9 Ways of Raising Capital

There are two major sources of funding you can seek for your business: Equity VS Debt Financing. Below there are listed various methods of raising capital for a small business including forms of equity and debt financing. Analyze each option below and determine which method/ methods is better suited for your particular small business.
9 Ways of Raising Capital
1. Saving up your own money- When starting a small business you may not have all the money needed for start up costs; however you should have some money saved up for the purpose of starting your business. Bank lenders in particular are more suspicious of entrepreneurs who don’t invest in their own business. As a result they can decline a loan because of your lack of investment.
2. Borrow from Friends and Family- I know raising capital for small business expenses by asking friends and family for money isn’t fun, but hopefully you can win them over with your great business idea. To avoid complications in the future make sure to have a written agreement stating terms and details of the loan. You wouldn’t want to fight with loved ones over money. Be sure to present your proposition in a professional manner. Show them your business plan, explain to them why they should invest in you, and answer all their questions. If someone is giving you money for your business as a gift, be sure you obtain a letter from them stating the amount of money and that it was a gift. This is precaution to avoid future complications and misunderstandings.
3. Getting a small business loan- When raising capital for small business expenses many entrepreneurs go this route. However before attaining a loan you should be aware that there are many factors associated with business loans such as interest rates, late charges and collateral. Local community banks are often a great place to obtain a business loan. Click here for SME Loans and other Fund sources here.
4. Find a business partner and use their funds- Another way of raising capital for small business expenses is to develop a business partnership with someone who can invest in your business. Make sure to present them with a persuasive explanation for why they should join forces with you.
5. Incorporating your small business- Many entrepreneurs decide to incorporate their businesses for the purpose of raising capital for small business expenses. When you incorporate your small business, you will be able to sell shares of stocks. However when you sell shares of stocks you will also be selling a percentage of the ownership over the business. So if you sell 50% of your corporation’s shares of stocks you are selling 50% of the business ownership.
6. Finding a venture capitalist- Venture Capitalists are professionals who invest in businesses that show a high growth potential. Not only do venture capitalists provide funding for their clients by investing in their business but they also provide valuable business advice and strategies. If a venture capitalist decides to invest in your business it demonstrates to others that they viewed your chances of success to be favorable. However once a venture capitalist decides to invest in your business they often have a say on how it should be run. Since venture capitalists invest in businesses that demonstrate very high and fast growth rates, many small businesses do not meet the criteria.
7. Small Business Investment Companies- Small Business investment companies are venture capitalists targeted for small businesses. They are partnered with the government and provide small businesses with funding in exchange for a percentage of ownership in the business.
8. Angel investors- Finding an angel investor is another way of raising capital for small business expenses. Angel investors are simply private investors who invest money in your business with the belief and hope that in a couple of years they will see a higher return on their investment. After a 5 year period an angel investor may expect a return of at least double their initial investment. Of course starting a small business is risky business so the angel investor may not see any return if your small business fails. Naturally an angel investor will want guaranteed exit provisions in the case that your small business fails. You can find an angel investor by networking with other business owners and small business professionals. You can also subscribe to angel network firms that can match you with an angel investor.
9. Credit Cards – Many small businesses have turned to credit cards in order to pay their small business expenses. Credit Cards may seem like a quick fix but make sure the terms and interest rates are reasonable.
Wait Before you go…
Before raising capital for small business expenses it is important that you first determine how much capital you need for your small business. Create a business budget. Take in consideration that entrepreneurs often underestimate how much money is needed to run a small business and fail to expect the unexpected. For example what if your equipment gets damaged and you need replacements…do you have a back up plan? That is why it is a good idea to always have extra money put aside just in case.
Source: starting-a-small business.com. Sept 2009.


Read more: http://www.pinoybisnes.com/starting-a-business/9-ways-of-raising-capital/#ixzz1qX94G0En

Brainstorming tips

How many times have you come out of a brainstorming session feeling unsatisfied with the results? The team never felt like it got into a rhythm. The idea flow felt like a drizzle versus a storm. None of the ideas that the team spent much time on seemed especially good (BTW, you should never spend a lot of time on any one idea in a brainstorming session). There was one or two people that insisted on dominating the conversation and ended up speaking way too much. This to the frustration of the rest of the group. The good news is that there are just a handful of things you need to do to run a productive and fun brainstorming session.

The overall goal of any brainstorming is to generate a high quantity of ideas. This is really important … it’s all about quantity, NOT quality. You will have plenty of opportunity after brainstorming to evaluate the quality of the ideas generated and select a winner.

So if our goal is quantity, what strategies can we employ to accomplish this? Well, we want to eliminate as many barriers to idea flow as we can. The two main barriers to idea flow are stress/tension and the left-brain’s need to constantly evaluate things. Like I mentioned in my Mind Mapping post … when you are stressed, it is very difficult to think about anything else other than that feeling of stress and maybe what is causing it. Therefore, our strategy is to be relaxed and to conduct the brainstorming at such a fast pace, that the left-brain doesn’t have time to interrupt our flow.

