1Bank and SBA loans
- Good for
- Businesses with steady sales and some history
- Costs you
- Interest, and usually a personal guarantee
- Speed
- Weeks to a few months
Your funding plan in about three minutes.
Start with two quick answers. On the next page we ask a few more, then rank the kinds of money that fit, show what each costs, and give you a checklist.
- The best fits for your business, ranked
- What each one really costs you
- What to prepare before you ask
Where are you on the road?
Pick your stop to see the money that usually fits it.
Six kinds of money, in plain English.
Every kind of money has a price. Sometimes it's interest, sometimes it's part of your company, sometimes it's paperwork. Know the price before you ask.
2Revenue-based financing
- Good for
- Recurring or predictable monthly sales
- Costs you
- A share of monthly revenue until a set amount is repaid
- Speed
- Days to weeks
3Angel investors
- Good for
- Startups aiming to grow fast
- Costs you
- A slice of your company, often through a SAFE or note
- Speed
- Usually months
4Equity crowdfunding
- Good for
- Products with fans who want a stake
- Costs you
- Equity plus platform fees, through an SEC-registered portal
- Speed
- Months, including the campaign
5Grants
- Good for
- Research, nonprofits and specific programs
- Costs you
- No repayment, but a lot of paperwork
- Speed
- Months
6Friends and family
- Good for
- Your very first dollars
- Costs you
- Relationships, if it goes wrong. Put it in writing
- Speed
- Fast
The Playbook
The complete guide to raising money, rebuilt.
Our original guide, first published in 2000, is being rewritten chapter by chapter for SAFEs, crowdfunding, revenue-based financing and today's rules. Get each chapter as it lands. See the chapters →
- 1Where money comes fromComing soon
- 2What your company is worthComing soon
- 3Founder stock and vestingComing soon
- 4Tax choices you can’t fix laterComing soon
- 5A business plan investors finish readingComing soon
- 6Forecasts that survive questionsComing soon
- 7Raising a private roundComing soon
- 8Keeping your team and your cashComing soon
Tools that do the math for you
Free, no sign-up needed.
- SAFE calculatorSee what a post-money SAFE converts into.
- Dilution calculatorWhat a priced round does to your ownership.
- Loan calculatorMonthly payment, total interest and a schedule.
- Runway calculatorHow long your cash lasts, and when to raise.
- Readiness scoreWhat lenders and investors will ask, before they ask.
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Rather have it done for you?
Business plans, funding plans, valuation estimates and investor kits. Answer our questions, upload your numbers, and get documents drafted with AI and reviewed by a person. One flat fee each.
See services and prices →- Funding Plan · $299Which money fits your business, how much to raise, and exactly what to prepare.
- Valuation Estimate · $499An indicative value range for your business, built from your numbers with standard methods.
- Business Plan · $799A complete, lender- or investor-ready business plan written from your answers and your numbers.
- Investor Kit · $1,499Everything angel investors ask for first: pitch deck, one-page summary, model and data-room checklist.
Got an idea? Put it out there.
Post a raise page about what you're building and what you need: customers, a co-founder, a partner, a loan or investors. Every page is reviewed before it goes live.
Independent, and not a broker
RaisingMoney.com explains how raising capital works. We aren't a broker-dealer, funding portal, adviser or lender, and we don't take a cut of anything you raise. More about us · How we write