 You've written your business plan, you're excited about your business idea, and now it's time to get started. One problem: You don't have the financing to fully realize your dream. What are your options? Aside from using your own funds and borrowing from friends and family, there are numerous routes that you can take, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the major options available for funding your small business, and some of the pitfalls to avoid.
Bank loans Getting a loan from a local bank is the first option that most people consider when funding a new business. But it's often difficult to obtain a bank loan on the basis of a business plan alone. Banks can't use your idea as collateral. If you are thinking of getting a bank loan, you will likely need to secure the loan through other means, such as putting up your home as collateral. A bank loan may be more feasible, though, if you are purchasing an ongoing business outright. In that case, the assets or the business itself can be used to secure the loan. In any case, the advantage of a bank loan is that you won't have to give away any equity if your business succeeds. You will simply repay the loan and own your business outright. If your business fails, however, you may end up losing more than your business assets, depending on the terms of the loan. Angel investors Angel investors are private investors who contribute money to a business in exchange for an ownership interest. The obvious advantage of utilizing angel investors is that you don't have to repay a loan. However, you may have to give up a significant amount of equity (and control, depending on the security issued) to the angel investors. Angel investors typically expect to receive preferred equity security in exchange for their investment. Perhaps the greatest obstacle is finding the right angels. There are many people out there who want to invest in small businesses, but it's not easy to find the right fit. If you opt for this route, make sure that all parties have the same expectations regarding the prospect of success. You need to agree on how long you expect it will take for the business to be profitable (be aware that most small business plans are overly optimistic as to profit expectations) and whether your angels will hang in there with you if it takes longer than expected. Venture capital Venture capital firms may be a viable financing source for your business but, then again, they may not. Like angel investors, venture capitalists typically take an equity stake in your company, and most expect to receive preferred equity security in exchange for their investment. Most venture capitalists specialize in certain industries, and many provide corporate direction as well as financing (some angel investors may provide such direction, as well). It is this aspect of specialization that makes venture capital financing difficult for most new businesses to obtain. If your new business doesn't fit into the right niche, your company might not be a candidate for funding. What areas do venture capital firms focus on? Many firms specialize in high-tech, computer, and Internet services. Others specialize in scientific projects and inventions that require a lot of cash. In recent years, some organizations have emerged that focus on specific demographic groups, such as women entrepreneurs. The key is finding the right target before you make your pitch. Selling stock Selling stock in your company can take several different forms. We've all heard and read a lot about initial public offerings (IPOs). IPOs are stock sales in which previously private companies go public. An IPO is a possibility for an ongoing business, but it isn't likely to be a viable alternative for your new company. A private placement is less complex than an IPO and involves selling shares of stock to a select group of equity investors. The investors typically exercise control over the company in direct proportion to the number of shares that they own. Selling stock or other securities in your business generally requires compliance with federal and state securities laws. Seek the advice of an attorney experienced in these laws before your business issues any stock or securities. Crowdfunding An alternative to the traditional methiod of issuing stock--which can be a complex and cost-prohibitive process for smaller organizations-- is equity crowdfunding, or using the Internet to sell equity to small investors. On October 30, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released final rules on equity crowdfunding. While the forms that funding portals use to register with the SEC became effective early in 2016, the final regulations took effect on May 16, 2016. "Regulation Crowdfunding" put the following rules in place:
Companies that will serve as funding portals have their own set of regulations to follow. Among them are the requirements to take certain measures to reduce fraud risk, to make crowdfunding company information available on their websites, and to provide communication channels that allow discussion about platform offerings. Finally, before making any investment commitment, an investor must acknowledge that he or she has reviewed the funding portal's educational materials, understands that the entire amount of his or her investment may be lost and is in a financial condition to bear the loss of the investment, and has completed a questionnaire demonstrating an understanding of the risks of any potential investment and other required statutory elements. Factoring You've been in business for a while and you have customers, but your collections have been bad. You need cash now, but your lack of cash inflow is holding you back. What can you do? A common solution to this problem is factoring. Basically, you secure a loan (usually at a high interest rate) against your accounts receivable. Factoring companies aren't hard to find, and some offer better deals than others, but they are almost always going to charge you a much higher rate of interest than your bank. Thus, factoring is usually considered as an option only after all others have been exhausted. Economic development programs Many federal, state, and local government loan programs are available to small businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a good place to start. The SBA offers a variety of loan programs for very specific purposes:
Customer/supplier financing This is an option for a business that has a poor credit rating, and a realistic option that many small businesses overlook. In essence, your business bills for part of the services or products that it supplies up front. The rest of the fees are paid as the products are delivered or as the services are completed. This strategy is aggressive, but many of your customers can appreciate the need that a small business has to keep cash flow current, and won't object to your asking for partial payment up front. Jake Rivas, CFP® is a financial advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at i*financial located at 1901 NW Military Hwy Ste. 102, San Antonio, TX 78216. He offers securities and advisory services as an Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. He can be reached at 210-342-4346 or by email at jake@youandifinancial.com. The accompanying pages have been developed by an independent third party. Commonwealth Financial Network is not responsible for their content and does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness, and they should not be relied upon as such. These materials are general in nature and do not address your specific situation. For your specific investment needs, please discuss your individual circumstances with your representative. Commonwealth does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing in the accompanying pages should be construed as specific tax or legal advice. Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC. A Registered Investment Adviser. Fixed Insurance products and services offered through CES Insurance Agency.  Over the past few days, Hurricane Harvey has left physical destruction and human tragedy in its wake. This record-setting storm will certainly take its place with other major hurricanes, including Katrina and Sandy, in American history. Both Texas and Louisiana have been hit extremely hard by Harvey, and it will take months, even years, for those areas to recover. Our thoughts are with all of those affected.
