With almost 30 million small businesses operating around the U.S., nearly everyone uses the services of a small business whether they realize it or not. Getting the best loans to start your gas station franchise, restaurant, or consulting company is a challenge if you’re not already set up. There’s a catch-22 to getting the best business loans but it’s still possible.

Here are 6 strategies for getting the money you need to start.

1. Use Your Own Funds

If you’ve had a fairly successful career so far but are looking to make a big shift, you could always fund your new business on your own. For people who are looking to have total control over their next business venture, this is one of the best ways to go. When you fund your business on your own, you can ensure that every failure is your own and that success means that you get to reap every penny of reward.

When you’re going to use your own funds, you should set up an LLC or some other sort of liability system. While you’re gambling with your own money, you don’t want any problems your business faces to end up taking the roof from over your head. You can isolate problems, lawsuits, or any issues with staffing to your company.

This makes it easier to file your taxes and also to disentangle yourself from the business if you end up succeeding and trying to sell the business.

2. Get a Bank Loan

While lending standards have gotten stricter over the years, people who have a good credit history and experience in a field are often approved for loans. If you have a strong history with a given bank, like having a mortgage with them, you might be able to get them to approve a small business loan.

Major banks have earmarked funds specifically for small business lending. It’s a win-win situation for them, as they always get their money back, either through collateral or through absorbing business assets.

Look at their questionnaires and applications online thoroughly before you hit the final “Apply” button on their websites. Each time that you apply for a loan, your credit score take a small ding. Only apply for loans that you think you have good shot at getting.

Check into the other kinds of loan service available if you’re not approved by your bank. You might still have a few doors open to you.

3. Fund With Credit Cards

If you’re a film buff, you might know that filmmaker Kevin Smith was able to make his first feature, Clerks, from maxing out 10 credit cards. While that might be the path that you want to take, it is possible to achieve success as you walk a financial tightrope.

If you fall behind on any of your payments, your credit score is going to take a dive. The more lines of credit you have, the harder it is to stay in the good graces of card companies. However, as long as you always pay the minimum, you’ll be able to keep from falling under.

You need to always pay more than the minimum if you really want to dig out of your hole. It could take a while, so make sure you’re ready for what it means to go into serious credit card debt. It might not end up being enough to keep your doors open, so do the math carefully before you take the risk.

4. Try Your 401(k)

If you’re thinking about your retirement, it might not be wise to dip into the funds that you’ve started to put away. However, if you’ve got a healthy retirement accumulated, you might be tempted to look into it.

You can take money out of your 401(k) without a penalty if you go through the right steps. They’re a bit legally complex, so ask around if there’s someone who can help you set up a C-corporation. If that’s possible, you might be able to roll some of your retirement cash into your business.

When you invest your retirement funds, you get the chance to grow what you’ve already accumulated. However, if you make one wrong move, you’re losing your nest egg. Only make this move if you’re absolutely sure you’re going to succeed in your business.

5. Crowdfunding

If you’ve got a product that you know that you can prototype and get excitement built up around, consider crowdfunding. People want to be on top of the next big cool gadget or business plan. If you’re building something truly awesome, people are going to want to get their hands on the first one.

Crowdfunding gives you money with no strings attached. However, you’ve got to be a marketing genius to pull it off. You need to convince people to send you money without expecting anything in return.

6. Get an SBA Loan

Because most banks are starting to get wary about lending their own money, some are willing to take more risks with an SBA loan. Using the money that’s guaranteed to be backed by the U.S. SBA is a lot easier of a pill to swallow than any other type of lending.

You need to learn about small business laws to ensure that you meed the definitions of a small business in your industry. There are some industries where a single person or a small number of people is a small business and others where hundreds of people classify as small.

The Best Loans Fall Under Your Terms

When seeking out the best loans for your small business, look for terms that suit your way of doing business. That’s how you’ll know that you’ve found the perfect loans for you and your business.

To get your digital marketing going, check out our guide for implementing a plan for social media.