30 Solutions to Find Investment To Start your Business
Aashish Sharma — April 1, 2019 — April 1, 2019
How to find financing to start a business? How to find investment for your business creation without input, or with a low contribution? Here is a list of 30 solutions to unlock the situation.
Do you have a business creation project but no funding (or not enough)? Rest assured, many solutions exist, which are very different from each other but most often complementary.
Here are tips and ideas for finding financing to start a business.
Finding financing to start a business: why, how?
In 98% of cases, starting a business requires mobilizing material and financial resources. This initial investment should not be too low (the company’s success would be compromised) or too high (future profitability and return on investment could be affected).
You must first list and encrypt your startup requirements:
- creative fees,
- equipment,
- expenses related to the premises,
- stocks,
- cash mattress,
You must then take an objective look at your start-up needs: are not they too high? Is their level realistic given your personal financial situation? How could they be reduced?
In the end, the level of initial investments must be consistent with the size of your project and with yourself.
What’s less well-known is that while most startup businesses will never achieve scale, they do still play a vital role in creating jobs and driving the U.S. economy forward. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 416,000 new firms opened in the year leading up to March of 2018, the largest number since the Great Recession. While new firms represent just a small proportion of total firms, job openings from these new businesses disproportionately impact employment figures. Between 2017 and 2018, for example, startup firms gained 1.7 million jobs, compared with a net gain of just 518,000 from older firms. Source: seekcapital (Business Capital Report by Industries)
Find financing to start a business: 30 solutions.
Here are 30 ways to find financing to start a business.
1) Save money. Saving is a good way to finance your business creation, especially if you are aiming for a long-term creation. It is about putting money aside over the months, while optimally preparing for the launch of the activity: market research, request for quotation, search for an economic model, etc.
2) The family. The family is one of the first sources of financing for business creation in US: family loan, donation, boost … We talk about love money. Be careful, it is not because we ask for money from his family that we can do without a business plan in due form. In the same way as facing an outside financier, it will reassure and convince!
3) Friends. It is possible to ask your friends to help you finance your startup. It’s up to you to see if it’s better to proceed with a loan or an equity investment. In the second case, you will establish a very close bond that you could regret later …
4) The bank. As a traditional source of financing, the bank remains a safe bet to finance its business creation, provided you have done a real market research and drafted a credible financial plan. If she believes in you, the bank will lend you. If she refuses you, question yourself without complaining.
5) Crowdfunding. Crowdfunding (crowdfunding by the general public through a specialized internet platform) is a great way to finance a start and specially to test its ability to convince. It is a grant in the form of a donation, and therefore without financial risk.
6) The crowdlending. Crowdlending is crowdfunding in the form of a loan, which makes it possible to appeal to the general public to avoid banks. Again, this is a great way to test your project and its ability to convince.
7) The crowd equity. Crowd equity is public funding in the form of equity participation. It is a funding solution in full development but not suitable for all types of companies.
8) Zero rate loans or loans of honor. Various organizations offer zero-interest loans for start-ups or takeovers. The mounting of the file can be long and sometimes complicated.
9) Joining can help to find funding to start a business. But beware, it’s a choice that needs to be balanced and thoughtful.
10) Financing through pre-orders. This is a financing solution that may be suitable for a product that has not yet been launched and for which costs have yet to be incurred. Pre-orders will allow you to test your concept, test you commercially, and increase your cash flow.
11) Business angels. Business angels are individuals who participate in the capital of your start-up and advise you to accelerate your development. Appealing to business angels can be a good financing solution if you launch an innovative concept, but you will lose some of your freedom …
12) Venture capital. Venture capital is a minority equity investment by one or more investment companies. This is a solution for start-ups who wish to grow quickly, but its implementation is cumbersome.
13) The Tech Scholarship. The tech grant is a subsidy reserved for companies that offer a “disruptive” innovation. It is subject to specific conditions
14) Foundations. Many foundations offer business start-up support in the form of a loan or grant.
15) Subsidies. Business start-up grants have become rare, but some local authorities continue to offer them. These include the FISAC grant for the renovation of commercial premises in the city center, and grants from certain departmental or regional councils.
16) Innovation support organizations. Some associations specializing in innovation support offer specific grants or subsidies.
17) The competitions. Finding funding to start a business can involve going through the contests. Prizes, trophies or contests are generally open to companies that offer innovations. This can be an alternative financing solution.
18) Bank loan guarantees. Some organizations offer bank loan guarantees, aimed at facilitating the obtaining of bank financing. Be careful, the files are sometimes heavy to mount …
19) Micro-credit or micro-loans. Microcredit is a type of loan reserved for people who have not been able to obtain a bank loan. Be careful, obtaining a micro-credit is far from automatic and interest rates are high.
20) Employment Center. Employment Centers finances its start-up by maintaining unemployment benefits or mobilizing the AER in the capital.
21) The system D. Finding funding to start a business is also about being resourceful. Faced with a lack of funding, the D system and imagination can be an excellent resource. This involves, for example, mobilizing skills for free, using students or volunteers, finding better prices abroad, using recovery equipment, buying second-hand tools … essential quality of the entrepreneur!
22) Partnerships. Partnering can drastically reduce initial investments. In fact, calling on a partner, for example a subcontractor with a production unit, makes it possible to offer a complete competitive offer while benefiting from know-how and efficient installations.
23) The networks of entrepreneurs. Participating in business networks can be a way to identify business opportunities and financing.
24) Business start-ups for women. Many women’s business start-up associations offer practical help with the installation. Inquire and contact the nearest organization in your area.
25) Review his plan of departure. To solve your financing problem, why not re-study your entire project? It will be a question of arriving at a new project, requiring less initial investments. Abandon your project if it is too expensive in stock, equipment, work or vehicles. You will also reduce your risk of failure and your stress level. Note: the liberal activities are those that require the least initial investment.
26) Funding by time spent. In some cases, it is possible to replace some expenses with a personal investment in time. This is to do it yourself to save money. Be careful, however, not to exhaust yourself with the task. Concentrate on your core business, where you can spend time, but do not try to do everything.
27) Financing by renting. Instead of buying equipment, why not rent it? Of course, renting is ultimately more expensive than buying, but it could be a solution to your initial financing problems.
28) Financing by surplus working capital. Some companies are able to finance themselves with a working capital surplus , which means that they benefit from the gap between their payment term to suppliers and the payment period of their customers. This requires negotiating attractive terms with suppliers, and quickly rotating inventory. Not always easy!
29) Calls for projects. The state, Europe and the regions regularly launch calls for projects doubled with subsidies or loans with preferential rate.
30) The pushes at the resumption. Some activities do not find buyers. It may be for example a craftsman who retires, or a small rural business that closes. In some cases, it is possible to resume these activities under very advantageous conditions: free provision of premises and equipment, value of the customers offered, etc.
In any case, when you want to find financing to start your own business, you have to be determined and imaginative!
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