When brainstorming, the process is broken up into three parts:

Setting the Stage
Idea Generation
Evaluating the Ideas (only if there is time)
SETTING THE STAGE

This is when you communicate the objectives, set the tone for the brainstorming, and instruct everyone on how it will be run.

Make the objective Clear

Ensure that everyone in the room clearly understands what the purpose of the brainstorming is. What is the issue that you are all generating ideas for? Write it down as a title at the top of the whiteboard or computer screen.

Setting the Tone

Like I mentioned before, you want the meeting to be relaxed and light-hearted, but at the same time its purpose should be very clear.

It’s your facial expressions, body language, and tone that will have the biggest effect over how relaxed the team will be going into the brainstorming session.

Prior to the meeting, do those things that relax you and put you into a great mood. It could be avoiding that extra cup of coffee, waiting until later to read that upset email from a customer, or reading Dilbert. Figure out what works for you and do it. You should also anticipate that the session will be fun and productive. This”positive visualization” technique used by athletes is very applicable here.

Smile. If you are already relaxed this won’t be hard, and you certainly don’t want to force one. If you smile when explaining how this session will be run, everyone will be more relaxed about it.

This may or may not work for you, but I used to keep a box of toys which I would bring with me to every brainstorming session. It would contain colorful and simple physical puzzles. The idea was that toys automatically set a more light-hearted tone in the room. They also gave people something to fiddle with and didn’t require any of their real mental capacity, which I wanted them to save for idea generation.

Brainstorming Instructions

No matter if this is the first, second, tenth, or hundredth session you have had with this group, always start by reviewing the ground rules for the session. It helps to establish the pace you are after, and it minimizes the chances of anyone being offended by any actions during the session.

These are the instructions you should provide the team before brainstorming begins.

Our goal is to fill this [screen | whiteboard | paper] with as many ideas as possible.
The faster we can generate ideas, the better. Let them flow!
Any and every idea is welcome, including the crazy ones
Don’t provide any negative or positive critique of any idea.
Mis-spelled words are ok. Don’t break our rhythm to provide spelling corrections.
The wrong organization of ideas is ok. When the ideas are captured in an outline or mind map, it is ok if ideas go in the wrong place. That can be fixed later.
No one idea will be discussed longer than 10 seconds. Anything that requires more will be listed on the “Discussion List”. The team will return to items on this list when idea generation is done. We do this because we want to maintain momentum.
Interruptions are ok, and even encouraged, so speak up.
And HAVE FUN!
RUNNING THE ACTUAL BRAINSTORMING SESSION

Plan to capture the ideas in a way that is comfortable and fast for you, and visible to the entire team. You could use the whiteboard, a large pad of paper on an easel, in Word or Excel (Pages or Numbers for us Mac folks), or my favorite … mind maps. Whichever you use is fine, just make sure you are totally fast and comfortable. The last thing you want to do is slow down the team because you are struggling with the tool.

As facilitator, you can start by expressing the first few ideas. Say them and capture them quickly. Prior to the meeting, try to have some ideas in your hip pocket. You will use them to prime the pump.

If no one else offers up any ideas right away, turn to the team with the best look of anticipation you can muster. If still nothing, quickly adding some additional ideas of your own. Do this a couple of times and the ideas should start coming.

You should be quickly writing or typing the ideas. This will convey the fast pace you wish to achieve in the brainstorming.

If anyone breaks a rule such as criticizing ideas or correcting spelling, just provide a quick and gentle reminder that it isn’t necessary and move on.

If anyone begins to settle into a long description of an idea, just say “that’s good stuff, but we need to keep our momentum going. Let’s come back to that“. Then make note of it on the “Discussion List”, and then encourage the team to start generating ideas again.

As the momentum of the brainstorming begins to slow just a little bit (don’t wait for the momentum to stop completely), add a mind map branch for “absurd“, “crazy“, or “magic wand“. You are inviting the team to explore broader possibilities, beyond those that are practical or realistic. This is a great tool that must be included in every brainstorming session.

If you find yourself struggling to capture all the ideas because they are coming so fast … Congratulations, you are running a fantastic brainstorming session! Let yourself smile in a big way and let the team see that. It’s great positive reinforcement for everyone in the room.

WRAPPING UP THE SESSION

A really productive brainstorming session usually runs no more than 30 minutes. I wouldn’t put a time constraint on it though. Just let it run out on its own. Once the team has decided that idea generation is done, return to those items that were put on the Discussion List. Let people finish expressing the thoughts that they had earlier. This could lead to a few more ideas being captured. Depending on the amount of time remaining, the team may want to identify which of the ideas are the best. You can do it together as a group or individually after the meeting is done.

But remember, that long list of ideas was the deliverable you were going after. Having it means that your brainstorming session was a success.

