Get Cash Keep Control BLOG

By Stefania Aulicino

Prehistoric man consumed virtually all his waking day hunting for food to just survive. In his more advanced state, Man leaned to FARM. When he no longer had to worry about just surviving, Man liberated his creativity and mankind took a quantum leap forward. What would a quantum leap look like for your company? More revenue? More profit? More delegation, more free time? Bigger net worth? Perhaps a bigger difference in the world- in a way only you can make.

Why not F.A.R.M. for cash? All it takes is Faith in your passion; Assemble your own unique financing solution; Relationships- Leverage them! And M… I’ll tell you about that latter.

FARMing for cash lets you use the business skills you already have to get the cash you need to grow. Your company’s success to date is a testament to the fact you have the skills it takes.

FAITH is the skill you use to convert a prospect into a buying customer. That’s the same skill needed to convert any individual into a funding source for your company.

You keep in touch with touch with childhood friends- most don’t know what you do, but they trust you! You have earned integrity with the many people you work with in your industry. All these people need to put money to work, and based on the fact they have FAITH that you are a trustworthy place to put money to work, you begin to realize that virtually every one you know is a potential source of cash. In today’s economic environment, just as banks are not lending as usual, and the stock markets are less attractive than usual, much of the money is “outside” the normal system. Lots of people you know have money they want to put to work. And many of these people have FAITH in your passion and would like to fuel it. But, only if you ask them, and only if you Go Direct!

ASSEMBLE is the skill you use to turn raw materials and components into new business solutions. That’s the same skill needed to convert generic dollars into your own unique financial solutions.

The secret to getting the cash you want is to divide your financial needs into small pieces. When you do, ownership control is just not an issue! I call that the Mosaic Approach. Now you can reach out to all the players in your Business-EcoSystem, who see themselves as benefiting from your company’s success (vendors, customers, and even people who may not even know what you do but respect your integrity and have FAITH in your passion and would like to share in your success). When you ASSEMBLE lots of smaller sums of “generic dollars” from different people at different times–only when each is ready– you end up with a unique financial solution- and control. Go Direct! And the benefit is no fees/commission and no time delay!

RELATIONSHIP is the skill you use to charge different prices for the same product/service to different customers (just like the phone company!). That’s the same skill that lets you get the same number of dollars from different people at different costs to you. Cash on your terms. It’s all about Relationship- and how you leverage it. Offer friends 2 to 3 times the market interest rate and they will be happy with a return of principle with interest and the opportunity to help you out. Reach out to those in your EcoSystem whose own business benefits from your success and be creative with commercial relationships- price a geographic exclusive territory for a customer to sell your product with upfront fees, or ask for 180 day terms from a vendor who will profit from the success of your newest product. When you discover someone who really understands your industry and can offer true value to help you achieve safe, profitable growth, then you can exchange small amounts of ownerships (1% or 2 % ).

Based on your unique Relationships of those who have Faith in your passion, you can easily Assemble several hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars composed of Mosaic pieces to make up your unique financial solution to get cash on your terms. And you can Go Direct! So, what about the last letter of F.A.R.M.? M stands for Matchmaker.

MATCHMAKER is the skill you use to get cash and keep control when your vision requires the deep pockets of professional venture capitalists. That’s the same skill that lets you seek out an expertise you lack that turns your growth potential into profitable reality, when you add the right person in the right seat on your bus.

When you want Venture Capital, you are no longer in a position to Go Direct! to get cash for yourself. Not because of you, but because of the money. For 1 in 10 business owner’s – perhaps like you – whose vision is so great that you need $5 million, $10 million or more, then farming for cash looks more like Agri-business. That takes deep pocket professional investors. But venture capitalist are different sources that the sources you have been dealing with so far. Venture Capitalist are “agents”, investing the funds of others. That’s different from the “principal” investors you approached directly. Principal investors are people you know, who are investing their own funds and making their own decisions. To reach out to agents you need M which stands for Matchmaker. Your Matchmaker builds the credibility you lack with the professional Venture Capital community so that you can get cash and keep control even with these professionals.

F.A.R.M. works for 10 of 10 business owners who need cash to grow their company to its next level of profitable growth.

