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While 41 percent of private companies in the U.S. are owned by women, only 3to 5 percent receive Venture Capital, the high profile funding often associated with major startups especially in the technology industry. Nick Leiber makes the case for more women partners for Venture Capital firms as one possible remedy Read More

Raising venture capital may not be something every small business owner or entrepreneur would consider. But for those who need financing for their next venture, this article from the Wall Street Journal can serve as a partial check list to prepare for the process of seeking VC investment. Not surprisingly, perhaps, is the need to target the right VC to approach with your idea Read More

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When raising capital for your next business venture, think about the shorter term early exit strategy as a possible approach. Ben Yoskovitz explains this strategy involving a lower initial capital investment and an exit by the founder in 3 to 5 as opposed to 7 to 10 years owning a considerably bigger piece of the company. Ben says early exits are more popular with angels and founders than with VCs, who prefer to invest larger amounts over a longer period. Still, Ben adds, the early exit venture offers the opportunity for a founding entrepreneur to get out early with what he calls "life changing money" and the chance for an angel investor to see a rapid and excellent return Read More

We're seeing from sources that the massive financial reform package passed recently by the U.S. Senate will not negatively impact investment in the small business and entrepreneurship community. Time will tell. Tighter regulation might certainly tend to further tighten bank lending but perhaps this isn't the best source of business financing anyway ... Read More

It may say more about the state of affairs in our society and our economy than anything else, but the truth is that you need to borrow money. Lending and credit have become such integral parts of the way our society does things with money that your entire financial reputation is not based on how you manage your money; it’s based on how you manage your cred Read More

Would it surprise you to learn that startup activity in the U.S. is at it's highest point in 14 years even topping the activity during the famed DotCom boom? A report from the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity relates this very fascinating statistic and raises questions (at least in some minds) about whether we really need to use more tax payer money to encourage loans for small business Read More

As National Small Business Week draws to a close, we look back on highlights including these remarks from U.S. President Barack Obama. Obama talks about his administration's efforts to help small business grow through elimination of capital gains tax for some businesses and government funding to encourage more bank lending Read More

It seems that credit unions and community banks, the kinds of institutions that usually loan to small businesses, are prevented from doing so as much as they would like because of a credit cap that limits the amount of lending permitted for them under law. Now credit unions are asking that the cap be lifted allowing them, and community banks, to approve more loans for small businesses. And guess who's objecting to the change! Read More

Thanks in part to the recession, businesses especially in the "lower-middle market" are handling their own financing with buyers when it comes time to sell. When a buyer can't get the loans they once did to cover purchase of a company from a bank often the business being purchased is providing the additional needed financing usually with longer involvement in the company after closing Read More