You have to have money to make money, the saying goes. But how do you get that seed money for your greatest-of-its-kind unique business idea? Especially when you need a lot of it? Venture Capital!
Options for Financing a New Business
When you start a new business, you’re going to need cash for all kinds of things – physical space, furniture, equipment, office supplies, prototypes, and sooner than later, payroll. New business owners have a few options for raising capital:

Personal Savings:  Empty your own bank account or tap the equity in your home.
Loans:  Borrowing from banks or family members can get you started.
Bootstrapping: …read more

Not too much to drive you to drink this week.
Here’s are some money stories for your weekend:

The Business Insider Green Sheet reported on the drop in venture capital flowing to green technologies. Come on guys, Earth Day’s coming! (Come back Monday for the ABCs of VC.)
SustainableBusiness.com covered the national youth movement to get Congress to pass stronger climate legislation to address emission reduction targets, transition America to 100% clean energy, and eliminates loopholes that allow companies to continue polluting.
The Third Sector looked at a new report on the financing crisis in non-profits. (In my community, the United Way just cut all distributions by …read more

The last time I wrote about Mark Cuban was when the SEC charged him with insider trading. Now, Mr. Cuban has made the news for some positive investing practices.
He has established the Mark Cuban Stimulus Plan to “figure out how to help the economy.”
In a nutshell, Mr. Cuban has invited entrepreneurs to post their business plans on his site, blogmaverick.com.
In return for posting their plans, Mr. Cuban will consider funding their ventures.
Since the Mark Cuban Stimulus Plan was initiated in February, there have been some interesting submissions. You can view Naked Pizza and Wickler, both of which have deals “in the works” according to …read more

“Once regarded as irrelevant to economic activity, environmental problems are drastically rewriting the rules for business, investors, and consumers, affecting over $100 billion in annual capital flows,” say Worldwatch Institute project co-directors Gary Gardner and Thomas Prugh.
The world’s first global, sustainable market is becoming a reality according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute. Environmental initiatives, revolutionary industrial production methods and a surge in environmentally focused investment groups are all highlighted among the increasingly important role that environmental issues play in the new world economy.
Another sign of dramatic change is the 575 environmental and energy hedge funds now in …read more

Solar has become the leading sector of the greentech market with a fast transformation in recent reboom years. Greentech Media recently reported
VC investment in the solar industry has gone from a few deals in 2004 to potentially reach $1B in 2007. This phenomenal investment growth is spurring innovation and efficiency in every sector of the booming $15B solar industry. We are seeing a VC-funded entrepreneurial wave get the attention of incumbent solar vendors, private equity investors, government, and even reach the public consciousness at the consumer level.
The solar industry is fast growing at 25% per year, a trend that is …read more