As an entrepreneur you will have to look into getting the funds to manage your operations – and ultimately make a profit. In the medium to long term these funds would be generated via your sales. However, when you are just starting out these funds might not yet be available. You may therefore need to look into financing your operations via:

• Personal savings
• Family and friends
• Private investors
• Bank loans
• Grants
• Business Angels
• Venture Capital Funds

In the early stages entrepreneurs often either fund themselves or rely on friends and family while they develop their business or social enterprise idea, improve their understanding of the environment in which they plan to operate, collect information on their target market, customers and potential competitors and fine-tune their product or service offering. Before they can apply for more formal and external sources of funding they will usually have had to collect enough information to put a detailed business plan together.

Useful websites

• British Business Angels Association

  National trade association dedicated to promoting angel investing and supporting early stage investment in the UK.

• British Venture Capital Association (BVCA)

  Industry body and public policy advocate for the private equity and venture capital industry in the UK

• Bytestart

  Thorough website devoted to business startup information.

• Fund 'R Venture

  Gain funding to give your start up the boost it needs through crowdfunding or bid writing with the help of Fund 'R Venture.

• Greater London Enterprise

  Access to equity and debt finance for small and medium enterprises in London.

• HM Revenue & Customs

  Information needed when starting a new business especially related to tax and national insurance.

• Invest Europe (formerly the EVCA)

  Invest Europe – formerly the EVCA - is the association representing Europe’s private equity, venture capital and infrastructure sectors, as well as their investors.

• London Development Agency

  Help and advice for small businesses.

• Prince's Trust

  Give practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. Can provide mentors.

• Research Council UK (RCUK)

  Links to UK research councils from where you can find details of funding opportunities, including scholarships and awards. Offers a unique Business Plan Competition tailored to providing researchers who have ideas with commercial potential the skills, knowledge and support needed to develop a first-rate business plan.

• Room for Tea

  A scheme to match up interns looking for affordable accommodation with older adults that have a spare room in their homes. Interns hoping to come to work in London will face a large shortage in affordable housing. 

• Startups.co.uk

  Source of business advice, inspiration, supplier comparisons and seed funding (via the Start-up Series)

• The National Council for Voluntary Organisations

  National Council for Voluntary Organisations has lots of useful tips, aimed at the not for profit sector. Local Voluntary Sector networking groups can be particularly good for useful links. National Council for Voluntary Organisations has lots of useful tips, aimed at the not for profit sector. Local Voluntary Sector networking groups can be particularly good for useful links.

• UnLtd

  A charity which supports social entrepreneurs