4 Little-Known Funding Hacks to Boost Your Business Growth
Sometimes I think we’ve been conditioned to believe external investment is the only route to business growth.
Don’t get me wrong, fundraising at any stage can be just what’s needed. I’m not just talking VC finance, but all debt and equity funding forms.
Nothing comes free, and the downside of taking on unnecessary debt — or getting equity partner timing and terms wrong — can prove fatal.
With that in mind, plenty of creative ways exist to supercharge growth.
One is customer-funded growth. An obvious example is pre-selling products or services, like events businesses like Glastonbury. The right model allows scaling without prohibitive cash flow constraints.
Another is licensing others’ intellectual property. This can reduce your competitive moat, and you definitely want to avoid becoming a glorified franchisee. But returns can be substantial with a reliable partner at the right business cycle stage and decent IP.
Growing by acquiring other businesses is something close to my heart. Opportunities almost always exist to acquire in financially realistic ways for you and them. Just get the right advice.
And possibly my favourite growth route is through JVs or partnerships. I know countless businesses basically built on this principle — providing access to capabilities, connections and customers they don’t have and vice versa.
#NextLevelGrowth #ExitLaunchpad #M&A #GrowthHacking
