You need to spend money to make money.
Tired as this cliché may be, it does hold a certain truth, particularly when starting a small business. Good news! Although it does involve some initial investment, launching a new venture or enterprise doesn’t take a lot of money.
Before considering options to fund your business, consider both the one-time start up expenses and the operating costs you’ll need to keep in mind. These costs represent the initial investment you’ll need to make.
Consider the various ways you can fund your business. These include, but are not limited to
- financing
- crowdfunding
- angel investors
- small business loans
- small business grants
One of these may be all you need, or you may wish to combine funding sources. Alternatively, if you wish to use as little investment capital as necessary to start your business, consider bootstrapping.
Angel Investors
Your local Chamber of Commerce, law firm, accountant or bank may be able to help you identify angel investors— affluent individuals or groups—in your area. Angel investors invest in start-up or early stage small businesses in which they think they can earn a high return on their investment. They often invest between $25,000 and $50,000, and they typically like to see a return between 20 and 40 per cent. That’s because they’re taking a huge risk on a relatively unproven venture. You’ll want to be sure to have a solid presentation and an air-tight business plan before approaching angel investors: they conduct due diligence, perform competitive analysis and dismiss the majority of applications they get.
Still unsure which option is best for your small business? The knowledgeable team at Lift Legal can help you consider each of the options and create a thoughtful plan to set up the capital you need.
Contact us today to learn more.
Disclaimer:
The information on this blog and website is provided by Lift Legal for educational purposes only. It is intended to give readers a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. Information contained in these pages should not be used in place of competent legal advice from a licensed, practising lawyer in Alberta. Furthermore, by using this blog and website, you understand that no lawyer-client relationship exists between you and Lift Legal.