New business funding options.

Equity

Equity investors take partial ownership of your company in exchange for capital (most common) or other resources such as education and networks. This is great for startups with a high growth plan but can be difficult to secure before some customer traction.

Examples

• Angel investors
• Venture capitalists
• Startup incubators

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Paintbrush Loan ^TM

Paintbrush provides a commercial term loan for new businesses through our banking partner, Continental Bank, member FDIC. You maintain full ownership of your company, and the loan is guaranteed by the founder with income-driven repayment.

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Business debt

Loans for small businesses are available from banks, fintechs, and others. They come with a variety of terms, however they are typically only available to businesses with a few years of history and usually come with a personal guarantee.

Examples

• SBA Loan
• SMB line of credit
• Merchant cash advance

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Bootstrap

Founders use their own resources (time and money), or customer revenue (hooray!) to get the business off the ground. This can be a tough path for founders without a lot of money or quick path to customer revenue.

Examples

• Moonlight
• Savings
• 401k
• Business income
• Sell assets

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Awarded funds

This is startup money you get after meeting certain (often stringent) criteria, but that afterwards usually does not require repayment or giving up ownership. Aka “free money.” Lucky you!

Examples

• Startup competitions
• Grants
• Crowdfunding

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Personal debt

Although typically a violation of a loan’s terms, some founders will take out a personal loan to cover startup expenses. Rates and terms vary, however these loans are typically not suited for startup growth.

Examples

• Home equity line of credit (HELOC)
• Refinance house
• Personal loan from bank
• Loans from friends and family
• Personal credit cards

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