For 9 of 10 business owners, who need only a few million dollars, Faith, Assemble, Relationships are sufficient skills to empower you to access all the cash you need DIRECTLY, so Go Direct!

For 1 in 10 business owners, who need deep pocket venture capital money, empower yourself with the skills of a Matchmaker.

Don’t HUNT for cash to grow your company. F.A.R.M. for cash in any economic environment and get cash and keep control to achieve your company’s quantum leap.

Stefania Aulicino, president of CapitalLinkUSA ensures business owns get cash to keep control of a bigger, more profitable company, faster, safer than they ever thought possible- in any economy. Let us help you become a magnet for non equity and equity sources to fuel your growth. Please explore our tools, solutions and consulting options tailored for different growth stages and different budgets: www.CashAndControl.com

By Stefania Aulicino

Just imagine what you could do with cash in the current environment. Thought the only cash available now is vulture money? Money that wants control? Think again!

Stop hunting and start farming for cash in the current environment.

Prehistoric man spent most of his waking day hunting for food. In his more evolved state he learned the value of farming. Besides controlling his own source of food, he freed up time which could be spent in other pursuits. Why not apply the same logic to sourcing your own growth capital. Economic self sufficiency is the result of farming vs hunting for cash.

Let me offer 3 ways to farm for funding sources

1. Seek out those who share your passion
2. Divide your financing needs into small pieces
3. Personalize each funding

1^st : seek out those who share your passion. You’ve been planting seeds for years; now is time to harvest. Notice you did not plant just one kind of seed. You know people who understand your industry; you know people who have no clue what you do, but they trust you; others respect your reputation and trust you even though they may not have ever met you personally because they “know” you through your trade association or your successful customer relationships.

2^nd Divide our needs into small pieces In your circle right now are people who can offer you small amounts- $10,000’s; as well as individuals who could offer you $100,000’s. In aggregate- the people you know right now- personally, approaches millions of dollars of growth funding- cheap. With farming you get to go direct- you don’t need an intermediary- which means no commissions, no fees, no delay. And it’s a win win. These are individuals looking for places they can trust to put their money to work, and you are already uniquely positioned as trust-worthy with them. Farming means you have alternative people to harvest, when they are ready. In today’s environment there is more cash going outside the traditional systems looking for trustworthy places to invest.

3^rd personalize each funding And what about control? When farming (vs hunting) you are harvesting only people who share your passion- these are people want YOU in control! Each funding source does not want the same thing. That means different interest rates or different equity amounts for different sources. Just because you are offered $100,000 from someone who really understands your business (an angel) and you decide their industry expertise and contacts warrant an exchange of 2% equity ownership does not mean the next industry expert you meet who offers $100,000 should get the same 2%. More likely another industry expert would be happy to accept less ownership, factoring in the credibility factor of the industry expert who preceded her so the next $100,000 is worth 1%- even if it is just months later. Alternatively, someone else with $100,000 to put to work could be happy to LOAN it to you, on a flexible basis- with no principle repayment until you are ready! With today’s low interest rate, you could even offer 2 or 3 times bank or CD rates and still have cheap money.

Now you have 3 ways to farm for funding sources

1. Seek out those who share your passion
2. Divide your financing needs into small pieces
3. Personalize each funding

Don’t HUNT for funding sources; FARM your own funding sources. Go direct and avoid commissions, fees and delays. The result is economic self sufficiency in all economic environments- even the current one.

Stefania Aulicino, president of CapitalLinkUSA ensures business owns get cash to keep control of a bigger, more profitable company, faster, safer than they ever thought possible- in any economy. Let us help you become a magnet for non equity and equity sources to fuel your growth. Please explore our tools, solutions and consulting options tailored for different growth stages and different budgets: www.CashAndControl.com

By Stefania Aulicino

If you invest to grow in this recession- who will benefit? Your customers, who get innovative solutions to address their pain; your vendors, who get to sell more of their own products that go into your solution; the supply store that delivers cartridges for your printer and packaging materials; your IT vendor who keeps your web presence healthy so customers and prospects can find you; the restaurants in your neighborhood which nourish your team so they have the energy to implement the growth your company can achieve. That is just the tip of the ice berg.

