Estimate the Amount of Funding You Need
To secure financing for your business, start at the beginning: how much money do you need and for what?
- Tips on estimating startup costs (SBA)
- Online costs calculators (Bplans.com)
- Small Business Development Center (SBDC) advisors can also help you determine your startup or expansion financing needs
Determine the Best Source of Funding
When businesses think funding, they often only consider commercial banks, when in fact, there are many options for capital and its very important to use the right kind of funding for the right project.
- Overview of business financing (bizcentercat.org)
- Check out the Business Finance Wizard (oregon4biz.com)
Put Together a Business Plan
Once you’ve determined the right kind of financing for your business or concept, you’ll need to package your financial information in a way that makes it easy for a funder to make a favorable decision. At the most basic level, you will need to provide:
- Basic information about your business concept
- Basic information about the funds you are requesting
- Financial information about your business
We highly recommend that you work with one of our network Resource Partners who are skilled in helping business owners prepare themselves to approach funding sources, before you go to a funder. Simply search for financing assistance in the Resource Navigator to find the right organization near you.
Attend business plan workshops – Be sure to explore the Calendar of Events to find an event near you.
