Innovative Way To Finance The Entrepreneur Dream


Borrow from your future

Statistics show that more than one million people in the United States start a new business each year. That number would be much higher if all the would-be entrepreneurs had the financing required to get a business up and running. In order to accomplish their dream of business ownership, entrepreneurs are finding new and innovative ways to finance their new ventures.

According to Leonard Fischer, President/CEO of BeneTrends, one of these new financing options is the use of a person’s existing retirement funds-a pension, profit sharing, 401(k), IRA-which allows that person to start the business he or she has always dreamed of without tax penalties, consequences or mountains of debt.

Under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), retirement funds can be transferred into usable capital for business investments or operations. If a person has more than $40,000 in a retirement account and is not currently employed by the company that holds those funds, he or she qualifies for this Small Business Administration (SBA)-recognized financing approach to start a business.

Permissible uses of funds

Retirement funds can be used for any business purpose, including:

  • Purchasing a franchise or existing business
  • Start-up expenses, such as purchasing property, equipment, etc.
  • Working capital, including paying salaries, franchise fees, etc.
  • Business expansion, such as funding additional franchises, locations, etc.
  • Equity toward SBA or other loans.

    The thought of dipping into one’s retirement can cause some apprehension. Through this investment strategy an individual actually has more control over his/her retirement-instead of gaining minimal growth dependent on the stock market, those savings are actually being invested in one’s own business. This approach often allows an individual to set aside more money for retirement than ever before.

    Use a plan expert

    “Today’s entrepreneur faces an environment of tremendous competition, complexity and opportunity, so starting a business the right way is more important than ever,” says Dr. Germain Boer, Director of Vanderbilt University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. “This financing method is a good option for an individual who has accumulated funds in his/her retirement accounts.”

    The entire process generally takes two to four weeks to be completed, and can be done by phone, email, fax, FedEx and regular mail.

    Working with an experienced employee benefits plan expert, starting a business is as simple as these four steps:

    Next steps

    1. Establish a C-corporation.
    2. The new corporation creates a retirement plan.
    3. Funds are rolled over into the corporation’s new retirement plan.
    4. The new retirement plan purchases the stock of the corporation.

      “So many people have watched their dream of owning their own business go out the window due to lack of funding options. We help people achieve that dream every day using money they already have,” says Fischer.

      If you’re ready to explore this innovative financing option, be sure to consult an expert to guide you through the specialized process.

      Laser Focused Entrepreneur’s Niche Market Selection

      One of the keys to being a successful Web Entrepreneur is choosing a niche. Among the challenges of the World Wide Web is its expansive reach and versatile nature. According to the old adage, the best thing about the Web is that you can do virtually anything; the worst thing about the Web is that you can do virtually anything.

      Pick a starting point that you’re interested in and stick with it until you are successful or you have established that your idea is not as profitable as you originally thought. So, when you begin to market, you may ask where do I start? Obviously you don’t want to compete with some of the large mega companies on the Web. However, there are great opportunities for small operators who have a lot of flexibility.

      Analyze what you are selling or what you want to sell. It should be in an area that you know a lot about or want of learn about. It may have wide appeal, but think of the people it appeals to most. For example, does your product appeal to musicians?

      That’s a pretty wide market. Narrow it down. Who is most likely to be interested, singers or instrumentalists? From there you might want or need to narrow it even further. For example, your product might appeal to musicians of a certain age, or musicians who favor a certain kind of music or even a particular singer.

      After narrowing it down as far as you can, think of appropriate keywords. Search on Google to see how many sites come up using these keywords. Next use a site that tracks keyword usage (such as Word Tracker or Overture) to see if there are plenty of users looking for that information. If there are enough potential customers and the competition is low, you may have found your niche.

      After you have chosen your niche, try to use it in your Website title. This can help your Website ranking. Another tool for choosing a niche is to study the competition and find out how to make your site unique. Choosing a niche will help your Website stand out. Find one with plenty of potential customers and little competition and you have a very good chance to accelerate your business growth.