1. Small business grants are far and few between. If you even qualify for one, it would have to be in a redevelopment area. Even then, you would have to be a business that is under certain conditions financially. Most…
Small Business Investment Companies–set up by Congress back in 1958 to operate as private businesses—provide equity capital and long-term loans to small businesses, especially those suffering from social or economic disadvantages. More than 400 SBICs currently operate in the U.S….
Typically public-private partnerships, these groups have sprung up around the nation. Their core function is usually to offer loans to startups and early-stage businesses, but they also provide a crucial forum for networking, and bringing VCs and other investors to…
If you can’t convince a bank to give you a sizable loan to get your business going, maybe it’s time to go the micro business loan route. Micro business loans are typically for $35,000 or less and are available to…
Several business schools hold competitions in which you can get your creative ideas in front of venture capitalists, angel investors and other potential financing sources–and the most promising business plans receive substantial cash prizes. Most of those require student participation,…
How nice would it be to have money just given to you? One government website offers a great clearinghouse for hundreds of startup grants. These grants are offered by states and governmental associations, and the list promises to get bigger…
With so many experienced, capable people getting cut loose by corporate employers, there has never been a larger pool of potential entrepreneurs. But with the implosion of so many banks and the continuing credit crunch, there has also never been…
Increasingly today more business-for-sale transactions are resting on a seller’s willingness to finance at least part of a sale. In a deal that includes seller financing, the seller takes part of the purchase price in cash and the remainder in…
Borrowing money from the people you’re closest to in life is probably the longest-standing method of funding entrepreneurial endeavors. Many people are hesitant to borrow money from friends and family for fear of straining personal relationships, but–if you make it…
For a purely commercial loan, however, growing businesses don’t typically qualify for 30-year terms. Even when real estate is involved, businesses are likely to find that 15- or 20-year terms are the norm. For most other business purposes, five years…