SUMMARY

The best way to run a productive brainstorming session is to make it fast and fun. You make it fun by getting yourself and the team into a relaxed state. And you make it fast so that your left-brain doesn’t have time to stifle your right-brain’s creativity.

And remember, to come up with a few high-quality ideas, you must first produce a high-quantity of ideas. So play the numbers game and generate lots of ideas during your brainstorming sessions.

Good luck, and have fun.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

Do you agree that brainstorming is all about quantity vs. quality?
Do you have your own tools for running a productive brainstorming session?
Can you recall a great brainstorming session that you participated in, and what made it so great?
Conversely, do you remember a bad brainstorming session that you participated in, and what made it so bad?
I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback.

I Travel Philippines

Top 20 Luxury Resorts in the Philippines | Cheap Boracay Package Summer 2012
Posted: 28 Mar 2012 02:49 PM PDT
Philippines is made up of over 7,100 islands and here you can find hundreds of fine beautiful beaches and luxury resorts that will surely make your vacation grand. Here are the top 20 luxury resorts in the Philippines (in alphabetical order).

Aman Resort Amanpulo is the most luxurious resort in the Philippines with sky-rocketing rates that can go over $1,000 per person. For elites who want only the best destination especially for their honeymoon then there’s no better place than Aman Resorts. It’s exclusive and private first-class resort that only the most famous and wealthy can indulge. Rates range from $850 to $4,725.



Amanpulo- Aman Resorts

Antulang Beach Resort is the luxurious resort that Dumaguete can really be proud of. Each villa has its own private pool and also with heated Jacuzzi that’s just perfect for honeymooners or for a family luxury vacation. Each room gives you a breathtaking view of the sea. The white sand beach of Antulang and the 17 dive sites here are just two of the many reasons why tourists love to stay here. Price ranges from $55 to $345+



Antulang Beach Resort


Apulit Island Resort is a luxurious resort in El Nido, Palawan. It used to be named as Club Noah Isabelle Resort. It has 50 water cottages with Filipino style of architecture and each cottage gives you an amazing view of the azure beach of El Nido. Prices range from P18,000+ to over P22,000+.



Apulit Island Resort


Atmosphere Resorts & Spa in Maayong Tubig Dauin, Negros Oriental is a fine luxury resort that is situated in a coconut plantation and is a great venue for those who want to go scuba diving or snorkeling. It’s at the tip of Negros Oriental and this beach front location gives you breathtaking view of the Philippine Sea. You will surely love their spa and their suites. Rate starts from P6,000+ a night.



Atmosphere Resort & Spa

Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa is in Marinduque, southeast part of Luzon. Its architecture is Santorini-inspired and from the sky you’d see the mixture of the white buildings of the resort mixed in with the lush green of the island and surrounded by dark blue waters. A true paradise with price ranging from $680 to $2,200 per room or villa/night.



Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa

Part 1 2 3 4

Boracay Tour Package Summer 2012 – PhP6,700/Pax (Airfare Included)

To continue with our Philippine promotion we offer you the most economical price Boracay has to offer providing you with a licensed local tourist coordinator to accompany you and guide you with the water sports activities you should try and spot the latest and coolest place to hang out in the island. Our new Boracay Package lets you stay in a 4 star hotel that’s very affordable for groups, families and honeymoon get away.

Boracay Island on High… Summer 2012!

PhP6,700/person – quad sharing
PhP7,200/person – triple sharing
PhP7,700/person – quad sharing
Travel Dates: December 15, 2011 – June 15,2012 [Dec. 20-Jan. 05; Chinese New Year & Holy Week]
No of pax: 4 pax
No of room: 1 room

Rates are still subject for availability on you actual prefered dates

Package Details, Inclusive of:

Round trip Airfare via Zest Air [MANILA-KALIBO-MANILA]
Round trip Airport transfer (land and sea)
2 nights, accommodation, La Carmela de Boracay – standard room: Fully Air-conditioned Bedroom, with two (2) 48? beds, cable TV, hot and cold shower, mini-refrigarator, PABX telephone, in-room electronic safe.
Daily BUFFET BREAKFAST
Welcome drinks
Not Included:

Terminal Fee (Airport) Php 240 roundtrip
Environmental Fee (Caticlan Port) Gov’t tax Php 175 roundtrip
Flight details:

MANILA TO KALIBO 1210PM TO 0110PM
KALIBO TO MANILA 1225PM TO 0125PM
Depending on availability of rooms, we also use:

Boracay Courtyard
Bamboo Beach Resort
Boracay Peninsula
Las Brisas de Boracay and
and your choice of hotel as well subject for re-computation and availability.

Should you have further questions please let me know.

TNA TRAVEL AND TOURS PHILIPPINES INC

http://www.facebook.com/travelnowasia

Mobile No: +639175322389
Office No: (632) 9847213
Telefax: (632) 5767507