You're an entrepreneur—you want to be your own boss, life a live you love, and do something great. But businesses need money, so you max out your credit cards, take out a second mortgage, and maybe even drive for Uber at night. You do everything yourself and on the cheap. Why? Because you think the only alternative is to make a devil's bargain with some venture capitalist who'll demand a tenfold return and could easily take your business out from under you. Right?

Wrong, says attorney Jenny Kassan. For the first time, this book lays out the vast range of capital-raising strategies available to entrepreneurs. You don't have to go the Silicon Valley route, which is frankly wrong for the vast majority of new businesses anyway. Nor do you have to unduly stress yourself or your personal finances or cut so many corners you don't give your fledging business a fair chance.

Based on her ten-plus years working with small businesses, Kassan knows the landscape of investment capital is far larger and more diverse than many lawyers and business advisors would have you believe. And what Kassan is talking about goes way beyond crowdfunding. There are all kinds of investors out there, with varying motives and expectations. They're not all looking to make a killing—many investors are just as mission driven as you. Kassan shows you how to find them and provides a layperson's primer on the laws and regulations governing fundraising.

With the groundwork set, Kassan takes you through a six-step process for creating a customized capital-raising plan: one that inspires you, excites you, and is in complete agreement with your business goals and your personal values. Jenny Kassan believes entrepreneurs are heroes; she wants to help as many of them as possible turn their big, bold world-changing visions into reality.

Jenny Kassan has been an attorney for social enterprises for twenty-two years. She is also a certified transformational coach, social entrepreneur, and finance innovator. Her formula for mission-aligned capital raising has helped diverse entrepreneurs throughout the country raise millions of dollars on their own terms. In addition to running her own firm, she is president of Community Ventures, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the economic and social development of communities.