Where to get money for a business from scratch. From business angels, Intel, Yahoo, Amazon, Google and many other leading technology brands began their journey to the top of the business. Get a business loan from a bank

To solve the dilemma of where to get money for a business from scratch, it takes a little - desire, willpower and 2-3 minutes of time to read the article. Beginning businessmen have dozens of options at their disposal. We are talking about projects that do not require investments, or the accumulation of the necessary amount to start a personal business. 9 out of 10 people who want to start a business never start it due to lack of money. But these are just an excuse.

How to open a business without money - the best ideas

There are hundreds of ways to start a business from scratch with no initial investment. Let's highlight a few options:

Working with the company network marketing . To start an activity, it is important to be able to offer a product, interest the client and convince him of the importance of buying this or that thing. The main thing is not to fall into the financial pyramid and work only with those companies that have a good reputation.
Cooperation with the employer. Suppose a person sells air conditioners, has a stable salary and receives a percentage of the goods sold. But he has ideas on how to increase the volume of equipment sold. In such a situation, you need to draw up a business proposal to the employer and send it to him for study. If the manager likes the idea, he will give the go-ahead for its implementation. At the same time, the money for business development is provided by their own employer.
Selling knowledge. The presence of any useful skills can be sold. If you have knowledge of programming or languages, the ability to play the guitar or write articles, you can transfer knowledge to other people. This can be done in person or online.
Husband for an hour. One of simple ways start a business without money - sell your "golden hands". We are talking about the provision of services in the domestic sphere. It is enough to place an ad in a newspaper or on the Web and indicate in it the readiness to provide assistance in everyday matters (repair of sockets or plumbing, installing or replacing a lock, collecting furniture, and so on). The format of cooperation, the task and payment are agreed on by phone, after which the person decides on the possibility of such earnings.
Reselling items online. A great way to start a business with no money is to buy new items (these are often found) in second-hand stores and then resell them online for a higher price. To implement the plan, we do the following - we select high-quality goods, give them a marketable appearance, photograph and place them on bulletin boards. Depending on the item, the final cost can be ten times higher than the purchase price.

Where to get a business loan from scratch - options

The problem of start-up entrepreneurs is an acute shortage Money. The solution to the problem is to apply for a business loan from scratch. This will require the following documents - a questionnaire, a passport, papers for an individual entrepreneur or legal entity, a military ID or ascribed (for citizens under 27 years old), a questionnaire (issued by an employee of a banking institution). Depending on the situation, a certificate of income, a guarantor and a deposit may be required.

Let's highlight some of the offers of banking institutions:

Sberbank issues up to 5 million rubles. with a rate of 16-19%.
Raiffeisenbank offers business loans from scratch at 12% and above in the amount of up to 4.5 million rubles.
VTB 24- issues money at 11 *, 8 or more in the amount of up to 85 thousand rubles.

A loan for opening or developing a business can also be obtained from other financial institutions - Otkritie, Binbank, SKB Bank, Sovcombank, Alfa-Bank and others.

Where to get money for a business from scratch and for the development of the company

Here are a few more ways to start your own business:

Search for investors. A common way is to attract investments from stakeholders. To receive money for the development of a project, it is important to have a business plan and present it to business angels (individuals or companies) who invest in promising areas.
Application of personal savings. If desired required amount can be accumulated. This requires cutting costs, increasing earnings, and possibly selling valuables.
State assistance. To start a business without money, you can turn to the state. We are talking about receiving subsidies, participating in competitions and receiving grants. To solve the problem, you need to contact the local authority and clarify the conditions of existing programs.
Crowdfunding. If you can’t get money to start or open a business in a bank, you can ask other people about it. To do this, just go to the site site, create a personal page and tell about future goals in it. Practice shows that people invest in quality projects.

Starting a business with no money and from scratch is easy. The main thing is to have the will, time, strength and desire to realize a dream. It is important to remember that there are people nearby who will help you achieve your goal. Enough to ask.

Now in most credit institutions there are entire programs to support entrepreneurs - for medium and small businesses, including start-up businessmen. This method cannot be called popular, since, often, the conditions for such lending are quite stringent, for example, a high interest rate on a loan, strict requirements for collateral or credit history. It's scary for a new entrepreneur.

Although, it makes sense to study all the offers for loans and loans from different credit institutions, because it may turn out that you will find something suitable for yourself. Individual lending proposals (for example, consumer credit) should also be considered. Often the conditions of such loans are more simple.

2. Borrow from relatives and friends

This is one of the most common ways. It is good if you have friends or relatives who trust you and can lend you money to start a business. So that relations with them do not deteriorate, you need to calculate everything and be confident in your abilities. Most likely, this option is appropriate if you need a little money. The main advantages of this option: you do not need to look for a guarantor, collect various documents, and, most importantly, you do not overpay interest.

