small business loans

40Billion Announces STARTUP SUPERSTAR Business Plan Competition

July 18, 2012 1 Comment

40Billion.com plans to launch ‘American Idol’ of business plan competitions to create jobs

ATLANTA, Georgia – July 18, 2012 — Small business crowdfunding pioneer 40Billion.com (http://www.40billion.com), the leading professional crowdfunding and social networking platform, announced today that they are planning to launch Startup Superstar (http://www.startupsuperstar.com), a novel business plan competition that will help create jobs by supporting budding U.S. entrepreneurs.

“Startup Superstar is all about keeping the American Dream alive by helping small-business entrepreneurs access funding and resources, promoting new ideas, starting new companies, and building social networks for entrepreneurship and innovation,” stated Cornelius McNab, founder of 40Billion.com. “By helping aspiring entrepreneurs, we all will be winners in creating new jobs that our economy needs so desperately.”

The competition will feature from $25,000 to $100,000 in total prizes, funded by individual contributors and corporate sponsors. The more contributions and sponsorships that the company raises, the more prizes and winners there will be. Winners will be selected by a ‘crowd’ of judges made up of fans, investors, and sponsors.

Anyone can sponsor the competition and offer their support to aspiring entrepreneurs by going to either 40Billion ( http://www.40billion.com ) or Indiegogo ( http://www.indiegogo.com ) and searching for ‘Startup Superstar’ to see the sponsorship page. The company is offering rewards to both individual contributors and corporate sponsors. Individuals can make an online contribution of $25 or more and receive social media kudos or an exclusive ‘I am the American Dream’ T-shirt featuring the Startup Superstar logo. Corporate sponsorship levels start at $5,000 and offer coveted advertising packages and up to 500 votes for guest judges.

About 40Billion.com

With over $70 million in raises facilitated so far, 40Billion.com is the social funding network for small businesses and startup entrepreneurs. 40Billion.com’s scalable platform helps entrepreneurs raise funding more affordably through friends and family than through banks or other traditional financial institutions. Using proprietary online tools, entrepreneurs build social networks – including friends, relatives, colleagues, customers, and other contacts – and use these connections to raise capital through small business loans and gifts. Entrepreneurs create fundraising profiles and invite their connections to offer funding in exchange for discounts or potential returns. In business since 2008, the company aims to address a $40 billion funding gap. 40Billion.com, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit http://www.40Billion.com.

Filed under Press Release Tagged with angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business plan, commercial funding, commercial loans, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family funding, funding, professional social network, raise money, small business, small business loan, small business loans, social funding network, social network, social networking, startup, startup superstar, venture capital

40Billion Crowdfunding Site Turns 4 and Gets a Facelift

July 5, 2012 1 Comment

40Billion.com launches redesigned website for small businesses to raise money

ATLANTA, Georgia – July 4, 2012 — Small business crowdfunding pioneer 40Billion.com (http://www.40billion.com), the leading professional social funding platform, announces the 4th successful year in business and launches redesigned and improved site. As a pioneering small business funding network, 40Billion marches ahead vigorously to help small businesses find needed funding sources to start and prosper in their ventures.

As a part of continuing efforts to promote the cause of small business funding and provide state-of-the-art tools for a small business to raise capital, the 40Billion just completed major improvements of the site to improve overall user experience. “Significant changes have been made to all products and services offered on the 40Billion site to make the experience a very smooth one,” stated Harendra Jani, Vice President of Strategy at 40Billion.com. “Our new site provides very easy access to all of our products and services, namely raising money, building social networks of contacts, funding a small business, and finding resources to help your business grow. Whatever you are looking for to start or expand a business, it is available at your fingertips.” 40Billion.com facilitates crowdfunding, in which entrepreneurs use the Internet to raise money from a large number of investors and funders. It allows small businesses to use Internet services like 40Billion.com to raise up to $1,000,000 in funding from lots of everyday people, including social networks of friends, family, peers, and others.

With 40Billion, users launch business fundraising projects online via the Web. It then enables users to route the projects to people in their social network – friends, family, and other contacts – most likely to fund that project, either through gifts, donations, private direct loans, or commercial paper (i.e., short-term loans up to $1 million for 270 days or less). The platform does not facilitate equity investments or sales of company stock at this time; however, with the recent enactment of the JOBS Act, equity-based crowdfunding will be available online in early 2013. Regardless of funding type, the mission remains the same: Help entrepreneurs use their Internet social networks to raise more funding quickly, easily, and affordably so that they can start and grow successful businesses. Starting and growing successful small businesses spurs job growth and economic growth.

With over $70 million in raises facilitated so far, 40Billion.com is seeking partnerships and strategic investors to promote growth and provide additional services that would benefit its users. Interested parties are invited to contact the company.

About 40Billion.com

40Billion.com is the social funding network for small businesses and startup entrepreneurs. 40Billion.com, Inc. is the first Internet-based microfinance company serving American small businesses. 40Billion.com’s scalable platform helps entrepreneurs raise funding more affordably through friends and family than through banks or other traditional financial institutions. Using proprietary online tools, entrepreneurs build social networks – including friends, relatives, colleagues, customers, and other contacts – and use these connections to raise capital through small business loans and gifts. Entrepreneurs create fundraising profiles and invite their connections to offer funding in exchange for discounts or potential returns. In business since 2008, the company aims to address a $40 billion funding gap. 40Billion.com, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit http://www.40Billion.com.

Filed under Press Release Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business plan, commercial funding, commercial loans, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family funding, funding, P2P lending, professional social network, raise money, small business, small business loan, small business loans, social funding network, social network, social networking, startup, venture capital

Who Really Invented the Lightbulb? Really?

June 18, 2012 1 Comment

Did you know that Thomas Edison did NOT invent the light bulb? Really, he was just the first to successfully bring it to market and raise awareness of it.

Successful entrepreneurs don’t focus on the fear of someone stealing their idea (especially if you have a patent). They focus on executing on the opportunity by bringing their idea to market.

This is what the 22 inventors of the incandescent light bulb before Thomas Edison FAILED to do.

That’s right. Twenty-two inventors had the idea before Edison, and Edison didn’t necessarily steal their idea. He just did a better job of taking it to market, and this is where the value is.

If you have an idea, protect it, and then you can just focus on executing and bringing your product or service to market successfully.

Did you know that 40Billion provides an informative business startup guide for protecting your ideas and intellectual property through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and NDA’s?

Download the short MP3’s and listen to them on your computer or in your iPod, while at home, in the office, or on-the-go. Then, download the easy-to-use templates that come with each startup guide.

Go to http://www.40billion.com/startupguides/ today.

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Is the “American dream” dead?

June 8, 2012 3 Comments

Is the idea of achieving the “American dream” a dying fantasy that is becoming impossible for more and more people? Yes, unfortunately, it is true. There is no doubt that the economy is suffering, and suffering with it is the American dream.

Entrepreneurs can’t afford to start businesses, families can’t afford to buy homes, and students can’t afford to go to college. Banks don’t seem to care, and the government seems to be paralyzed from the waist down.

But the fact is you don’t need a bank loan in order to build and grow a successful business, just like you don’t need an Ivy League college degree in order to be a successful entrepreneur and businessperson (though, it can help). We have to help ourselves and save our own economy, our own businesses, our American dream.

Raise money. Build dreams. 40Billion.com … Let’s start here!

