Learn Bank Speak

Silicon Valley, New York City, Sydney and the World:   When you are just  starting, it is usually about your money, called MOM, an acronym for My Own Money. It is also called "skin in the game."  Very few of us have a track record and can write a business plan that is so compelling that we begin with Other People's Money (OPM).

If you are growing, there is an abundance of stagnant capital that may be looking just for you.  Qualified investors (and people who believe in you) are looking for ways to grow their money either as a loan or as an investment for equity. It will require an excellent business concept, a well-detailed business plan (your story), and real financial projections. They will also require that you understand your financials, even if they are quite modest. Those numbers are the organics of a business, the basic 1-2-3s.

Business is just a series of problem-solving exercises. That's its nature.  If you do not have the stomach for it, get a job. If you think money is going to be given to you just because you have a good idea, keep your job!

* All episodes of the show that have aired on PBS stations and the Voice of America.  This  includes NJN-TV  for NYC and NJ, KCSM-TV  for San Francisco, WOUC-TV in Ohio, and City Channel 25, Milwaukee.