Venture Capital is a possibility, however, for many businesses it's not going to work. VC's want BIG payback, so unless you have a very fast growth firm, forget it.

Other sources of cash flow that are much easier and less expensive include vendor credit (your vendors can extend tersm to you - especially in this economy), family and friends, micro loans (search google under "micro loans"), credit cards, home equity lines of credit, and more. Obviously it depends on how much you need, when you need it, what kind of loan you need, your own credit score and resources, etc. The point is, there are many options.

Steven Wolk

That seems to be the question many people are asking these days. Given that banks are still reluctant to lend in light of last year's financial industry meltdown, few options exist at the moment. As a result, people are doing their best to manage with limited resources and when borrowing is a must, looking for creative alternatives. One such option is cash back programs from credit cards. While this can be expensive and requires a high credit score, it is an option worth considering for some. Business owners are relying more on vendor financing and extended-term payment plans. Again, not ideal from a cost standpoint but sometimes its better than nothing. So until the credit markets improve, the best thing to do is get creative.

The merchant cash advance is becoming increasingly popular it seems. Small businesses possess a huge amount of difficulty getting access to the necessary capital they need to drive their business. In the past we saw a lot of applicants utilize their local bank as their source of capital; however, traditional financing is harder to find these days. I think this is a great alternative financing program.

Cristina Cojocaru

Pro Enterprise Consulting