3. State aid

AT this moment there is a special program to support small businesses. . As a rule, these are entrepreneurship courses in regional centers employment and drawing up a business plan for your idea. If your business plan is accepted, you are guaranteed to get help- you are given a certain amount. It is also possible to receive a grant for a particular type of activity. It is usually considered to be socially useful activity when you can benefit the state and the population.

4. Unions of entrepreneurs

Such organizations exist in almost every city. It can be either a department of the city administration or a special one created. fund to provide financial assistance. In Russia, the largest union is federal fund small business support. What can you expect from this organization? The first is with favorable conditions. The second is the opportunity to attend all sorts of trainings, exchange of experience, advanced training. Thirdly, help in solving various difficulties that arise during your activity.

5. Independent search for an investor

The method, which is so developed in many states, is just beginning to gain popularity in our country. There are companies and people who have free funds and are ready to invest part of them in someone else's business in order to receive passive profit from their investments in the future.

To find such a person and get the necessary amount of money from him to fulfill your dream, you first need to draw up a business plan and be able to convince you of the success of your undertaking. But here it is necessary to take into account the fact that by attracting an investor, you will not become the sole owner of the business.

6. Earn on your own

This is the most reliable and useful way to search start-up capital. While you are an employee, earning and saving money, you will learn how to go to the goal and save. In this case, only pluses await you - you will not depend on the investor, you will not have to share your income with him, or from the bank, obliging to pay the loan and interest, or from friends or relatives. By providing your own start, you will earn experience that will help you survive as a businessman and further successfully develop your business.

Save yourself or - this is the first part of the upcoming undertaking. Next, you will need to overcome more than one obstacle on the way to the development of your enterprise. But those entrepreneurs who have made up their minds and gone all the way to the end know that the best thing to do is to do what you love. Decide on ideas and start with confidence!

So, you've got an idea in your head that you're sure is good for society and will appeal to consumers. You think that it can bring you income. After careful planning, you need to get a financial base that will help bring the idea to life. Let's see what this financial base can be.

1. Personal funds

This method can undoubtedly be called the most reliable, since it does not require any loans from banks, which crisis time can only harm your company. Negative side of this method is that the development of the company is likely to take longer. But, as they say, hurry up - you make people laugh, so perhaps in your case you should not rush.

“We started with small personal savings and very small borrowed funds, also personal, so we developed slowly due to limited financial opportunities,” Natalia Storozheva shares her experience, CEO Center for Business and Career Development "Perspektiva", lecturer at the Russian School of Management. - In the first year of the company's existence, we had only three employees, in the fourth year - four. And only in the fourth or fifth year we began to recruit a team, because the money we earned could be directed to development. Fortunately, they did not take any loans, which may have saved the company in the crisis years of 2008 and 2015. Now Perspektiva employs a small team of 12 people, and it cannot be said that the company is developing rapidly, but steadily and progressively.”

Ilya Balakhnin, CEO and Managing Partner of Paper Planes Consulting, agrees with Natalia Storozheva: “If your business lacks its own funds at the start, don’t start at all. This means that it is not realistic or calculated erroneously. Rely on your own and only your own strength and do not try to catch the investor by the tail.

Alexander Trifonov, co-owner of the legal service 48Prav.ru, earned his first money with his team on the recommendations of lawyers. “At first we tried, we were useful, and then, when we found out that customers were willing to pay, we began to take money and reinvest it in the business – we spent it on channels to attract new customers, on IT infrastructure and on promotion in the target audience.”

2. Investor money

The next method is more risky than the previous one, and there are a number of reasons for this: finding an investor takes a lot of time, agreeing on all the conditions even more. You may find the perfect investor who wants to have too much control over your company. The most difficult thing in this situation is to reach a compromise.

According to the managing partner of the Biplan marketing agency Ilya Groshikov, access to an investor is the most obvious and effective way attracting money for business development. “Of course, this is a difficult path that requires a lot of effort and luck. True, if your project is able to bring real profit, then you should not worry about the result, - he is sure. - We were in a similar situation 7 years ago and put in a lot of work to demonstrate our productivity to the investor. Helped successful cases past projects and positive customer feedback. You can find a patron partner who will take your business under its wing, or you can get a loan from a bank. But it is worth remembering that in both cases you put yourself at great risk.

Alexey Menn from Sun Capital believes that for an early stage business, attracting a business angel helps solve some of the problems, especially if it is a person who not only has the ability to invest in a project, but also the knowledge necessary to bring this project to a new level .

