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Small businesses have generated 64% of the net new jobs over the past 15 years according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. This success has heralded the creation of a number of business solutions to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs start their own businesses. Luckily, there has also been an increase in funding options, so it’s easier than ever to secure the money to get your business off the ground.

So where should you look for all of this money? Well, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York advises on its website to look for money from "friends or relatives, partners, local development corporations, state and local governments offering low-interest micro loans or credit unions with small business loans” rather than big banks. On the government side, you can go to the US Small Business Administration (SBA) at their website -- sba.gov -- where they offer a variety of different loans. The SBA is a great resource for an entrepreneur: they certify lenders and help simplify the loan application process to help prospective business owners get money faster. If you’re a female or of an ethnic minority, you can also apply for a “prequalification pilot loan program” that the SBA has specifically created for those groups. In the last quarter of last year, the top SBA lenders gave out over $1.3 billion in funding to small businesses, so there’s plenty of money to go around.

Don’t want to go to the government? Well, you can look in your own backyard! Many areas have local angel networks or incubators attached to universities in the area. A good example of this is the Texas Venture Labs at the University of Texas at Austin, which help businesses refine their ideas, develop a “pitch,” and connect with local angels. If you’re more of an independent person, you can also take a look at sites like guidantfinancial.com, which provides information on how to start your company using loans against your 401K or IRA funds.

Small businesses are booming, serving as the lifeblood of the US economy. With so many resources at your disposal, now is a great time to go ahead and follow your dreams!

James Kim is a writer for Choosewhat.com. ChooseWhat is a company that provides product reviews and test data for business services and products. Their goal is to help small companies make informed buying decisions on business solutions that help their business.