Financing a Small Business – Traditional and Modern Methods to Turn Your Business Idea Into Reality
Financing a small business can be a daunting task for business owners, but nothing is impossible with the right attitude and the right strategy. There are many ways to obtain financing for your business – grants, crowdfunding, loans with favorable interest rates or zero interest are all available.
Grants Available for Small Business Financing
If you own a small business or you have an idea for one, chances are that your business plan has something unique and special about it. Grants for small businesses and start-ups are available for many different industries and niches, so trust your idea – if it is lucrative, you can find free money to help you make it reality. The sources that help with financing a small business are also varied – government agencies, private foundations, state or city governments, non-profit organizations all offer grant opportunities. Grants vary in terms of the sums made available, as well as in scope. Some grants are meant to provide relief for temporary dire straits, others are more substantial; some are provided for certain industries, others are awarded to businesses active in a certain area or businesses that employ people belonging to certain social groups.
Bank Loans for Financing a Small Business
Small businesses and start-ups can benefit from favorable loans. These loans come from various lenders (you can find out about them if you carry out a simple research online or if you visit the website of the Small Business Administration) and are available under various conditions, but almost all of them require applicants to prove creditworthiness. Start-ups, being at the beginning of their paths, cannot really provide a relevant credit report, but the owners themselves can, so if you are considering this solution, you stand a better chance if you can prove creditworthiness as a private individual.
Other Methods for Financing a Small Business
If you have a 401K, an individual retirement account or any other type of retirement plan, you can decide to roll it into your small business or start-up. The technique is called rollover as business startup and it comes with many benefits over taking out loans, but it is a complicated procedure that requires assistance from a financial expert.
Crowdfunding – A New and Efficient Way for Financing a Small Business
There is a relatively new notion that is becoming more and more widespread these days, and that is crowdfunding, namely the possibility to obtain financing from a large number of people. This form of financing is more like an investment than a loan or a grant, but it is a great way to obtain the money you need to start developing your enterprise. There are many different types of crowdfunding – with some types, the people who give the money become shareholders in the company they decide to fund, in other cases people just give money to companies that promote a good cause. You can tap into these great opportunities by visiting online crowdfunding platforms – currently there are over two thousand platforms available that have helped hundreds of thousands of business owners and have radically transformed the way we think about financing a small business.