3. Funds

The golden mean is to find a fund and try to win a grant. Be confident in yourself and your idea, choose a suitable fund, prepare a presentation. According to Aleksey Menn, if a company has just started its work and uses technologies at least a little in its business, then it can go for financing in the IIDF (Internet Initiatives Development Fund). “IIDF provides companies with a little more than 1 million rubles. for a 7% share and allows you to take part in the acceleration program, in which business founders are actively taught (marketing, IT, finance, attracting investments, etc.). IIDF also provides space in co-working spaces,” says Menn. - At IIDF, for example, I got acquainted with the ParkApp project, in which I then invested. The founders of ParkApp received funding from the IIDF, created a prototype of their product that showed free parking spaces in any city in the world, and only then were able to receive significant funding ($800,000) from investors at a later stage.

The Moscow Seed Fund provides small businesses with a loan of 0.5-8 million rubles. for 3 years at 12% per annum. If after three years the company is unable to repay the loan, the debt will be converted into equity.

If it's about innovative enterprise, it is quite realistic to receive a Skolkovo grant from 1 million to 50 million rubles. (there are different types of grants), which does not need to be returned. The Promsvyazbank Venture Fund is very actively financing projects from real business(although it is not entirely clear why they are called a venture fund, because they just do not invest in IT projects). But if you want to open a bakery, a clothing store, a coffee shop or a hairdresser, they are waiting for you there.

Alexander Trifonov does not advise taking bank loans for a business that does not exist, or for an idea. Funds and angel investors are suitable for this, he is sure. “For example, for projects that are somehow related to IT, the Fund for the Development of Internet Initiatives offers very interesting conditions, but even here, we would recommend that you first go through the correspondence accelerator and only then go to the full-time one.”

4. Crowdfunding and crowdinvesting

Crowdfunding is another option for raising money. It is especially suitable creative projects in the field of music, literature, as well as projects from the media sphere. At least they occupy the main share of the Russian crowdfunding sector.

According to Alexey Menn, in some cases crowdfunding sites help to quickly raise the necessary funds to launch a product on the market. And such examples are not so few. “Recently, the Russian Nimb project team raised $150,000 in just a week to launch their project on the Kickstarter site,” Menn gives an example. “There are many analogues in Russia, in particular, Boomstarter.”

“The StartTrack crowdfunding platform will help small businesses attract collective investments from a range of business angels or start-up investors, both in debt and as equity financing,” says Alexey Menn. - More than 1,000 investors are registered on the site, who collectively invested over 400 million rubles. in various projects.

5. Regional support for small businesses

Starting entrepreneurs can count on state grants, property support at the regional level. To find out about all possible support measures and conditions for its provision, you can use the interactive navigator. For example, novice farmers in the Volgograd region can receive financial support in the form of a grant, the maximum amount of which is 1.5 million rubles.

One of the main barriers that prevents potential entrepreneurs from starting their own business is the lack of initial capital and not knowing where to get money for the business. However, this problem is quite easily solved, it is only necessary to show creative and negotiating skills, or rather, your entrepreneurial talent.

Get a good loan to start a business

To date, banks are not very active in lending to business projects from scratch. This is due to high risks, because neither the entrepreneur nor the company is sure that the business will work stably and will generate the necessary profit in order not only to service interest, but also to pay off the principal debt. Therefore, it is most likely impossible to get a loan for a novice entrepreneur for an idea. At the same time, a future entrepreneur, as a rule, works somewhere. In this place he has wage or stable income. Banks are currently quite actively lending to the population for the needs of current consumption. The advantage of such a loan is also that it is usually provided for three to five years, during this period, even if the business does not start working, you can close it, get a job again and continue to pay off the loan. In addition, a consumer loan does not require confirmation of the intended purpose, in other words, it can be directed to a business organization and there will be no liability for this.

Take a secured loan

If a large amount is required to open a business, then you can mortgage the existing property, for example, an apartment or a car. This will give you several immediate benefits:

The term of secured loans, as a rule, is longer than consumer loans, because the bank has property that, in case of failure, it will receive, sell and cover its losses; The rate on loans with collateral is also much lower (for the same reasons). Some establishments even have special lending programs for start-up entrepreneurs if they have any collateral. Such loans may have a shorter term than consumer loans, but the bank will analyze in detail the idea and calculations set out in the feasibility study or business plan. This will allow the most novice businessman to see everything possible risks and provide for measures to neutralize them, as well as think over the project of organizing and launching a business in more detail, which is also useful and increases the likelihood of success. At the same time, when deciding to pledge your own property against a loan at the beginning of a business project, you must remember that this is a risk and there is a possibility of losing this property, therefore, from a risk point of view, it is more profitable to issue a consumer loan, and from an economic point of view - a loan secured by property (the rate on it is lower).