Filed under Commentary Tagged with american dream, angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business loans, business plan, capital, cash flow, commercial funding, commercial loans, commercial paper, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneur forum, entrepreneurship, free job posting, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, funding, incorporating, intellectual property, P2P lending, personal contacts, personal profile, profession social network, professional network, public fundraising profile, raise capital, raise money, short term loan, small business, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, small business marketing, social funding network, social network, startup, startup capital, startup jobs, trademark, venture capital

5 tips for approaching friends and family about your business

June 6, 2012 Leave a comment

At 40billion.com, we provide online tools to help small-business and startup entrepreneurs increase access to funding and resources by leveraging their social networks, including friends and family. Here are 5 tips that we give to entrepreneurs to help them approach friends and relatives about their business:

1. ASK FOR ADVICE & REFERRALS, NOT HANDOUTS

When you approach friends and family about your business, just share your idea in a conversational manner, and ask them for their advice, feedback, or referral. People are usually glad to give you their point-of-view if they think their advice or feedback may be helpful. And, if they really believe in you, they will either offer to help or they’ll be willing to refer you to someone who can help.

2. FORMALIZE A LOAN OR DISCOUNT

Businesses often get started with a loan from the entrepreneur’s friend or relative, but it can be difficult to manage the relationship, especially if the loan is not formalized with a written agreement. Create a formal loan agreement with details of the loan, including what is owed, when payments are due, and any consequences for missing payments. Even if you’ve promised a discount to your friend or relative in exchange for a loan or referral, put it in writing and provide a discount coupon that can be redeemed. This may significantly reduce the risk of ruining your personal relationship over business.

3. GIVE A PRESENTATION

Are you serious about your business? Then give a business plan presentation to your friends and family, and show them. This is your chance to display your professionalism and passion, while getting free advice and feedback from people you know. The result could get you closer to the funding, resources, and customers you need to get your business up and running.

4. POST ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

Add a description of your business to social networking websites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. This easily allows your friends and family to read about what you’re doing and spread the word to other people they know. So, instead of you going to them, they will come to you and ask about your new business.

5. KEEP IN TOUCH

Be sure to thank your friends and family who supported you or helped you spread the word. Then, be sure to keep the lines of communication open by sending them regular company updates to let them know that their support has been put to good use, and you’re achieving those milestones that you set in your business plan. These communications will go a long way toward maintaining good relationships with your friends-and-family supporters, and they will be more likely to support you again as customers, investors, advisors and advocates.

Filed under How To Tagged with angel investors, business loans, business plan, capital, entrepreneur, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, small business marketing, startup, startup capital, venture capital

40Billion.com Drives Crowdfunding Law for Small Businesses to Raise Money

April 8, 2012 Leave a comment

President Obama signs JOBS Act making it easier for startup entrepreneurs to raise capital

ATLANTA, Georgia – April 9, 2012 — Small business crowdfunding pioneer 40Billion.com (http://www.40billion.com), the leading professional social funding platform, has helped drive several provisions in the new JOBS Act recently signed by President Obama and passed by the U.S. Congress. Now, startup entrepreneurs and small businesses can seek out everyday investors and advertise their fundraises and offerings publicly over the Internet.

Part of the JOBS Act facilitates crowdfunding, in which entrepreneurs use the Internet to raise money from a large number of investors and funders. The legislation allows small businesses to use Internet services like 40Billion.com to raise up to $1,000,000 in funding from lots of everyday people, including social networks of friends, family, peers, and others.

“We’re excited about the recent news of the passing of the JOBS Act and what it means for our nascent industry and for aspiring business owners across the country who want to do their part to boost the economy while realizing their American dream,” said Cornelius McNab, founder of 40Billion.com. “When I dreamed up 40Billion back in early 2008, so many folks were skeptical that a social funding network for business startups over the Internet would ever work. Just four years later, we’ve made skeptics into believers. Crowdfunding has become an industry, and we’ve worked with the federal government to help create new laws that revolutionize how small businesses raise money.”

Before the advent and widespread acceptance of Internet social networking tools, it was nearly impossible for entrepreneurs to tap into micro-funding sources cost-effectively. 40Billion.com applies state-of-the-art online tools to enable businesses to build social networks of friends and family members that facilitate raising capital.

With 40Billion.com, users launch business fundraising projects online via the Web. It then enables users to route the projects to people in their social network – friends, family, and other contacts – most likely to fund that project, either through gifts, donations, private direct loans, or commercial paper (short-term loans up to $1 million for 270 days or less). The platform does not facilitate equity investments or sales of company stock at this time.

According to Harendra Jani, VP of Strategy and Planning at 40Billion.com, “Business crowdfunding has been legitimized by a grassroots effort that culminated in the passing of the JOBS Act to help U.S. small businesses and entrepreneurs. This movement will help close the $40 billion funding gap.”

Raising funds from one’s friends, family, and peers can be a daunting challenge as an entrepreneur raising capital for a startup business, and there are many questions. Whom should you contact to request funding? How do you facilitate multiple fundraising requests and manage multiple funders (i.e., those who provide funds, such as investors, donors, and lenders) in a structured and scalable way? How do you give potential funders peace-of-mind and increase their trust so that they are more willing to provide you the money you need? How do you reward funders when their motivation is not purely a financial one? How do you find business resources after you raise money?

“Do you know how it seems really hard for entrepreneurs to raise funding? What 40Billion.com does is lets entrepreneurs use their Internet social networks to raise more funding quickly, easily, and affordably so they can start and grow successful businesses. It’s friends-and-family funding on steroids,” said McNab.

With over $60,000,000 in Raises facilitated so far, 40Billion.com is seeking partnerships and strategic investors to promote growth and provide additional services that would benefit its users. Interested parties are invited to contact the company.

About 40Billion.com

40Billion.com Launches Funding Probability for Small Business Entrepreneurs

June 30, 2011 2 Comments

Tool uses algorithm to estimate likelihood that friends and family will invest in a business

40Billion.com, the leading professional social funding platform, has launched a beta version of its Funding Probability tool to help users determine who in their social networks are most likely to provide funding for their business ventures.

It is estimated that over 50% of new businesses generate funds from friends and family of the entrepreneurs. However, for many entrepreneurs, the main challenge that they face is locating the right people who are most willing and able to fund their ventures. Recognizing this common problem, 40Billion.com has created a unique solution called Funding Probability.

As the name suggests, the Funding Probability tool helps users estimate the probability that each person in their social network will become a funder or investor. The tool is based on a proprietary algorithm, which ranks each of the user’s contacts and indicates funding probability with an easy scale of High, Medium, and Low. The “High” probability contacts are those individuals who are most likely to provide funding to a particular business venture, and the “Low” probability contacts are individuals who are least likely to fund it. Based on this scale, the system is able to match the user’s venture with the most promising funding sources in their social networks.

Since launching a prototype of the Funding Probability tool in April, the company has seen promising results as 9 out of 10 actual funders in the entrepreneur’s social network on 40Billion were ranked either High or Medium on the funding probability scale.

The Funding Probability feature saves entrepreneurs time and resources that they often spend chasing unlikely funding sources. Fundraisers can access the tool by clicking Invite Your Friends on their business fundraising profile page, and 40Billion takes much of the guess work out of raising money. Step by step, the online company is working to make social funding easier for U.S. small businesses to raise money than traditional funding methods.

About 40Billion.com

Filed under Announcements, Press Release Tagged with angel investors, banking, business loans, business plan, capital, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, P2P lending, raise capital, raise money, small business loans, social network, venture capital

40Billion.mobi is our new mobile website for professionals on-the-go

April 30, 2011 1 Comment

You can now access the power of 40Billion anywhere you are by using your Web-enabled mobile phone, Blackberry, iPhone, or Android smartphone. Sign in, manage your account, view Raises, view user profiles, read emails, add contacts, send invitations, search resources, and much more with the convenience of our mobile Web app.

Check it out at http://40billion.mobi on your phone today.

– The 40Billion Team

Filed under Announcements Tagged with 40billion.com, android, business loans, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, friends and family funding, iphone, mobile payments, mobile website, raise money, small business, small business loans, smartphone, social finance, social funding network

Want to know which of your friends are most likely to invest in your business (or someone else’s business)?