Creating products attracts customers; customers generate revenue; revenue drives growth. And growth, in any market – creates value. Once you realize your growth creates value, you can sell that value to anyone and get cash.

As an entrepreneur, you rely on yourself to create your own products; to create your own customers; why not create your own funding sources. The operative word is create. As an innovative company, you don’t “look” for new products- you create them; you don’t “look” for new customers- you create them by educating them about the benefits only you can deliver. Now apply this same logic to creating funding sources out of people you know: the very players who benefit most from what you do best- customers, vendors, the supply store, the IT consultant and many more.

Why would these players contribute to your future? Why would each be willing to contribute small or even very large amounts of cash which together make up your financial mosaic, composed of lots of different sources of funding, which make it possible for you to build the products and consume the services that benefit them? Because they are all part of your eco-system. And, your company eco-system is a source of safe cash.

Let me use an analogy. Visualize a terrarium. A terrarium is a mini indoor garden in a jar. All it takes is a thin layer of soil at the bottom of a fish-tank like container and a few plants. Water it once; put a lid on it with a few air holes; now you have a terrarium- a closed system that will sustain those plants for a long time.

That little fish-tank terrarium with a few plants is a subsystem of a much larger eco-system; our planet is its own eco-system. Likewise your company’s eco-system is made up of complementary and symbiotic business players. Your company’s little eco-system is a subsystem of a much bigger economics system- the global economy.

Why will your company’s eco-system players be responsive to your request for funding to help you grow? The reason – even in this recession- is their own economic self interest:

• No one wants to miss the opportunity to link up with a rising star
• Your success is their success
• They want to participate in a future only you can create.
• Best of all it’s a safe investment.

Everyone has to put their money some place to protect their principle. But they prefer to get a return. Players in your eco-system understand your ability to create safe, profitable growth better than their alternative choices. You see, the money in your eco-system, like the water in your terrarium, never leaves the eco-system. Your eco-system is a closed system. That makes the players in your eco-system sources of safe cash for each other.

Why? Because each player shares the benefits of success of the eco-system. More importantly, each shares the pain of failure of any of the links in the eco-system which causes them to naturally want to help each other.

If a customer does not do well, vendors suffer; if vendors don’t’ do well, the supply store and IT consultant don’t do well. There is an incentive for all players in a given eco-system to pursue a common good for their own self interest. That is why I say your company’s eco-system is source of SAFE CASH.

As an entrepreneur, you create your own products; you create your own customers; so why not create your own funding sources? Divide your financial needs into small pieces and seek out players who understand your unique ability better than most to drive value. Access Safe Cash from those who operate in your own eco-system.

Stefania Aulicino is founder president of CapitalLinkUSA which ensures business builders secure resources – cash and talent- that share your passion. You have your choice of how to get Cash And Control: We do it for you with the Turnkey Cash and Control System or we offer you self learning tools with online Cash And Control System products. www.CapitalLinkUSA.com

By Stefania Aulicino

To profit from today’s unprecedented economic conditions, here are 3 secrets learned during prior recessions:

1-
Use your own unique currency

2-
Get credit for your future today

3-
Pursue the future you really want

As entrepreneurs you have a unique ability to create a future that does not exist- it’s you that creates value, profits from change, thrives where others can’t survive. Principle 1 That makes your future a unique currency, one which others want to share. Your passion to address the pain of your customers with solutions drives revenue; revenue drives growth and growth is your unique currency. And when your future is bigger than your past, your future is an appreciating currency. Use it with customers, vendors, bankers, employees, strategic alliances and you have your own eco system of safe cash where all participants benefit from the success of each other. Wayne got turned down by the bank for $1 million to expand his plant to do $25 million in 5 years. When he did, I asked Wayne what future he would create if he won the lottery and all the money was his. His answer was $100 million, and that is the future that created his unique currency. I used that currency to help Wayne attracted $10 million for his $3 million revenue business. So how did Wayne do it? Not based on his past! It’s all about your future.

