The number one concern of start-up entrepreneurs and growing small business
owners and managers is how to finance their venture. When the personal
financial resources of the entrepreneur are exhausted, when the
tradition of going to family and friends for “cradle equity” has been thoroughly
“worked,” and when incurring personal debt from a bank for a loan
is no longer a viable option, then raising private capital can be one of the
toughest challenges for many entrepreneurs. Whether you have an as-yet-unproven,
visionary start-up or already own a small, established company hungry
for expansion capital, access to capital on the right terms is critical to
your success.
Available for financing are an array of alternative capital resources, but
the problems center on which are most appropriate for you and where do
you find them. While economic conditions during the previous four years
have had an impact on capital availability and increased competition among
entrepreneurs for that capital, alternative, nontraditional capital resources
are out there.