Money for a business project without a loan

You can start your own business without loans. There are also several possibilities for this. 1) Economy. First, you can save on certain expenses and save money to start a business. In particular, there Golden Rule- Set aside 10% of each income received. If you do this for a year, then you can accumulate a fairly significant amount in a year, which you can invest in starting a business. In addition, there is always the possibility to waive certain expenses. For example, from entertainment. Typically 15 to 20% of your monthly income people spend on entertainment. By adding this amount to the deferred 10% of each income, you can significantly increase the initial capital. Vacation expenses are also a reserve for savings. You can also take these savings to start a business. In conclusion, it is necessary to mention the possibility of changing the style of consumption to certain period. It consists of purchasing simpler food, less expensive clothing and accessories, increasing the life of things through repairs and more careful use. If all these measures are applied in combination, then the amount may turn out to be quite sufficient to open your own business.

2) Sale of real estate. In some cases, you can sell real estate and invest in a business. Of course, the only housing should be sold only in that situation, if there is one hundred percent certainty that the business will be successful and it is almost impossible to burn out. Then it makes sense to sell your apartment, live in a rented apartment for a certain period and earn money for a new one at the expense of business income.More real option is the sale of the parents' apartment or the second, which is not used and is intended for children. For the period of starting a business, parents can be transported to their place, and the money from the sale of their apartment can be used to start their own business. When deciding to sell real estate, three factors must be considered. First, it can bring passive income if you give it up. This amount can be directed to the accumulation of a startup. During the period of starting a business, it may be for some time the only stable income, which will allow not to take money out of the business and direct it to development. The second is that an apartment can be used as collateral for a loan to start a business. However, collaterals are valued extremely low by banks, so it may turn out to be more profitable to sell it. And the third factor - real estate prices are falling, and utility bills are rising. Therefore, if the property cannot be rented at the current moment, it is better to get rid of it, because at the stage of starting a business it will create an additional financial burden. 3) Borrow money for business from relatives and friends. A fairly affordable source of initial capital can be a loan from relatives or friends. It is much easier to convince your loved ones of the success of your business than a bank or an outside investor. Moreover, many parents are willing to help their child disinterestedly, so the cost of such start-up capital will be minimal. The same can be said about friends. They usually lend money without paying any interest. At the same time, when accepting a loan from relatives or friends, it should be remembered that in case of failure in business, it is advisable to give it back and serve it in good faith anyway. Otherwise, monetary relations can significantly spoil the relationship. BUT human relations in most cases much more important than business. Apart from equity, which can be formed and accumulated in various ways, it often makes sense to attract an investor and take money from him for a business. In addition to cash, this allows you to take advantage of the experience and advice of a more experienced entrepreneur for free, which means that it increases the chances of a novice entrepreneur to succeed. Crowdfunding as effective method raise start-up capital This term comes from two English words - crowd, which means "crowd" and funding - "fundraising". Thus, crowdfunding is a way to attract funding from the maximum number of people. As a rule, Internet projects are financed in this way, since money is collected on special crowdfunding sites, project descriptions are posted on them and fundraising is opened. Anyone can take part in the financing of a project. Conditions are put forward very different. For some, this is an opportunity to earn money at the expense of interest on loans (when a crowdfunding project is implemented, the initiator will return the money to everyone with interest higher than bank ones). Other initiators offer everyone a share in their project, which can later be sold. A number of projects are of a charitable or socially significant nature. Today, the most famous global fundraising platforms are:

Kickstarter

indiegogo.

RocketHub

To raise money for international venues of course knowledge is required foreign language. If there are problems with this, you can organize a fundraiser for your project on Russian platforms. The most popular of these are Boomstarter and Kroogi. With their help, money has already been raised for the implementation of a number of commercial and socially significant initiatives.

What is a grant and how to get itGrant- this is a gratuitous assistance to a novice entrepreneur, that is, they do not need to be returned in the future. But they will have to be strictly accounted for. Grants can only be used for the purposes specified in the agreement with the grantor or in the project for which the grant was awarded. Currently, there are two types of grants - to start-up entrepreneurs within the framework of state support and for projects. To receive a grant of the first type, take part in the competition held by the regional fund for entrepreneurship support. Those who win the competition can receive money and spend it on starting their own business. To participate in the competition, prepare a package of documents, which must include a business plan. At the same time, make this document in accordance with all the canons, there is no need, but he should give an idea to the competition committee how the business idea will be implemented and what is its uniqueness. Grants for the project are issued both for the implementation of socio-economic initiatives and for financing innovative projects. The first are provided, as a rule, by the authorities and are aimed at solving certain problems of the territory. To receive them, also prepare draft documents. The key is the description of the project, which should contain the following items:

