From the article: Funding Resources for Small Businesses
Finding funding for a business can be tough - but even tougher for women who still face discriminatory lending practices more often than men. Please share your advice, tips, leads, and links to resources that can help other women business owners find funding. WOB Funding Resource Tips
Great Resource
- GrantStation.com is a great resource for locate grants for nonprofits and public business ventures. A bit pricey but there are discounts for nonprofits and the database is great.
- —Guest Guest123
What not to do!
- My friend offered me her credit card to start my business. The deal was simple, I would pay off any charges plus interest. Her rate was lower than mine because I was already maxed out. I did not need a lot (about $750 because I just needed to purchase baking supplies and business cards, etc.) but it still took me two months to pay her back. Even though it worked out "okay" for us, she would kid me the entire time I owed her money saying she would repossess all my chocolate, etc. She meant it in play but it put an odd vibe between us. I am grateful for her help but would never do it again because I value her friendship more. Owing her money (in my mind anyhow) sort of put an imbalance in power on our friendship.
- —Guest Myriam
Yard sale
- I put an "investment op" ad in my local paper. It was a waste of money. I am not comforable asking family for money and my credit was not good enough to get a loan. I did not need a ton of cash just to get started so I had a yard sale. Sounds crazy but I raised enough from junk to hire LegalZoom to help me with my paperwork. Now I am at least am "legal" and look more official and I hope it will help me to get even more funding.
- —Guest Guest
I used stocks to start my own business
- When the stock market began to crash I really had a hard time deciding whether or not to cash in stocks that had fallen. If I did I would lose a lot of money. So I kept my hands off my investments. Then I lost my job, too. After maxing out credit cards I decided to start cashing in stocks and start my own business. I know I am taking a loss but I feel that I have better control over making money in my own business than I do over the stock market. I took a plunge and decided to invest in myself! So far, things are tight, but I am earning money I would not have earned on stocks.
- —Guest DeterminedMompreneur
