Unless you’re independently wealthy or have already started a successful small business, the chances of being able to completely fund your new entrepreneurial path on your own are very slim. But luckily, there are a lot of options out there for small business owners to help raise the money to make their business dreams come true. While you can find ways to make or use money that you don’t have to pay back to someone, you’ll most likely have to borrow money from someone at some point. (Have look here to see how loans work). So to help make this process a little easier on you, here are three tips for borrowing money for your small business.

Choosing the Right Small Business Loan

With good credit or a decent amount of collateral, it’s not too difficult to acquire a small business loan from any number of lending agencies. However, before you just take whatever type of loan someone is willing to give you, it’s important to know what you should be looking for in a small business loan for your particular circumstances. Chad Brooks, a contributor to Business News Daily, shares that you should be able to answer questions like how much money you need and for what, how you plan to pay the money back, what you plan to use the money for, when you need the money by, and what the future of your business looks like with or without this money. By knowing the answers to these questions, as well as what to prepare when you want a business loan when it comes to documents, you’ll be better able to secure the perfect loan for your business and cover all your bases at the same time.

Working With Investors

Another great way to get money for your business is to look to investors. Investors can be both a blessing and a curse because you get the financing you need, but you also will likely have to part with a portion of your ownership in your business in order to get that financing. For this reason, it’s vital that you have a good relationship with anyone investing in your company. To create a solid relationship with each of your investors, Brent Gleeson, a contributor to Forbes.com, recommends having a firm understanding of your business plan, being very upfront and honest about the current state and future of your business, and trusting that your relationship with investors is mutually beneficial. If you can do these three things, you should be able to have a good working relationship with your investors.

Leveraging Friends and Family

Family and friends are another great resource for acquiring financing for your startup. However, bringing the aspect of money into these types of relationships can get complicated. Knowing this, Caron Beesley, a contributor to the U.S. Small Business Administration, suggests choosing which family and friends you’re willing to take money from very carefully as to not strain any already tricky relationships or sacrifice the ones you love for a business deal.

If you need guidance when it comes to borrowing money for your small business, use the tips mentioned above to help you get the financing you need.