Every business is different when it gets started, and therefore every business has different needs. Some need no funding at all, and can get off the ground with the same amount of time and money that it would take to sell lemonade on the street corner. But others need not only money to get started, but money at regular stages of its growth cycle, as the company transforms from startup into success.

Equity financing exists for the companies that need capital to grow and scale. And if your business needs to raise money in order survive, here are the essentials that you need to know.