University of La Verne SBDC Small Biz Blog

By Joshua Botello Starting a business is difficult when it comes to finding the money to launch. Not every business owner has savings or credit for a business loan. There are many options for small business owners to get their business off the ground and they don’t always involve getting a business loan. You discover 5 ways to fund your business start-up from bootstrapping to crowdfunding find out which is right for you. So let’s get started. Bootstrapping Bootstrapping a business comes the phrase “pulling up by one’s bootstraps”. Essentially, this means you are going to fund your business yourself. This may mean you have a full-time job and your new business becomes a “side hustle” that you grow. How it works For many business owners with simple ideas or who don’t want or can’t go to a bank to fund their business, this is their option. If you are starting a consulting business or even a small eCommerce business this may be the easiest way, to begin with, the least amount of initial i...

By Joshua Botello The world of grants is a hazy one, especially for the uninitiated. To outsiders, grants seem to be free money floating around that people are willing to just hand over and are ridiculously easy to get, but difficult to find (unless you know where to look). If by some miracle, one of those previous statements might actually be true (uh, no), the world of grants and business financing is confusing and difficult. There is a lot of information and misinformation in the world, so let's dispel the myths and uncover the truth about grants. But first... What exactly is a Grant? A grant is one of many forms of federal, state, county, city, corporate, or foundation funding. Within the federal government (the largest grant funder), Federal financial assistance is a broad term for the various ways the U.S. government distributes resources to eligible recipients. Simply put, a grant is any money that funds ideas and projects to provide public services and/or stimulate the ec...

by Joshua Botello Non-profits are some of the noblest organizations to help communities all over the United States. The National Council of Nonprofits describes nonprofits this way: “America’s 1.3 million charitable nonprofits feed, heal, shelter, educate, inspire, enlighten, and nurture people of every age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status, from coast to coast, border to border, and beyond... They foster civic engagement and leadership, drive economic growth, and strengthen the fabric of our communities. Every single day.” While some look to build a business others look to starting a nonprofit organization to make a living, by helping the community. Here is a list of the major differences between for-profit companies and nonprofits, if you are looking to start a nonprofit of your own. Profits The biggest myth with non-profit organizations is that unlike for-profit companies that can’t make a profit. The term non-profit is somewhat of a misnomer. Non-profit organizatio...