Objective of the project; Description of the problem; Project implementation schedule; Project's budget; Planned results of the project. For grants to finance innovative projects, the main thing is the presence of scientific novelty and the possibility of commercial implementation. To receive a grant, you will need to speak to a competition committee, which consists of entrepreneurs and scientists, and convince them that the project is worthy of funding. How to attract third-party investors and where to look for them Most hard way get money to implement your business idea - attract a third-party investor. It is very difficult to do this. Firstly, there is no such clear community of business angels (those who finance business ideas) in our country. Secondly, the issue of funding is a matter of trust, so investments are most often given to those who are trusted. Of course, these can be acquaintances or friends, so there is often an opinion that investments go only to those who are at least somehow known. However, trust can be won. To do this, take a few steps 1) Determine the target group of investors. These may be local large entrepreneurs who have significant financial resources. Or companies that want to acquire the company at a certain stage (when it grows and becomes a competitor). It can also be executives and top managers large enterprises who want to invest money and then receive a constant income. 2) Describe your business idea. Do not make a classic business plan. An attractive presentation is enough to convincingly prove the attractiveness of the idea and the return on investment. 3) Start implementing the idea. The investor never invests 100% of the capital, he always shares the risks with the project initiator. In addition, when there are intermediate results of work, the business becomes more attractive. This is no longer just an idea, this is a working organization. At this stage, it is desirable to already form a reputation for a successful enterprise - to participate in various competitions, publish articles about success, and so on. Successful business attractive to the investor. 4) Search for investors. To do this, you can turn to professionals - various investment agencies, or you can negotiate with local business communities (unions of entrepreneurs, business public organizations and so on). 5) Negotiate and close a deal. Thus, raising capital in a company is a fairly simple process, but it needs to be done, which means that you devote enough time and effort.

Method 1. Get a loan from a bank

Who suits the best. Stable companies that are not the first year on the market. Banks require money back guarantees: a large number of businesses go out of business due to insolvency, so it is difficult for start-ups to get a loan.

Denis Smirnov, Head of online stock forecast aggregator Raddar:

“Banks are really not ready to finance absolutely every project with an uncertain future that is brought to your attention. And you can understand their logic - no one wants to invest in risky enterprises.”

In 2017, 9,173,042 individual entrepreneurs closed, 16,775 of them were declared bankrupt in court (Rosstat data)

Advantages . The main advantages of business lending: low interest rate, ease of registration, long repayment period of the debt to the bank

Many financial institutions there are special programs under which they cooperate with entrepreneurs. Business.Ru has prepared a summary table with the main proposals.

Bank loan programs for business

Bank	Program	Lending terms	To whom they provide credit		Return guarantee
	"Business Invest"	Rate - from 11% The payment period is up to 120 months. The minimum loan amount is 150 thousand for agricultural producers and 500 thousand for other entrepreneurs.	Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs with revenues of less than 400 million per year, who work at least: 3 months - if the activity is related to trade; six months - in other cases, except for seasonal business; years for seasonal activities. If an individual entrepreneur takes a loan, then at the time of execution of the contract he must be less than 70 years old.		Issued on bail, with the guarantee of other persons, or under the patronage of the Federal Corporation for Business Development
	Loan for any purpose	Rate - from 12% Validity - 3 years / Maximum loan - 1 mln.	Individual entrepreneurs who opened a bank account		Without guarantors and collateral
	Business loan	Rate - 15.5-17% Loan amount - from 300 thousand to 1 million.	Organizations and individual entrepreneurs that have been operating for at least 12 months. Entrepreneurs must fall within the age group of 22-65 years	Legal entities must confirm the intended use
	Investment lending	Rate - from 10% Loan term - up to 10 years Loan amount - up to 150 million.	Small business entities	They require collateral (25% of the amount can be released from security), support from guarantors or a small business support fund

Risks. Before you take out a business development loan, carefully evaluate your options: whether you can repay it. You can get legal advice. Remember: for a novice entrepreneur, this is not the best source of funding.

At first, it is extremely difficult to build a business, you need to pay rent, wages. And then there's the loan, which can not even be postponed. You can borrow money from the bank if there is a source of repayment outside. Plus, you run the risk of ruining your credit history. I would not recommend such a source.

How to act. To receive money, you need to fulfill the conditions of financial organizations that they impose on borrowers to guarantee the repayment of the debt:

take out a special insurance policy that slightly increases the interest rate;
leave valuable property as collateral: real estate, a car or other liquid expensive things;
find a guarantor who will be ready to take on credit obligations in case of unforeseen circumstances;
provide a business plan. The bank employees will not study the entire document; create for them an abbreviated version with the most important aspects of the activity.

In addition, the bank will carefully check your credit history. Facts of non-payment will significantly increase the likelihood of refusal. If the bank nevertheless decides to cooperate with an unreliable client, it will offer less attractive conditions: it will reduce the loan term and its size, and increase the percentage. As a result, it is unlikely that you will be able to take more than 1 million rubles, and the overpayment compared to the usual conditions can reach 25 percent.

