Until quite recently the options for financing a business were limited to banks and high wealth individuals. The introduction of Crowdfunding through websites such as Zopa, Ratesetter and Funding Circle, has changed everything, allowing business owners to contact thousands of potential funders to each make a small contribution.
With historically low interest rates many individuals are finding that this is giving them better rates of return. The finance can take the form of business loans or equity funding, but because of the risks potential lenders need to know what they are investing in, so may want more information about the business, the reason for the loan and any explanations about anything unusual in your accounts.
Crowdfunding is a relatively new concept and it has yet to be seen what lenders attitudes will be if there is a downtown in the economy and a rise in bad debts.
Whilst not necessarily for everyone, as you may not meet the lenders criteria, it is rapidly becoming a serious alternative to the traditional sources of finance and should be considered.