Asbury Lockett
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Asbury Lockett
A First-Time Founder’s Guide to Raising the Right Capital – From Idea to Break-Even
by Asbury Lockett
Most first-time founders do not fail because they lack passion or a good idea. Many struggle because they never built the capital plan their business actually needed.
Securing Small Business Startup Funding gives new entrepreneurs a practical, plain-language framework for answering one of the most important questions before launch: How much money do I really need to open, stay open, and reach break-even?
Inside, readers learn how to build their True Launch Number™, assess their funding readiness, separate realistic funding sources from internet myths, and create a capital stack that matches their actual situation. The book also includes access to downloadable, fillable worksheets and funding tools to help founders apply the concepts as they read.
This is not a book about chasing easy-money promises. It is a guide for first-time founders who want clarity, confidence, and a more financially prepared launch.
Most first-time founders do not fail because they lack passion, talent, or a good idea. Many get into trouble because they never built the capital plan their business actually needed.
They knew about SBA loans. They had heard grants were available. They planned to use savings, maybe ask family, maybe look into crowdfunding. But awareness is not a plan. And the gap between knowing funding options exist and knowing which ones you actually qualify for is where too many small business launches go wrong.
Securing Small Business Startup Funding: A First-Time Founder’s Guide to Raising the Right Capital — From Idea to Break-Even was written to close that gap.
This book gives first-time small business owners a practical, honest framework for answering the capital question before launch day arrives: How much money do I really need to open, stay open, and reach break-even?
Inside, you will build your True Launch Number™ — the full capital requirement that includes startup costs, operating capital, runway, and a working capital buffer. You will assess your financial profile the way lenders and programs actually see it. You will separate realistic funding sources from internet myths, including the truth about SBA loans, grants, microloans, CDFIs, crowdfunding, friends and family funding, and angel or venture capital.
Then you will turn that information into a real plan.
Step by step, the book helps you build a capital stack: a layered funding plan that combines the sources you can realistically pursue. You will complete the One-Page Capital Snapshot, the core tool that shows whether your confirmed and credible capital sources actually cover your True Launch Number™ — or whether there is still a gap to close.
The book also includes access to a complete set of downloadable, fillable PDF worksheets and funding tools designed to help you apply the concepts as you read. These tools include the True Launch Number™ Worksheet, Financial Self-Assessment, Loan Readiness Score, Sample Capital Stacks, One-Page Capital Snapshot, Funding Application Preparation Checklist, and Profile Building Roadmap. They can be completed electronically, saved, updated, and used as working documents as your capital plan develops.
Written in plain language by Asbury Lockett, JD, MBA, author of The Small Business Startup Revolution, this book is direct, practical, and built for founders who want straight answers rather than easy-money promises.
This is not a book about chasing shortcuts. It is a book about doing the work that turns a business concept into a financially viable launch.
If you are preparing to start a small business and want to know what funding sources are real, what you actually qualify for, how much capital you truly need, and what to do when the numbers do not yet add up, this guide will help you move from hope to clarity.
Launch day without the scramble is not a lucky outcome. It is a planned one.
Helping first-time founders start smarter, avoid costly mistakes, and build stronger businesses.
My mission is to help more small business founders start strong, make better decisions, and avoid the common mistakes that cause so many promising businesses to fail. For more than twenty years, I have advised, coached, and mentored hundreds of startup founders and established business owners through organizations including the Small Business Development Center, the Women’s Business Center, and the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership. During that time, I have worked with entrepreneurs at every stage — from people with only an idea to founders seeking funding to business owners trying to grow, stabilize, or recover. My work is practical, not just theoretical. I have also founded and operated several small businesses myself, giving me firsthand experience with the challenges entrepreneurs face when turning ideas into real companies. I write books, workbooks, and training materials for first-time founders who want clear, step-by-step guidance without confusing jargon. My goal is to make business education more accessible, especially for people who are serious about starting a business but may not yet know what they do not know. I grew up in South Los Angeles and later earned my undergraduate degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University, an MBA from UC Berkeley, and a Juris Doctor degree from Concord Law School at Purdue Global. I earned both of my graduate degrees while working full-time, an experience that strengthened my belief in persistence, preparation, and practical education. Through my books, workshops, and online trainings, I help entrepreneurs build a stronger foundation before they risk their time, money, and dreams. If you are a first-time founder trying to figure out what to do next, my books are designed to help you move forward with more clarity, confidence, and control.