So you want to start up a new business? You have done your research into the existing businesses and checked out your competition whilst gaining some hands on experience along the way. You are armed with your business plan, outlining your every move from your objectives, strategies, and target market to your financial forecast. There is just one little hurdle left to leap over, the decision and arrangement of business finance.

More and more businesses and new ventures are failing to get anywhere past the starting line. There are two main reasons why most businesses fail; poor management plans and inadequate business capital, which is why raising money is important in the early stages of a business.

So why is this need for finance so important? As a new business you will need not only a place for your business to be housed in but also all of the necessary equipment that will be needed to make sure your business is running to its fullest. This start up capital will be used to pay for:The renting/buying of a premises/office space, which will require payment of three months in advance. Any machinery or office equipment Business services such as insurance.The purchase of stock Wages and salaries. Any financial cover you may need while waiting for customers to use your business

In order to gain the correct business finance and to make sure that people will be willing to invest in your business it is essential to have a well structured and developed business plan. It should state how your business will be different from the competition, why people will use your business and how you will supply your customers with what they require. Research has been conducted that has found companies with a structured business plan stating their overall goals and how they plan to move their business towards them make a considerably higher profit than those that done

Most avenues that you chose to go down in order to secure business finance won’t come near your business without this business plan. So what are your options when it comes to business finance? There are many options open to you but that does not mean that all of them are right for you.

One of the first places that people go to for business finance is there bank. Although banks are still the most common form of business finance it does not. Automatically mean they are the best. All banks vary in terms of what they can offer start-up businesses, so it is important to talk to a number of them before making a decision. Banks will also expect you to put some of your own money into the business; as a new business venture you may not be able to afford this.

Another form of business finance is asset financing. This is a line of credit that is secured by assets such as real estate. So as a new business venture you can use these assets as collateral to obtain capital. However if payments are made your assets may be seized.

An ever popular choice of Business Finance for a new business venture is a business angel. Business Angels are called this because they often save struggling firms with both finance and advice when no one else will. Angel investors understand the needs of a new business through there own experience and are able to advice and aid the companies in many ways. Business angels are successful entrepreneurs or executives. With their skill, luck, careful planning and good management; they have turned many businesses into profitable ones.

Finally there are venture capitalists who are private investors for financing new or growing businesses and even struggling established businesses. Even though they are high risk investments they can offer the potential for above average returns and/or a percentage of ownership of the company.

I was recently asked by my editor to carry out a review of the business services website businessservicesuk.com. This business has grown quickly in a short space of time and is already a household name in the business services sector. The website was the brainchild of online entrepreneurs Pete Arkwright and Dan Moore. The pair realised there was a niche in the market to provide professional services to the business community.

The website is clean in design, portrays a corporate feel and totally user friendly. The site provides an array of services, these include;

* Business Funding Packages * Web Design Services * Search Engine Optimisation Services * Link Building Services * Copywriting Services * Printing Services * Puzzles

Apart from these services the site also contains a business forum that is well maintained and offers plenty of features to its members and a business services directory that is based on traffic delivery rather than boosting page ranking.

The site targets very competitive keywords however this has not stopped it being listed on page one of the major search engines; I find this is very impressive. When I spoke to Pete I asked him about this, his reply was simply. “We wanted to demonstrate our ability at search engine optimisation, the only true way we could do this was to be listed on page 1 for very competitive terms”. I find this commendable and only wish other providers of SEO services would adopt a similar approach.

I found the management team helpful and totally friendly. I am sure this business will go from strength to strength. I understand they also have many more interesting services in the pipleline. I would like to thank Pete and Dan for their time; I know they are both very busy people. I wish them well with the business and look forward to seeing how the site develops in the future.