Financing a business falls into three overarching categories:
Debt financing: You borrow money from a lender and pay it back with interest.
Equity financing: You find investors to finance your business in exchange for equity, or ownership, in your business.
Creative financing: You explore alternative sources for financing, such as grants, competitions, using your personal savings, etc.
You might choose to finance your business using only one of these methods, or a combination.