The phrase Starting Strength" (SS) has two distinct meanings. Never lose sight of why you went into business in the first place — perhaps you had a niggling small business idea that kept you up at night, you noticed a gap in the market or you wanted to share your expertise by offering your services to businesses or individuals who need it.

Kiva, PayPal Working Capital, Square Capital, Stripe Capital, and Forward Financing (all reviewed above) offer funding to business owners Bookmarks with a 500 credit score'"assuming, of course, that you meet other loan application criteria, like minimum revenue or time in business.

But sometimes, business owners will go too far in the opposite direction, spending so much time running their business, working on their business, and investing profits back into their business that they end up not paying enough attention to their personal finances.

For your coffee shop, you'd want to explain what you do (sell coffee), your services (the drinks you offer), what makes you special (maybe the coffee you serve is rare or locally roasted), and what you plan to do next (expand to another location, new products, etc.).

The Hartford Small Business Association recommends creating five-year, one-year and quarterly strategic goals Those quarterly goals should be further delineated into monthly goals, which will inform your day-to-day business operations and keep you on your chosen path to success.