How to Raise Money for a New Business

Every new business, big or small, needs access to capital. It is the lifeblood of any organization. Whether it’s for acquiring stock, paying rent, rolling out a marketing campaign, or paying your first employee, knowing where you can access start-up finance is a very important element in getting your business off the ground. 

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It is always exciting to come up with a new business idea, but the problem comes in when you have to raise funds for the idea. Remember that simply having the idea is not good enough. You must actualize the idea by setting up the business.

Many entrepreneurs turn only to bank loans when they are looking for investments, but banks are often not the best place to turn to if you’re a new business, and there are many other options on the table for the motivated entrepreneur with a good business plan. Here are alternative financing options, other than the bank, that you should look into if you’re taking your first steps in business and need some help with your startup capital.

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How to Raise Money for a New Business

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a form of financing a business that has grown hugely in popularity in recent years. Those seeking funding use crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe, Crowdfunder, and Crowdcube where it is possible to raise large or small amounts of money from a large number of people

In 2015, over $34 billion was raised worldwide through crowdfunding, making it a very successful and very popular form of raising funds. You do not even need to be particularly tech-savvy to use this method either; it’s very straightforward and user friendly

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The platforms that have sprung up in recent years to help new projects get off the ground have been successful in pulling in millions of users who, drawn by the chance to become involved in ventures that may net them a pretty profit in the future, or who just like the sound of an idea and want to give it their backing, have raised millions of pounds for projects that needed someone to believe in them. 

Crowdfunding works by bringing people with funds they want to invest, and people who have a great idea, together.

Seek an Angel Investor

Angel investors are usually successful business people who wish to invest their finances in budding entrepreneurs with good ideas that could see them make a decent profit in the future. If you have seen the popular TV show 'Dragon's Denyou will be familiar with the concept of angel investment. 

It’s not easy to win over an angel investor. For good reason, they want to know that their investment is highly likely to reap healthy profits for them in a relatively short space of time. 

You need to impress them with your idea, your strategy, your meticulous business plan, your eye for detail, and your clear analysis of what your business needs to be successful. You will also need to be able to tell them how you are going to achieve your goals and the length of time you need to make enough money in order to pay them back. 

If the angel investor shares your goal and believes in you, they may be willing to put their faith in you - and their investment funds - in hopes that you will make them a healthy profit in return.

The Other Side

But - and here’s the crux with angel investment - they will more often than not, want more than just a share of your profits. They are highly likely to want a share of your company too.

 It is obviously up to you to decide just how much, if any, of your business you are willing to give up in return for investment capital and mentorship, but it is something you must give careful consideration to before approaching an angel investor as they will expect you to be ready to hand over equity. 

Venture Capitalism

Venture capital is a type of funding that is available to new and growing businesses, although it is limited and very competitively sought. A venture capitalist is a person who invests in a business idea by providing it with capital to start-up or expand

The majority of venture capital comes from professionally-managed public or private firms who specialize in finding new and high-risk business ideas - only a few venture capitalists are actually individuals. Usually, in this process, the firm will offer start-up loans to new firms in exchange for equity.

It is not always an easy task finding a venture capitalist who is willing to invest in your business idea, because they typically like to look for ‘the next big thing’ rather than a small business looking to make modest profits. 

This is usually a short-term investment, and the capitalist will want a return on their investment as quickly as possible, but if you are lucky enough to find one, it could seriously sort out your small business funding issues.

How to Raise Money for a New Business
Image Source: Saveyourdollars

Conclusion

There are many different places you can look to access start-up finance if you don’t have the money available yourself. As with everything, there are benefits and risks attached to each one, so it is worth spending time going through the best options for you and your business before committing to one and discovering it is not the ideal solution for you. 

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