Managing a growing business is not just a full time job, it is a labour of love. Trying to find funding for your business can be the complete opposite, with your advances spurned and your carefully prepared plans rejected.

This can be a painful and frustrating process but knowing who, when and how to ask the question can make things much simpler.

Finding the right funding partner is not just about identifying someone who can provide the amount of funding you are looking for, it is also about finding the type of funding that is right for the needs and profile of your business.

This is a concept that is overlooked by many business managers in their understandable urgency to secure the cash they need to support and grow their businesses but it is also the reason so many approaches are turned down.

Each type of funding product has its own specific needs.

Loans need to be repaid and businesses must generate excess cash from trading, usually relatively quickly, to be able to do so.

Investors are looking for a substantial return in exchange for a cash commitment and a business must be able to increase its value several times over for this to be achieved.

Grants are provided to further the aims of the organisation providing them and businesses seeking them need to be able to contribute to that wider goal, whether or not this specifically assists their commercial aspirations.

There are many more products with their own requirements.

And it’s not that simple. Not all loan providers, investors or providers of similar products have the same outlook, processes, requirements or assessment procedures.

Navigating your way around all of this can be a daunting task if you don’t have the time available to keep up to date on all the latest developments, especially as this isn’t the main focus of your business.

This is where experienced help can be invaluable, not just in guiding you to identify the amount and type of funding appropriate to your business, but in knowing how to put your case effectively.

If you’re a business with high growth potential, contact the Grow Cornwall team to see how we can assist you with your funding needs.