The probability of a positive decision also directly depends on the purpose of using the money. Most often, entrepreneurs take out a loan to build working capital, acquisition of licenses for activities, purchase of equipment and equipment of the enterprise itself.

Olga Danilova, Deputy Head of Accounting Outsourcing Department

Regardless of the amount of the loan agreement, conclude it in writing. If the contract does not specify interest, the organization must pay them at the key rate in force in the relevant periods. The agreement may stipulate a special procedure for paying interest. If this is not specified, interest is paid monthly up to and including the date of repayment of the loan.

note: in addition to interest on loan agreement the document may contain additional payments. You can check the contract and organize accounting support for the company.

Who will not be approved for a loan

The following people are most likely to receive a denial of a request for funds:

Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs who will not be able to pay at least part of the costs of starting a business

Entrepreneurs with fines and delinquency on loans issued earlier

Companies declared bankrupt

Applicants with an unprofitable business plan

The hardest thing is getting money for a business from scratch. Usually, financial institutions sign contracts with businessmen who have been successfully doing business for at least one or two years. But if the bank recognizes that the goal is financially promising, it can even cooperate with a novice businessman. Otherwise, seek help from organizations that will apply to the bank. Similar funds operate in 82 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. For example, these include:

“Small and Medium Business Lending Assistance Fund”, St. Petersburg;

Guarantee funds provide on a fee basis, for example, St. Petersburg takes 0.75% per annum of the amount of the guarantee.

Method 2. Find a partner

Who suits best. Searching for a co-owner of a business is primarily for those who plan to open a business with minimal risk ruin. For example, these are always popular food outlets or shops.

Advantages. Increase in start-up capital. With a lack of funds, you can always take a "double" loan, or arrange a partner as a guarantor. Ability to distribute responsibilities: each of the co-owners of the business performs the functions that are most consistent with his experience and knowledge. Support in a difficult situation. A partner will always come to the rescue when an entrepreneur cannot cope with a problem on his own.

Denis Smirnov, Head of Raddar, an online stock forecast aggregator:

The advantages include the possibility of reducing costs at the initial stage, if responsibilities are correctly distributed in the team. This, however, is a rather momentary benefit, since the rapid development of the enterprise will still require the involvement of qualified personnel.

Important . Responsibilities that cannot be distributed can be safely outsourced. This applies to specialists, without whom a start-up company cannot do, but it is too costly to hire a staff. For example, a lawyer, a labor protection specialist, an accountant. For example, the services of an accountant will cost an average of seven thousand rubles.

Among the benefits are also increased useful connections and support in a difficult situation: it is easier to make decisions together.

Risks. The partner can leave the business at any time and receive compensation for the part he owns, he also has the right to sell his share to a third party. A new person who comes in his place can bring discord in the work and prevent the implementation of the existing strategy.

Vyacheslav Zolotukhin, ideologist and founder of the professional social network Evolution with blockchain technology:

You may not work well with your partner. And if a partner was attracted even at an early stage, then you can sell a huge part of the project for super-small money, and this is very unprofitable.

How to act. Carefully evaluate the person with whom you plan to do business. He not only must have certain knowledge and skills. But also be trusted.

Dmitry Chernov, chairman of the committee of the Orenburg branch of Opora Rossii:

You must be 110% sure of your partner. There are dishonest partners who are trying to return their funds, hang up an additional percentage, go out of business, frightened by the first difficult months

Develop a joint business plan that will satisfy both aspiring businessmen. You can give all your best only to a project that impresses;

Fix the issues of joint business in the partnership agreement. An official paper will help resolve disputes that often arise even between close people.

Important. Do not cooperate with relatives. Very soon they will feel that they are in a privileged position and will begin to make additional demands.

You can involve not only acquaintances in the joint conduct of business. Startup partners can be searched for on special Internet sites. You can also get investment there by presenting your project or an already operating business. Russian platforms working in this direction include:

Business is a special forum created to find and attract business partners. Every day there are up to 10 proposals for doing business. You can create your own thread and talk about the benefits of the idea;
StartupPoint is the first Russian platform for finding investors and partners. The database contains more than 4.5 thousand projects.

Method 3. Contact investors

Who suits the best. Investments for business development suggest that the investor will receive certain funds, while completely moving away from the direct conduct of the business. Therefore, if the plans are to open simple business, for example, a car repair shop, then it is better not to contact investors. The method is best suited for those who have discovered new technology or plans to bring a unique product to market. At the same time, keep in mind: one idea is not enough.

