Guidelines and Resources for Successful Startup Funding

Written by johntalaguit | Edited by Rory Hart
Sections of this topic
    Happy Woman in Blue Long Sleeve Blouse Holding Money

    © Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, Ph.D., Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

    Sections of This Topic Include

    Preparation

    Estimate How Much You Need

    Traditional Sources of Funding

    Non-Traditional Sources of Funding

    Resources for Free Assistance

    Sources of Assistance With Your Startup

    Also, consider
    Related Library Topics

    PREPARE TO GET FUNDING

    First, Get Ready for Getting Money

    Be Patient With Yourself Now

    There are numerous steps involved in starting a business, as well as in planning and getting sufficient funding for your new business. Investors will notice how carefully you were in doing those steps. You’ll end up doing those steps in a proactive and planful way if you do them now — or you’ll do them in a highly reactive and chaotic way later on. Take it one step at a time. Remember the guidelines:
    How to Stay Sane During Planning

    Get Your Personal Finances in Order Now

    Do a personal budget now and in a format that makes sense to others. In the budget, make sure that you have sufficient funds to pay your personal bills at least until your new business makes sufficient profits to pay your personal bills as well as the business’s. The reasons for getting your personal finances in order now include:

    • Investors and funders will want to see that you believe in your business idea so much that you are willing to invest your own funds.
    • Banks and other lending institutions will want to see a strong credit rating from you, as well.

    The following Library topic provides a variety of resources for you.
    Introduction to Personal Financial Management

    Be Willing To Seek and Accept Help

    There are numerous sources of assistance in starting and funding a new small business. Be sure to scan the sources at
    Sources of Assistance With Your Startup

    Also, consider

    Then Do a Business-Startup Business Plan

    Consider Steps in Starting a Business

    If you are looking for money to start a new business, then you first should think about what’s involved in starting a new business even before you get the money to start it.

    If investors know that you have the wisdom to very carefully think about those first steps, then they are much more likely to give you the money to start the business.
    Reference Manual for How to Start a Business.

    Then Do Business Startup Business Plan

    Most types of investors will ask for a well-developed business plan. A business plan will guide you to carefully think about how your business can regularly make a profit over time.

    The above-mentioned Reference Manual for How to Start a Business will specify when to start that business plan. It also will link to another Library topic that will guide you to do the right kind of business plan for your needs.

    If you want to read about business planning now, this topic will guide you through every step of developing one. In that topic, be sure to focus on the “startup” design of a business plan.
    All About Business Planning

    Also, consider

    Then Estimate How Much Money You Need to Start Your Business

    Depends Especially on the Type of Business You Are Starting

    The amount of money that you’ll need depends on whether you’re starting a:

    1. Manufacturing business — that includes getting different types of resources, storing them, assembling them, and shipping them to the customers.
    2. Online store — that includes designing online catalogs of products, utilizing credit card processing services, arranging order fulfillment, and shipping products to the customers.
    3. Service industry — that includes developing and retaining sufficient expertise, understanding customer needs, and working with customers to meet their needs.

    For Now, Identify Typical Business Startup Costs

    There are standard startup costs that you will probably incur regardless of the type of business you are starting, for example, legal filings, professional services, facilities, labor costs, marketing, website design and maintenance, computers and software, and telephones.

    Here is a very useful spreadsheet that lists and organizes many of the typical startup costs. It includes directions to download it to your computer and then open it in a spreadsheet.
    Small Business Start-Up Costs

    Then Compute Your Business StartUp Costs

    One Simple Overall Approach

    You can arrive at the same amount by taking a variety of different approaches. For example, the article How to Estimate Start-Up Costs suggests:

    1. List your likely spending on the assets in your business, for example, facilities, mortgage, shelves, tables, a cash register, etc.
    2. Then list your likely spending on typical expenses, such as those in the above-mentioned spreadsheet.
    3. Then determine how much you’ll need to get started by adding up the spending from numbers 1 and 2. It’s not likely that you’ll get money from profits during the first six months of operations. So spread the total of your expenses over the first six months to give you a better idea of how to spend the money.

    A More Specific Approach

    The article Startup Costs: How Much Cash Will You Need? suggests a more specific approach including:

    First, estimate your costs, including:

    1. One-time costs – professional fees (lawyer, accountant, etc.), loan fees, equipment purchases, bookkeeping software, etc. (these are “variable costs”)
    2. Ongoing costs – rent, utilities, supplies, etc. (these are fixed costs)

    Or:

    1. Essential costs – rent, labor, computers, etc.
    2. Optional costs – enhancements to furniture, services you could do yourself, etc.

    Or

    1. Fixed costs – that you cannot avoid
    2. Variable costs – that vary with your rate of sales

    Draft a Business Startup Cash Flow Statement

    Then, estimate your cash flow — how much you’ll spend and need — for the first six months. This is the most important financial statement to do when starting a business. It tells you whether you can pay your bills or not. Here is a downloadable spreadsheet to start your basic cash flow spreadsheet.
    Cash Flow Forecast template

    Also consider

    Now Identify Your Best Sources of Funding for Your Startup

    There is a wide variety of sources of funding for startup businesses. For example, the article Startup
    The funding Comparison Table     compares the features of each of the 31 different types. Most new startups use a variety of sources for funds. The following is an overview of the most often mentioned sources for startups. The following list is in alphabetical order only.

    Traditional Sources of Funds to Businesses

    At the time of this writing (2019), the following sources are frequently mentioned in literature about funding for businesses.

