How do I raise finance to start or grow my business?
Businesses look for finance for a number of reasons: to turn an idea into a prototype, to establish and start a business, to grow a business, or to help in a time of stress or turnaround. There are a number of options for you to consider – we provide a summary of these on the Grow Your Business section page, which you can then drill down by reading through the resources we provide. The resources below, however, are a great first port of call, as they will help you understand your finance needs before you then look into specific options. We strongly recommend the Business Finance Guide by British Business Bank (the first resource in the table) for this very reason.
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WHEN: You need to understand what your finance options are and which one could best apply to your business.
WHY: Learning the 16 different types of finance will help make an informed decision.
WHAT: Interactive visual overview of appropriate financing options with deep dives into considerations.
WHEN: You are looking to fund your startup but not sure where to begin.
WHY: Compare and contrast six popular sources of finance for small businesses.
WHAT: Article analysing business loans, small business grants, invoice financing/factoring, rewards-based crowdfunding, equity crowdfunding, angel investors, and bootstrapping.
WHEN: You are really new to finance and want a quick overview of terms.
WHY: Sometimes we just need a couple of basic definitions to get going
WHAT: Glossary including book-keeping, cash flow and gross profit margin.
OTHER: There are a number of other finance glossaries:
- SkintDad, which is useful in both business and personal life.
- Arnold Hill, an accounting glossary.
WHEN: You think you have a good idea on which type of finance is right for you, but you’d like some other opinions.
WHY: Sometimes we just need a couple of basic definitions to get going
WHAT: Multiple case studies from startup and growing businesses across different sectors on how they’ve met their finance needs.
WHEN: You think you have a good idea on which type of finance is right for you, but you’d like some other opinions.
WHY: Sometimes we just need a couple of basic definitions to get going
WHAT: Multiple case studies from startup and growing businesses across different sectors on how they’ve met their finance needs.
WHEN: You know what type of funding you are looking for and need some leads.
WHY: Makes finding public and third sector finance options quick and easy.
WHAT: Searchable directory of equity, loan and grants from around the UK.
WHEN: You’d like directing to local finance providers or local grants with someone you can speak to.
WHY: Discussing your finance need with someone who knows your region could be advantageous.
WHAT: Regional directory of the UK’s growth hubs that have access to staff over the phone and in person who can direct and guide you to local finance providers