Zamir Shukhov, CEO and partner of Global Venture Alliance GVA:

There are many interesting memes on the Internet on this topic. One of them depicts a meeting of two people. One says to the other: “You know, I have a great business idea and all I need is investments, developers, an office and help with the first clients.” And the second answers him: “So, in fact, you have nothing!”. In fact, this is also the real state of affairs. If a person only has an idea, then it is extremely unlikely that anyone will be ready to give him money for this idea, unless it is a bank and does not pledge some property against a small business loan.

An example of an investment agreement

Advantages. It is difficult to accumulate a certain amount necessary for the implementation of your own project, it is unprofitable to take a loan from banks and is fraught with falling into a debt hole. Therefore, aspiring entrepreneurs often seek to attract outside investors to their business. An example for inspiration is Apple: by investing 91 million of other people's money, the owner of the brand managed not only to receive a huge income himself, but also to return 154 million dollars to investors.

Risks. When attracting investors, remember that you will have to part with part of the profit. Moreover, if the business has to be liquidated, the investor will receive the money first. The entrepreneur himself may still owe to third parties. In addition, the investor owns a certain part of the company's portfolio. He can participate in decision-making and even initiate the sale of the company if he has a certain block of shares or owns a significant share.

How to act.

Many individuals and a number of organizations can be involved in investing in a project, for example:

Friends and relatives. Russians prefer to save money rather than put it into action. This position is often due to low financial literacy. However, people are often willing to trust their savings to family members or acquaintances, especially if the specter of big profits appears before them.
Established businessmen. Business people usually know the value of money and are willing to invest only in projects that are more likely to pay off. Therefore, it is worth contacting him only if the idea is framed and supported by appropriate calculations.
Investment funds. Organizations that specialize in business support and receive the main income from the paid-back investments. Therefore, the choice of candidates for receiving funds is approached carefully. A novice entrepreneur will be able to receive funds only if he provides a carefully developed plan for the organization and operation of the enterprise.

A promising place where aspiring entrepreneurs can look for investors is the AngelList platform. There are about 400 companies and 3200 investors in the Russian segment of the database. Also of interest is the Napartner portal, which claims to have attracted about $6.25 million in investment.

Getting a loan is not easy. Investors need to provide comprehensive information about the project. Any investor will want to know what the invested money will be used for, so they require the applicant to detailed business plan, a presentation of the project, which will reflect the essence of the activities of the future enterprise, the cost plan.

It will be easier to find an investor if you can provide money back guarantees.

Pavel Spichakov, managing partner of the Promslavl group of companies:

For investors, it is important that a significant part of the money is invested not in virtual, but in tangible assets: land, buildings, equipment. One of the activities is to help active people who want to create own production in search of investors.

Method 4. Take advantage of crowdfunding

Who suits the best. Crowdfunding is mainly used to raise funds for charity. Of course, you can also raise enough money for the cannery, but the process will take a lot of time. Therefore, for those who are looking for quick investments in a business, this method is not suitable. As well as for entrepreneurs who do not have their own funds or are not ready to reward investors.

Advantages. Crowdfunding allows you to attract money from not one, but many investors at once. For start-ups, this is an opportunity to start activities with little or no upfront investment, advertise their services and assess the demand for them in the market.

Alexey Basenko, SimpleFinance CEO:

Crowdfunding is alternative way attraction of financing for business development. The client does not need to spend time visiting the office, the whole process takes place remotely, online, with a minimum package of documents. In fact, a full-fledged alternative to the banking system is being created.

Risks. Starting a business with the help of crowdfunding should be done with extreme caution: if the project fails, you can lose your reputation and say goodbye to the opportunity to open an existing business in the future.

Zamir Shukhov, CEO and partner of the Global Venture Alliance (GVA):

Crowdfunding is a very good and interesting tool. But if you collect the money and then don't deliver the product to the people, you can even be prosecuted in court. Basically, it's a scam. Here you need to be very careful and understand that you must definitely implement the product and deliver it to your customers.

How to act. Register on a special site on the Internet, post a video presentation of your project, tell us about it. You can try your hand at Planet.ru or Boomstarter.

Semyon Kibalo, an entrepreneur and traveler from St. Petersburg, collected 202,304 rubles in 40 days for his project “Reality Show Business from Japan”. As a result, he formed 10 tips to help you take advantage of crowdfunding.

Semyon Kibalo, entrepreneur and traveler from St. Petersburg, author of the blog "idea hunter":

1. Tell how your project can be useful to others, convey its value.

2. Make a short, honest video presentation about your idea.

3. Enter reasonable numbers to collect.

4. Organize small, interesting incentives for sponsors.

5. Don't wait for money to come to you.

6. Make a fundraising plan.

7. Be prepared for both positive and negative feedback.

8. If you run out of strength, do not despair, the peak of the collection falls on the first and last weeks.

9. Work as a team.

10. Thank every person who supported your project.

Guzel Sanzhapova, the creator of the Cocco bello brand, raised 4.5 million rubles through crowdfunding for 4 of her projects for the production of cream honey in the village of Maly Turysh.

