If there were only two reasons for a business to fail they would be poor financing and poor management or planning. You can’t over-emphasize the importance of financing your business. Financing the business is not a one time activity as some might think. It is necessary whenever the need arises such as when expanding, modernizing etc. At this stage you need to understand the importance of exercising extreme caution and plan the utilization of capital. A wrong decision here can haunt your for the life of your business.Are You Sure You Want To Raise External Funds?For start-ups, it’s understandable that you need to raise capital through loans. But what about expansions and upgrades? Make sure that external financing is an absolute must before you apply. It is critical that you organize your finances at transitional stages but only after you make sure that you can’t do it yourself, either permanently or for some time. Equally important are the criteria of risk, the cost of not financing and how well it contributes to specific and overall goals of the company.FINANCING TYPESEquity Financing: Equity financing involves selling off of your shares (mostly partially) in return for cash and giving away that portion of ownership and rights to profits. Equity financing can be sought from private investors or venture capitalists. This brings about proper capitalization opening access to debt financing. Equity finance doesn’t need to be returned like loans unless your partner wants to withdraw.Debt Financing: Debt financing is loan financing against some kind of guarantee of repayment. The guarantee can be collateral, a personal guarantee or a promise. Lenders restrict the use of debt finance to inventory, equipment or real estate. You need to properly structure the debt and the rule of thumb for doing so is giving long term debt for fixed asset loans and short term for working capital. The reason is that fixed assets generate cash flow over their lifetimes and have the benefit of lower interest rates as opposed to working capital loans.Sources of Finance:You can choose finance sources depending on your circumstances and the amount required.1. Family and Friends: Small and short-term working capital requirements can be financed quickly through your own resources or through family and friends. The benefit here is the absence of the interest component (mostly.) This method of raising finances is handy even in early stages of business. You should be mindful, though, that disputes over money are the main reason that close relationships turn sour.2. US Small Business Administration: This is the most prominent source for debt financing. The SBA doesn’t lend money directly but organizes and guarantees loans through various lenders and sources under its umbrella. Local governments, banks, private lenders, etc. disburse loans immediately to businesses approved by the SBA. SBA loans are available for various business purposes and at the lowest interest rates available.3. Venture capital: Raising venture capital is organizing financing through selling shares whose value equals the finance you require. Essentially this means selling a portion of the ownership and control rights. It is essential that a proper valuation of your business’s worth is made before the deal is done.Financing a business shouldn’t be hard provided you have established your credentials as a good manager, have collateral/assets, a convincing cash flow statement, genuine need, a proven track record, good credit history and a robust plan. This should not just save your business from collapsing but also allows it to grow and succeed.
Tag Archives: finance
The Best Way to Understand Personal Finance
When we are trying to understand Personal Finance, the best thing to do is to understand what Personal Finance is NOT.Many people think that accounting and personal finance are the same, but Personal Finance is NOT Accounting.On the surface they may seem the same; they both have something to do with money. However, the definitions will help us better understand the differences.Merriam-Webster’s definition of accounting is “the system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and reporting the results.”Based on this definition, we see that accounting is the process of analysing and recording what you have already done with your money.This is why having an accountant is usually not enough when it comes to your personal finances.Accountants generally don’t concern themselves with personal finance (there are some exceptions to this rule). Unless your accountant is also a financial advisor or coach, he or she will likely just look at what you have done with your money at the end of the year and provide you with a report of their analysis.This report is usually your tax return; what you owe the government or what the government owes you.Very rarely does the accountant provide an individual with a Balance Sheet or Income Statement or a Net worth statement; all very helpful tools that are necessary to effectively manage your personal finances.Personal Finance is looking at your finances from a more pro-active and goal oriented perspective. This is what provides the accountants with something to record, verify and analyze.The Merriam-Webster’s (Concise Encyclopedia) definition of “Finance” is the “process of raising funds or capital for any kind of expenditure. Consumers, business firms, and governments often do not have the funds they need to make purchases or conduct their operations, while savers and investors have funds that could earn interest or dividends if put to productive use. Finance is the process of channeling funds from savers to users in the form of credit, loans, or invested capital through agencies including COMMERCIAL BANKS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS, and such nonbank organizations as CREDIT UNIONS and investment companies. Finance can be divided into three broad areas: BUSINESS FINANCE, PERSONAL FINANCE, and public finance. All three involve generating budgets and managing funds for the optimum results”.Personal Finance SimplifiedBy understanding the definition of “finance” we can break our “personal finance” down into 3 simple activities:-1. The process of raising funds or capital for any kind of expenditure = Generating an Income.
A Business gets money through the sale of their products and services. This is labeled “revenue” or “income”. Some businesses will also invest a portion of their revenue to generate more income (interest income).A Person gets money through a job, or a small business (self employment, sole proprietorship, network marketing or other small business venture). The money coming in can be a salary, hourly wage, or commission, and is also referred to as income.A Government gets money through taxes that we pay. This is one of the main ways that the government generates an income that is then used to build infrastructure like roads, bridges, schools, hospitals etc for our cities.2. Using our money to make purchases = Spending Money.
How much we spend relative to how much we make is what makes the difference between having optimum results in our personal finances. Making good spending decisions is critical to achieving financial wealth – regardless of how much you make.3. Getting optimum results = Keeping as much of our money as possible
It’s not how much you MAKE that matters – its how much you KEEP that really matters when it comes to your personal finances.This is the part of personal finance that virtually everyone finds the most challenging.Often people who make large incomes (six figures or more) also tend to spend just as much (or more) which means they put themselves in debt and that debt starts to accrue interest. Before long that debt can start to grow exponentially and can destroy any hope they would have had to achieving wealth.Personal Finance made simplePersonal Finance doesn’t need to be complicated if you keep this simple formula in mind:INCOME – SPENDING = WHAT YOU KEEPFor Optimal Results you simply have to make more than what you spend and spend less than what you make so you can keep more for you and your family!If you are not actively working towards an optimal result you will by default get less than optimal resultsIt really is that simple!Now that you understand personal finance and WHAT you need to do, the next step is learning HOW to do this!The best way to start is by following these 3 simple steps:-1. Know what you want to achieve – “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” has become a very popular quote, probably because it is so true. One of the habits that Stephen Covey highlights in his book “7 Habits of Highly Successful People”, is to always start with the end in mind. Knowing where you want to go will be a big help in ensuring you get there.2. Have a plan – that you can follow that will get you to your goals. Knowing how you will achieve your goals in a step by step plan is invaluable. Sometimes this is easier with the help of an advisor or a financial coach.3. Use tools and resources – that will help you to stick to your plan and not become distracted by the things in life that could limit our incomes and make us spend more than we should. Don’t try and work it all out in your head! You will end up with a massive headache and your finances will become one gigantic dark fog!
Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!
He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.
But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.
Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!
Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.
We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.
Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.
Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!
But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.
Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.
Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.
And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.
All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.
He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.