3 Key Components of Successfully Raising Funding

Not all companies should raise (or need) venture capital to succeed. As scholar and former VC Dileep Rao points out, “The reality is that most ventures do not qualify for venture capital and never will.” However, a highly scalable business shouldn’t necessarily avoid seeking capital. In fact, many successful companies have grown to fruition because of it. Ultimately, your company’s…

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10 Reliable Ways to Finance a Startup

The ability to secure funds for a startup is the first step in turning your business dream into a reality. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done especially when you have little or no collateral/security at hand. It’s not a completely hopeless situation, however, as there are a number of avenues to explore, but…

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Raising Your Total Startup Capital in 5 Steps

You’ve got the next billion-dollar idea and you are looking to make the big jump into the “fairytale” journey of an entrepreneur. You have read all the startup books and know everything about the great founders that became successful overnight. The startup journey is similar to a survivor’s journey, and the last person standing is…

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8 Smart Tips to Soliciting Friends and Family Funding

It’s great to start with a big dream as you contemplate a new business, but finding the money you need takes more than dreaming. As an advisor to young entrepreneurs, I find that many are a bit naïve about how the investment process really works. For example, I just read an otherwise impressive business plan…

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3 Strategies for Bootstrapping from the Beginning

While choosing to forego outside investment can leave your business more susceptible to the ups and downs of the market, it can also be exhilarating to be in complete control of your professional destiny. Your ascent into the upper ranks of your industry may be slower than if you were bolstered by outside funds, but…

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When You Should Seek Financing for Business Growth

Growth is the lifeblood of every young business. Yet sometimes it seems too risky to take out finance to take your company to the next level. So what are the signs that you should seek to borrow? Your customers are spending more Growing your business doesn’t simply involve taking on new customers: you may find…

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How to Secure an SBA Loan for Your Business

Small businesses are having an easier time obtaining credit than before thanks to the current economy. According to Small Business Trends, 25.2 percent of small businesses in December 2017 were approved for loans by large banks. This represents a 0.1 percent increase over November and a 1.3 increase compared to 2016. But while this may…

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Why Personal Credit Matters When Funding Your Business

Once you register your business as an LLC or a corporation, it begins building its own credit score. This doesn’t render your personal credit score irrelevant, though, because it takes some serious time and revenue for your company to stand entirely on its own. If you have a poor credit score, that can cause problems…

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Take These 3 Funding Myths with a Grain of Salt

Funding your business isn’t difficult, but acting on poor advice makes the process unnecessarily challenging. Your friends and family will support your vision, but there’s no guarantee they understand what it takes to fund a business. To get funded, you need to distinguish the difference between encouragement and business advice. Identifying encouragement vs. advice When…

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Starting a Business in 2018: Preparation and Pointers

At the close of 2017, countless people will take a look back at the year behind them and begin making resolutions for the year ahead. For some, that means leaving their old job behind and going into business for themselves, and for others it means starting a gig on the side. For others, still, it…

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