Brainstorming Funding Options for Your Small Business 

Discover How to Fund your Small Business

Who should attend?

Entrepreneurs already committed to starting or expanding their business who need help in determining how to finance their enterprise.

Overview

This workshop is a brainstorming session that provides a framework for deciding about the type of funding that fits your business situation. It orients you to the gamut of ways to raise money for your business, from crowd funding, through alternative lenders, to conventional bank and other loans. 

You will have the opportunity to present your own situation and brainstorm solutions with other participants and 7-8 prospective lenders. In addition, real life case studies from SCORE clients will help flesh out how to match your business with the right financing source.

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Compare funding options, i.e., alternative vs conventional lenders 
• Describe the factors funders evaluate in deciding to extend a loan (e.g., credit scores) and the loan application process for traditional banks
• Define “leverage” and its risk to you and the funder
• Calculate the real cost of new money to your business
• List financing options appropriate to your business and its growth stage
• Summarize ways to find the right lender for your situation

Facilitator:  Guru Baliga, Certified Mentor

Speakers include:

Alyssa Campbell, KIVA, non-profit organization which provides crowdfunding to support community projects, at lower costs to small businesses, including start-ups. (www.kiva.org)  

Conor McCarthy, NDC Online, supports expansion of eligible small businesses through SBA partially sponsored loans, with longer terms, larger amounts, lower down payments, lower interest rates and better structure matching. (www.ndconline.org)

Sandra Bojorque, ACCION, offers support and funding to small businesses and entrepreneurs in a form of business loans including startup loans, microloans, and Community Advantage loans along with access to our network of partners for backing and technical assistance. (www.accion.org). 

Chris Dalton, Small Business Administration.
Small Business Administration has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. (https://www.sba.gov)

Edmond Lee, Renaissance Economic Development Corporation (REDC). US Treasury-certified Community Development Institution focusing on transforming immigrant and lower/middle income communities. Offers Microloans and SBA Commercial loans for small business capital and equipment, Veteran Small Business Loans, Veteran Street Vendor Microloans, and Emergency recovery loans. (https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov)

Aissatou Bah, Excelsior Growth Fund. US Treasury-certified Community Development Institution assisting businesses that have difficulty borrowing from traditional banks. Provides online loans up to $100,000, loans up to $500,000.  Partners with government agencies on accessing special loans for small businesses, including SBA microloans, Contract Financing Loan Fund, Global New York and Industrial Neighborhood Fund. (https://www.excelsiorgrowthfund.org)

Barrington Edie, Sterling National Bank. Commercial and Retail Bank offering small business loans to companies of less than $1,000,000, lines of credit, technical assistance with Small Business Administration Loans.  Special Financing Services include factoring, asset-based loans and franchise financing. Also provides professional practice financing, business credit cards and not for profit services. (https://www.snb.com)

Michael Nixon, BOEDC.  Credit Analyst/Business Development Officer
Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation
The mission of Empire State Development (“ESD”) is to promote a vigorous and growing state economy, encourage business investment and job creation, and support diverse, prosperous local economies across New York State through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing and other forms of assistance.  (https://esd.ny.gov/)

Carol Benovic-Bradley, Kickstarter.  
Kickstarter's mission is to help bring creative projects to life. Since its launch in 2009, over 150,000 thousand projects have found success on the platform thanks to a community of over 15 million backers. Together, these folks are bringing forth new and innovative ideas in the world of art, design, food, technology, dance, music, film, and more. (https://www.kickstarter.com/)