Do you know what it takes to access the capital your business needs right now?

A free toolkit from the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center — designed to be worked through with your advisor, lender, or a trusted peer.

Capital Compass gives small business owners a clear, honest map of where they stand financially and what it actually takes to access the capital options available to them.

✔ Understand your capital options by business stage
✔ Build lender-ready documentation
✔ Close the gap between where you are and what lenders need
✔ Bring a shared framework to your next advisor conversation

Download Capital Compass — free, practical, and built to use with the people in your corner.

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Most Founders Don’t Have a Capital Problem. They Have a Navigation Problem.

Many strong businesses are turned away from funding, not because the idea isn’t viable, but because the path to capital is unclear, the language is unfamiliar, and the process feels designed for someone else.

Capital Compass was created to close that gap and it works best when you don’t work through it alone.

Download it. Bring it to your next conversation with your advisor, lender, or CDFI partner. Start from the same map.

Capital Compass Helps You Overcome the Barriers to Financing

Proper Documentation & Organization

Your Business Isn’t Presented the Way Lenders Evaluate It

You have information — but it’s not organized in the same way that lenders evaluate risk.

Financial & Repayment Clarity

The Numbers Exist, But Your Story Isn’t Clear Enough

Knowing you need funding is different from demonstrating how cash flow supports repayment.

Credit & Compliance Readiness

Uncertainty Around Requirements Slows Progress

Credit questions, licensing steps, and documentation can delay or derail applications.

Roadmap Clarity: A Conversation Partner

You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone

Capital Compass was designed to be worked through with someone – your advisor, your lender, a trusted peer.

Why Capital Readiness Matters

Determine Whether Capital Is the Right Next Step

Before applying for funding, entrepreneurs must determine whether their business is truly ready to take on capital. Capital Compass helps founders evaluate their current stage, clarify their funding goals, and identify whether a CDFI loan is the right path.

Organize Financial Information Lenders Expect

Many promising businesses struggle during the funding process because their financial information isn’t presented in a lender-ready format. Capital Compass guides entrepreneurs through preparing key financial materials such as cash flow forecasts and use-of-funds plans.

Build a Clear Capital Request

Lenders want to understand exactly how capital will be used and how it will help the business grow or stabilize. The toolkit walks founders through creating a clear, credible capital request supported by financial projections and documentation.

Prepare the Documentation Lenders Need

Funding conversations often slow down because entrepreneurs don’t yet have the documents lenders request. Capital Compass helps founders assemble the core materials typically required for underwriting, including financial records, compliance documentation, and proof of traction.

Approach the Conversation with a Shared Framework

By the end of the toolkit, you have a clearer story about your business, your capital needs, and your readiness. Bring Capital Compass into your next conversation with your advisor. When both sides start from the same framework, the capital conversation sounds completely different.

The Capital Roadmap You’ve Always Needed

Capital Compass turns funding preparation into a clear, step-by-step process, one you can work through on your own and then bring into the room with your advisor, lender, or CDFI partner.

Here’s a look at what’s included in the Toolkit:

  • A capital readiness diagnostic to determine if you’re ready for funding
  • A framework for identifying your capital needs and use-of-funds plan
  • A 12-month cash flow forecasting guide designed for lenders
  • Worksheets to organize financial documents and supporting materials
  • Tools to assess credit readiness and strengthen your application
  • Guidance for building a lender-ready “loan packet”
  • Exercises to help you clearly communicate your business story
  • A practical 30-60-90 day action plan to prepare for funding conversations

How to use Capital Compass:
1. Download and read it yourself. Get a clear picture of where your business stands.
2. Bring it to your next conversation with your advisor, lender, or CDFI partner.
3. Use the shared framework to close the gap between where you are and what they need to see.

Ready to get started?

Are you ready for capital? And do you have someone to work through that answer with you?

Download Capital Compass — then bring it to your next conversation with your advisor, lender, or a trusted peer. It works better together.