How to Get Funding for a Startup Business
Find a lender in your area., Develop a business plan., Look at the lender’s requirements., Bring your accounts current., Get an EIN., Register your business., Start small and manage expectations.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Find a lender in your area.
The largest microfinance program in the US is the Small Business Administration’s Microloan Program.
The SBA works with dozens of intermediary lenders across the country to provide microloans to small businesses, startups included, but most of the lenders only lend in designated geographical areas.Take a look at the list of intermediaries at https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/articles/microlenderrpt_20160518.pdf. -
Step 2: Develop a business plan.
A business plan is a document telling any interested party exactly what you plan on doing with the business and how you plan to do it.
Writing a business plan will help you seem credible and help you obtain funding.
There's an art to writing a business plan, but the basic portions of the plan include:
The summary.
You'll talk about the location of the business, the mission statement, the products you offer, and the purpose of the business plan (in this case, getting funding).
A company description, including the legal form of the business, it's history, growth, and your short and long term goals.
A detailed overview of your products and services, including new products not yet introduced.
A market analysis, which includes information on total market size, your share of the market, and how you plan on growing.
Your overall market strategy.
Your financial plan, including projections with and without the funding you're seeking. , The various intermediaries have some leeway with respect to crafting their approval process.
Once you’ve found some lenders servicing your area call them or go to their website and learn about their requirements for loan approval.
Some common requirements include:
A business plan—it helps if you’ve already got a business plan, but if you don’t, nearly all of the lenders will assist you in crafting one.
The business plan not only helps the lender understand your business goals, it helps you develop realistic expectations for the future of your startup.Collateral for the loan.
Since most of the microloan borrowers don’t have a business track record, incomes, or credit history that would support a conventional loan, the lender wants assurances that the borrower is serious about the success of the business venture.
Collateral can be items like cars, real estate, jewelry, or equipment you plan to buy with the proceeds of the loan.An alternate source of income.
Almost all of the lenders will require the borrower to have an alternative source of income in case of default. , Although microlenders are more lenient with respect to credit scores than conventional lenders, they still have to make sure borrowers can pay them back, and the easiest way to make it appear as though you won’t be able to pay them back is to be behind in your current accounts.This includes back taxes.
If you do owe back taxes, you should at least get current on a payment plan before trying to get a loan. , Microlenders do their best to consider the whole person and their fitness for leading their proposed business venture.
One of the ways they measure a borrower’s commitment is by checking up on the details associated with business ownership.
One of those details is finding out whether the borrower has requested an Employer Identification Number, or EIN, from the IRS.The EIN is like the Social Security number for a business.
Having an EIN is a prerequisite to legally employing workers in the US.
Any serious business owner will need one sooner than later.
Request an EIN at https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online. , In the same vein as the EIN, you should take steps to register your business.
There are pros and cons to the various types of business formats, but the worst one is the sole proprietorship, which is the default.
If your business is organized as a sole proprietorship, it means you are personally obligated to satisfy the business’ liabilities.
Look into the corporate and limited liability company (LLC) formats instead.
An LLC will probably be the best for a small business, but your circumstances might indicate otherwise.
If you need a more detailed guide on the advantages and disadvantages of each type of business form, you can learn more at Determine if You Need to Incorporate.
You’ll register with the secretary of state in your state.
Find you secretary of state’s website on the webpage for the National Association of Secretaries of State, located at http://www.nass.org/. , You might not be able to get the size loan you want to get, so divide your launch plan into phases.
Each phase should get the business to a stage where it’s making more money than it’s spending.
That doesn’t mean it’s making as much money as you want it to be making, or that it can support you or your family.
All it means is that you’ve gotten to a level of sustainability.For example, if you can only get $5,000 of the $10,000 you were requesting, you need to have a plan formulated (call it Phase 1) where $5,000 can get you off the ground and to sustainability. -
Step 3: Look at the lender’s requirements.
-
Step 4: Bring your accounts current.
-
Step 5: Get an EIN.
-
Step 6: Register your business.
-
Step 7: Start small and manage expectations.
Detailed Guide
The largest microfinance program in the US is the Small Business Administration’s Microloan Program.
The SBA works with dozens of intermediary lenders across the country to provide microloans to small businesses, startups included, but most of the lenders only lend in designated geographical areas.Take a look at the list of intermediaries at https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/articles/microlenderrpt_20160518.pdf.
A business plan is a document telling any interested party exactly what you plan on doing with the business and how you plan to do it.
Writing a business plan will help you seem credible and help you obtain funding.
There's an art to writing a business plan, but the basic portions of the plan include:
The summary.
You'll talk about the location of the business, the mission statement, the products you offer, and the purpose of the business plan (in this case, getting funding).
A company description, including the legal form of the business, it's history, growth, and your short and long term goals.
A detailed overview of your products and services, including new products not yet introduced.
A market analysis, which includes information on total market size, your share of the market, and how you plan on growing.
Your overall market strategy.
Your financial plan, including projections with and without the funding you're seeking. , The various intermediaries have some leeway with respect to crafting their approval process.
Once you’ve found some lenders servicing your area call them or go to their website and learn about their requirements for loan approval.
Some common requirements include:
A business plan—it helps if you’ve already got a business plan, but if you don’t, nearly all of the lenders will assist you in crafting one.
The business plan not only helps the lender understand your business goals, it helps you develop realistic expectations for the future of your startup.Collateral for the loan.
Since most of the microloan borrowers don’t have a business track record, incomes, or credit history that would support a conventional loan, the lender wants assurances that the borrower is serious about the success of the business venture.
Collateral can be items like cars, real estate, jewelry, or equipment you plan to buy with the proceeds of the loan.An alternate source of income.
Almost all of the lenders will require the borrower to have an alternative source of income in case of default. , Although microlenders are more lenient with respect to credit scores than conventional lenders, they still have to make sure borrowers can pay them back, and the easiest way to make it appear as though you won’t be able to pay them back is to be behind in your current accounts.This includes back taxes.
If you do owe back taxes, you should at least get current on a payment plan before trying to get a loan. , Microlenders do their best to consider the whole person and their fitness for leading their proposed business venture.
One of the ways they measure a borrower’s commitment is by checking up on the details associated with business ownership.
One of those details is finding out whether the borrower has requested an Employer Identification Number, or EIN, from the IRS.The EIN is like the Social Security number for a business.
Having an EIN is a prerequisite to legally employing workers in the US.
Any serious business owner will need one sooner than later.
Request an EIN at https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online. , In the same vein as the EIN, you should take steps to register your business.
There are pros and cons to the various types of business formats, but the worst one is the sole proprietorship, which is the default.
If your business is organized as a sole proprietorship, it means you are personally obligated to satisfy the business’ liabilities.
Look into the corporate and limited liability company (LLC) formats instead.
An LLC will probably be the best for a small business, but your circumstances might indicate otherwise.
If you need a more detailed guide on the advantages and disadvantages of each type of business form, you can learn more at Determine if You Need to Incorporate.
You’ll register with the secretary of state in your state.
Find you secretary of state’s website on the webpage for the National Association of Secretaries of State, located at http://www.nass.org/. , You might not be able to get the size loan you want to get, so divide your launch plan into phases.
Each phase should get the business to a stage where it’s making more money than it’s spending.
That doesn’t mean it’s making as much money as you want it to be making, or that it can support you or your family.
All it means is that you’ve gotten to a level of sustainability.For example, if you can only get $5,000 of the $10,000 you were requesting, you need to have a plan formulated (call it Phase 1) where $5,000 can get you off the ground and to sustainability.
About the Author
Nathan Murphy
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: