Funding Guide to Your Small Business Idea
Funding Guide to Your Small Business Idea
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Businesses are primarily driven by the unique ideas that build them.
However, the lifespan of a business is entirely dependent on its ability to
sustain and grow. Which means it requires money; technical equipment,
office space, website, initial financial security to pay bills and so on. You
require at least a little bit of financing to get going with your small
business idea. Therefore, understanding the concept of business funding
for start-ups is significant to succeed.
Starting your own venture could seem like a nightmare, but it’s worth it!
Studies prove that 94% of start-ups or new companies fail to sustain
during their first year of operation. Coming up with a billion-dollar idea for
a new company is cool. But, the journey from having a view to building a
profitable business can be challenging. In that case, how to finance a start-
up business? Funding mainly requires you to understand the nature and
type of your business thoroughly.
Do you want to take a tour to find out how to get funding for a business
idea? Congratulations! You are at the right place. This article is a part of
our comprehensive guide on small business ideas – explore the small
business funding guide to know the effective financing options
recommended for Indian enterprises. From traditional bank loans, lenders
to alternative financing methods here’s everything you ought to know to
fund your business idea.
10 Funding Options to
Raise Capital for Your
Small Business Ideas
1. Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping, also known as self-funding, is the go-to funding
option for most business owners. It is proved to be the most
effective form of financing a start-up or enterprise, especially
while starting. Entrepreneurs prefer funding their enterprise by
accumulating any personal funds they can find. It could be their
savings, or a share from their family members/friends, credit
cards, or home equity lines. Raising funds within your closed
circle reduces the stress of paperwork or compliances.
Usually, it is ideal to utilize the money you have rather than
borrowing capital. Experts suggest that business owners must
continue to bootstrap until their venture turns profitable. It is an
excellent approach towards potential success and rids you of the
burden of paying interests. Moreover, people tend to work hard
when their own money is on stake. When you want to scale your
business at a later stage, you can consider pooling in outside
sources for financing. All-in-all, bootstrapping can be the medium
for expanding resources both financially and non-financially.
2. Angel Investors
The second-best funding option for your new business is to
approach angel investors. Who are angel investors? You can
usually find this type of investors in networking groups where
they selectively collect proposals for investing. These passionate
investors are one’s that helped launch high-profile companies like
Google, Yahoo and Alibaba.
Angel investors are more likely to invest in your small business,
provided you approach them in the early stages of your
enterprise growth. These investors throw themselves in risky
scenarios while investing to obtain higher returns; expecting up
to 30% capital gain. If you think this is an ideal business funding
option, look out for some of India’s famous angel investors and
draft a precise plan to pitch them.
3. Venture Capitalists
Venture capitalists are an ideal funding option if your company
requires higher capital sourcing. These investors are likely to dig
deeper into your business plan before bringing a tremendous
amount of money into your enterpise. Venture Capitalists prefer
investing is businesses that stand out from the rest.
Alongside investing venture capital, they also expect a return of 3
to 10 times more than their original investment cost within a
timeframe of 5-7 years. Quick tip? Better keep an exit strategy
ready. Tap into your contacts to hunt for a venture capitalist; a
cold approach is less likely to fetch positive results.
4. Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding has gained immense popularity lately. The new
funding option has been providing a financial boost for several
businesses in India. It is a platform that allows businesses to pool
some small investments from multiple investors rather than
depending on a single source of investment.
You can benefit from crowdfunding by increasing your initial
working capital required to start your business. Do read about
various crowdfunding platforms for stock option before selecting
one. Selective platforms might charge payment processing fees
or demand business owners to uplift their financial goals to
preserve the collected funds.
5. Invoice Financing
Invoice financing is one of the best funding options to maintain
the cash flow your business requires for daily operations. This
funding option is also known as factoring, where your service
provider lends you money from your accounts receivables that
you can pay back when your customer scans the invoice. Invoice
funding is a great way to bridge the payment gaps between your
business bills/payments and your suppliers/contractors. It allows
a growing business to accept new projects and provide effective
results.
6. Business Incubators & Accelerators
Considering incubators and accelerators to raise money for the
business at an early stage is a good idea. These funding
programs have been popularly helping businesses in India and
are available in every possible city. Their utility is interchangeable
despite the fundamental differences between them. They operate
by providing training tools, business networks, and support for
enterprise growth.
