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Use personal funds. Get a commercial business loan from a financial institution. Look for government small business programs. Look for investment partners. Consider borrowing money from family and friends. Consider using crowdfunding sites. Get creative.
One way to pay for the expenses that come with the launch of a business is to simply use your own money. If you're wealthy, you may even be able to pay for all of your business's launch expenses yourself. Compared to other options, this way of raising business capital is generally considered one of the quickest, easiest, and most direct.  However, the more of your initial expenses you pay with personal money, the greater the risk to your financial health — if the business fails, you'll end up losing your own money, rather than an investor's. Thus, in general, the less wealthy you are, the less of your business's start up expenses you should pay by yourself. Many, many businesses (especially small businesses) get some sort of financial assistance to help get off the ground, so don't be too attached to the idea of paying for your entire launch yourself. For perspective, in 2014, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) had loaned over five billion dollars to new businesses as of September 2014. Banks are one of the major traditional sources of funding for new businesses. It's possible to get funding for your new business at the same bank you use for your personal banking needs. However, many banks and credit unions specialize in lending capital to small businesses. These institutions may offer multiple products that can help meet your financial needs, ranging from lines of credit to capital loans, so consider researching banks besides your own when looking for loans.  Note, however, that getting a loan is not always guaranteed. Banks want to lend money only to businesses that they know will be able to pay back the loan with interest, so all reputable financial institutions will ask for information on how you plan to make money, including a reasonable business plan. For more information, see the section on securing a loan below. Generally, you'll want to avoid taking out a personal loan for your business. Apply for a business loan instead. Personal loans can have higher interest rates and are in your name (rather than the business's), making things like business partnerships more difficult. Commercial banks don't always offer loans to small businesses on their own — sometimes, qualifying new businesses can receive loans that are government-insured. In other words, the government agrees to cover some or all of the cost of the loan to the lending institution if the business fails. This allows a lender to be more generous about the sorts of loans it is willing to make, since it won't lose as much money if the loan isn't paid back. A government-insured small business loan can be a great way for a business that doesn't qualify for ordinary loans to secure funding, so check the official SBA website to determine your eligibility. Note that, while government loans offer certain advantages to new businesses, they can also have unique disadvantages. Most SBA loans have maximum limits and many can have relatively high processing fees compared to other loans. Investors are simply people who have capital and want to use their wealth to make more money. One way they sometimes do this is by investing in a business (that is, giving it some of their money). Usually, investors do this in return for a share of profits in the future — in this way, a smart investor can make lots of money in the long term by spending money in the short term. Getting people to invest in your business is a great way to get funding without having to deal with the process of getting a loan from a bank. However, in addition taking some of your business's profits, most investors will also want some sort of say in how the business is run.  Investors come in many different varieties. Below are just a few types of investors who can offer funding for a new business: Angel investor: A single wealthy person; usually someone the business owner knows. Usually gives a one-time, lump-sum "seed" payment to help the business get started.  Venture capital firm: Large companies that exchange money for partial ownership or equity in the new company. May offer a single initial investment or multiple "rounds" of funding. Family and friends. See below. The people who are close to you in life can potentially be sources of funding for your new business. Borrowing money from your family and friends can often be much easier than getting money from a bank or investor because you're (presumably) on good terms with them already. In addition, you may also be able to get an interest rate on the borrowed money that's much more generous than what you'd get from a lending institution (or no interest rate at all). However, borrowing money from family and friends can potentially be very risky. If the business doesn't do well, you can lose money for the people who are closest to you in life. In addition, people that you're at first on great terms with can eventually become major annoyances if they clash with you over business decisions. These factors can easily lead to strained personal ties, damaged relationships, and even life-long grudges, so you may want to shy away from this source of funding except when absolutely necessary. One source of funding available today that wasn't an option for businesses a decade ago is the online "crowd" — that is, the global population of internet users. "Crowdfunding" sites (like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, for example) allow users to submit ideas for fundraising campaigns and try to solicit online donors. Because the success of a crowdfunding campaign is often tied to how well a business is able to communicate with its customer base online, this option may be best suited for technology companies marketing to tech-savvy users. Below is just a short list of prominent products and businesses that have gotten their start with this relatively new form of fundraising:  Obsidian Entertainment (video games) FormLabs (3-D printing) Oculus VR (virtual reality) Apigy (mobile apps) There's no "right" or "wrong" way to fund a new business. While the examples in this section are among the most common sources of funding, they're far from the only ones. If you're willing to expand your search, you may be able to find sources of money for your new business in unconventional places. Below are just a few additional ideas you may want to consider.  Community banks/local credit unions. Compared to larger chain banks, local independent banks may be more willing to offer loans to new businesses. Studies by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) have found that small banks give a disproportionate amount of business loans.  Vendors. In a process called "vendor financing," the companies that you buy your business's supplies or raw materials from may be willing to offer you a loan to help cover the cost of buying their products. However, these loans are usually very short-term and can only be used to buy supplies. Landlords. Some landlords may be willing to loan you money in return for a higher rent rate on the remainder of your lease. The willingness of your landlord to make this sort of loan is highly dependent on your standing with the landlord.