Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Starting a company with business credit cards

By Robin Green

Starting a company costs money and where that money comes from is often the first hurdle for any budding entrepreneur. Often, however, starting a company isn't as expensive as you might think. Some amazing high-flying businesses have been set up for a few thousand pounds. Unfortunately a thousand or a million makes little different to a person wanting to start up a company and who has no avenues of funding. One creative, albeit risky, way of finding capital can be through the use of one or more of the business credit cards available on the market today.

The successful multi-billion dollar Internet company, Google, was initially funded by credit cards. The creative minds behind Google, Larry Page and Sergery Brin, are rumoured to have bought the vital computer hardware that went on to house the Google computer program, through business credit cards. One way that could work in the current climate is through the 0% on cash purchases available to many new card applicants. Larry and Sergery would have been able to purchase their hardware, set up their business and start trading without having to pay any interest on their purchases for a number of months. Of course, by the time it came to make repayments they were probably able to repay in full.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford University and went on to create one of the most popular search engines - Google. It is rumoured that business credit cards were used to start the company with the purchase of vital computer equipment: a terabyte of hard disk space to be precise. From these humble beginnings, Google grew and grew to become one of the most profitable Internet organisations of all times. As of 2008, Google is estimated to be worth $157.8 billion; this is just 10 years after the company officially started trading. Nowadays Google is still expanding at a phenomenal rate and recently announced the beta launch of its own browser known as Chrome.

Perhaps one of the most successful examples of creative business credit carding must be that of Bruce Kovner. He borrowed just $3,000 on his MasterCard to invest in soybeans and made a killing with a $23,000 profit. Bruce Kovner now owns a company that deals with $10 billion worth of capital and is estimated to personally be worth $2.5 billion. He may also be jet setting around the country, burning up the free Airmiles he may have received on his first business credit card!

Another little known American businessman called Bruce Kovner, now estimated to be worth $2.5 billion started his business ventures through creative credit carding. He invested just $3,000 in soya beans and made a profit of $23,000. The initial $3,000 investment was borrowed against the MasterCard that he owned at the time. Of course, he invested the money that he made from his first business outing again and again. He now owns a company called Caxton Associates, which manages $10 billion of capital.

Nowadays finding the right business card is easier than ever as all of them can be compared and studied online. Once you have decided on the card that is best for you, you can even apply online. Whether you are accepted for a credit card or not will largely depend on your credit rating. So, if you have your business plan ready, and you future looks bright, then you may want to apply for a card and get creative business credit carding right away. - 15224

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