Incubators help nourish and aid businesses in standing out in the
market place, wherein accelerators assist the business in taking a
big jump that helps keep them running. These programs typically
demand 4-8 months of commitment from the business owners. It
helps develop great relationships with mentors, investors and
other competitors.
7. Partner Financing
The strategic partner financing is one the commonly known
funding option. You can get a trusted partner interested from your
industry to invest in your venture in exchange for exclusive
access to your business data, products, items, distribution
channels, sales or a combination of all these elements. Due to the
commonalty, this funding option is usually overlooked.
You can also partner with another company that can boost your
business growth. It is considered a risk capital that offers a share
in sales; it can either be equity-based or commission-based.
Partnering with large companies helps build a better network of
clients, suppliers and provides access to great marketing
programs.
8. Bank Loans
Conventional banks in India offer business loans, provided you
have necessary proof and records. You can easily avail these
loans if adequate assets back your business. Banks usually
provide various financing options; with an ideal business plan,
you can quickly secure your funds by availing loan programs.
What to do in case you are not eligible to request for a bank loan?
You can always lean on microfinance funding to access financial
services when you can’t rely on traditional banks. They have
limited requirements whose credit ratings are not influenced by
the banks.
9. Government Programs
One of the most reliable funding options for entrepreneurs and
start-ups in India are government programs. The Government of
India launched a start-up fund project worth Rs 10,000 crore
under the Union Budget to strengthen SME’s ecosystem in India.
Further, the government also launched “Bank of Ideas and
Innovations” to encourage
innovative products and business ideas.
The government supports the “Pradhan Mantri Micro Units
Development and Refinance Agency Limited (MUDRA)” to help
spread the benefits to around 10 lakh SME’s in India. Under this
scheme, business owners are provided with a MUDRA card post-
approval of the loan amount request. It acts like a credit card
through which business owners can purchase raw materials and
cover other expenses.
9. Government Programs
In addition to central government schemes, the state government
has also established various programs, Kerala State Self
Entrepreneur Development Mission (KSSEDM), Rajasthan Start-up
Fest, Maharashtra Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, so
on to support small businesses. Besides, SIDBI – Small Industry
Development Bank of India also provides commercial loans to the
MSME sector.
Provided enterprise meets the eligibility criteria, government
schemes and programs are the best funding options compared to
the rest. It is vital for business owners to educate themselves
about various government initiatives; research thoroughly about
the Indian government’s Start-up India Action Plan. Recently, GOI
announced a new program – “Atmanirbhar Bharath”, a package to
combat the COVID-19 economic crisis.
10. Quick Financing Options
Funding options for enterprises have increased drastically over
the past decade. Apart from the popular financing option
mentioned above, you can also try out other ways to raise
capital. Although these options may not apply to all enterprise
types, it’s worth exploring these options.
Product Pre-Sale
Selling your products before the official launch is an effective funding
strategy. Sadly, not many businesses in India follow this funding approach.
Some of the most popular companies worldwide follow this funding option
to improve their cash flow and prep themselves for the consumer demand.
Asset Sale
Asset sale can be a daunting process in terms of raising funds. But look at
the bright side, it helps meet the short-term enterprise requirements and
finances. You can always re-purchase the assets once your venture
becomes stable.
Credit Cards
Having a business credit is a boon; it is the best funding option that
provides instant cash. If your new business idea doesn’t require a lot of
investment, you can use business credits cards to cover your small
expenses. However, beware of the interest rates and card costs. They can
sum up into a large amount and accumulate in no time.
Conclusion
Finding the best financing option can be the most challenging
part of starting a business. It takes a clear understanding of your
business model to decide what option best suits your enterprise
requirements. However, once you crack the deal, save some
capital, get your loan approval, or outsource money from
investors, you will likely see your business grow. Although it might
take quality time for you to succeed in this journey, your dreams
will undoubtedly turn into a reality. Finding allies along the road;
friends, investors, capitalists will ease your burden.
Businesses in India must focus on their finances in their early
stages and later. Is your small business ready to see the limelight
of success? Implement an
all-in-one business intelligence software that keeps you up-to-
date and modern. You can always rely on Imprezz
cloud-based invoicing software to streamline your
small business accounting. The GST billing system will help keep
your business GST compliant.
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