Every entrepreneur dreams of starting a business, but often a lack of funding stands in the way. There are things you can do to finance your business without having to take out a loan or beg for money from investors. It's important to remember is that starting a business without having to use loans does not mean it will be an easy task. Starting a business in any fashion is hard work, and to find the money without having to pay it back makes the job even harder.

Government Grants

Getting free money from the government to start your business is possible, but not always easy. Some minority groups such as women, may be eligible for federal start-up grants, but only if their product or service qualifies for a specific government program. There are thousands of programs to choose from, and looking into a government grant is a viable way to fund your business at no cost to you. Your chances are greatly increased if you have a product that fits a niche the government is willing to finance, or if your minority status falls under a category that they are looking at helping.

Corporate Grants

An enterprising businessperson can explore the world of corporate grants to see if there is anything available to help start a business. In many cases a business started with a corporate grant was based on an idea or invention that was financed by a larger corporation to be used in their products. If you feel you have a product or service that is unique and worthwhile to big business, get your idea patented and set out to find a corporate backer. Always protect yourself with copyrights, patents and non-disclosure agreements before you shop your idea around.

Yourself

There is no law that states that you must jump into a business full-time and hire a staff of people to do all the tasks for you. Start your business part-time with money you have saved on your own. Take on a part-time job prior to starting your company to help you save some extra money as start-up funds. When you get going, do as much of the work as you can on your own. Buy a laser printer rather than spending money having someone else print your documents for you, and look into template-driven web hosting so that you can set up and maintain your own websites by just pointing and clicking a mouse.

Source:

46 Ways to Start a Business with No Money

Free Money for Your Business

Resource:

Where to Get Money to Start a Business