| Capital is the crucial ingredient for any business to | | | | pay yourself then pay for directly. You can barter |
| grow. This holds true whether you are a | | | | for advertising, travel, legal or accounting services, |
| one-person firm with minimal revenue or a | | | | televisions, landscaping, cleaning services... |
| 100-person company with significant sales. Yet so | | | | · Find a strategic investor. Is there a |
| many entrepreneurs and business owners | | | | larger company that would benefit directly from |
| complain about how difficult it is to attain. Here | | | | your service or product offering? If so, contact |
| are just five of the numerous ways to access | | | | them. If you can convince them that your |
| capital taken from the informative new book, | | | | company can directly or indirectly positively |
| Solving the Capital Equation. Use these ideas to | | | | impact their bottom line either through a sales |
| spark your creative thought process and get the | | | | increase or a cost reduction, you are likely to |
| money you need to elevate your business. | | | | garner financing in the form of direct equity, a |
| · Form strategic partnerships. Consider | | | | loan, use of their credit, prepaid contracts, or |
| the following: Who is already reaching your client | | | | payment of development costs. Look around. |
| or customer base? Who offers products or | | | | Potential strategic investors abound. |
| services that may be a great fit for your client or | | | | · Tap your suppliers. Are you trying to |
| customer base? Who has a skill set or functional | | | | rapidly expand your business and need money to |
| expertise that your firm lacks? All of these | | | | pay your suppliers? Why not ask your supplier to |
| entities would make great prospective partners. | | | | advance you the money? If your expansion will |
| Identify them, then craft a win/win partnership. | | | | contribute a sizable portion of your supplier's |
| Why spend money you do not have when you | | | | annual receipts, you can induce the vendor to |
| have something else of value to offer them - | | | | provide a 12-18 month loan by promoting how he |
| your firm's product and services! You can use | | | | she stands to benefit. At the least, negotiate a |
| partners to access the sales force, marketing, IT, | | | | 90-day payment arrangement. |
| accounting, management expertise - to name just | | | | · Seller finance. Who knows the business |
| a few - of the services you would otherwise | | | | or asset better than the person or entity selling |
| have to pay for. | | | | it? If you are growing your business through |
| · Barter. As a business owner, you have | | | | acquiring other businesses, seek seller financing. |
| a product or service that someone wants. | | | | Give them a lien against the business so they get |
| Otherwise you wouldn't be in business. You can | | | | the business back if you default. Suggest it as a |
| barter these products or services for those | | | | way for you to know you are getting what you |
| products and services you need to grow your | | | | paid for. Added benefit: reduces risks that the |
| business or service your customer. Or you could | | | | company has hidden problems which greatly |
| barter for personal items that you would typically | | | | decrease its value and that the owner would start |
| have to withdraw funds from the company to | | | | another competing business. |