Capital is the lifeblood of every business. While no amount of money will make a bad business successful, no business can survive without enough money to develop products, hire employees, establish markets and attract customers and for other purposes. There are a number of alternative methods to fund the growth. These include the owner or proprietor s own capital, arranging debt finance, or seeking an equity partner, as is the case with private equity and venture capital. For many businesses, particularly in the early stages before profit become predictable, traditional sources of capital such as banks and credit unions are simply unavailable. For those businesses, venture capital may be the best hope to raise the money needed to succeed. Venture capital is money provided by professionals who invest alongside management in young, rapidly growing companies that have the potential to develop into significant economic contributors.