The money you have to run your business is very important. It is probably something you think about daily. Business capital is essential because you have to have it in order to stay in business. There may come a time when your funding runs out or is running low and you need to come up with some capital fast. When this happens, you may be tempted to turn to a bank loan. However, a bank loan is not your only option.

Businesses get capital from many different places other than banks. It can come from investors, grants, personal funds and family. Of course, these options aren’t going to be as readily available as a bank loan. They take a bit more time and work to secure, but these options offer advantages over a loan from a bank. If you are getting money from an investor, for example, you are going to offer them a piece of the business as their payback. You won’t usually have to make monthly payments, and often, if you do, you will pay based upon your business receipts, so you won’t be strapped for cash trying to pay back because you pay only what you can afford. If you get a grant, you won’t have to pay back the money at all. The same may occur if you get money from your personal funds or family members.

Getting money from your personal funds or from family is probably the easiest option that takes the least amount of work. However, these funding sources are often very limited. If you need a large amount of money, you probably won’t want to use one of these sources. They are good, though, for small, quick funding.

Money from investors is going to take some time to get, so it isn’t ideal if you need money fast. You will have to connect with an investor and then convince him or her that investing in your business is a smart move. Investors are very savvy when it comes to money, so you will need to provide them with concrete proof that the investment will actually be a good thing for them and provide a nice return on their money. This can be tough, especially if you are a new business that doesn’t have a lot of history to show you will be able to create great income from the investment. The best thing about investors, though, is they usually have a lot of money to offer you, so if you need a large amount of funding, they will usually be your best source.

Government grants are tricky to get and offer limited funding. You will probably have to fill out countless documents and provide a lot of paperwork to get a grant. You will have to meet specific criteria, too. However, the best thing about a grant is that you never have to worry about paying it back. A grant is essentially free money.

However, you go about getting funding, there are many options outside of a bank loan. You don’t have to go into great debt to get your business the funding it needs. Consider all your funding options to get business capital.