business executive or business owner. Angel investors can usually provide more money than friends or family, and credit cards.
The loan usually ranges from $20,000 up to 2 million. These are different from Venture Capital firms, as angel investors typically are investing their own money and may be more involved in the operations of your company.
All of the above resources are equally useful in their own rights. You just have to know which one is more beneficial to your business and situation.
Choose Wisely.
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