Itsy-Bitsy BondsNo more waiting around till your company hits the multimillion-dollar mark-now bonds are for businesses of all sizes.

When Ned Golterman first thought about what options were available for financing the expansion of Golterman & Sabo, his St. Louis-based building materials company, the solution seemed simple. He could use his local bank, just as he had in the past. But when one of his advisors suggested that an alternative low-interest loan from the Industrial Development Authority might better serve the company, Golterman decided to learn more.

"I had heard about these types of loans, but the reputation was they were great for companies like Chrysler but weren't [an option] for entrepreneurial manufacturers like my company," says Golterman, 43. After he made a visit to the St. Louis County Economic Authority, however, Golterman became a believer in the idea. What changed his mind? A new program he discovered, known as "mini-bonds," which saved him thousands of dollars in interest, while cutting through the red tape associated with bonds.