Often, Extreme Molding is approached by product inventors who are also new entrepreneurs. With our years of experience working with “mom-preneurs” for example, we’re the right partners for you. (See The Importance of Your Relationship with Your Injection Molding Manufacturer by our Business Development Manager, Mike Fil).
Sometimes though, new entrepreneurs do struggle to raise the funds that they need for startup costs. When launching a new product with a contract manufacturer like Extreme Molding, there will be an investment in an injection mold, the cost of your first production run, packaging (materials & labor) and more. (See Our Process for more details on the steps we take to go from Quote to Manufacturing with you).
So if you’re just starting out, how can you raise the funds to pay for all of this? Here are some traditional and more creative ways a new business could finance its startup manufacturing costs, along with some Pros and Cons for each:
From Kickstarter, to Indiegogo, GoFundMe, Rocket Hub and more there are a plethora of crowdfunding sites that have opened up, some with different focuses and all great ways to fund the launch of your project.
We often think of the TV Show Shark Tank when we think of investors in new businesses and products. A quick search will reveal an equally large number of VC firms, investor networking services and listings where new start ups can find ways to pitch their product ideas.
One traditional method of funding is through SBA loans and grants. While the application process and compliance standards can be cumbersome, if navigated it can be helpful for startup and ongoing funding.
The bank you use personally, may also be willing to extend credit to your new business with a start up loan or a revolving LOC which can give you even more flexibility for start up and beyond. Even Accounting Software Company Intuit QuickBooks offers small business credit products these days.
Many new entrepreneurs make the choice to personally finance their business, then they can work to repay that later as their business grows. These options can include using savings, charging some costs to a credit card, taking personal loans, using home equity, taking loans from retirement accounts and similar.
There are certainly other alternative and “out of the box” methods for raising funds to cover startup costs such as product pre-sales, peer-to-peer lending and micro-lending services, Purchase Order or Accounts Receivable financing, borrowing from friends and family or offering them advisory shares in exchange for low or no interest loans and much, much more.
Remember, you should always consult your own financial, legal, and tax advisors and do your research for the approach that will work best for you and your new business. This article has been written for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide any tax, legal or accounting advice to be relied upon.
Let the small business partnership experts at Extreme Molding work with you to manufacturer your plastic or silicone product efficiently and domestically right here in America. Contact us today!