Buying or leasing a vehicle for your business simply comes down to dollars and cents. Having your accountant run the numbers both ways before a tax year beings will help you determine the wisest course to take.

Many times leasing a vehicle allows a company to take a large deduction, and that can be beneficial since deductions save money. Many leasing companies and car rental agencies have special business plans and can help a small business needing only one or two vehicles to determine a good fit.

If a business is larger then auto manufactures often have fleet leasing representatives who can help the business take advantage of the buying power of needing more automobiles. All of the major manufacturers, be they American or foreign, have fleet programs in place.

While the benefits of leasing are well known, what is not as well known is that businesses often come out ahead through outright purchase due to the tax credit rules that apply, and change from year to year.

If a tax credit is being offered, then the entire cost of a vehicle can be taken right off of taxes rather than depreciating the cost over several years, or taking the deduction as with a lease. Again, it varies from business to business and from year to year as to which option will save the most money. The tax credit saves a lot of money for a company during one year, but saves nothing the following year, and deprecation and deductions both continue from year to year.

Which is best depends entirely on you, your business and the particular tax bracket you are falling into this year. Of course, those who sell leases and those who sell vehicles will always know and if their particular product is the best tax wise for you, they will probably let you know. But the best way to decide is probably through a visit with your tax preparer doing some joint preplanning to get the best deal.

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What investors are looking for is a very simple question, with a very simple answer. Investors want a return on their investment. In other words, they want to be assured that if they invest money in an enterprise, that they have a better than average chance of that investment of money making more money for them. They want to see profit.

Getting a little more specific, investors want an assurance that there is a need for the product or service that a company is marketing. For instance, there would be very little market for pork sandwiches in a predominantly Muslim country because the people there don’t eat pork. On the other hand, a gourmet coffee bar in a college town would have a built in demand for the product offered, gourmet coffee.

After this assurance, investors want to know that the management team and key players involved in the business are competent, that they know what they are doing and are capable of running the business and making a profit. That is the reason that most business plans include resumes for the managers and key personnel.

After key personnel are scrutinized, investors will look closely at a marketing plan to see how the company plans to make a profit. Marketing is a misunderstood work. Because telemarketers are so common, many people think marketing just means selling. Actually selling is a part of marketing. So is advertising, which is paid for and publicity, which is hoped and prayed for. And that is the difference between the two.

Publicity is acquired when a newspaper writes about your company, or a TV station features it on a news program. Advertising is what a company pays to have appear in various media. Other parts of marketing are promotional efforts like trade show. Investors usually like to see an integrated marketing plan, with a specific goal of selling more of the product or service offered.

The IMC, or integrated marketing communications approach, holds to the idea than a coordinated and consistent plan across all levels of marketing will yield better results, and investors love to see this type of plan.

In the end however the answer is still very simple. Investors want to make a profit, and if they invest in your company they want to know how you will go about making that profit.

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Financing a business is always an important decision, and one subject to many myths and misunderstandings. Many people think that grants and venture capitalists are flowing like rivers. The truth is, while grants for starting a business do exist for some specialized categories, they are hard to get and there are relatively few of them. And while there are venture capitalists out there who will invest in an idea, they are very particular and usually want a large percentage of the new business venture for putting their money at risk.

The most likely place to acquire business capital is through a loan. The easiest loans to get, and those with the lowest interest are those secured by real estate or some other property you may own. If you have a lot of equity in your home, consider refinancing it to raise the money you need. If you own other property of some sort, you have collateral for a loan, and may have good luck with a local banker you know and who knows you.

If you have money invested in a 401K or IRA retirement account, that can be used as collateral for a business loan. The downside is that you are putting your retirement savings at risk, and usually only about 50% if the value can be borrowed due to early withdrawal penalties if the loan had to be called.

Other possibilities are the Small Business Administration, or SBA wing of the federal government. They rarely make loans themselves, but if convinced that you have a reasonable chance of success they will guarantee a loan with a local lending institution. As a general rule, they will want to see a business plan and financial statement and be assured that you have a chance of success.

If buying an existing business, they will probably want to see that you have 20% of the purchase price in your own money. Part of their reasoning is that if you have $20,000 invested in a $100,000 business and the business has problems, you have a large enough investment to work hard for success and not just walk away.

Some lenders specialize in loans for entrepreneurs who can’t quite make the grade with the SBA or the local bank. They charge higher rates of interest, but are more willing to make the loan. If buying a franchised business, many franchisors have their own financing plans. They are willing to risk money because they have a strong success rate, and they very carefully scrutinize the applicants.

One national radio talk show host often says that when needing business capital the best source is people who love you. Relatives, friends and others who know you and believe in you are often the best source of capital.

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