How to Raise Capital For Your Business | Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary and Mark Cuban

As an entrepreneur just starting out, I've been told that, um, I need to raise money from friends and family. Most of those people that are saying that have friends and family who have been able to give them, um, you know, sizable amounts of money. But for those of us who don't have that, those means and, uh, those contacts, what do I do?

Sweat equity is the best equity. You start smaller. You know, most businesses, I'd say at least 90, if not 95, or more percentage of small business startups can start without raising any capital at all. You just use sweat equity.

Now, obviously, we don't know what kind of business she's trying to start, but you just have to try to start smarter, smaller. The hard part for most people is that trade-off between do I keep my job, or how do I start a company when I have a job? Most people feel like they need to raise money so they can quit their jobs.

So, do you advocate they quit their job? No, no. Say, go make it happen. Get some revenue in. Prove it out loud. I worked as a bartender at night. I mean, whatever you have to do, that's part of being an entrepreneur.

So if you have to work on weekends, you have to Uber at night, Uber on weekends, so you have some income coming in. That way, you can work on your, um, company. Or you work your regular job during the week, and at night and weekends, um, that's when you work on your start.

So, the good news there is anybody can be an entrepreneur if they're willing to work their ass off 24 hours. That's what it takes. I mean, that's your message. You know, like they always say, entrepreneurs work 80 hours so they don't have to work for you.