The right funding strategy determines how fast and how well a startup can grow. This session equips entrepreneurs to evaluate funding options, avoid common pitfalls, and build credibility with financial partners.
What the class covers
- Compare different funding sources (bootstrapping, loans, equity, grants).
- Understand the tradeoffs between control, cost of capital, and growth speed.
- Build a capital access plan aligned with your long-term strategy.
What you will work through
- The first question: what problem are you trying to solve with capital
- The four paths, meaning bootstrap, debt, equity, and grants
- The Montana incumbent worker training grant, and how an owner qualifies
- The tradeoff triangle of control, speed, and risk tolerance
- The five competence signals a funder reads before he reads your numbers
- The funding paradox, and why needing money makes money harder to get
- Five customer-funded models, so an owner can grow without giving up equity
What you take home
- The funding decision worksheet, eight sections
- A capital access resource list with live Montana links
Who this class is for
Entrepreneurs preparing to raise funds, startup founders navigating capital decisions, and business owners seeking clarity on sustainable financing.