Raising Dough : The Complete Guide to Financing a Socially Responsible Food Business

More and more entrepreneurs are using food-based businesses to solve social and environmental problems - and yet the majority of them report that a lack of access to capital prevents them from launching, maintaining, or growing their ventures. __Raising Dough__ is an unprecedented guide to the full range of financing options available to support sustainable food businesses.__Raising Dough__ provides valuable insights into the world of finance, including:* Descriptions of various capital options, including traditional debt and equity, government grant and loan programs, and cutting-edge models such as crowdfunding and community-based alternatives* Guiding questions to help determine which capital options are the most appropriate given the size, stage, entity type, growth plans, mission, and values of an enterprise* Case studies and testimonials highlighting the experiences of food system entrepreneurs who have been there before, including both success stories and cautionary tales* Referrals to sources of capital, financiers, investor networks, and other financial resources. Written primarily for people managing socially responsible food businesses, the resources and tips covered in this book will benefit social entrepreneurs - and their investors - working in any sector. More and more entrepreneurs are using food-based businesses to solve social and environmental problems - and yet the majority of them report that a lack of access to capital prevents them from launching, maintaining, or growing their ventures. Raising Dough is an unprecedented guide to the full range of financing options available to support sustainable food businesses. Raising Dough provides valuable insights into the world of finance, including: Descriptions of various capital options, including traditional debt and equity, government grant and loan programs, and cutting-edge models such as crowdfunding and community-based alternatives Guiding questions to help determine which capital options are the most appropriate given the size, stage, entity type, growth plans, mission, and values of an enterprise Case studies and testimonials highlighting the experiences of food system entrepreneurs who have been there before, including both success stories and cautionary tales Referrals to sources of capital, financiers, investor networks, and other financial resources. Written primarily for people managing socially responsible food businesses, the resources and tips covered in this book will benefit social entrepreneurs - and their investors - working in any sector. 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.--Page 4 de la couverture "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."--Provided by publisher 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 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 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 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.