I have worked with many start ups and this is a common problem. To really answer the question effectively it would be good to know what and who makes up your company at the moment.

Do you have any employees? Are you making any money? Are you the only shareholder? If the answer is yes to the latter it may be time to start being open to other people earning/buying equity in your business particularly if it is starting to get too lean. But that will only be an attractive option to other people if you have a good team and ideally making some money already.

However, assuming you have a service and/or product you can take to market and if you are determined to hold on to the entire house then your main course of action should be to focus on what brings in revenue. Nothing else matters. Sell, sell , hustle, hustle......

If you have no team or are struggling to keep paying for the team you have then equity should be offered to keep or attract the right people to your business. A good team working together is what a business needs to survive and thrive and it also makes the journey a lot more enjoyable if you have the right people on board. Trust me having been the lone ranger once, nothing beats having a good team of people you can work with.

If you don't currently have a product or service you can sell to customers then you need to reach that point asap. If it is a good idea and angels will invest, then just take enough to get you to that point. This minimises the amount of equity you give away plus gets you to the point of earning revenue sooner rather than later. The proper investors can also help you grow your business and therefore add more value than the cash itself.

I hope that helps and if you would like more advice fee free to schedule a call. Thanks Steve