Understand what your business needs before searching for funding.A useful funding strategy begins with knowing how much money the business requires, what the money will pay for, and how the business will support repayment. The Business Funding Blueprint explains the financial planning, funding options, business documents, and lender considerations involved in preparing to finance a business. Use the eBook to understand the process, prepare stronger questions, and identify the financial work that needs to be completed. |
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Funding begins with the business plan behind the request.
Before choosing a lender, completing an application, or pursuing a grant, you need to understand the financial need behind the request.
That means answering questions such as:
- How much will it cost to open or expand the business?
- How much working capital will the business need?
- What expenses will the money cover?
- How much can the owner contribute?
- What type of funding fits the intended use?
- What will the business need to earn to repay the debt?
- What financial information will a lender expect to review?
The Business Funding Blueprint helps you approach those questions as connected parts of one funding plan.
Connect the funding request to the financial plan.
The Business Funding Blueprint walks through the decisions involved in estimating capital needs, examining funding sources, preparing financial information, and presenting the business to potential lenders or investors.
Each section helps you understand what belongs in the funding process and how the pieces support one another.
How to use The Business Funding Blueprint
Understand the processLearn how capital needs, business planning, financial projections, funding sources, and lender expectations fit together. | Apply it to your businessUse the questions and explanations to identify the amounts, assumptions, documents, and decisions relevant to your situation. | Prepare for the next stepIdentify what you can complete independently and where you may need help from an accountant, lender, attorney, or business advisor. |
What the eBook covers
Startup and expansion costsIdentify the assets, opening expenses, deposits, professional services, and working capital the business may require. | Sources and uses of fundsConnect each source of capital to the specific business costs and investments it is intended to cover. |
Financial projectionsUnderstand how revenue, expenses, cash flow, assets, liabilities, and debt payments affect the funding request. | Funding optionsCompare common sources of business capital and consider how the use of funds, repayment period, cost, and risk affect the choice. |
Business planningConnect the company description, market, operations, management, strategy, and financial plan to the funding request. | The financial packageLearn about the business and personal financial documents a lender or funding partner may request during its review. |
Choose funding based on what the money needs to accomplish.
Different financial needs may call for different sources of capital. A short-term cash-flow need, a vehicle purchase, equipment, leasehold improvements, an acquisition, and long-term working capital serve different purposes.
The eBook helps you consider options such as:
- Personal investment and owner contributions
- Traditional business loans
- SBA-supported lending programs
- Lines of credit
- Equipment financing
- Seller financing
- Investors and equity funding
- Grants and other specialized programs
Availability, qualifications, costs, collateral requirements, and repayment terms vary. The purpose of the funding and the economics of the business should guide the comparison.
What you should understand after reading
Your funding options will depend on your business, finances, credit, industry, project, and the requirements of individual funding sources. The eBook is designed to help you develop:
- A clearer estimate of the business’s capital requirements
- An understanding of startup costs and working capital
- A stronger connection between the use of funds and the funding source
- A basic understanding of financial projections and cash flow
- A clearer view of how lenders evaluate repayment and risk
- A list of documents that may belong in the financial package
- Better questions for conversations with lenders and professional advisors
- A practical list of financial work that still needs to be completed
Is The Business Funding Blueprint your next resource?
Start with this eBook if:
| Choose an earlier starting point if:You are deciding whether business ownership or a particular opportunity fits: Begin with the Business Fit & Feasibility Guide. Learn about the Business Fit & Feasibility Guide You have decided to start and need to establish the business: Begin with the 31-Day Business Startup Challenge. |
This resource is The Business Funding Blueprint eBook.
The eBook provides the concepts, explanations, questions, and planning guidance needed to understand the business-funding process.
A separate Business Funding Blueprint course is in development for Business Lab members. The course will provide a more guided process for estimating capital needs, building financial projections, developing a business plan, evaluating funding options, and assembling a financial package.
The Financial Projections Workbook is also in development and will be used throughout the upcoming course.
The Business Funding Blueprint eBook is included with a Business Lab membership. You can use it to understand the funding process while also accessing resources for evaluating an opportunity, preparing to launch, and building more manageable business systems.
Active Business Lab members will also receive access to the upcoming Business Funding Blueprint course and Financial Projections Workbook when they are added.
Find Your Next Step in the Business Lab
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