April 12, 2011 Leave a comment

Ever wondered which of your friends is most likely to invest in your business? Want to know which potential funders you should pursue and invite to participate in your Raise?

Use our amazing new Funding Probability BETA feature to find out the likelihood that each of your contacts will fund your Raise (or even someone else’s Raise). Just click the “Invite Your Friends” button at the top of any Raise to find out more and make your social network start working for you!

Add contacts to your network and find out which ones are most likely to fund your business.

Filed under Announcements, How To Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business plan, capital, cash flow, commercial funding, commercial loans, commercial paper, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, funding, P2P lending, personal contacts, profession social network, professional network, raise capital, raise money, short term loan, small business, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, social funding network, social network, social networking, startup, startup capital, venture capital

40Billion.com Launches Audio Startup Guides To Help Entrepreneurs Start New Businesses

March 9, 2011 Leave a comment

Five downloadable guides help entrepreneurs start new businesses quickly with tips for raising money, writing business plans, incorporating, managing cash flow, and protecting ideas.

40Billion.com (http://www.40billion.com), an online micro-funding and social networking platform for entrepreneurs and business professionals, has announced the release of 5 new Startup Guides to aid new business owners. The downloadable audio guides and templates provide quick access to information about raising money, funding options, business plans, company formation, cash flow management, and intellectual property protection.

In these Startup Guides, users can discover useful tips on 5 of the most important topics for new businesses:

Funding a business through friends, family, angels, banks, and venture capital
Writing a business plan in 13 easy steps
Forming a company as a corporation, LLC, partnership, or sole proprietorship
Managing cash flow to avoid running out of money
Protecting business ideas and intellectual property through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and non-disclosure agreements

On the website, users can download the short audio files and listen to them on any MP3 compatible player, including iPod and other portable music players, personal computers, iPhone and other smart phones, and many cars equipped with MP3 players.

Furthermore, users can download easy-to-use templates that come with each audio guide. For example, the startup guide on how to write a business plan comes with a 13-slide business plan template that users can fill out while listening to the audio instructions.

There is no charge for the first Startup Guide, and additional Startup Guides are $0.99 each. For more information, go to http://www.40billion.com/startupguides or click Startup Guides on the 40Billion.com site.

About 40Billion.com

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40Billion.com Small Business Funding to Explode to over $100 Million in 2011

February 28, 2011 1 Comment

40Billion.com continues to grow rapidly by incorporating online social networking to raise money for business ventures. New features have boosted entrepreneurial fundraising activity to over $30 Million, which is expected to triple to $100 Million this year.

40Billion.com, an online micro-funding and social networking platform for entrepreneurs and business professionals, is growing rapidly by incorporating online social networking to help raise money for small businesses and startup ideas. New fundraising tools and social networking features have boosted entrepreneurial fundraising activity to over $30 Million, which is expected to triple to over $100 Million in 2011.

Many businesses get started with financing from the entrepreneur’s friends and family, but it is often difficult to manage these relationships. 40Billion.com allows many people to donate or lend small amounts of money and spread the risk. Furthermore, the service provides its own unique rating mechanism, called Social Business Rating System (or SBRS), as well as communication tools to increase transparency between the entrepreneur and investors.

To request funding, an entrepreneur uses 40Billion.com to start a fundraising profile, known as a Raise, and invites their friends, family and others in their social network to invest and contribute towards the funding target. 40Billion.com makes it easier for entrepreneurs to share their business ideas with friends and relatives, who may want to invest or otherwise support ventures, and it offers easy ways to formalize and track funding agreements such as direct loans and commercial paper.

“We’ve facilitated over $30 Million in Raises, and we’re seeing a huge increase in demand, where more entrepreneurs are using our online micro-funding platform to get business loans and other types of financing because their communities and networks of friends and relatives will believe in them when banks will not,” said Cornelius Colin McNab, founder and chief executive at 40Billion.com. “Tough economic times have led to a credit crunch, where banks have tightened up, and this has increased the funding gap and made things worse for entrepreneurs chasing the American dream. 40Billion offers new and innovative alternatives to gain access to affordable financing through the power of the Internet. Our goal is to help all those hardworking entrepreneurs that have good ideas but don’t have the money or resources to get started.”

40Billion.com predicts that adoption of online crowdfunding, small-business microfinance, and professional social networking services by mainstream users will catapult its growth to over $100 Million in fundraising activity by the end of 2011.

About 40Billion.com

Filed under Press Release Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business plan, commercial funding, commercial loans, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family funding, funding, P2P lending, profession social network, raise money, small business, small business loan, small business loans, social funding network, social network, social networking, startup, venture capital

40Billion.com Extends Commercial Paper Short-Term Loan Product to Small and Medium Business Entrepreneurs

February 21, 2011 2 Comments

Enables existing Small and Medium Businesses to raise up to $1 million in short-term loans for 9 months using social networking

40Billion.com, an online micro-funding and social networking platform for entrepreneurs and business professionals, today announced new short-term loan options that enable small- and medium-sized businesses to raise up to $1 million in commercial paper for up to 9 months.

Commercial paper is an unsecured promissory note to meet the short-term financing and cash flow needs of businesses and can be a more affordable alternative to a traditional bank line-of-credit. Most commonly used by large corporations to raise quick and low-cost working capital, commercial paper has been in existence for over a century.

This reputable financing option is now available to small- and medium-sized businesses seeking to borrow $5,000 to $1,000,000 for up to 270 days, as well as investors seeking to diversify their investments and potentially earn a quick return while supporting U.S. small and medium businesses.

“Our short-term loan option using commercial paper offers a revolutionary solution to the problems faced by millions of existing small- and mid-sized business entrepreneurs trying to find affordable working capital,” said Harendra Jani, VP of strategy and planning at 40Billion.com.

According to Jani, there are several advantages over traditional bank loans: “It is unsecured and does not create any lien on the business’ assets; the discount rate is negotiated between the entrepreneurs and investors online, so ventures with high SBRS scores or good relationships may get better rates; the wide range of maturity, from 15 days to 270 days, offers a lot of flexibility; and, it can be used frequently for a variety of short-term cash needs such as payroll, inventory, and marketing.”

Since 2008, the company has facilitated over $30 million in business fundraising projects and aims to address a $40 billion funding gap with innovative small-business financing tools enhanced by the power of online social networking.

About 40Billion.com
40Billion.com is the social funding network for small businesses and startup entrepreneurs. 40Billion.com, Inc. is the first Internet-based microfinance company serving American small businesses. 40Billion.com’s scalable platform helps entrepreneurs raise funding more affordably through friends and family than through banks or other traditional financial institutions. Using proprietary online tools, entrepreneurs build social networks – including friends, relatives, colleagues, customers, and other contacts – and use these connections to raise capital through small business loans and gifts. Entrepreneurs create fundraising profiles and invite their connections to offer funding in exchange for discounts or potential returns. 40Billion.com, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Filed under Announcements, Commentary Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business plan, commercial funding, commercial loans, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family funding, funding, P2P lending, profession social network, raise money, small business, small business loan, small business loans, social funding network, social network, social networking, startup, venture capital

40Billion.com Lets Small Businesses Turn LinkedIn And Facebook Social Networks Into Funding Networks

February 13, 2011 Leave a comment

Online social networking and finance tools help entrepreneurs share business plans, raise money, and launch businesses with friends and contacts

40Billion.com, an online micro-funding and social networking platform for entrepreneurs and business professionals, has announced new integrated social networking tools that enable members to use their existing LinkedIn or Facebook accounts to help raise money for small businesses.

