Here's the reality of seeking funding as a first-time entrepreneur: you're going to hear "no" an awful lot. Regardless of whether you've got the best business plan in the world, or the sweetest idea for a start-up business—ever—the first VC you meet probably isn't going to write you any checks. But what happens when you feel like you've exhausted all your options for funding?

That's the position reader Kristin feels like she's in:

"I have written the business plan that has great detail along with financial projections. Now I have no idea what to do with the plan or how to get it funded. The few companies that I have approached, i.e. SCORE and one other venture capitalist place, and the VC people said they don't give funding for rental companies and SCORE would take it out and sell it, but he didn't feel it would be a viable company and couldn't get funding. Do you have any suggestions of where to go from here?"

A few red flags pop up in this email right away. We've never heard of SCORE "selling" business plans for anyone. SCORE is a non-profit group affiliated with the Small Business Administration, which is a government organization. What SCORE should provide is free advice and assistance with your business plan or start-up—not funding. If your counselor is telling you that he'll "sell" your plan for you, get a new one. Plus, if he feels like your start-up isn't viable he should be offering you advice on ways to make it work. Take your SCORE counselor's advice with a grain of salt. Many of them are old business execs with little experience in investing or in new technologies or Internet businesses. That aside, let's address your question. While it may feel like you're totally out of options, Kristin, we see a few possibilities.

Try your personal banker. While, like any other investor, they want to mitigate risk, if you have good credit and equity, you have a shot at a small business loan. Remember, part of their business is giving Small Business Administration-guaranteed loans to entrepreneurs like you. Another option is to seek out personal connections who may have ties to investors who can fund you. Speak to friends, family members, small business owners, and other start-ups in your industry. Find out which VC firms or investors they worked with, if any, and see if you can get a referral or an introduction. In this business, like so many other, who you know can make all the difference. Don't think you know anyone who can help? We beg to differ. Also, bear in mind that just because one VC firm tells you no doesn't mean that another one won't fund you. Google, eBay, HP, Apple, FedEx, and a score of other incredibly successful businesses were all turned down by one firm, only to later get picked off by another.

If all else fails, you can always bootstrap your business. This means launching it using your own funds, as well as those donated (or loaned) from friends, family members, or business associates. The truth is an awful lot of businesses get started this way. While it may mean you have to scale back your business plan and cut costs substantially, there are some benefits. You don't have a repay a loan, which means that technically your house or whatever other equity you would have put up as collateral won't be on the line (although certainly if you're bootstrapping, there will be other significant financial risks). And if you don't raise VC or angel investment, you won't be beholden to an outside party who you'd likely have to give some percentage of your business. There's no question that bootstrapping a business is a tough road to take, but then, in many regards, that's just the nature of starting a business no matter what sort of start-up capital you have. Good luck!