Raising dough
Subtitle: the complete guide to financing a socially responsible food business
By: Elizabeth Ü ; foreword by Michael Shuman
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2013
Language: eng
Number of pages: 264
ISBN-13: 9781603584289
Subjects: Small business; Finance; Social responsibility of business
Description: Increasingly, food-based businesses are seen as key solutions to solve our social and environmental problems, and yet entrepreneurs report a surprising lack of access to money to help them get started or grow. Raising Dough is an unprecedented guide that provides social entrepreneurs - as well as their potential supporters - the tools necessary to enable more of these businesses to launch and thrive. Through a mix of case studies and her own personal expertise, social-finance expert Elizabeth U explains what every budding entrepreneur should do even before they begin asking for money, including choosing an appropriate ownership model. She covers a wide range of possible funding sources, from traditional public and institutional grant and loan programs to cutting-edge, community crowdfunding models. Written primarily for people managing socially responsible food businesses, Raising Dough includes resources, strategies, and lessons that can benefit any socially minded entrepreneur and those who would support them, including investors.--COVER.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-242) and index.
Table of contents: title: Pt. 1: Preparing for outside capital. It's never too early to start building relationships ; Clarifying your values ; Choosing an entity type ; Putting your personal money house in order ; Befriending the books : tracking and reporting your venture's finances ; Getting down to business; title: Pt. 2: It takes a village : raising money from your community. Raising gifts from individuals ; Community-supported models ; Money from the masses : crowdfunding online ; Investment offerings and the law; title: Pt. 3: Borrower be : debt financing. How it works : debt concepts ; Investing in your own business : Sources of personal debt ; Loans from friends, family, and others ; Take it to the bank...or to another commercial lender ; Federal grant and loan programs; title: Pt. 4: Selling equity : the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Individual and angel investors ; How it works : equity concepts ; Stepping it up : venture capital and other institutional investors ; Working with foundations ; Selling without selling out.