Using the Internet service, visitors connected by existing social networks – such as friends, relatives, co-workers, classmates, and other contacts – can sign up and sign in quickly and easily with their existing LinkedIn or Facebook accounts. The user simply clicks the “Sign in with LinkedIn” or “Sign in with Facebook” button and then enters their email address and password. 40Billion.com instantly logs in and automatically creates the user’s profile, including photo, summary, education, interests, honors, or other relevant information.

“Social networking sites are extremely popular with 90 million users on LinkedIn and 500 million users on Facebook, and many of the people using those sites for professional and personal social networking could use 40Billion also to raise money and grow businesses by leveraging their existing social networks,” said Cornelius McNab, 40Billion’s founder and chief executive.

“That’s why we’ve made it easy to log in on 40Billion with the same email address and password you use on those other sites. Your profile is automatically updated with relevant information about you, and you can invite your contacts from those other sites to join your network on 40Billion. This saves a lot of time and lowers the hurdle for entrepreneurs, investors, and friends who want to help build businesses, realize the American dream, and grow the economy.”

After signing in, each member can add people to their network easily by finding other members they know on 40Billion.com, inviting friends to join, importing their existing contacts from an email program (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, or Outlook) or from a social networking site (e.g., LinkedIn or Facebook), and sharing their profile on their LinkedIn or Facebook page. Furthermore, the service automatically suggests new contacts that the member may know.

Members use their profiles and contacts on 40Billion.com to help raise funding for a business, support businesses seeking funding and resources, and acquire new customers.

About 40Billion.com
40Billion.com is the social funding network for small businesses and startup entrepreneurs. 40Billion.com, Inc. is the first Internet-based microfinance company serving American small businesses. 40Billion.com’s scalable platform helps entrepreneurs raise funding more affordably through friends and family than through banks or other traditional financial institutions. Using proprietary online tools, entrepreneurs build social networks – including friends, relatives, colleagues, customers, and other contacts – and use these connections to raise capital through small business loans and gifts. Entrepreneurs create fundraising profiles and invite their connections to offer funding in exchange for discounts or potential returns. Since 2008, the company has facilitated over $30 million in Raises and aims to address a $40 billion funding gap. 40Billion.com, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

40Billion.com Creates Social Business Rating System as Alternative to Credit Scores

January 24, 2011 3 Comments

SBRS score offers businesses and investors an alternative to personal credit scores when evaluating funding and loan requests

Atlanta, GA, January 24, 2011 – 40Billion.com, a micro-funding platform that facilitates business capital fundraising through gifts and loans from an entrepreneur’s network of friends and family online, recently announced the launch of the Social Business Rating System, a novel approach to rating businesses based on social and financial criteria other than personal credit scores.

The Social Business Rating System (SBRS), is a proprietary system developed exclusively by 40Billion.com to rate businesses based on criteria that really matter for success, rather than traditional credit scores. A unique SBRS score is generated for each business venture’s fundraising profile, and the score is based on 17 or more criteria, including business-related success measures, entrepreneurial profile, peer ratings, and reviews.

The SBRS score helps investors and entrepreneurs to compare business ventures and assess their potential likelihood of success. The highest possible SBRS score is 850, and scores are updated weekly.

“Banks typically use personal credit scores to determine whether or not to lend money to a small business, and most startup ventures don’t qualify for bank loans. This is very unfair,” says Harendra Jani, Vice President of Finance at 40Billion.com.

“SBRS is an innovative system that differs significantly from FICO, which relies on numerical figures based on personal credit history. SBRS evaluates business success measures and takes social factors into account, so it’s a great alternative or supplement to personal credit history when rating businesses and assessing risk. The SBRS score helps investors assess the credit worthiness of the entrepreneur’s venture, and it provides an incentive for entrepreneurs to improve upon these success criteria in order to increase their scores and potentially raise more funding at more affordable rates.”

The company has generated SBRS scores for thousands of small businesses and facilitated over $30 million in business fundraising projects since 2008. It aims to address a $40 billion gap in small business and startup funding by providing an online platform for social funding so that more entrepreneurs can have access to affordable business financing, realize the American dream, and help grow the economy.

About 40Billion.com
40Billion.com is the first micro-funding platform that facilitates American small business capital fundraising through gifts and loans from an entrepreneur’s network of friends and family online. 40Billion.com’s scalable platform helps entrepreneurs raise funding more affordably through friends and family than through banks or other traditional financial institutions. Using proprietary online tools, entrepreneurs build social networks – including friends, relatives, colleagues, customers, and other contacts – and use these connections to raise capital through small business loans and gifts. Entrepreneurs create fundraising profiles and invite their connections to offer funding in exchange for discounts or potential returns. 40Billion.com, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit http://www.40Billion.com.

…

Filed under Announcements, Press Release Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business plan, commercial funding, commercial loans, credit score, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family funding, funding, P2P lending, profession social network, raise money, small business, small business loan, small business loans, social funding network, social network, social networking, startup, venture capital

40Billion.com Launches Social Network for Student Entrepreneurs and Alumni

January 12, 2011 Leave a comment

Social networking and finance tools to help college students and alumni share ideas, raise money, and start businesses

Atlanta, GA, January 12, 2011 – 40Billion.com, a micro-funding platform that facilitates business capital fundraising through gifts and loans from an entrepreneur’s network of friends and family online, today announced the launch of new social networking tools for students and alumni to raise money for businesses.

Using the free Internet service, college students and alumni can build their social networks of contacts, including classmates and friends from the same school and from different schools, and use these connections to raise money, resources, and support for entrepreneurial ventures. Members create personal profiles that include their education information, such as school name, degree, major, and graduation year. They can add one or multiple schools to their profiles and then invite people they know from each school to join their network. The service even suggests new contacts, automatically, based on their profiles.

“Many of the most innovative and successful businesses are started by college students and alumni, and now 40Billion.com makes it easier to launch a new venture with the support of your school. Whether you’re a Harvard dropout, a college graduate, an undergraduate, or a business school student, this is for you. If you’re starting a business, you have an idea for a new product, you want to help fund the ventures of entrepreneurs from your school, or you want to build your network, then this is for you. You probably already know someone using it,” said Cornelius McNab, founder of 40Billion.com and graduate of Yale University and MIT Sloan business school.

The company has facilitated over $30 million in business fundraising projects since 2008. It aims to address a $40 billion gap in small business and startup funding by providing an online platform for social funding so that more entrepreneurs can have access to affordable business financing, realize the American dream, and help grow the economy.

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Filed under Announcements, Press Release Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, banking, business financing, business funding, business plan, business school, college student, commercial funding, commercial loans, crowdfunding, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, friends and family funding, funding, P2P lending, profession social network, raise money, small business, small business loan, small business loans, social funding network, social network, social networking, startup, venture capital

How To Use Social Networking To Raise Money For Your Business

January 3, 2011 2 Comments

40Billion.com Launches Free Social Networking Tools for Small Business Entrepreneurs and Startups Seeking Loans and Resources

By Cornelius Colin McNab, 40Billion.com

Looking for funding to start a new business? Need to raise startup capital, but don’t know where to go? Well, you may already know hundreds or thousands of potential financing sources that you interact with every day. This article exposes five simple steps to raise funding by leveraging your social network online.

It is estimated that half of small business entrepreneurs raise money through friends and family to fund the first phase of their startups, but it is often difficult to manage these relationships. With Internet social networking, it can be much easier to raise money while maintaining your relationships. So what steps should you take to raise funding for your business through friends and family? How can you increase your access to capital and resources by leveraging your social network?

