As part of the startup plan for a new business, you need to determine how much capital you need to get your business initially set up, and to provide the initial working capital needed to operate the business. The business plan needs to provide a detailed basis for these figures, both to ensure that they are accurately estimated and for them to be credible to potential lenders and investors. Once the capital requirements are determined, the plan needs to detail how that capital is going to be raised.

Many people have good ideas for a business and the expertise and determination to put them to work, but do not personally have the capital necessary to fund a new business. This capital can be raised by attracting capital from investors and/or obtaining a startup business loan. Your business plan must account for the sources of its startup capital.

A large amount of information to aid one in deriving a business plan is available at your fingertips. The Small Business Administration, or SBA, is part of the United States government, and charged with providing virtually everything necessary to one starting a small business. This organization also has some money available for grants or SBA loans that they approve.

SBA guarantees these loans, which are made by partners who range from huge banks and financial institutions to micro lenders. By assuming a portion of the risk, SBA makes it easier to qualify and get better rates using SBA guidelines. Loans are available for start up costs, growth and even for recovery from disasters.

Another benefit of using SBA is the tips and tools it gives you for calculating your approximate start up costs, along with other financial planning tools. Visisting the site online is one of the first steps toward drawing up a business plan. Starting with the checklist called the Small Business Readiness Assessment helps you to know whether you're prepared for launching a new business

Even if you don't eventually qualify for SBA loans, you should use the free tips and information sources available for creating business plans. Once you've made the commitment to start your business and analyzed the total funds you need, you'll also want to explore other sources for business loans.

There is information about many business topics on the SBA web site, as well as details of the SBA loan program. Articles on the web site discuss financing, planning, and running your business.