So how do you finance a future so much bigger than you past? The answer is Principle 2 get credit for that bigger future today. Scott wanted to grow his company but he thought that $3 million of equity would cost more control and ownerships give up than $1 million of equity. But that is not true, if you can get credit for your future today. Unfortunately, not all investors can see your future, only an investor who shares your passion. To get credit for your future today, you need a match-maker because entrepreneurs and investors don’t speak the same language. You need someone to help you translate your entrepreneurial vision into venture economics that investors can buy. Scott asked my help and he received 5 term sheets from venture investors for the equity he sought. What surprised Scott was that all of the 5 investors wanted different amounts of ownership for the same number of dullars; the highest valuation was almost 2 times the lowest. So which investor do you think Scott liked best? Yes, it was the investors who offered the highest valuation, but not because of the numbers. Actually, Scott liked him because he was the most passionate and really understood Scott’s ambition. The highest valuation is not just a good idea, it’s an imperative that you have identified an investors who shares your passion and can see your future and is willing to give you credit for that future today- where others only see risk.

Now you can see you have no excuse not to pursue the future you really want, which is principle 3. Today’s economic environment is challenging lots of entrepreneurs. No, the principles of successful entrepreneurship have not changed. But this global crisis has introduced unprecedented uncertainly and volatility. But there is a positive effect as well: the scope of possibilities has increased exponentially. Today innovation drives value. That puts you in the driver’s seat if you distinguish between traditional growth and proactive growth. Traditional growth is when you look for a fast-growth market, jump in and try to follow its trajectory. In contrast, Proactive Growth is when you identify a problem, innovate a solution and design your own optimized growth strategy. Traditional growth is very risky. You find yourself coping with all kinds of risk factors imposed from the outside, way beyond your control. Today’s volatile and uncertain economy makes this reactive mode of traditional growth overwhelming and exhausting. In contrast, proactive growth actually takes advantage of dynamic market changes as fuel. Proactive growth is built upon what you do best. It leverages your natural skills. For innovative business builders like you, your biggest risk is that of opportunity lost. A sure way to lower the risk in this economy is to grow proactively.

Stefania Aulicino is founder president of CapitalLinkUSA which ensures business builders secure resources – cash and talent- that share your passion. You have your choice of how to get Cash And Control: We do it for you with the Turnkey Cash and Control System or we offer you self learning tools with online Cash And Control System products. www.CapitalLinkUSA.com

By Stefania Aulicino

The topic began with a discussion of how traumatic it will be to lose so many jobs if the big 3 auto makers are not bailed out.

“With so many failing companies where will people find jobs? Not where they were in the past –nor would you want them from there!”

My comment was this: Darwin’s survival of the fittest in complemented by Joseph A. Schumpeter’s “Creative Destruction” – old orders are replaced with new orders.

Losing jobs rooted in the 20^th century is not bad because they give rise to jobs for the 21^st century. It happens all the time.

We don’t need more manual labor jobs for farming when we have farming equipment that can increase the productive capacity per farmer- what’s next?

We don’t need more telephone line installer jobs when you can use cellular communication more efficiently – what’s next?

Technologies create new job opportunities we can’t even imagine yet. And they are jobs more suited for the magnificent quality of the human being- mental and creative capacity, not brute force.

The solution is all about entrepreneurship- as it has always been. The nature of innovative entrepreneurial companies is to come up with new ways to do things. That is where the jobs for the 21^st century come from.

There is no economic or human value in protecting jobs at dying companies that are not keeping up with innovation. Lack of corporate profit is a clear statement that assets are being wasted- both human and capital. We have bankruptcy laws to protect the customers, vendors and investors; we have safety nets for unemployment as people transition from old jobs to new. And yes, these need to be strong for a dynamic innovating economy.

Do we really want to be a country anchored in the 20^th century when the rest of the world is rushing to thrive in the 21^st century?

Just as human life is birth, growth, and death, so is corporate life- it’s survival of the fittest.

While some people don’t like change, we know the one thing that is constant in life is change, so let’s get on with it.

Stefania Aulicino, founder and president of CapitalLinkUSA ensures companies poised to take advantage of the current economy get access to all the resources they need- both cash and talent.

By Stefania Aulicino

As privately held companies, most of us were not tempted with all that. As innovators in our industry, we are too busy building value and now that will come to our aid as the basis for safe money.

