In the world of business, money makes the world go around. From incubation to maturity, entrepreneurs must consistently secure funds to reduce the risk of decline. As you might imagine, it’s not always an easy task. If you cannot acquire the funds through savings or sales, you must look to outside sources to continue your venture. Unfortunately, many business owners find themselves at a loss.
Don’t be discouraged if you’ve tried to get money for your business (either through a loan or investor) with little to no success. By understanding the credentials funding sources look for, you can make effective changes to increase your chances of getting approved. Continue reading to learn more.
Choosing The Wrong Funding Source
There are several ways entrepreneurs can get funding for their businesses. Each of these funding sources has a different set of risks, requirements, processes, and advantages. For instance, a bank heavily focuses on your financial history. However, investors like TCG consider your financial background, story, the market for your product, and the potential growth in sales over time.
As you can see from these two types of funding sources, a bank is best for a business with a solid financial history and track record. On the contrary, an investor might be willing to fund a company in its beginning stages with little economic history but great potential.
Poor Preparation
As the saying goes, “Planning and preparation prevent poor performance.” If you walk into a bank or investment meeting without all your ducks in a row, chances are you’re going to get denied. You must understand that starting and maintaining a successful business is risky. Essentially, any financial institution or investor is taking a risk when they give you money.
If you want them to take a chance on you, you must prove that you’re worth it. If you’re applying for a small business loan and your credit sucks, you have little in savings, your financial documents are unorganized, and you lack a business plan, you can’t expect them to give you thousands of dollars. If you’re presenting your company to an investor, but you’ve done little research, have no idea how you’re going to use the money, and lack determination, you’ll likely walk out of the meeting disappointed.
You’re Asking For Too Much
While banks and private lenders offer large business loans and some investors have deep pockets, your financial request needs to be reasonable. You can’t have a business with a low valuation and stagnant sales growth and ask for millions of dollars. To investors, the possibility of getting a return is limited. Similarly, you shouldn’t apply for a $500,000 business loan if you’re barely grossing $30,000 with a large amount of existing debt and expect a bank to approve the application. Entrepreneurs must consider annual profits, market forecasts, monthly expenses, and more when deciding how much money they need to fund their business.
You’re Not Quite Ready
This might be a hard pill to swallow, but some entrepreneurs simply aren’t ready to launch or manage a successful business. It doesn’t mean that you should give up on your idea, but it does mean you need to go back to the drawing board. Perhaps you don’t know much about your industry, or the market is too saturated. There’s also the chance that your product or service isn’t unique enough to thrive or have a long life cycle. If you can accept this as the reason you can’t get funding, you can learn from your mistakes, make improvements, and try again.
Acquiring funds for your business, no matter what stage you’re in, is challenging. It’s a tedious process of convincing banks, lenders, or investors that your company is worth the risks. Getting business funding is a comprehensive look into your finances, leadership skills, money management abilities, industry, and more. If you want to improve your chances of getting a yes, you must consider each of these factors and present your brand as an opportunity they don’t want to miss.
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