The damage and ongoing effects for the country as a whole, however, will be harder to define. Perhaps the best way to determine what may happen going forward is to use past storms as a guide. What we know so far The immediate economic effects have been limited. Texas, and Houston in particular, is the core of the U.S. petroleum industry. Several major refineries have been shut down; this has limited gasoline production, and prices have increased in response. The stock market, on the other hand, has moved up over recent days, and it’s now close to an all-time high. Despite the local damage, then, the market’s reaction suggests the effect on the country as a whole has not been severe. This is consistent with what we’ve seen after past storms. Assessing the economic damage Although there has not been an immediate reaction, there certainly will be some economic damage. Specifically, we might see short-term negative results, as higher gasoline prices are likely to hit consumer confidence and spending. The destruction in the Houston area, which is the fourth-largest metro area in the country, will also hurt employment and economic growth until the rebuilding process begins. After Katrina, national employment growth slowed sharply, and the effect could be worse with Harvey. The good news is that this slowdown should be short lived. Refineries can be brought back on line relatively quickly, as we saw with Katrina. Further, employment growth has typically resumed within a couple of months after past major storms, including Sandy and Katrina. In general, those effects were sharp but short, which will presumably be the case with Harvey as well. The rebuilding process Once the storm passes and the immediate damage has been assessed, the rebuilding process will begin. This process can help the economy not only in the affected areas but also nationally. Thousands of jobs in every economic sector will be created in the rebuilding effort, and materials demand will increase spending substantially. Government aid will also help, with the additional spending stimulating companies throughout the country. Although analysts are projecting slower growth over the next quarter or two, the reconstruction process should help growth after that. Economy poised to weather the storm The U.S. economy is well poised to weather the damage from Hurricane Harvey. With confidence high and the economy growing faster than expected, even a slowdown would leave growth intact. The economy has successfully withstood many shocks over the past couple of years, and it is likely to endure this one as well. In all likelihood, the financial markets will keep following the economy. As such, we can expect the effects from Harvey to be limited and short term. Stock markets, in particular, usually look beyond short-term effects to the longer term, which would indicate that the potential for faster growth in the reconstruction process will help market performance. In fact, this is just what we have seen in recent days. It is also what has occurred with past storms, including Sandy and Katrina—suggesting that any damage to the markets from Harvey has already passed. Rise above The devastation from Harvey will take years to fully remedy—if it can be remedied at all. There will certainly be short-term effects, but the economy remains sound overall and is well positioned to keep growing. None of this is to minimize the tragedy underway in Houston and Louisiana, and unfortunately, many lives will never be the same. But this is a challenge, just as with Katrina and Sandy, that we will meet as a nation. We all need to help, and we will. And we will rise above. Certain sections of this commentary contain forward-looking statements based on our reasonable expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Past performance is not indicative of future results. ### For IARs: (Advisor Name) is a financial advisor located at (DBA Name and Registered Branch Office Address). (He/She) offers securities and advisory services as an Investment Adviser Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. (He/She) can be reached at (Advisor Phone Number) or at (Advisor E-Mail). For Registered Representatives: (RR Name) is a financial consultant located at (DBA Name and Registered Branch Office Address). (He/She) offers securities as a Registered Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC. (He/She) can be reached at (RR Phone Number) or at (RR E-Mail). Authored by Brad McMillan, CFA®, CAIA, MAI, senior vice president, chief investment officer, at Commonwealth Financial Network®. © 2017 Commonwealth Financial Network® |
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This communication strictly intended for individuals residing in the states of TX. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside these states due to various state regulations and registration requirements regarding investment products and services.
Investments are not FDIC- or NCUA-insured, are not guaranteed by a bank/financial institution, and are subject to risks, including possible loss of the principal invested. Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®. Member FINRA, SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor. www.finra.org/www.sipc.org. Fixed insurance products and services offered through CES Insurance Agency. |
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