This book is designed to guide you through the maze of financial programs and direct your business to the right type of financing.

The Small Business Financial Resource Guide is self-descriptive - it is a guide to the resources and types of financing your business will need. Financial information is available from many sources in both the public and private sectors. The public sector includes federal, state, and local governments. The private sector includes banks, non-bank lenders, financial institutions, businesses and associations that work directly with small business.

Section One provides an introduction to business planning and financial success, including why businesses fail and how to use your business plan to get a loan. Section One also provides a description of the financial landscape - what types of loans are available, who is involved, and how financial institutions work with the government to increase the flow of capital to small business.

Section Two discusses how to obtain business financing, loan documentation preparation, understanding the financial statements and the most common financial ratio analysis required with typical loan applications, and checklists of documents required when you present your loan requests. There are also private-sector resources, state and federal government resources, and quasi-government resources that can provide help in certain areas. Also discussed is what happens after the loan is approved.

Section Three points businesses to specific federal government resources for financial assistance. Selected sources of federal financing for short and long-term needs (including special opportunities for minorities) are described.

Section Four is a state-by-state directory of programs and assistance funded or delivered primarily at the state and local level. For the convenience of users of this book, certain federal contacts, such as U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) district offices, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) state offices are also listed in this section.

Section Five provides an overview of private-sector financial assistance resources for small businesses, including venture capital, development companies, and small business investment companies. Next-step resources such as business and trade associations and on-line resources are also described.

Section Six is just for women business owners. It lists resources at the federal, state and local levels to help women gain access to capital, counseling, procurement opportunities, and technical assist.

Finally, a glossary of common financial terms, many of which are used in this book, is included to provide a quick reference for important terms and concept.

The International Laser Tag Association provides this 160+ document as a downloadable Adobe Acrobat .pdf file for its Developer Members. They may download the seven sections HERE.