Upload Your Business Plan
A recent poll of 140 people found that a good business plan is the #1 most important factor in deciding whether to fund a friend’s or relative’s business. One of the best things you can do as an entrepreneur to increase your chances of raising money is to turn your idea into a business plan, and make your business plan accessible to people you know. Some services allow you to upload a document and share it on various social networking websites quickly and easily. However, be careful not to upload any confidential information or intellectual property that you don’t want publicly known.
Create A Social Funding Profile For Your Business
After you’ve written a compelling business plan, you need to make sections of it available to your potential funders. Create a business profile online that people you know can easily access on the Web. The profile should provide insight into your vision and plan for the business, how much funding you need and why, and what you have to offer in return – e.g., rewards and discounts on products or services you sell.

In the last three years, social funding websites, such as 40Billion.com^® (http://www.40billion.com), have launched that allow you to create your own profile page and use it to raise money for your business. You can even make your profile private in order to limit access only to invited people you know and trust, not strangers.
Invite Your Friends And Build Your Network
After you’ve created your business fundraising profile, broadcast it to people you know. Invite your friends, family, community members, neighbors, and others in your social network to view your business profile, contribute towards your funding target, and spread the word. Post a link to your profile on any online social networking websites that your friends are on, such as Facebook^® and LinkedIn^®, or simply invite all of your friends to join you on the social funding website if it has built-in social networking tools. The more people you share your profile with, the better your chances of raising the financing you need.

For example, imagine you need to raise $40,000, and you invite 40 friends to contribute $100 each in support of your startup. You may even propose to reward them with a free trial or discount when your business is up-and-running. Each of your 40 friends invites 40 more friends to contribute. Together, 40 x 40 = 1,600 people helping to raise money for your business. If just one out of every four contributes $100, then you’ll easily reach your target.
Use Automated Payment Methods To Collect Funds
Now that you have potentially thousands of people interested in funding your business, how do you make it easy for them to send you money and for you to track all of the transactions? There are online payment processing services, such as PayPal^®, that facilitate fundraising by handling the transactions as donations or payments for goods and services. These online payment processors enable the funders to transfer funds from their bank accounts or credit cards to the entrepreneur, while making it easier for the entrepreneur to keep track of all the transactions in one place.
Keep Your Promises And Keep In Touch
After you get funded, what then? Be sure to thank your friends and family who believed in you and supported your venture. Distribute any rewards that you had promised to your funders, and be sure to keep the lines of communication open by sending them regular updates to let them know how their support has helped you fulfill the “American dream.” A great benefit of social networking sites is that it’s easier than ever to send messages and stay in touch with friends. These communications will go a long way in helping you maintain good personal and professional relationships, and your friends will be more likely to support you again in the future as funders and even as customers.

Cornelius Colin McNab is the founder and chief executive of 40Billion.com, a micro-funding site that facilitates business capital fundraising through social networking online. Cornelius earned a bachelors degree from Yale University and a masters degree in business administration from the Sloan School at MIT.

Filed under How To Tagged with angel investors, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business funding, small business loans, social network, startup, startup capital, venture capital

40billion.com Introduces Commercial Paper Offering

November 29, 2010 Leave a comment

Additional social network funding option to help entrepreneurs create their own American dream

Nov 29, 2010 – Atlanta, GA, November 29, 2010—40Billion.com (http://www.40billion.com), a micro-funding platform that facilitates business capital fundraising through gifts and loans from an entrepreneur’s network of friends and family online, today announced the addition of an innovative Commercial Paper offering.

Commercial Paper is an unsecured Promissory Note to meet short-term liquidity needs. It is a lower cost alternative to a traditional bank line-of-credit (LOC). Commercial Paper, which has been in existence for over 100 years, is used commonly by large corporations to raise quick and low cost working capital. 40Billion.com is pleased to be able to offer this reputable financing option to small- and mid-sized businesses seeking to borrow $5,000 to $1,000,000 for up to 270 days.

“We see this as a true ‘win-win’ situation for both investors and borrowers,” said Harendra Jani, vice-president of finance, 40Billion.com. “If you asked entrepreneurs to name the most difficult obstacle to overcome when launching their business, the most common answer is likely to be access to low cost capital. Providing a venue to access low cost capital has been 40Billion.com’s mission since day one, and the addition of Commercial Paper speaks directly to that mission.”

40Billion.com aims to address a $40 Billion gap in small business and startup funding by providing an online platform for social funding so that more entrepreneurs can have access to affordable business financing through gifts and loans.

40Billion.com helps entrepreneurs:

Gain access to needed funding to start and grow their business, with more funding options, and at rates that are lower and more affordable than most alternatives.
Formalize the terms of funding in order to reduce the risk of ruining relationships with friends-and-family funders, while building a network and reputation that they can utilize for future funding needs.
Take advantage of unique features that are created specifically for entrepreneurs that need to raise money.
Find trusted resources and services for their business, such as incorporation or company formation.
Acquire customers by offering services to other members on 40Billion.com.

“One of the many effects of the volatile credit market environment of the past few years is severely decreased access to affordable sources of business credit,” said Cornelius McNab, founder and CEO, 40Billion.com. “No segment has been affected more by this than entrepreneurs trying to live out their own version of the American dream. Today’s entrepreneurs are tomorrow’s employers. Providing access to capital for entrepreneurs will undoubtedly lead to job creation in the future, and 40Billion.com is proud to play a role in that process.”

About 40Billion.com
40Billion.com, Inc. is the first Internet-based microfinance company serving American small businesses. 40Billion.com’s scalable platform helps entrepreneurs raise funding more affordably through friends and family than through banks or other traditional financial institutions. Using proprietary online tools, entrepreneurs build social networks – including friends, relatives, colleagues, customers, and other contacts – and use these connections to raise capital through small business loans and gifts. Entrepreneurs create fundraising profiles and invite their connections to offer funding in exchange for discounts or potential returns. 40Billion.com, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit http://www.40Billion.com.

Filed under Announcements, Press Release Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, business loans, business plan, capital, commercial paper, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, short term loan, small business, small business loans

Grab a widget! Add a custom widget on your website or blog for easier access to your business fundraising profile.

October 27, 2010

It’s easier than ever before to share and access Raises (business fundraising profiles) all over the Web. Just add a 40billion widget to your own website or blog. Simply copy the embed code and paste it into your website’s code wherever you want the widget to appear.

You can grab a widget for any Raise that you have access to on 40billion.com. Just click “Widgets” at the bottom of the page.

Want to try out an example? Visit our sample Raise and then click the Widgets link at the bottom of the page. Copy the code in the box for the widget that you want to use, and paste the code into your website or blog.

It’s just as simple as adding a YouTube video to your website or blog, and it’s FREE.

Filed under Announcements, How To Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, business loans, capital, entrepreneur, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, funding, fundraising widget, raise capital, raise money, small business funding, small business loans, social network, social networking, startup, startup capital, venture capital, widget

Want to learn more about 40billion.com and get tips for raising capital through people you know? Sign up for our upcoming webinar and see live demos.

September 29, 2010

Please join us for an exclusive live product demonstration of the 40billion.com business micro-funding platform. This intimate webinar and demonstration occurs weekly on Thursdays at either 2-3pm or 7-8pm Eastern Time. Reserve your seat for an upcoming webinar below.

40billion.com is the micro-funding platform that helps entrepreneurs raise capital quickly, easily, and affordably through social networking so they can start and grow successful businesses.

The #1 reason why many small businesses fail is lack of adequate funding and access to resources. 40billion.com enables friends, family, and others to form networks, in which they can raise money for businesses, support and invest in businesses, and find resources to build successful businesses.

This live demonstration will share with you all that 40billion.com has to offer and allow you to ask questions of our expert presenters.

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

Thu, Sep 30, 2010 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

Thu, Oct 7, 2010 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT

Thu, Oct 14, 2010 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

Thu, Oct 21, 2010 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration
with information you need to join the Webinar.

