Financing your value-added business is a major aspect of business development whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing business. The first step is to make good Financial Projections for your proposed venture. Your financing plan is an important part of your business plan.

Sources of financing are often difficult to find and even more difficult to convince to provide you with money. So a plan for obtaining financing your business should be carefully thought out. There are many types of debt and equity financing for your value-added business. Options for Financing Value-Added Agricultural Businesses provides a good overview of your alternatives and how they may fit your situation.

For more information on this topic, see the links listed below of articles posted on related Web sites.

Basics

• Financing Basics - Small Business Administration -- While poor management is cited most frequently as the reason businesses fail, inadequate or ill-timed financing is a close second.
• Starting a Business and Obtaining Financing - SCORE – Answers to nine commonly asked questions.
• Financing Basics – Debt vs. Equity – CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit -- Typically, financing is categorized into two fundamental types: debt financing and equity financing.
• Getting Financing for Your Business - CCH Business Owner’s Toolkit -- The perception that many small business owners have is that financing means taking whatever money you can get; the faster and easier you can get it, the better.
• Your Business's Financing Profile – CCH  Business Owner’s Toolkit -- To assess whether your business can take advantage of any of these financing options, you should begin by realistically evaluating the investment profile and creditworthiness of your enterprise.
• Glossary of Financial Terms - Campbell R. Harvey’s Hypertextual Finance Glossary.

Raising Capital

• Raising Capital: How to Get Money for a Small Business – Desmond Wealth Management – In addition to drive, ambition and a great deal of planning, starting and expanding a small business generally requires capital.
• Legal Considerations in Raising Capital - Business Capital -- A general discussion of the legal considerations in raising capital for young and growing companies.

Types of Financing

• Business Financing FAQ - NOLO Law for All -- Here are answers to some of your most frequently asked questions about raising money for your small business.
• Finance a Business - Lawyers.com --  Businesses are financed in a variety of ways, each of which has advantages and disadvantages.
• Negotiating Private Lender Credit Terms - Entrepreneur.com -- When working with a private lender vs. a commercial bank, there are different considerations to keep in mind.

Equity vs. Loans

• Loans or Equity Investments Compared - NOLO Law for All -- How to choose between getting a loan or selling part of your business to an equity investor.
• Raising Money for your Small Business - NOLO Law for All – Here’s the lowdown on whether to borrow money or sell part of your business to an equity investor.

Financing Business Stages

• Understanding the Financing Stages - Entrepreneur.com -- From seed to stage to mezzanine, a breakdown of the key financing terms and what they mean to you.
• What Stage Are You In? - Entrepreneur.com -- Understand the four stages of your business's development to get the cash you need.

Financing Issues

• Small Business Investment Companies - Small Business Administration -- SBICs are public-private partnerships contributing to an environment where America’s entrepreneurs can flourish.
• Business Incubators - Entrepreneur.com -- Nest in one of these entrepreneurial hotbeds, and you may just be on your way to financing.
• http://www.entCommunity Development Financial Institutions - Entrepreneur.com -- So you're not "bankable" according to traditional rules—your community may still have resources to help fund your business.