available A detailed cash flow forecast is essential, not least because outgoings are almost certainly going to rise sooner and faster than revenues. Enough money must be in the pot to keep the core business running. It's a good idea to build in some surplus too, as most projects always take longer to bear fruit than originally predicted. Detailed forecasts regarding sales, working capital and sources of seed funding, and even second round funding, need to be drawn up. Businesses looking for capital investment, apart from bank loans, have three main sources - equity capital provided by the owner(s) or friends and family, venture capital and business angels. You can also see if any development or enterprise grants or loans are available in your area. Equity finance is money invested in a business that is not directly repayable. It could be your own, most likely raised through re-mortgaging a property, or money from others taking a share in the ownership of the business. Venture capital is investment by a fund in a business in the early stages of development. The deal will very often include a right to management involvement. Business angels are private investors taking a minority or majority stake in a business, often contributing valuable business experience in the form of advice and contacts. Our information is provided free of charge and is intended to be helpful to a large range of UK-based (Businesslink.gov) and Qubec-based (infoentrepreneurs.org) businesses. Because of its general nature the information cannot be taken