Method 5. Get a grant

Who suits the best. Most often, grants and competitions are held among entrepreneurs working in the field of high technology, medicine, education, ecology, as well as those who offer innovative projects.

Advantages. Winners receive special grants, which are used as the initial investment to start a business.

Risks. Typically, a grant is awarded subject to certain conditions. And only if the company meets them, the money will be transferred to its account. Separate requirements must be met in the process of disbursing funds. If the granting organization believes that the company is doing the wrong thing, it can withdraw the money. This happened in 2015 with the residents of the village of Kholmogory Oleg and Anna Feneva, who received a grant of 1.8 million rubles for the development of a peasant farm. They did not fulfill one of the conditions - the lack of official employment. For this, entrepreneurs began to withdraw money through the courts.

How to act. Basically, the state is engaged in holding competitions. It also determines the priority areas for business development. In 2018, we developed more than 250 projects in 80 areas of activity. Within this framework, start-up businessmen are assisted.

A prerequisite for such programs is the payment of part of the costs at their own expense. You need to make from 30 to 70% of the total cost of the project.

For convenience, use the business navigator service, it will help you find all available support measures, see purchase options ready business or franchise, as well as use analytical data to select the type of activity in your city.

Business navigator in St. Petersburg

Competition example from private company– Lipton Good Starter. The competition supports start-up entrepreneurs who work in social sphere. The winner is determined by the number of likes - whoever has the most likes will receive funding. Thanks to the competition, you can get about 300,000 rubles, both new projects and existing organizations can participate.

Competition from Lipton

Method 6. Take advantage of state support

Who suits the best. The state allocates funds only to entrepreneurs working in certain industries. They finance businessmen working in the field of:

innovation;
social orientation;
tourism;
agroindustry.

In addition, support is provided to start-up entrepreneurs who organize small and medium-sized businesses.

The regional government allocates subsidies for the development of priority sectors, holds competitions for grants for young businessmen and women entrepreneurs.

Advantages. The main advantage of public investment is the absence of the need to return the funds received. The state benefits not from making a profit, but from the development of a lagging industry at the expense of new enterprises.

Galina Khvostova, sales promotion expert

Please note that subsidies are money that the state gives you and you do not need to return them. It’s not that you don’t have to pay interest, but you don’t have to return anything at all. That is, you took them, spent them on your business, and reported as expected. All - you are free.

Risks. An entrepreneur who has received a subsidy has certain obligations. For example, they must report on the use of funds and use them only for their intended purpose. The funds themselves must be used exactly for the purposes specified upon receipt. Otherwise, the entrepreneur risks not only losing his reputation, but also falling under administrative or even criminal liability.

How to act.

Check that your line of business is included in government support programs (see table below).

Denis Smirnov, Head of Raddar, an online stock forecast aggregator:

In recent years, the Russian state has not only made loud statements, but also really helps novice businessmen in starting their own business - large, national assistance programs are spelled out in priority areas up until 2025.

State business support programs

Program	Who can get	What help will
"Start"	Businessmen operating in the field of IT technologies	The state invests 2.5 million rubles, the entrepreneur must find an investor who will additionally invest the same amount in the business
"Smart ass"	Entrepreneurs under the age of 30. The advantage of innovative technologies working in the industry	500 thousand rubles
"Development"	Businessmen who plan to expand the enterprise and organize additional jobs	Up to 15 million rubles
"Cooperation"	Small and medium-sized enterprises that are ready to modernize and integrate into large industrial production	Up to 20 million
"Internationalization"	Companies that plan to develop projects in cooperation with foreign companies	Up to 15 million

There are also regional programs. For example, they subsidize entrepreneurs who open a business in a certain field of activity, for example, Don's Small Business.

But if you still managed to fit into the framework of the projects, you can get funds that you don’t even have to return in the future.

Bonus

Is it possible to open a business without money

Initial investment will be required in any case. But there is good news: their size can be so insignificant that it will be possible to allocate the required amount from your own funds. If there is no money at all, and the desire to do business is huge, a way out can be found.

Anastasia Yakusheva, owner of the network of showrooms "Lady's Showroom":

“The lack of money will have to be compensated with your time, your faith in the project, your creativity, your willingness to work around the clock, constantly learn and be receptive to new ideas and trends. Be prepared for the fact that at the start with a zero budget, you will attract friends and acquaintances. For example, they can test how relevant and in demand your products or services are. Check if they are ready to buy them? If yes, move on to the next stage - generate demand and collect pre-orders even before you have a product or service ready for sale, before you have invested in it. No budget - bet on word of mouth and networking, the more people know and talk about you, the more they help you, the sooner you get your first sales.