Alternative ways of raising funds
Business growth has traditionally been financed by banks, venture capitalists or angel investors. But sometimes the original route isn’t always ideal. Nowadays the potential funding opportunities have diversified. If your organization is struggling to improve finance, consider searching for an alternative approach to funding to get the money you will need to growth.
Crowd funding
Crowd funding is really a collaborative system that pools the collective wealth of a network of people and uses this fund to lend to companies. Its used in the business enterprise sphere is relatively recent although charities purchased it for quite a while. The largest advantage to crowd funding may be the reduced risk to each stakeholder. Each individual can contribute just as much or less than they would like to the investment pot. Some individuals might provide £10, whereas others may offer thousands.
It’s vital that you do adequate research before using crowd funding. Check the conditions and terms very carefully to make sure you get just what you want from the offer. The popularity of crowd sourcing has resulted in a significant amount of websites showing up so be sure you choose a reputable one which’s authorised by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
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Peer-to-peer lending
Peer-to-peer lending is really a relative newcomer, and connects individual borrowers with lenders (with the broker going for a fee for providing the service). The web has been instrumental in the rise of the forms of sites and nowadays there are several players available on the market. Peer-to-peer lending can be an umbrella term that covers a variety of different situations. Some crowd funding sites will undoubtedly be peer-to-peer services for the reason that they connect investor and business directly.
In most cases, however, peer-to-peer lending works on two principles: disintermediation and internet sites. The former identifies removing intermediaries in the supply chain, in cases like this traditional financial institutions that charge reduced. The latter identifies the reliance of some peer-to-peer lending networks on the client’s own social networking, with the idea that folks are less inclined to default to those they know. The website simply formalises the agreement between two consenting parties.
James Meekings, director and co-founder of Funding Circle, a peer to peer lending platform that allows savers to lend money right to smaller businesses, told inspiresme.co.uk: “Sooner or later, all businesses need funding, whether it’s working capital, funding for growth and employment or an injection of finance to get assets. Until recently, the only real option has gone to go directly to the bank to obtain a loan, a difficult task for many that may bring about many lost days of work time while being, oftentimes, prohibitively expensive. That’s not forgetting the truth that so many are rejected, or worse, have their existing overdraft facilities reduced due to requesting funding.
“Small enterprises are notoriously busy, and the loan process can be hugely time consuming: a small business owner must spend hours filling in forms and ending up in a bank, and wait weeks and weeks to listen to if the loan request will undoubtedly be granted. Moreover, cross-selling by banks occupies further time which companies simply don’t have.
“Peer-to-per lending is approximately questioning the old method of lending or borrowing, stripping the unnecessary procedures out while maintaining a good and fundamentally workable model. Smaller businesses want an activity that doesn’t take days out of these lives, while being affordable in order to get on using what they’re proficient at. Through peer-to-peer lending environments – where savers lend right to smaller businesses – companies reap the benefits of competitive interest levels and reduced approval time, and for that reason, an increasing number of businesses have been in a position to access funding and never have to proceed through banks.”
Relatives and buddies
Borrowing from relatives and buddies brings an unavoidable emotional element to the investment and may therefore be risky. Family might want more control on the business, or tense business decisions could alienate a detailed friend. However, many businesses do successfully raise finance from relatives and buddies and enjoy a variety of associate benefits including less aggressive repayment plans.
Should you choose decide to decrease this path, contemplate using an intermediary company that formalises and legalises the procedure for a little fee. Please read our guide to raising funds from relatives and buddies to find out more.
Demographic-based finance
Based on your personal circumstances there could be specific resources of finance accessible to you. For instance, the Black Business Initiative (BBI) supports companies started by black and minority businesspeople and Prowess helps women succeed as entrepreneurs.
There’s also loans and grants open to small businesses from municipality. The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is really a well-known example and supports projects that encourage private sector development. Because local governments differ so widely between regions, it’s far better talk to an area business adviser to learn what’s available. Have a look at our guide to small company grants to find out more.