To your success,

The 40billion Team

Filed under Announcements, How To Tagged with 40billion.com, capital, entrepreneur, friends and family funding, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, startup capital, venture capital, webinar

New funding option launched: Commercial Paper short-term business loans for operating expenses

September 20, 2010 4 Comments

We’ve launched a new, innovative, and exciting addition to our business fundraising platform… Commercial Paper! Commercial Paper is ideal for existing businesses seeking short-term loans of $5,000 up to $1,000,000 for operating expenses or working capital.

Now, 40billion.com offers 3 alternative ways to raise funding for your small business: gifts & donations, private direct loans, and commercial paper short-term loans. Check it out, and start a Raise at http://www.40billion.com/raise_start.asp now.

To your success,

-The 40billion Team

Filed under Announcements, Press Release Tagged with 40billion.com, business loans, capital, commercial paper, entrepreneur, funding, microfinance, public fundraising profile, raise capital, raise money, SBRS score, short term loan, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, social network, venture capital

COMING SOON: Short-term working capital loans, a.k.a. “commercial paper”

September 1, 2010 1 Comment

We’re busy developing an innovative new product to facilitate short-term “commercial paper” loans for operating expenses. This will be available as a new funding type and a great potential solution to the short-term liquidity problems of millions of existing small businesses in America.

What is commercial paper (CP)? CP is an unsecured Promissory Note with a fixed maturity of 1 to 270 days. Think of CP as an IOU (i.e., “I owe you”), lasting from a day to nine months. It is issued to investors who have temporary idle cash and want to earn a decent return, perhaps even while helping out a friend/family member’s business with short-term liquidity (i.e., cash) needs to cover operating expenses or current assets.

By law, CP can be used to fund operating expenses or current assets only (e.g., buying inventory, making payroll, or other short-term cash needs). It is not used for financing fixed assets such as land, buildings or machinery, which are long-term assets.
CP is a quick, easy, and cost-effective way of raising working capital and can be a lower-cost alternative to a Line-Of-Credit (LOC) with a bank.
CP has been around since the 19th century and is typically used by big corporations to raise quick and low-cost working capital.

But we’re creating a 21st century version, and never before has CP been offered as a solution for small businesses in the way that we’ll unveil in just a few weeks. Here’s a clue: It’s like Facebook and eBay for microfinance. Got it? Stay tuned, and check out 40billion.com for more info and the big launch date!

Filed under Announcements Tagged with 40billion.com, business loans, capital, commercial paper, entrepreneur, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, funding, microfinance, public fundraising profile, raise capital, raise money, short term loan, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans

Introducing the Social Business Rating System, a.k.a. SBRS score, for small businesses and startups!

August 20, 2010 1 Comment

You may have noticed that there is now a unique score given to each Raise (business fundraising profile) on 40billion.com. This is the SBRS score, where SBRS stands for Social Business Rating System™. It is a proprietary system developed exclusively by 40billion.com to rate businesses based on criteria that really matter for success, not traditional credit scores.

SBRS generates a score for each Raise based on 17 or more criteria, including business-related success measures, entrepreneur profile, peer ratings, and reviews. It is a novel approach to rating businesses that does not exist anywhere else.

The SBRS score helps funders and entrepreneurs to compare business ventures and assess their potential likelihood of success. 850 is the highest possible SBRS score, and scores are updated weekly (not monthly like traditional credit scores).

What can entrepreneurs, small businesses, and startups do to increase their SBRS scores? Start by editing and updating your Raise, editing and updating your personal profile, and increasing your fundraising and social networking activity on the site.

Here are just a few things that may influence your business’ SBRS score and which you can control:

% of Raise profile completed — when starting a Raise, be sure to fill in the profile completely and honestly.
% of personal profile completed — be sure to fill in your personal profile completely and honestly.
# of recommendations received
Amount of funding raised
# of connections in your social network
# of invitations sent to people you know
# of followers — i.e., people following your Raise
# of Raises you’ve started or participated in
# of company updates added to your Raise

So, what is your SBRS score? If it’s currently below 550, then we believe you’ve got some work to do in order to increase your likelihood of success! Start with the tips above, and your SBRS score will grow along with your business over time.

Filed under Announcements Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, business contacts, business loans, business plan, capital, entrepreneur, entrepreneur network, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, funding, intellectual property, personal contacts, personal profile, professional network, public fundraising profile, raise capital, raise money, recommendations, SBRS score, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, small business network, Social Business Rating System, social network, social networking, startup, trademark, venture capital

Grow your social network to over 100 people fast

July 28, 2010

40billion.com is the social funding network for entrepreneurs and people who support entrepreneurs. Whether you’re starting a business, running a business, funding a business, supporting someone you know who has started a business, or providing services to business owners, this is where you want to be!

It all starts with your social network of friends, relatives, co-workers, classmates, and other people you know. Use your social network to help you raise funding for a business, support businesses seeking funding and resources, and even acquire customers. Your personal profile page is where you can connect with people in your social network and grow your network.

We recommend building a network of at least 100 people. To add people to your network, find people already on 40billion, invite people to join, import your contacts from your email (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, or Outlook), and post to your Facebook page.

The more connections you have in your network, the more you’ll be able to accomplish… and the more fun it will be!

Filed under How To Tagged with 40billion.com, angel investors, business contacts, business loans, capital, entrepreneur, entrepreneur network, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, funding, personal contacts, personal profile, professional network, raise capital, raise money, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, small business marketing, small business network, social network, social networking, startup, startup capital, venture capital

Use our Startup Guides to get your business up-and-running fast

June 25, 2010

Now you can access our five Startup Guides, and you can download the MP3 audio files and the quick-start templates to help get your business going fast.

Visit http://www.40billion.com/startupguides/ to get these quick and easy Startup Guides today.

In these Startup Guides, you’ll discover useful tips for:

Funding your business in 4 ways
Writing a business plan in 13 easy steps
Forming a company or incorporating
Managing your cash flow… so you don’t run out of money
Protecting your ideas and intellectual property

Go to http://www.40billion.com/startupguides/, or just click “Startup Guides” from the home page of 40billion.com!

Filed under How To Tagged with angel investors, business loans, business plan, capital, cash flow, copyright, entrepreneur, friends and family, friends and family funding, friends and family loans, incorporating, intellectual property, patent, raise capital, raise money, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, startup, startup capital, startup guide, template, trademark, venture capital

Need to raise more money? Need more time to raise additional funding? Extend your Raise!

June 20, 2010

Did you know that you can extend your Raise for additional months? Even if your Raise has already ended, you may extend it in order to continue raising funding for your business until you reach your funding target.

To extend your Raise, just go to your account at http://www.40billion.com/my_account.asp, click “Extend” next to the Raise you’d like to extend, and add up to 6 more months of time for only $9.99 per month.

Add more time to your Raise today!

Filed under Announcements, How To Tagged with business loans, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business loans, startup, startup capital, venture capital

5 tips for approaching friends and family about your business

October 18, 2009

1. ASK FOR ADVICE & REFERRALS, NOT HANDOUTS

2. FORMALIZE A LOAN OR DISCOUNT

3. GIVE A PRESENTATION

4. POST ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

5. KEEP IN TOUCH

40billion.com Launches New Features to Help Small Businesses Find Funding

July 28, 2009

Innovative Tools Help Small Businesses Access Loans and Resources by Networking Online

ATLANTA, Georgia – July 28, 2009 – 40billion.com (http://www.40billion.com) launched new features to enable small business entrepreneurs to raise capital and access startup resources through friends, family, and others in their communities and social networks.

Most small businesses startups fail due to lack of adequate funding and resources, and there is a $40 billion gap in seed funding. By combining innovative tools with the power of the Internet, 40billion.com aims to bridge the gap and enable millions more small businesses to succeed.

