INTrOduCTION As the UK witnesses record numbers of people starting a business, accessing the funds to start and grow has become a popular topic. In researching and writing this eBook, I’ve come to see that small business lending is an incredibly exciting area as we witness an evolution in the funding options on offer. Note the rise of crowdfunding, the increasing number of corporates opening up accelerators to offer funding, mentoring and space to the brightest of businesses, and the government pumping money into schemes such as StartUp Loans, as well as offering tax incentives to ensure angel investing becomes the norm for proven entrepreneurs and high earners. For the purposes of this eBook we undertook a survey on Enterprise Nation asking where you had turned to look for funds in the past 12 months – and where you will look if raising money in the next 12 months. The results showed, rather unsurprisingly, that ‘friends and family’ was the most popular funding source in 2012. What was more surprising was that in 2012: 8% of respondents turned to crowdfunding and 4% of respondents turned to an accelerator And in the next 12 months: 25% of respondents say they will crowdfund and 14% will apply to an accelerator These were the two biggest winners, with crowdfunding showing the most significant increase across all funding options and, with 1 25% of responses, emerging as the most popular choice for fund- raising in 2013. This bodes well for platforms such as Seedrs, Kickstarter, Crowdcube and Peoplefund.it, all of which are profiled in these pages. As a small business there are other fund-raising options open to you, from charities to government, social enterprise funds to credit cards, and community lenders. Fifty such options are presented in this eBook with links to find out more on the sources that suit you most. There are case studies of companies who have successfully raised funds, from £5,000 to £57,000, and the story of how Ben Ramsden of Pants to Poverty secured his funds through a bonk. Want to know what one of those is? You’ll have to read on! There’s expert advice from bodies including the British Bankers’ Association, UK Business Angels Association and entrepreneurs such as Jeff Lynn, co-founder of Seedrs.com, and the dynamic Simon Devonshire who is spreading the Wayra word across Europe. You may be looking for funds to promote your business, develop a prototype, or for working capital to tide you over from one order to the next. Whatever the reason and however much the amount, I hope you’ll find here a source of funding that provides a perfect match. Emma Jones, Enterprise Nation AbOuT ThE AuThOr Emma Jones is a business expert, author and founder of small business community Enterprise Nation. Her books include Spare Room Start Up, Working 5 to 9 and Go Global: How to take your business to the world. Following a five-year career at an international accounting firm, Emma started her first business at 27. That business was sold 18 months later, and the experience led to Emma’s next venture, Enterprise Nation. Its website (http://www.enterprisenation.com) was launched in 2006 and became the most popular site for home business owners in the UK, attracting over 100,000 visitors each month. In seven years, Enterprise Nation has grown into a community of over 75,000 homegrown businesses that find help and support on its website, in its books and at live events. In 2011, the company gave away over £10,000 in funding to UK start-ups, and has recently launched a premium membership scheme, which helps its members promote their businesses and take their venture to the next level. Emma is also a co-founder of StartUp Britain, a national campaign to encourage more people to start a business. Emma was awarded an MBE for services to enterprise in July 2012.

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