Raising business capital in challenging times

This is the age of technology. Resist it and you are dead. With our current economic climate, most businesses are into dilemma of how to improve more their offered goods and services. In other words, business industry is evolving into a highly capital intensive and complicated industry.

To gain competitive edge over competitors, it needs to invest more capital. Big players capture large market share and small player only get the remaining piece of pie. With larger capital investment, a firm has the capacity to make innovations, adopt modern technology and come-up with full-blast marketing. Such huge capital is unavoidable for growth and how will it affect the name of the game for small companies? What if a firm only has limited capital? Does it still have the chance to cope-up with the tight competition? My answer is definitely YES!

Everyone in the business industry have chances of competing equally. It is just a matter of how much a firm is willing to invest in order to adopt innovations. But most businesses especially small players have difficulty of raising capital. Applying for a loan is the most common practice but considering high interest rates, a firm will ended up with much bigger liabilities. Are there more ways on how to raise capital funds except for a loan application? Yes, there is. Instead of a loan, a firm can try to venture into other fast-liquidated business lines.

I am a small entrepreneur running a small internet shop in our town. With the presence of various big internet cafes nearby, it is impossible for me to capture a bigger share of the market for I can't even afford to buy additional equipments to improve our services. I also don't want to engage into loans for I'm sure, with high interest rates, it will only give me difficulty of paying back. So what I did is utilized all my possible resources in order to raise capital. Aside from the internet cafe, I resorted to introduce other business line that will easily give me a fast returns like selling cigarettes and candies. The income I earned from these was used as additional capital in my main business. I resorted in offering complimentary service. I bought a printer and started to offer printing services. I also tried investing on prepaid loads and electronics loads for cell phones. Starting with very minimal capital, I was able to manage well my investment cycle until it grows bigger. The money I am earning from this loading business is again used as new capital in my internet cafe.

Other options were also used in order to raise capital, I sold my photocopier machine because based on records, it doesn't give me much earnings. The money I gained from selling it was used to purchase additional computer. Using all these strategies, I was able to raise capital that made my internet cafe as one of the most well-known shop in our town not to mention that I was able to increase my market share therefore resulting to better revenue. And I am now not only offering internet and computer services but my shop is also considered as a loading station and a variety shop.

Let me summarize all the strategies I did just to raise capital. First, I venture to other small business that requires only little capital but it will surely give me fast returns. Second, I offered complimentary services sort of a business extension related to the nature of my business that will also generate fast return of investment. Third, I get rid of my other business services that is not doing well in terms of revenue. This is the fastest way to raise capital which I used for much profitable business. Fourth, I utilized all my possible resources like shop space, my business capabilities and my equipments. Maximization of capital resources can be very helpful in generating additional funds. Fifth, I tried all my best to cut unwanted cost but without sacrificing quality of service. Whatever earnings we can save can be used again as additional capital. And last but most important, full determination and business focus is highly needed. As in all business transactions, customer satisfaction rules, for they are to be given the central focus.

Isn't that simple? Definitely yes! And all these simple strategies made it possible for my internet shop to raise capital which I used to gain competitive edge in this very challenging business industry.