From the category archives:

Funding

Early Cash Flow – The Secret to Business Success

Thumbnail image for Early Cash Flow – The Secret to Business Success February 11, 2010

Lots of new businesses fail because the owners don’t take into account how long it takes to start bringing in any money at all, let alone enough dough to keep themselves and their business going. Why does this happen?
The Problem – Too Much Time
New and even experienced business owners often don’t realize that there [...]

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Problems with Small Business Credit Cards

Thumbnail image for Problems with Small Business Credit Cards February 1, 2010

Aleksandra Todorova has an interesting article at Entrepreneur.com talking about an unforeseen risk you face when you have a small business credit card.
You’ve probably seen the offers for small business credit cards. They often have attractive rates and terms, and have been a useful way for cash-strapped small businesses to  manage cash flow. But now [...]

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Small Business Grants — Too Good To Be True?

October 17, 2009
Grant

I hear all the time that there are millions and billions of dollars in grants for small businesses just sitting out there waiting for someone to come and apply for them. Is it true, or too good to be true?
Uncle Sam
The first place to look is the US federal government from Grants.gov and Business.gov, as [...]

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Angel Investors and Venture Capital – Pipe Dreams?

October 13, 2009
Thumbnail image for Angel Investors and Venture Capital – Pipe Dreams?

Even in the best of times, venture capital was a dream for most small businesses, especially startups. Now it has dried up for almost everyone, so yes it is a pipe dream.
Angel investors are more interesting. Angel investors differ from venture capitalists because they are individual investors instead of a group, they invest their own [...]

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Funding Your Business by Hitting Up Friends and Family

October 9, 2009
Thumbnail image for Funding Your Business by Hitting Up Friends and Family

Borrowing from friends and family is second most popular form of business funding after self-funding.
They know you, for better or worse, and will lend you money based on trust for you. They are easy to approach because you know them. They are also often likely to be okay with not being repaid right away or [...]

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Self-Financing–Just Pay for It Yourself

October 9, 2009
Thumbnail image for Self-Financing–Just Pay for It Yourself

You’ve figured out what kind of business you want to start and you’ve come up with plans. Now you’ve got to figure how to fund it. How the heck do you do that and where do you start.
Look Inward
Self-financing, or bootstrap financing as the entrepreneur-heads call it, is the number one most popular, easiest and, [...]

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