Safe money is based on taping your own eco-system. You solve a problem for your customer, and that customer wants you to succeed. Your product/service is built from the components/contributions of various vendors and those vendors want you to succeed. Your employees have talents they enjoy contributing to your company and they want you to succeed. Your eco-system is a web of interdependence.

What is the link between these various elements of your eco-system? They all benefit from your unique ability to create a future that will not exist unless you create it. Your Future is your unique currency. But it is a currency only to those who share in your future who are members of your eco-system. Which is the only place you enjoy working anyway.

You see, there is currency in your passion for the future you want to create. All it takes to tap the currency in your passion is Confidence Credibility and Control.

Confidence to share your passion of the future you really want- even in this unstable and crazy economic environment: be the innovative leader you really are.

Credibility comes from receiving “credit” for that future today in the form of safe money- advance payments from your customers, deferred payment terms from vendors, extra investment by your employees- as evidence that they value the future you are creating as members of your eco-system.

Control is the secret to sanity for you during these unpredictable times. It’s never what you plan for that puts your company at risk- it’s what you can’t plan for. There are lots of sources in your eco-system to finance your budgeted expenses= and you must reach out to all of them now. But don’t stop with the budgeted expenses. What about the unknown expense. Like the bank having regulatory limitations that affect your credit line; like your biggest client having toxic “assets” that divert their attention from their real operations. For that, you need a safety net of your own. That’s equity that wants you in control of your future. That too comes from your eco-system. Instead of looking for “outside” capital- invite safe capital; People who know you and your industry who like what you are doing. Principle investors investing their own money, who know your industry, see opportunity where others see risk. They too can give you credit for your future today. And, with fewer safe places for principle investors to put their money- they are looking for new safe havens they trust.

Not only do you- the business owner – build value, but you are the source of value exchange which is the gold standard we need right now. Go ahead. Tap the currency in your passion. And realize that you were always economically self sufficient.

Stefania Aulicino is founder president of CapitalLinkUSA which ensures business builders secure resources – cash and talent- that share your passion. You have your choice of how to get Cash And Control: We do it for you with the Turnkey Cash and Control System or we offer you self learning tools with online Cash And Control System products. www.CapitalLinkUSA.com

By Stefania Aulicino

This is the ideal time for innovative entrepreneurs to grow—yes right now.
You are the most advanced species on the planet. It’s you that creates value, profits from uncertainly and thrives where others can’t even survive.

What about the cash? No problem- uses your own unique currency. What do I mean- simple. Capitalize on your unique ability to create a future that does not exist unless you create it. Wall Street has been focusing on trading value. You – the innovative entrepreneur – have never stopped building value. You use your passion to introduce new solutions to market problems. That is a future that would not exists unless you invested the sweat, became the leader and attracted your own eco-system. You already have the source of safe money inside that eco-system. Because the truth is there is currency in your passion.

Rule 1. Cash-in on interdependence. Flowers and bees are part of an econ system: they need each other to thrive. Reach out to customers who benefit from your solution; vendors who share in your product/service success. Who else gains when you succeed? Those are players in your eco-system: besides customers and vendors reach out to employees; shipping, logistics, marketing resources, IT vendors – no matter how big or small they are, they have the same issues you do; we all operate inter-dependently and our success and their success are intertwined. Remind them of that.

Rule 2. Divide and conquer. Don’t look for all your funding from a single source. You could become hostage to that source. Instead, use the mosaic approach: divide your needs into small pieces—deferred payment terms from several vendors, advance payment from several customers. With each piece you put in place you lower the risk to the next and attract more funding options. Build your Financial Mosaic. Be creative. Now is the time to pay attention to how extensive is the web of your eco-system. Every income source and every expense source is a potential contributor to your eco-system. Ask each how they would like to contribute and be prepared to be surprised.

Rule 3. Protect your confidence. So long as you pursue the future you really want, you are the source of creating value. When you create value you are in control of exchanging value with those who share your passion and will benefit from your company’s success. That makes you economically self sufficient; your ability to create that future is your unique currency. When you get credit for your future today, you can access all the cash you need and retain ownership control too.

