There are many ways that entrepreneurs can obtain the capital they need to get their business up and running. Some of these are not too far from home.

As I have written in other blogs, there are various ways to obtain the capital needed to maintain an early stage business and push it to the next step, expansion. These methods including financing through angel investors, venture capitalists, and various methods of debt and equity financing.

However, one often first needs to use their personal resources for the initial capital injection. Not only will this force the entrepreneur to put much thought into developing a sound business plan, it also shows potential future investors that personal risk was taken to make the first step.

Typical sources include:

- Selling Assets
This can include small items such as electronics, luxury items, or even selling your car and buying a less expensive model to net a profit. Camps or second homes are options as well if the entrepreneur has such assets.

- Borrowing against your home
For those who cannot obtaining enough capital from selling assets, borrowing against your home's equity is another popular option.

-Friends and family
Although this may be a bit more emotionally risky than with an investor as it is closer to home, friends and family are often a formidable source of capital. However, keep in mind that even though friends and family may be more lenient on repayment terms, it is important to establish expectations of how the money will be repaid to avoid any problems down the road.

-Borrow against your investments
Consider borrowing against your 401(k) retirement plan. It is common for these plans to allow up to $50,000 in borrowing.