Starting your own company is the dream of a lifetime. However, without the right sources of capital or financing options, new business owners and entrepreneurs can find themselves struggling to turn their ideas into tangible and lucrative enterprises. If you are looking for ways to increase your capital, consider the following options for increasing funds:
Bank Loans
While the number of bank loans has decreased in recent years, this option for funding remains a popular choice among new start-ups and existing businesses, thanks to the diverse loan options. These options can vary from traditional business loans with set interest rates to business lines of credit. In order to qualify, banks often require that clients have a solid business plan in place prior to lending.
SBA Loans
In contrast to bank-financed loans, these loans are backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, a government agency which focuses exclusively on small business growth and regulation. Prized for their low down payments, reasonable interest rates, and long repayment options, SBA loans are popular and can be applied to almost any aspect of your enterprise. However, given their popularity, the process for applying and obtaining an SBA loan can be much longer than that of a traditional bank loan.
Crowdfunding
Recent years have seen this option surge in popularity, thanks in part to the rise of social media. Rather than having to submit lengthy formal applications to a bank or agency, business owners using crowdfunding techniques simply trade small stakes of their business, or exclusive access to products and services, for individual contributions. While there are a number of regulations that must be adhered to in order to compliantly raise funds, crowdfunding is an excellent alternative source of capital.
Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists
Venture capital investments are made by high net worth individuals (angel investors) toward new, high growth potential businesses in exchange for shares and decision making rights. An increasingly popular, nonconventional source of funding, venture capital is often considered high risk/high reward, as there is no guarantee the business will succeed with the investment.