Remember. There is currency in your passion. And that’s good news for innovative entrepreneurs because the one thing we have plenty of is passion! When you create value- not just trade it- you can get cash and keep control- even in today’s crazy economic environment.

Stefania Aulicino is founder president of CapitalLinkUSA which ensures business builders secure resources – cash and talent- that share your passion. You have your choice of how to get Cash And Control: We do it for you with the Turnkey Cash and Control System or we offer you self learning tools with online Cash And Control System products. www.CapitalLinkUSA.com

By Stefania Aulicino

Yes you can! That is not a political statement for Obama, but a reminder of the power of passion.

As a business builder you already have all you need to build the business you really want because there is currency in your passion. Self-sufficiency for a business builder means tapping your own unique currency. When you tap the currency in your passion you become a magnet for the passion of others and that creates synergy – a force multiplier were 1+1 exceeds 10, which is how you can exceed even your own greatest corporate ambitions.

Too often entrepreneurs fall into a trap, thinking that lack of cash is their biggest obstacle to achieve their goals; in reality, the most devastating obstacle is not sharing your passion- effectively.

The problem is not every one can understand your passion. Creating a future that does not yet exist is the unique genius of the business builder. Others can’t see what you see- until you can translate it for them. You need a Corporate Resume. Like a personal resume, its short- 2 pages. But, unlike a personal resume, which only documents past accomplishments and leaves the future to the reader’s interpretation, a Corporate Resume details your company’s current distinctions PLUS your passion about the future you want. To capture your passion succinctly, a Corporate Resume uses the universal langue of business- dollars and cents: a set of financial projections based on you doing what you do best funded as if you won the lottery so all the money needed to grow is your own. The distinctions of what you do best today makes your future credible, just like your past job experience makes you a great candidate for more responsibly in the next position.

A Corporate Resume is really 2 tools: a “story” for everyone and a “confidential document” only for selected recipients. Both the story and the document work to make your future tangible enough for others to buy today. Writing your Corporate Resume in stages builds momentum by capturing your passion to create immediately usable results.

The “story” is something you –the visionary– can source directly by liberating your vision of the company you want to build. But like a fish in water, you lack objectivity. Conversely, the “document” is designed to benefit from a “team discovery meeting” in which your multi-discipline team contribute their inputs. Think of the team discovery process as analogous to the story of the 8 blind men describing an elephant – individually, the guy holding the ear vs the one holding the tail believe they are dealing with unrelated animals, but together they accurately describe an elephant which neither could accurately describe alone. Don’t underestimate the value of getting team input to finalize your Corporate Resume document. But don’t wait either.

In fact, the 2 Corporate Resume tools have different uses. Use your story immediately with everyone you interact with, customizing levels of confidentiality. Vendors don’t need to know about your customer profit margins to get excited about the growth and size of the market you address; Family and Friend investors don’t need to become industry experts to buy your execution prowess. The story alone will source all kinds of funds you might never have thought to ask for. The confidential document, however, should be shared selectively, perhaps with Angel investor candidates, only after you have verified their “shared passion” based on the story version.

When your future is bigger than your past, an updated Corporate Resume, just like a personal resume, keeps you economically self-sufficient, ensuring you always get full credit for what you deserve. Yes you can! The highest valuation is not just a good idea, it’s a confirmation you have effectively shared your passion so others can give you credit for your future today. Yes you can! Your Corporate Resume is your blue print to avoid lack of cash as an obstacle to your goals. Yes you can!

Stefania Aulicino is founder president of CapitalLInkUSA. For 20 years Stefania has helped business builders uncover the right capital for their optimum growth strategy so you get cash and keep control to build the business you really want. www.CapitalLinkUSA.com

By Stefania Aulicino

Passion is the business owner’s strong medicine against frustration. When you start a company you put yourself into a special league- you are an entrepreneur. When you decide to grow your company you are in even more rare company; as a business builder, you must confront the challenges of making your vision of your future a reality.

Lots of people play sports but most stay amateurs and enjoy a sport where everyone knows the game- be it golf, bridge, football etc. But when you commit to grow a company, you commit to design your own game, create your own rules, mold a team, and be your own referee- to keep score with honest evaluation of your progress against visionary goals. Pursuit of your vision gives your life more meaning and a sense of purpose. Perhaps that’s why challenges to your vision are emotionally impactful.

