Have you read about ‘Muhammad Yunus’ and his idea of micro-financing? Though micro-financing has been there for ages… It is fascinating to know that he has 6.6 million borrowers of whom 97% are women, that’s a huge number for someone who is into micro-financing. I started reading more about micro-financing and came across a article by an advertising agency which talks about ‘Seventy Things to Watch in 2007′ and interestingly of one them is ‘Web-based Micro Financing’.. I googled around and found this website ‘kiva.org’ it is quite a successful business today. ‘Web-based Micro Financing’ is a wonderful idea.. I am curious to know how much would these micro-lenders earn, like what would be the percentage of profit…? and would you invest in such ventures to get good returns…? How much do you think the website owners(kiva.org) are making money..?

I think you just need 3 things to build a company like ‘kiva’.. 1, Technical skill to build a website. 2, Build contacts with local micro-financiers 3, Most importantly you need to have financial (‘banking/micro-financing’) background to understand and run this business or may be degree in finance. I can build such a website with in a week and build contacts with micro-financiers – So, if anyone wants to start something similar to kiva then I would be interested to become a partner but your business plan should interest me.. I see a great opportunity in micro-financing esp India .

If you are a small business person then it is very necessary for you that the business does not ever lacks in funds or it may stop functioning any time. Small business finance is carved out specifically for providing timely finance to small business people and the loan is approved at competitive interest rate. This ensures that the loan is not a financial burden on small business. You can meet all business expenses like buying raw material, equipments, paying salaries or clearing past dues etc through the loan. but you should be well versed in the loan to take it in a better way.

Small business finance come in secured or unsecured options. Secured business finance is meant for meeting greater loan requirement of your business. You can pledge your home or any commercial property as collateral of the loan. Secured business finance also is preferred for its lower interest rate. The loan also can be conveniently paid back in 25 to30 years or earlier as suits to your circumstances. Secured business finance is also best suited to bad credit business people as their property enables them to take the loan despite credit problems.

Unsecured small business finance are risk free loans for business people as lenders approve it without collateral. But you get only smaller loan and it has to be paid back in shorter duration. Also you would be paying interest at higher rate. Usually good credit business people are made unsecured small business finance. However, bad credit business people are also eligible if they have a convincing repayment plan in place that shows that they run a profitable business.

Whether you take secured or unsecured small business finance, the lender will first of all take a deep look into your type of business and will approve the finance only if he finds your business prospects bright. This necessitates for a convincing the lender about your future business plan and that the loan will be invested in a beneficial way.

Small business finance can be sourced from banks or financial companies. But online lenders are considered as best source of lower rate finance for any business. So better apply to an online lender. Before that, compare all lenders for rates to find a suitable offer.

Raising business finance can often be one of the most challenging things an entrepreneur has to do. A Silicon Valley entrepreneur was recently quoted as saying he believes an entrepreneur should pitch 30 venture capital firms; they should expect to get 3 offers; and then they should go and negotiate further before picking the best. This is a gruelling process if you decide to follow it, with a 90% failure rate!

You should take on board the comments of those that knock you back, but you shouldn’t assume that everyone will feel the same about your idea and your business plan. Obviously you have to believe in your idea, but it is also possible that you will have to adapt your business plan to cater for investor appetite, market dynamics and / or a range of other factors.

Following are some of the ways that you could finance your business, and get your plan off to a flying start.

Loans

Raising money from a bank is hard when you are getting started. This is especially the case if you have not injected a decent amount of equity. Other factors such as experience and the competence of management will also play a part into how safe the bank considers its investment. If the banks refuse, consider approaching family and friends to see if they are able to offer a loan – although there are many downsides to this approach, it’s sometimes the only way to get your business plan moving forwards.

It’s definitely easier to get a loan when your company has a stronger balance sheet. Bankers will often talk about the leverage that a business has. This refers to the ratio of equity to loans that your company uses to finance their business. The lower the ratio, the better your creditworthiness, and the more likely a banker will be to offer a decent loan at a better interest rate.

When you leverage up your business more, you are more likely to be able to increase earnings per share, however you also make your business less stable. Your mind may be torn between equity dilution, growth and stability. Keep in mind, slow and steady doesn’t always win the race. Entrepreneurialism is all about accepting a degree of measured risk; you have to decide how much you’re willing to take to reach your goals.

Equity

It’s sometimes easier to raise equity finance, as a small business, than it is to go to the bank. This is especially the case if you will be investing in intangibles, or an IP-heavy business. Don’t be scared to hand over a percentage of your business if you believe that it will enable you to grow that much faster.

Although there are investors who are willing to look at companies in all sectors and at all stages in their growth cycle, you’re more likely to get a favourable valuation if:

You have a unique idea, a protected idea, or you are likely to benefit from a first movers advantage. Your drive, passion, flair and expertise are all extremely important factors too.

The more progress you have shown, in terms of sales and product development, the more favourable your potential investors will be towards your proposal. Anybody can make a business plan but if you already starting to turn it into reality then you will show that you have what it takes to grow the business further.

Financials are important too. The stronger the balance sheet, the greater the cash flow, the more profitable your company is now – the better. However, earning potential will also play a role in the investors mind.

You have to be prepared for getting plenty of rejection if you want to succeed. If you are determined and persevere long enough you will find an investor.