Ways to Fund a Business
If looking to fund a business, there are quite a few options available. No matter what the economy is like (good or bad), funding a business is constantly a concern for entrepreneurs. Some ways to fund a business are crowdfunding, bank loans, business plan competitions, business incubators, or investors.
(1) Crowdfunding needs a website and on it, you detail your idea for a business or project and request others to invest in it. Instead of paying back money, you pay them back with “perks” from your business.
(2) Banks are still lending money to small business, despite the rumors that have sparked. So why not take advantage of the money that banks are willing to lend. Contact your local banker and request assistance with developing a loan submission package that meets the lender's specifications. Also, be ready to check with more than one bank.
(3) Enter into a business plan competition. Many competitions award cash and prizes for the teams that win which could be used to start your business.
(4) There are also business incubators that are available to those trying to start off. Business incubators are usually public-private partnerships that reward financial assistance to startups and businesses to help increase their local economy and further entrepreneurship.
(5) And there are always investors to try and turn to for money.
Finding money can be hard, but every business around you did it, and you can too.
To learn more about this article, visit Money for your business is out there; just get creative.
Many individuals starting their first business first look to friends as co-founders. What could possibly go wrong? You know your friend well, have socialized with him or her for years and the kids go to the same school. But do you really know the "business side" of your friend? Before you act, it is a good idea to take a step back and assess your decision before embarking in a new business with them. Would you want to work with this person if they were not your friend? Also assess your friendship. Are they trustworthy and loyal? Will they help broaden your network to help with the amount of connections you will have for your business. Having individuals above you to learn from is also important, as well as building a business with people who will be dedicated to work full-time. You have to convince individuals to take a chance on your by selling key positions within the company.
The renewal of an industrial wastewater permit to allow Georgia-Pacific in Palatka to continue to discharge wastewater into Rice Creek, and ultimately into the St. Johns River, will be approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. This permit expired in 2007 and has been continued administratively since. This renewal will let the company to continue dumping, but there will be stricter water quality requirements put into place. Georgia-Pacific is meeting the current requirements. There has been some opposition to the permit approval, however St. Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon believes that DEP is still contemplating its decision, but that the approval is coming. 
Solantic, a Jacksonville-based urgent care company, has sold its privately owned centers to Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a New York private equity firm. In April, the firm bought a controlling interest in the company and recently announced its acquisition of the company. The new owners of the company have named Michael Klein as Solantic’s new president and CEO following co-founder Karen Bowling’s notice that she would be stepping down to a senior strategic adviser position. The firm was a key player in the rapid expansion throughout Florida, investing money to fund more than 40 new free-standing clinics. 
On June 13, 2011, Panera launched its “most significant ad campaign to date,” according to Chief Marketing Officer Michael Simon, entitled “Make Today Better” according to Forbes. This advertising campaign is just over one percent of its overall revenue compared to competitors who allot about three to five percent of revenue on media spending. Panera’s new television and radio spots broke on the 13th, followed by social media like Facebook and Twitter launching this coming week. The campaign’s goal is to change the view customers have of Panera being a brand preferred to a brand loved. Panera reported a profit in 2010 of $111.9 million on revenue of $1.54 billion. In the Jacksonville area, there are 14 Panera bakery-cafes to enjoy. 
A two-story building will be built at Flagler Center in south Jacksonville by General Capital Group and Duke Realty Corp. The building will be used by a U.S. General Services Administration to house immigration services. Four years were spent to locate potential properties for the services. Eventually, it was determined that nothing worked for a retrofit, so a greenfields site will be developed. The new building will be designed to LEED standards as a project design that incorporates environmentally sustainable features. LEED stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design."
Salt Life Restaurant Group LLC has announced that it will open twenty Salt Life Food Shack restaurants across Florida. The managing partner of the group, Greg Saig, stated that the plan is to open the new restaurants over a ten year period. The original Salt Life Food Shack opened in Jacksonville Beach in January 2010. The next two are expected to open by next year, but exact locations are still being considered. Salt Life Food Shack is an extension of the Jacksonville-based Salt Life, Inc, a clothing supplier identified by their t-shirt and sticker logos. 
SIG, a membership organization directed at purchasing and outsourcing, is moving its headquarters to Jacksonville. Dawn Evans, president and CEO of SIG, said the company is relocating to Jacksonville from Truckee, California due to ease of accessibility for the organization’s member companies which are primarily located on the East Coast. Communicating with members and partners in India, China, London and Latin America will be easier as a result of the east coast location. All of SIG’s members are Global 1000 and Fortune 500 companies. SIG already works with some companies that are Jacksonville-based, such as Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. The move should be complete by August or September. Once the move is finalized, SIG will have immediate available positions in human resources, marketing and sales. 
Gas prices in the Jacksonville area dropped an average of 3 cents during the first week of July - one of the busiest travel periods in the year. The prices are forecasted to fall further due to 30 million barrels of oil being released from the U.S. reserves into the market. In Jacksonville, the average gallon of gas is $3.44, down from $3.47 last week. In Florida, the average gallon of gas is $3.50, down from $3.53 last week. Nationally, the average gallon of gas is $3.57, the same as last week. The price of gas is expected to continue to decrease and consumers will get a break at the pump. 
