What are Your Franchise Funding Options?

You' ve done all the legwork and have determined that a franchise you have found is the golden key to your future happiness and security. You' ve weighed the good and bad market conditions, found a perfect location, interviewed other franchise owners and you can't wait to sign the contract and get started. The only thing between you and your future dream is-money. How do you acquire your franchise funding? Usually, investing in your own franchise is fairly affordable but thousands may just as well be millions if you don't have either.

Franchise Funding Possibilities

Selling your firstborn is not an option; neither is raising capital by selling your blood to a blood bank a viable method. There are several possibilities for getting the start-up money you' ll need that keep you legal and sane. Listed below are some of those funding sources:

>> The Canadian Government - The government is very keen on helping entrepreneurs begin new businesses. This attitude also extends to those wanting to buy into a franchise. Because new business expands the economic health of the nation, government loans and grants are available. Most have good terms and are reasonably easy in their qualification requirements.

>> Banks, Lending Institutions - Some banks are reluctant to lend novices going into a business for the first time. Other lenders see successful franchises as more of a good investment. Check by phone with area lenders to get a feel for how they approach the franchise lending option before expending too much shoe leather to visit them in person.

>> Friends or Relatives - If you have a large network of friends or family members who have access to funds, talk to them about getting franchise funding. Borrowing from a large group can be tricky. Don't overextend yourself by promising quick pay backs. They need to understand that it can take a fair amount of time before you begin seeing decent profits.

>> Private Individuals-Venture capitalists, Angel investors or private individuals seek out business opportunities in which to invest. One drawback is that they may want to own part of the business in exchange for their franchise funding. Be careful, if you want complete control of your franchise, this may not be your best option.

Taking out an equity loan on your home, financing from your own retirement account or cashing in an insurance policy are other options. Using your own financing is, if possible, always your best option. You tend to keep more of your friends and relatives who will claim you that way.

One word of caution: When pursuing franchise funding, it is always in your best interests to have more than you require for the franchise alone. Most businesses fail for lack of funds to keep them going to the point where they are consistently profitable. Rainy-day capital will get you through seasonal ups and downs until your business is carrying you into the realm of total financial independence.

Small Financing Firms Boost Minority Business Funding

Many business owners have found it difficult these days to obtain funding for their business. This is due to many factors including tightened underwriting standards of banks and a difficult economic atmosphere in the United States. With the housing bust, many financial institutions lost a lot of their investments, and people lost their possessions and property. However, today, we are seeing a revival in the economic climate as more and more business owners are moving towards seeking financial funding from private investors. Additionally there has been a boost in many private lending companies to reach out to minority groups in the form of minority business funding.

Paramount Merchant Funding specializes in minority business financing. One of the greatest things about the United States is the American dream – and many of our ancestors at one point or another accomplished this dream. The United States is really considered a melting pot, and for any society to really be successful, it needs to address all citizens. That’s why Paramount Merchant Funding believes strongly in minority business funding.

Minority groups can find programs at Paramount Merchant Funding for minority business funding. Several minority business financing programs exist including a small business minority funding program and also a merchant cash advance minority business financing program.

In the small business minority program, a merchant is able to obtain up to 150% of their total monthly business sales. One of the great benefits of this program is that since it is based off of total sales, the maximum minority business funding amount that the merchant can qualify for is increased. Furthermore the merchant is able to pay-off their minority business financing advance only as their business makes money. This way, business owners do not have to be concerned with making monthly payments if business is slow.

The alternative minority business funding program available for business owners is a merchant cash advance program. This minority business financing method is based off of a merchant’s monthly Visa/MasterCard sales. Again the merchant is able to receive up to 150% of what they process monthly in credit card sales. This program can be particularly attractive as the merchant can pay back the advance on early payments and actually have the cost of the money reduced.

Both these minority business funding programs are unsecured funding methods. In today’s economic climate, it means a lot for a company to be funding other businesses in an unsecured manner. Where most businesses can’t even obtain a secure form of financing, Paramount Merchant Funding is helping small business who average $5,000 monthly sales, to businesses who average $500,000 monthly sales. This means that businesses do not have any personal collateral attached to their minority business financing advance. This can be a great relief for many business owners who understand that risks need to be taken in order to have a successful business, however they don’t need to suffer difficult consequences if their business plan fails. That's why business owners should definitely consider to get the proper funding for their business