Jan
04
2011
If you’re looking to finance a green business, there are a variety of options available. Of course many of these options depend on the size, scope, and type of business you are starting. But green businesses are in right now, and investors could be chomping at the bit to get a bite of your venture. Here are a few ways you can finance your operation and take advantage of the eco-friendly craze.
Personal Savings
As with financing many businesses, green or not, personal savings is often a reliable and available source of funding. While using personal savings to finance a green business puts your own money at risk of loss should your venture fail, it may also work as an incentive to push you harder in your efforts to make the business a success since it is your money on the line.
Take on a Partner or Two
Taking on a partner or two may or may not help you with the financing of your green business directly. While a partner might bring available forms of finances to the table in the way of personal savings, he could also bring indirect financing as well. A partner may have access to a network of possible investors that you may not, and could pull funds from these sources as well. However, it is important to bear in mind that partners often come with strings attached, and as much as you might like to have the resources that they bring to the table available for your green operation, it might not be worth having to deal with them or their demands in order to obtain those funds.
Explore Your Niche
With the green movement continuing to gain steam, you might find backers willing to explore your niche with you. With the popularity of eco-friendly products and services, people may be a bit more willing to put their money into a green startup as compared to a more common startup business. While it might feel a little bit wrong, capitalizing upon the willingness of backers to support the green movement can help you gain the financing you need to get your business off the ground.
Consider Small Business Loans or Government Grants
It might be worth your while to investigate a small business loan or grant. Going through your local bank for a loan or your state government for a grant could be two possible ways of getting such assistance. But if you are unfamiliar with what types of assistance are out there, how best to go about obtaining them, or are unsure of what assistance offering organizations are reputable, you may want to pay a visit to the Small Business Administration’s website at www.sba.gov. Here you can find all sorts of helpful information and learn more about loans, grants, bonds, and venture capital opportunities.
Conclusion
There will certainly be other ways of obtaining financing for a green business other than the ones provided in this article. Consider networking with other green businesses or people you know who have had experience with starting a business in order to pick their brains for other financing options. You might be surprised at the help or ideas they provide.
Author Byline:
Danny is a veteran commercial lender with over fifteen years of experience in accounts receivable funding. For more information on how to grow your business with the right funding company visit http://www.factorfunding.com.