Getting Finance for a Stationary Business

Before you can secure any kind of finance you are going to need a business plan, this is essential for any business that is looking to go the distance. It should clearly state what your business goals are and a time frame in which you expect to achieve them. Perceived costs and expenses should be accounted for before entering into any venture.

It’s prudent to cost for each of the following areas;

What specific feature or attribute is your Stationary business going to offer customers that they cant get right now from someone else, what is your Unique Selling Point ?(USP). The basic products are going to be the same i.e. stationary so it will have to be either the strategic location of your store, the level of service that you are going to provide, a delivery service for your large corporate orders or another price related benefit.  

It’s important each and every product that you sell is accompanied by outstanding customer service, thereby ensuring a happy and content customer base and in turn customer loyalty.

In today’s world any company that offers Stationary must ensure that they have a web presence. Often this can be your first point of contact with your customers, and it can be perceived as a key indicator as to the level of spec and service that your potential customers can expect to receive from you in the future.

Once you’ve put together this information you can move on to a vital element of your business model the ‘Marketing Mix’ and SWOT analysis. What are your businesses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities to exploit if any? What are your threats i.e. the competition and market trends/ seasonal spikes.

• Have you analyzed the market for your product or service? Have you segmented the market into differing user groups? Have you formulated a marketing message that is understandable by your potential customers, have you described how your product or service will benefit your clients?
• Have you prepared a pricing schedule? Are you going to offer discounts, if so to whom and for how much?
• Have you prepared a sales forecast?
• What type of media will you use in your marketing campaign? For Web design companies it’s likely that you will be relient on word of mouth and blogging, as the other mediums will prove to be just too expensive to justify.
• What type of after sales service/customer service or support will you offer?
• Is ‘packaging’ going to appeal to your target market, does it matter? Are you going to have a staff uniform, smart or casual what kind of image are you trying to portray to your potential employers?  Distribution; how? And with what?

Every business needs finance in some guise or another, and fortunately there are lots of different types of finance available.

Bank Finance; banks lend you money and you pay back the amount borrowed plus a designated rate of interest over the loan period. Equity finance can be raised by external investors. Venture Capitalists are speculators that are willing to exchange money for equity in your company.

Business Angels generally require a smaller stake or controlling interest in your business and are in it for the long term, not expecting an immediate return on their investment.

If you are considering utilising the banks’ finances as a source of funding for your business expansion or business start-up, then you will need to consider;

• How much capital do you need?
• What is going to be your repayment period/schedule?
• Is your company able to repay the loans within that period?
• How solvent are you and the business?
• What’s your financial position?
• What’s your credit rating?
• Have you read the terms and conditions fully and are you aware of the consequence of none payment?
• Finally have you shopped around for the best rate? It’s worth considering that a loan with seemingly the lowest APR is not always the best option, read the terms and conditions thoroughly.

Venture capitalist investors are private investors that provide funds to new, expanding, struggling or stagnant businesses. Venture capital investors generally make high-risk investments or those which are going to offer the greatest return or for a percentage of ownership of the company. A venture capitalist (VC) is a person who makes such investments. A venture capital fund is an investment partnership that generally invests the financial capital of third-party investor into businesses that are often deemed too risky for standard capital markets or bank loans.

Some venture capitalists take on a partnership role in the businesses they invest in. The majority will take an active role in their new interest, however some merely provide funding and then step aside, preferring to let the experts handle the day to day details of running their businesses.