Ask for trade credit

Suppliers generally will grant regular clients credit for 30, 60 or 90 days, without interest. When you are launching a new business, getting these trade credits will be difficult, but try to negotiate them.

I recommend: Speak with the owner of the business or the person who handles the supplier's finances. Ask the supplier to give you 90 days' credit while you only extend 30 days to your customers. Business Owner's Toolkit has excellent advice on where to find and how to use trade credit. MasterCard has a good online booklet about cash management in general.

Use a factor

A factor is a business that buys the accounts receivables of other businesses. When done right, factors reduce your internal costs and free up cash flow by getting you money that would otherwise be unavailable.

I recommend: AdvanceMe gives a lump sum payment when it buys a fixed dollar amount of a business' future sales at a discount. Capital Solutions offers a free financing evaluation. Also, many of the major banks have a factoring division like Wells Fargo's Business Credit program.

Tap your customers

Sometimes the fastest way to generate internal capital is to get it from your customers. Invoice them for products and services before delivery. That way you will be using other people's money to finance your business operations.

I recommend: Get free advice from the counselors at SCORE. AllBusiness has a resource called "60-Second Guide to Collecting Payment."

Unleash the equity in your business

If your home has appreciated in value, draw down some of the equity through a home equity line of credit. If you need to acquire real estate for your business operations, lease instead of buying.

I recommend: Talk to your mortgage lender for more details. Check out current home equity line interest rates on Bankrate, E-Loan and Lending Tree.