About half of all new businesses seek financing from the entrepreneur’s friends and family, but it can be difficult to communicate business ideas and to manage funding relationships with many people. 40billion.com simplifies everything by enabling entrepreneurs to create business plan profiles and launch fundraising drives that are viewable anywhere via the Internet. And it is free to sign up and get started.

Entrepreneurs can broadcast their business ideas and funding requests to friends and family, even post them on popular social networking websites, and the service allows many people to make loans or gift contributions ($25 up to $10,000) in support of a business, while easily tracking and receiving notifications online.

Furthermore, lenders and borrowers may download a promissory note template, which they can use to formalize business loans in a more professional manner. Loan interest rates are negotiated between the lenders and borrowers, and 40billion.com emails notifications when funding offers are received and reminders when payments are due.

As an incentive, entrepreneurs may offer product discounts and freebies in exchange for low- or no-interest funding and other much-needed resources. Soon, for added confidence, those providing the funding will be able to track how the entrepreneur spends the funds that are raised.

There are additional features available exclusively for members, including the ability to schedule online business plan presentations, an open database of service providers, a job board for posting and browsing startup jobs, and a discussion forum (a.k.a., The Elevator) where everyone can share ideas and tips about what works and what does not. Members can even follow a company as it progresses, by signing up to receive alerts whenever the entrepreneur posts company updates.

Advantages over banks and other lending websites

No credit score required: raise money for a business, while keeping personal finances and credit score private.
Private profiles: protect ideas and limit viewing to invited participants only.
$99,000 maximum: raise more funding than many other sites allow.
Gift contributions: provide an additional funding option, besides loans.
Targeted business network: leverage other entrepreneurs and lenders with similar interests to raise funding, find service providers, post jobs, and acquire customers.
Spending tracker: lenders track how the funding is spent by the entrepreneur, in order to increase peace-of-mind, transparency, and accountability.

Advantages over conventional friends-and-family loans

One-to-many: manage and track hundreds of relationships, transactions and communications at the same time; no need to make a hundred individual loan payments every month.
Email reminders: get reminders automatically when payments are due, and get notifications when new company updates, transactions, or offers are posted.
Public profiles: expand access to funding and resources by connecting with thousands of people who visit 40billion.com every month.
Targeted business network: leverage other entrepreneurs and lenders with similar interests to raise funding, find service providers, post jobs, and acquire customers.
Spending tracker: lenders track how the funding is spent by the entrepreneur, in order to increase peace-of-mind, transparency, and accountability.

About 40billion.com
40billion.com helps entrepreneurs raise funding for new businesses through friends and family rather than through traditional financial institutions. Using the Internet-based service, entrepreneurs connect with their social network – friends, family, friends of family, colleagues, and others in their communities – to raise capital. 40billion.com’s scalable platform facilitates the funding requests and transactions to make it easier for an entrepreneur to manage many funding relationships. 40billion.com is patent pending. For more information, visit http://www.40billion.com.

Filed under Announcements, Press Release Tagged with business loans, capital, entrepreneur, entrepreneur forum, free job posting, funding, public fundraising profile, raise capital, raise money, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, small business marketing, startup, startup capital, startup jobs, venture capital

THE ELEVATOR discussion forums for entrepreneurs

May 31, 2009

40billion has just launched THE ELEVATOR business forums, where you can blog, post articles, and get advice/tips for entrepreneurs and funders.

THE ELEVATOR currently has 6 levels:

1. Business Basics

2. Funding Forum

3. Legal Lounge

4. Marketing Maze

5. Product Pipeline

6. Support Space

Visit www.40billion.com/elevator to start posting and reading today. New content is added daily, but feel free to add your own!

Filed under Announcements Tagged with business loans, entrepreneur, entrepreneur forum, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business funding, small business loan, small business loans, small business marketing, startup, startup capital, venture capital

Free startup job postings, and public Raises

February 4, 2009

We’ve added new features to help you raise money and find resources for your business:

* FREE JOB POSTINGS

Looking to hire new employees or contractors for your business? Create a job posting that is visible to thousands of professionals and others seeking employment every month. It’s free!

To post a job, just sign in, click ‘Search’ and ‘Post a Job’.

* PUBLIC PROFILES

Now, you can choose whether to make your Raise (fundraising profile) private or public. By default, your Raise is private so that only invited friends and family can view it. However, you now have the option to make your Raise public so that anyone can view it (without an invitation and without signing in).

To make your Raise public, just sign in, click ‘Edit’, and uncheck the box next to ‘Make Private’.

Please continue to send us your feedback. 40billion.com was built for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs, so we welcome your ideas on how to make it better.

Filed under Announcements Tagged with business loans, capital, entrepreneur, free job posting, funding, public fundraising profile, raise capital, raise money, small business loan, small business loans, startup, startup capital, startup jobs, venture capital

Free loan documents for business loans between friends/relatives

January 31, 2009 2 Comments

Now, you can formalize loans between friends and relatives for free! On 40billion.com, you can generate a customized loan document at no charge. Other websites charge up to $200 for similar services.

HOW IT WORKS

When a friend or family member views an entrepreneur’s Raise, they can offer a loan to the entrepreneur, then select the loan amount ($50 to $10,000), annual interest rate (0% or 5%), and period (12 or 24 months).

40billion.com calculates the interest and summarizes the loan terms, based on an unsecured loan with a single payment (one lump sum). 40billion.com instantly generates a professional loan document and notifies the entrepreneur via email regarding the loan offer.

The entrepreneur and lender can view the loan document online. They may print and sign the loan document, if they wish to execute a legally binding loan agreement between individuals. The lender may transfer funds to the entrepreneur by any offline method (e.g., check or cash) without worrying about extra charges and fees.

THE BENEFITS

– There is no charge, so you save up to $200 at a time when you need it most!

– Instantly generate a customized loan document to formalize a loan agreement between friends or family, without straining your relationship.

– Entrepreneurs receive affordable loans from one or many individual lenders they know; even manage 100 lenders easily.

– Lenders can offer a loan with up to 5% interest annually (a higher return than your savings account), while helping out a friend or relative starting a new business.

– Track loan payment due dates, and view/print the loan document as often as you’d like.

– Receive email notifications and reminders.

TRY IT NOW

Go to http://www.40billion.com, click ‘My Account’ and start a friends-and-family loan today.

Filed under Announcements Tagged with business loans, capital, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business loan, small business loans, startup, startup capital, venture capital

New features to bailout small businesses and startups

November 13, 2008

In this tough economy, entrepreneurs like you are struggling to raise money to start new businesses or keep their existing businesses afloat. While big corporations are getting multi-billion dollar bailouts, who is bailing out small-business entrepreneurs? Many aspiring entrepreneurs are turning to friends and family for help during these tough times, and 40billion.com makes it easier than ever to tap into your social network and raise money for your business or idea. Here’s what we’re doing to help you, in lieu of a bailout package…

WE’VE EXTENDED YOUR RAISE

Your Raise (fundraising profile) has been extended up to one additional month, at no extra charge. Your Raise is now scheduled to end on December 13, 2008. Even if your Raise had ended, it has been reactivated with the new end date. So sign in, invite your friends and family, and start raising the money you need for your business through small loans and contributions.

WE’VE LAUNCHED NEW FEATURES

We’ve added new features and made significant improvements to help you raise money for your business. Some of these include…

* New loan document service:

Instantly generate a customized loan document to formalize a loan between friends or family, without straining your relationship.

* Posting on Facebook or MySpace:

Post links to your Raise on your Facebook or MySpace page. Increase your exposure, and allow your friends and family to access your Raise easily from your Facebook or MySpace page.

* Access to your email contact list:

Easily import your contact lists (or address books) from your existing email accounts, whether you use Yahoo, GMail, AOL, Plaxo, or Outlook. No need to type all those email addresses, when sending invitations to your friends and family.

