Since the banks won’t do it, and the payday lending franchises are too risky & sleazy, how about something in between? There are plenty of solvent companies out there right now in need of cash, but who can’t get it from the banks.
I’d like a website where people who don’t have millions can still get in on venture cap and angel investing. Sort of like a brokerage, but you are a true debt holder or Class A/preferred shareholder so even if the firm goes under you get “some” money back. And if the firm makes money: you get paid first. Or best case scenario: they get bought by Google and you’ve just funded your retirement.
Think eTrade, but you get to actually contact the people running the company and see their books under NDA instead of buying a ticker symbol and relying on Internet rumor as to their financials. You and a number of other people pool together $1 mil in place of some rich guy who would have written the check all by himself. Establish a rating & tracking system where the better you are at picking business winners, the more preference you get in selection for the next deal that comes along.
