Startup funding options for small businesses

Today, I want to talk to you about startup funding options so you can squash the “no money” objection. After reading this article, you will know our top 10 sources of financing that you can share with your clients so they can finally invest in your coaching programs.  I’m also going to give you the actual names of the funding sources that we recommend to you, so you can take them to your clients and get started right now.  Are you ready?  Check out our latest YouTube episode, or simply read on.

I specialize in helping new and advanced coaches just like you go from passion to profits in their coaching business, so they can go out there in the world and do the work they love every single day. Now, one of the things that comes up often in our business and in my clients’ practices is the “no money” objection. We have to find ways to help our clients invest in our programs.

Today, I want to share with you our top 10 sources of financing that you can steal, and you can bring to your clients to help them make the investment with you and have the results that you deserve. Let’s jump right in.

Credit Cards

A majority of our clients are investing in our coaching programs with a variety of credit cards. Visa, MasterCard, American Express – you know them all. Ideally, we want our clients to be using cards wisely, so we want them to use low or no interest credit cards for them to minimize fees and minimize interest expenses. If your clients don’t have credit cards, they can open them.

Credit Line Increase

If your clients have credit cards, but they’re maxed, there’s always an opportunity for them to call the credit card company and ask for a line increase.

Many people don’t even think about this. They think, “Well, my credit card is maxed. My limit is full. I don’t have any more room on my cards, so I can’t do anything.” But many credit card companies nowadays are actually open to increasing your line, especially if you have been a great customer, and you have made your payments on time.

Bank Loan

When Boris, my husband, and I launched our manufacturing company a couple of years ago, we actually used a bank loan because we needed a significant amount of money to be investing in machinery.

When you’re approaching the bank, make sure you go in there prepared. Always bring a business plan and do your research. Show the bank that you’re worth investing in, that you’ve done the work, you know what you’re doing, and you’ll be able to pay them back.  Especially, if you’re a new business, and you don’t have a proven track record of success already.

What I would recommend is approaching your banker and your banking institution and saying, “Hey, I’m a small business. I want to launch or expand my existing business, and I have a business plan. Here’s what I do. Here’s my target market. Here are my programs and my services. Here’s how much I want to charge, and by the way, here’s a projection of income.” Include a projected profit and loss statement, maybe even a balance sheet, a cash flow forecast, a marketing plan, and all the important information that goes in a business plan to show the bank you have done your research and that they should be investing in you.

PayPal Credit

PayPal has been a wonderful partner for us, and we have had many clients gain approval through PayPal when they applied for a line of credit and Working Capital. If you’re looking for a quick link to go and check out PayPal Credit, you can do so here. Now, understand, I’m not associated with PayPal. Of course, all these sources of financing I’m recommending to you are not associated with me at all. I’ve just had a good experience myself, and I could recommend them to you as well. When you’re using PayPal Credit, your prospect needs to have a PayPal account, and they can simply go to PayPal, apply for a line of credit and when you invoice them, your client is able to use their line to satisfy that invoice.

Online Funding Sources

Some sources that you may want to look into include Upstart.com, LendingClub.com, mybestegg.com, PayPal Working Capital, Kabbage.com, and Futurpreneur. Again, we’re not associated with any of them. We have just had success financing clients through these sources, so you may experience success as well.

Private Investors, Friends, and Family

We often advise our clients to look at the people around them. That includes family members, friends, and even private investors who might be interested in investing in you and your clients to help them do what they want to do. Ask your family, your friends, your spouse…or look around for a business owner or someone who might be looking for an investment.  If there is anyone that can lend you the money, you can pay them back with interest.

Now, when you’re borrowing money from friends and family and private investors, I highly recommend that you put agreements in place that protect not only you, but protect your investor as well.  These make sure everything is done fairly and is in good order.

Sell Assets

Your prospects might have expensive jewelry. They might own cars. They might own investment properties. They might own things that are of value that they can easily sell. Now, you might be thinking, “Oh my God, I can’t ask my clients to sell their stuff,” but why not? Think about the amazing transformations that you can create for them. Think about the life-changing results. Their relationships, their health, their bodies, their money. They only have one life and if you believe in what you do, you have the power to change their life forever. Isn’t that worth it? Isn’t that worth them selling some jewelry or a car…and maybe buying it again later?  I think it is. It’s always an option to explore.

Investment Accounts

An investment account, a retirement account, or something like a 401(k) here in the United States can be a good source. Again, many people think that those things are off-limits, sacred, and safe…but again, you’re living your life only once. You’re living right now. You might not be at retirement age yet. You may have another 20 years to live. You want to make sure you’re healthy, happy and successful right now.

That’s what a coach can do for you. That’s what you can do for your clients. Why not suggest, politely, for your clients to be looking at stocks they can sell or 401(k) accounts they can take money out of or borrow against. There are many different options here, and your clients might be able to explore what’s possible for them in that area.

Savings Account

This may seem very obvious, but many people don’t like to go there because they see savings as something that is sacred and untouchable. It’s for rainy days. It’s for when something really bad happens. But, what about right now? Again, it goes back to how urgent the situation is. Your coaching programs are not nice-to-haves. Your coaching programs are solving urgent major life and business issues right now, and that’s why your clients need to look at these sources of financing. Savings are there to help them live better lives right now.

Refinancing

Refinancing a home can be especially beneficial if your coaching programs are more expensive – between $10,000 and $20,000 or more.  Now, refinancing a house may seem like a big deal, but it might actually be beneficial for your clients because they could lower their interest rates in the process. By lowering their monthly payments, they could come away with an additional chunk of cash they can use to invest in themselves, their business, their lives, and whatever it is that you’re offering them right now.

I do understand that despite all the finance sources out there, having these conversations is not always easy. Talking about money, working through objections, digging into the pain, and building rapport can all be challenging.  Because there’s so much that goes into it and I want you to be successful, click here to download our Sales Conversation Cheat Sheet. It’s going to show you step-by-step how to manage a sales conversation effectively, so you get to the sale and you get to the “yes” you want to hear.

And if you want to take it even further, check out our brand new masterclass. It’s “The Three Simple Secrets For You To Get All The Coaching Clients You Could Ever Want,” and you can sign up right here today.  Classes are running all this week.

I hope this armed you with the funding sources you need to crush the “no money” objection on your next discovery call – and if you loved it, share it with a friend. Thanks for reading!

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