* New default invitation messages:

You always have the ability to customize your email invitations, but we’ve made things easy for you by providing default invitation messages that are friendly and professional. Also, now when you send an invitation, the recipient does not have to sign in (or join) to view your Raise; however, they do have to sign in to offer funding and access other site features.

* New email notifications:

Now, we send you an email notification whenever you receive a loan offer or contribution, when you receive a message from someone who has viewed your Raise, and when another member grants you access to their private Raise. We do much of the work, so you can focus on your business.

…and much more.

Sign in to your account, and check out the improvements we’ve made. And with the extra time you have between now and December 13th, invite your friends and family to help you raise money for your business with a small loan or contribution towards your target.

Filed under Announcements, How To, Press Release Tagged with business loans, capital, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business loan, small business loans, startup, startup capital, venture capital

Small business loans now available

October 27, 2008

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new lending service on 40billion.com! Now, entrepreneurs can seek loans from friends and family, and 40billion.com will create a customized loan document to formalize your loan agreements. By automatically generating a customized loan document for you, we’ve made it easier for lenders and borrowers to formalize a personal loan between friends or family members.

HOW IT WORKS

When an entrepreneur starts or edits a Raise (fundraising profile), now he can select “Loans” as a funding type (in addition to “Contributions”) to indicate that he is seeking loans towards his funding target. Then, he can invite friends and family to view the Raise and make an investment as a loan to the entrepreneur.

When a friend or family member views the entrepreneur’s Raise, she can offer a loan to the entrepreneur. She selects the loan amount ($50 to $10,000), the annual interest rate (0% or 5%), and the period (12 or 24 months).

40billion.com calculates the interest and summarizes the loan terms, based on an unsecured personal loan with a single payment (one lump sum). 40billion.com instantly generates a professional loan document.

Both the borrower and the lender can view, print, and sign the loan document as a legally binding loan agreement between the two individuals.

THE BENEFITS

– Instantly generate a customized loan document to formalize a loan agreement between friends or family, without straining your relationship.

– Entrepreneurs receive affordable loans from one or many individual lenders they know; even manage 100 lenders easily.

– Lenders earn up to 5% interest annually (a higher return than your savings account), while helping out a friend or relative with a new business.

– Track loan payment due dates, and view/print the loan document as often as you like.

– Receive email payment reminders.

TRY IT NOW

Sign in at http://www.40billion.com, raise money or fund a new business, and formalize your loan with a loan document today.

Filed under Announcements Tagged with business loans, capital, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business loan, small business loans, startup, startup capital, venture capital

40billion.com Launches First Friends-and-Family Funding Network for Entrepreneurs

July 30, 2008

New Service Helps Entrepreneurs Raise Money Through Social Networks of Friends and Family

ATLANTA, Georgia – July 30, 2008 – 40billion.com (http://www.40billion.com) officially launched today as the first friends-and-family funding network for small-business entrepreneurs. The service enables entrepreneurs to raise capital through friends, family and others interested in helping the entrepreneur to succeed.

Unlike traditional bank loans and other person-to-person lending services, 40billion.com does not require a credit report or minimum credit score and does not allow loan interest rates as high as 36%, which many small-business entrepreneurs cannot afford. Instead, the entrepreneur can raise money from people they know in exchange for discounts that they offer to those investors who become customers.
“40billion.com is a great way for me to finance my startup,” said Dave Mack Jr., who is developing an online social network for theatre artists to connect and find work. “It helps me raise money affordably from many people I already know, and without worrying about ruining my relationships with them.”

Many businesses get started with financing from the entrepreneur’s friends and family, but it is often difficult to manage these relationships. 40billion.com allows many investors to give small amounts of money and spread the risk. Furthermore, the service provides communication tools to increase transparency between the entrepreneur and her investors.

To obtain funding, an entrepreneur simply uses 40billion.com to start a “Raise” (a fundraising profile) and invites friends, family and others in her social network to invest and contribute towards the funding target. 40billion.com makes it easier for entrepreneurs to share their business ideas with friends and relatives, who may want to invest and help out. Furthermore, 40billion.com handles all the transactions, so it is easier for an entrepreneur to manage having many investors. Raises are private, so potential investors must be invited by entrepreneurs or other investors.

“We are addressing a $40 billion gap in funding for small businesses, and our goal is to help all those hardworking entrepreneurs that have good ideas but don’t have the money or resources to get started,” said Cornelius Colin McNab, Founder of 40billion.com. “The economic downturn has led to a credit crunch, where banks and venture capitalists are tightening up, and entrepreneurs need alternative ways to gain access to affordable capital.”

McNab, who is an inventor with three patents and holds an MBA from MIT and a degree from Yale, is confident that his company can bridge the funding gap by allowing ordinary people to become investors. “That’s how we got started. Investors contribute as little as $50 or $100 each, but these small investments really add up. If forty friends and relatives contribute $100 each, that’s $4,000 that the entrepreneur can use to incorporate a business, build a website, print business cards, lease space for three months, file a provisional patent, and create a prototype or sample inventory.”

Currently released as a beta version, 40billion.com soon will offer more funding options (including loans), social networking features, and a unique rating system to enhance the quality of entrepreneurs and build investor confidence.

Advantages of 40billion.com

No credit report or sales history required
Multiple funding options
Private, invitation-only profiles
Exclusive entrepreneur features, e.g., live presentations online
Search-engine to find business resources
Profiles with embedded videos and PowerPoint presentations
Investors receive social returns, financial returns, and discounts

About 40billion.com

40billion.com helps entrepreneurs raise money for businesses through friends and family rather than through traditional financial institutions. Using the Internet-based service, entrepreneurs connect with their social network – friends, family, friends of family, colleagues, and others – to raise capital. 40billion.com’s scalable platform facilitates the funding requests and transactions to make it easier for an entrepreneur to manage many investors. 40billion.com is patent pending. For more information, visit http://www.40billion.com

Filed under Announcements, Press Release Tagged with business loans, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business loans, startup, startup capital, venture capital

Introducing 40Billion.com

March 31, 2008

There is a $40 billion gap in funding for startup entrepreneurs. Many small-business entrepreneurs raise initial funding for their business ideas by borrowing money and getting gifts from their friends and family. 40billion.com just makes it easier, more scalable, and more fun for entrepreneurs and their friends and family to arrange business loans and gift contributions. And it’s about time!

40billion.com provides you, the entrepreneur, with the opportunity to set up your own private fundraising machine. In it’s simplest form, it formalizes and makes scalable the process of raising funds through family and friends, making an often difficult task easy and comfortable. Once you have completed your business plan and determined how much money you need to fund your business, make a list of all your family and close friends. With the business plan uploaded to your newly-created, private profile on 40billion.com, you are ready to begin raising money through gift contributions and loans.

Filed under Announcements Tagged with business loans, capital, entrepreneur, funding, raise capital, raise money, small business loan, small business loans, startup, startup capital, venture capital

40Billion

5 tips for approaching friends and family about your business

40billion.com Introduces Commercial Paper Offering

Want to learn more about 40billion.com and get tips for raising capital through people you know? Sign up for our upcoming webinar and see live demos.

COMING SOON: Short-term working capital loans, a.k.a. “commercial paper”

Use our Startup Guides to get your business up-and-running fast

Need to raise more money? Need more time to raise additional funding? Extend your Raise!

5 tips for approaching friends and family about your business

40billion.com Launches New Features to Help Small Businesses Find Funding

THE ELEVATOR discussion forums for entrepreneurs

Free startup job postings, and public Raises

Free loan documents for business loans between friends/relatives

New features to bailout small businesses and startups

Small business loans now available

40billion.com Launches First Friends-and-Family Funding Network for Entrepreneurs

Introducing 40Billion.com

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