    Angel Investors

    These are wealthy individuals or groups who invest in startups to make a profit and/or to assist a business that is closely affiliated with the interests or causes of the investors. These investors are usually very familiar with the challenges of starting and developing a small business and, thus, can be very useful to business owners. These investors want comprehensive and due diligence (fact-gathering to analyze the startup) before they invest. They might want partial ownership and decision-making in the business.

    Bootstrapping

    This source includes your own money either from your own savings or money generated from your private assets. Investors often want to see that the entrepreneur will invest some of their own funds. This source is often used as “seed” money, that is, to fund the new business until other sources of funds are obtained.

    Crowdfunding

    This source includes a marketing campaign via social media that aims to raise small amounts of donated money from numerous individuals and organizations. As written at Launch Your Idea With These Top Crowdfunding Services, “If your business is a startup or doesn’t quite meet the bank’s requirements for a conventional loan, or you just want to stay out of debt and keep 100% ownership, then crowdfunding your idea may be a viable solution for your funding needs.”
    8 Crowdfunding Sites: Which Is Best for You?

    Family and Friends

    This is another popular source of funds for startups. Although they are family and friends, the terms of this grant or loan of funds from this source should still be carefully specified in a loan agreement, especially to avoid confusion, frustration, and troubled relationships in the future.

    Loans – Commercial Bank Business Loans

    There is a trend away from commercial banks giving loans to small startups. Estimates are that about 35% of small businesses get funding via this means. Banks want evidence of collateral that will subsidize the loan, a good credit history, and/or that the borrower has strong experience in the industry of the business. A personal loan can take as few as a couple of days if the bank already knows the borrower. A business loan from the bank usually takes up to a few weeks.

    Loans – Credit Cards

    The advantage of using a personal or business credit card is that funds can be immediately available and the funds usually do not need to be secured by collateral. Funds are usually in small amounts, for example, $2,000 to $3,000 to help get the business started or through various shortages of cash. The borrower pays an interest rate on the borrowed funds and usually, the stronger the borrower’s credit ratings, the lower the amount. A downside of this approach is that it is a very expensive way of addressing cash shortages and can end up hurting the borrower’s credit history.

    Loans – Lines of Credit

    A startup business line of credit is a loan that is usually backed by the borrower’s collateral, for example, a home or significant property. The borrower can continue to borrow up to a pre-set limit. Thus, it is similar to a credit card. Interest rates are often lower than the typical credit card rates.

    Loans – SBA-Backed (Government Loans)

    The Small Business Administration (SBA) in the United States of America backs, or guarantees, the payments of loans for small businesses. (If the borrower defaults, the SBA pays off the loan.) The advantages are that the loans are usually less expensive to start, have flexible eligibility requirements, and come with advice about starting and running the business. Loans are provided based on the business’s expected income, the nature of its ownership, and where it operates.

    Venture Capitalists

    This is usually an organization, rather than a singular individual, comprised of experts in starting and developing businesses. They seek significant returns or increases in profits from their investments. They usually invest primarily in businesses that show clear evidence of strong current and/or potential growth. A major benefit of this source is the availability of ongoing advice and resources to help the business. Similar to angel investors, they expect careful due diligence and partial ownership regarding their investments.

    Non-Traditional Sources of Funding for Businesses

    At the time of this writing (2019), the following sources are occasionally — but not yet frequently mentioned — sources of funding to businesses. The following list is in alphabetical order only.

    Business Incubators

    A business incubator is an organization that assists startups by providing specialized facilities and services. The incubator’s overall goal is regional or national economic development. Facilities might be, for example, shared office space or computer equipment. Services might be training on activities to start and manage startups.

    Grants

    These are funds given to small businesses in certain industries, especially those that benefit society, in scientific or research. They are not always limited to nonprofit organizations. However, it takes a long time to apply for and receive these kinds of grants. Also, they often are highly competitive to get because
    many organizations apply to get them.

    Loans Collateralized by Accounts Receivable

    Accounts receivable includes the money that customers owe to the business when they buy items on credit. So, in effect, these receivables are a form of money in that they have a strong likelihood of becoming actual money when they are paid by the customers. Thus, they can be used as collateral by the business when borrowing money for its own expenses.

    Microloans

    As defined in What Are Microloans?, “Microloans have typically defined as very small, short-term loans with a low-interest rate, extended to self-employed individuals, new startups with very low capital requirements, or small businesses with only a few employees.”

    Peer-to-Peer Lending

    This is a type of funding in which a person can get a small loan from a collection of other individuals (investors). The loans are facilitated by a variety of online organizations to which a person submits an application for a loan. The organization lists the loan applications in a directory that investors can review.
    Each application has a deadline to be funded. The facilitating organizations ensure the applications are complete, including getting the borrower’s credit information. These loans usually have affordable interest rates and are not secured, or collateralized.

    Trade Services

    This source includes trading one or more assets (cash, expertise, services, facilities, stock, etc.) of the startup business for one or more assets owned by another. As to whether it is a trade or not depends on the specifics of the exchange. It can be an advantage to a startup that already has strong expertise in various areas, but that needs other assets to develop to the next stage.

    Also, consider

    Sources of Assistance With Your Startup

    Business Startup Templates and Calculators

    Sources of Free Assistance

    The sources of free assistance in getting funding are very similar to those who assist in starting businesses. The following link is to a large number of free and helpful sources of assistance.
    Free Help to Start a Business

    Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to This Topic

    In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that have posts related to this topic. Scan down the blog’s page to see various posts. Also, see the section “Recent Blog Posts” in the sidebar of the blog or click on “Next” near the bottom of a post in the blog. The blog also links to numerous free related resources.





    For the Category of Financial Management (For-Profit):

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