When it comes to getting your business concept up and running, there are a ton of things to consider, from branding and marketing concepts to your specific price points. But before tackling those issues, you must conquer the first—and perhaps largest—small business challenge: securing funding to make your entrepreneurial dreams possible.

While small business owners are focused on securing a line of credit and charming investors, credit unions and banks—particularly big banks—are primarily concerned with risk management and teaming with startups that present the least amount of risk.

That leads some small business owners to the investment community, but a reeling economy and sea of poor credit scores have left investors feeling wary about doling over cash to new business owners. In fact, of the 600,000 businesses started in the US each year, only about 300 receive venture capital funding ; in other words, 99.95% of entrepreneurs will not receive any venture capital, according to the Small Business Administration.

So how else can you go about giving your startup company the financial support it needs to fly?

Find an Angel Investor

Angel investors—or wealthy individuals who provide financing for fledgling companies in return for ownership equity or convertible debt—are becoming increasingly viable options for small business owners. These investors can play an integral role in catapulting your business to the next level. For example, if you have enough liquidity to pay for some necessities but not enough to launch a fully baked marketing strategy, your angel investor can provide the monetary support needed to allow you to go to market more aggressively. These types of investors need to meet the Securities Exchange Commission’s definition of accredited investors (boasting a net worth of at least $1 million and make $200,000 a year, or $300,000 a year jointly with a spouse). To find an angel investor, pay a visit to the SBA’s Small Business Development Centers. which are located around the country and connect entrepreneurs with investors.

Communicate Carefully

Working with investors is a balancing act. On one hand, you need to provide complete transparency regarding the progress of your business and alert them to the potholes and speed bumps that may hamper its progress. But you also must be careful not to over communicate and give them too many opportunities to course correct on your behalf. Striking that balance is the key to securing a recurring revenue stream from your investors.

“If your investors feel like you’re giving them information on the progress of the business—the good progress and the not-so-good progress—then they find themselves in a position where they can help,” states Jeff Miller, former CEO of Wheelz (since merged with RelayRides, a San Francisco-based peer-to-peer car-sharing company in Entrepreneur’s whitepaper Solutions Playbook: Top 25 Small-Business Challenges. “Money is money. Your relationships with these people are the things that are going to translate into a competitive advantage down the road.”

Rely on Debt Financing

With risk management playing a pivotal role in starting a company, your gut may tell you to avoid building a business on a pile of debt, a process referred to as “debt financing.” But debt financing is a viable alternative to entrepreneurs who want to retain equity and avoid giving up part of their company.

While it’s a viable solution for some small business owners, debt financing does come with complications. To use debt financing to build a business, industry pundits suggest avoiding the use of credit cards and targeting banks that already work with the SBA, because large portions of SBA loans are guaranteed. Moreover, avoid fixed-interest loans and taking out more money than you need to get your business up and running.