Starting a Business Raising Finance

If you are thinking of expanding your business, or starting a new one, you will need to raise finance. This requires careful planning and good professional advice. It is generally wise to spread your commitment over a number of finance sources. This will give you greater flexibility in the long term. Some of the more common sources are:

You should do a comparative study of the costs of each possibility, and also consider any tax implications before making a final decision about who to approach.

Most lenders will require some form of security from you. No amount of security will make a bad plan good, but it does demonstrate commitment from your side and provide insurance for the lender. As one banker recently said 'If they're not prepared to take a risk, why should we?' Generally acceptable forms of security include:

Again, you might consider using more than one form of security. If the lender requires personal guarantees you should proceed with great caution. Try to ensure that any such guarantees are limited in amount, if not in time.

You should also consider insuring the risk. You will almost certainly be required to present a comprehensive and convincing business plan to show how you are going to service the loan. In essence, this must demonstrate that you will be able to meet the new commitment through sustained growth in your business.