When you operate from a stance that your company has the potential of a really big future, it can be frustrating. Each setback is personal, palpable and quantifiable; you lose the opportunity to serve a customer; you miss a profit goal; you don’t have cash to invest in infrastructure to prepare for tomorrow.

While most entrepreneurs believe that lack of money is their biggest hurdle holding them back, let me tell you what I’ve learned as a serial entrepreneur and undercover Wall Street investment banker: the biggest hurdle for business builders is not sharing your passion.

Just like playing football, when you have possession of the ball, you control the plays and momentum works to your advantage. It’s easy for the team to be operating “in the zone”. Sure fans follow their favorite teams regularly, but attendance goes up during the playoffs, the World Series, America’s cup, Wimbledon, the Masters Tournament. Why? It’s a shared experience of winning big. It’s passion of a vision. Get people rooting for you. In business, customers and investors like to play to win too: they are attracted to passion of a vision and the opportunity to play a big game.

There is currency in your passion. When you tap the currency in your passion you will discover more funding sources than you ever imagined possible; not just investors, but non-equity sources limited only by your creativity. When you pursue your passion, your growing company represents an appreciating currency. Economic self-sufficiency for a business builder means taping the currency in your passion and sharing the FUN of why you are building your business.

Passion is the business owner’s antidote to frustration. Now that you know you can get cash to fuel your vision, what will you allow yourself to do with your passion? Entrepreneurship is a wasting asset, unless you capitalize on it NOW. And it’s FUN!

Stefania Aulicino is founder president of CapitalLInkUSA. For 20 years Stefania has helped business builders uncover the right capital for their optimum growth strategy so you get cash and keep control to build the business you really want. www.CapitalLinkUSA.com

By Stefania Aulicino

What is the best economy to get funding and grow your company? A robust, stable economy or an uncertain, weak economy? If you are an innovative entrepreneurial company, the time to strike is now. In today’s economy, it takes an entrepreneur to thrive.

Think about it: entrepreneurs typically build businesses based on innovations which rock the status quo.

Problem is, in good times, customer have no need to try new things. Customers are fat-dumb-and-happy. Their profits are secure and doing what was done yesterday is always more comfortable.

However, nothing shocks a customer out of their comfort zone like an unstable economic environment. At times like that, customers must search out new solutions to protect their top and bottom line, which makes them very receptive to innovations. And where demand goes, investors are sure to follow.

A classic example is the “green revolution”. As long as oil was below $50 a barrel it was hard for any innovative entrepreneurial company with energy efficiency solutions to gain traction. Marvelous innovations including electric cars, transparent photo voltaic window panes that generate energy, and energy saving light fixtures were doomed to unreceptive investor attention; it was all too easy to squander cheap oil. However, as oil now soars above $100 a barrel, the gas pump tips over $4 a gallon and oil wars loom, even the most staid customers have become receptive to new products with energy efficiency.

An unstable petroleum based economy has ushered in “Green” as the new Siren call for both corporate American and the venture capital community. Any entrepreneur that can claim a green aspect to their product or service is greeted with open arms, accelerated buying decisions and even premium prices. Supported by the wave of customer demand, investors open their pocketbooks.

This point is not just about Green innovations. The conclusion is that a rising tide lifts all boats. While you – and everyone else– can grow in good economic times, you- the innovating entrepreneur have an advantage to also grow in a weak economy. Innovation allows you to profit from change, excel under uncertainty and thrive in economic times where others can’t even survive. And that’s catnip for investors who are challenged to put their money to work in the best of times. Weak economic conditions are when your innovative company becomes more valuable so you can get the cash you need without selling your soul.

Now is the time to capitalize on your ability as an innovator to get funding to grow your entrepreneurial company and discover your power to be economically self-sufficient.

Stefania Aulicino is founder president of CapitalLInkUSA. For 20 years Stefania has helped business builders uncover the right capital for their optimum growth strategy so you get cash and keep control to build the business you really want. www.CapitalLinkUSA.com