8 ways to get Funding to your Startup

1. Apply for a Bank Loan

• This thing won’t happen for a Fresh startup unless you have a good credit history or existing assets that you are willing to put at risk for collateral. In the U.S., you may find that the Small Business Administration (SBA) can get you infusions of cash without normal backup requirements. 

2. Join with startup accelerators. 

• These organizations, such as Y Combinator, are very well known these days, and are often associated with major universities, community development organizations, and also with large companies. Most of them provide free resources to startups, including office facilities and consulting, but many provide seed funding as well.

3. Seek venture-capital investors. 

• These are professional investors, such as Accel Partners, who invest institutional money in qualified startups, usually with a proven business model, ready to scale. They typically look for big opportunities, needing a couple of million dollars or more, with a proven team. Look for a warm introduction to make this work.

4. Contact to local Angel-investor groups. 

• Most metropolitan areas have groups of local high-net-worth individuals interested in supporting startups, and willing to syndicate amounts up to a million dollars for qualified startups. Use online platforms such as Gust to find them, and local networking to find ones that relate to your industry and passion.

5. Start a crowdfunding.

• This newest source of funding, where anyone can participate per the JOBS Act, is exemplified by online sites such as Kickstarter. Here people make online pledges to your startup during a campaign, to pre-buy the product for later delivery, give donations or qualify for a reward, such as a T-shirt.

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6. Get small-business grant.

• These are government funds allocated to support new technologies and important causes, such as education, medicine and social needs. A good place to start looking is Grants.gov, which is a searchable directory of more than 1,000 federal grant programs. The process is long, but it doesn’t cost you any equity.

7. Say your needs to friends and family. 

• As a general rule, professional investors will expect that you have already have commitments from this source to show your credibility. If your friends and family don’t believe in you, don’t expect outsiders to jump in. This is the primary source of non-personal funds for very early-stage startups.

8. Fund your startup yourself. 

• These days, the costs to start a business are at an all-time low, and over 90 percent of startups are self funded (also called bootstrapping). It may take a bit longer to save some money before you start and grow organically, but the advantage is that you don’t have to give up any equity or control. Your business is yours alone.

• You can see that all of these options require work and commitment on your part, so there is no magic or free money. Every funding decision is a complex tradeoff between near-term and longer-term costs and paybacks, as well as overall ownership and control. 

• With the many options available, there is no excuse for not living your dream, rather than dreaming about living.