Small businesses investors

The answer is: investors, of which there are two prominent ones, venture capitalists and angel investors.

Venture capitalists are typically businesses set up to make investments in emerging companies that look like their business model has tremendous upside, which can provide a correspondingly tremendous return on their investment. These ventures are all structured with a well-defined exit strategy for how, and approximately when, the investors will get their money back.

Angel investors are typically wealthy individuals looking for investment opportunities outside the stock market, real estate, etc. The best angel investors actually bring more to the table than just cash. They often have contacts and expertise the company can use.

With either investor type, expect to give up equity and some control, the amount of which will depend upon how much money is put in by the investors versus how much the founders have at stake.

The good news about investor capital is that it typically does not involve monthly payments, like a bank debt repayment, which is a positive for the company's cash flow.