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Last week we held our bi-monthly Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence series, and the topic was finding capital for your business. As business owners, this is an extremely important topic—whether we just starting out or are poised for growth, the money equation is important.

In an extremely candid discussion, our guests panelists—Kristina Bouweiri, CEO, Reston Limousine; Mary Rogers, CEO, Abrakadoodle; and Carolyn Sawyer, CEO & Chief Strategist, Tom Sawyer Company—shared their strategies for funding their businesses. Although they have all gotten traditional bank financing, they have also thought outside the box. That makes sense—these are extremely successful entrepreneurs, and creative thinking is a hallmark of success. Mary Rogers’ partners worked for no salary in exchange for equity in the business (a risk that paid off for all parties). Carolyn buys real estate and then rents it to the company—a great way to build personal equity and ensure control the company’s lease. Kristina’s commitment to community service has helped her build such a solid reputation that creditors have taken it into account in financial dealings.

That got me thinking about other creative things we can do to fund—and grow—our businesses. What creative thing have you done that has really benefited your business?

Susan Rose is president of Two Sisters Creative