Having trouble finding the cash to start that new venture?

Another method of shoestring start-up used by many bootstrap entrepreneurs is to whip out your credit card, but be ware, say the experts.

"People look at credit cards and don't see it's like getting a loan from a bank." american express small business Services spokesman Richard D'Ambrosio told Inc. Magazine for a February 1998 article.

Still, many entrepreneurs use credit and 2.5 million of them were customers of American Express as of April 2002, according to Inc.com, with the company seeking to increase that number to 3.5 million through its Open small business network.

The network offers:

• Instant approval or denial for all credit services online
• Access to between $10,000 and $50,000 in loans and up to $100,000 in lines of credit for small business
• Flagging of credit and financial opportunities based on membership profiles
• And more

Get additional details about the program here or by visiting the company's website.

And keep in mind these three tips to keep your debt under control, from Inc.com:
• Keep business and personal cards separate
Don't use your personal cards to pay for business expenses or you will put your personal credit at risk
• Resist the allure - don't get too many credit cards
Limiting yourself to one or two cards for your business makes tracking spending easier
• Know your credit history
Making sure your credit report is correct and up-to-date could make the difference not only in whether you get the card or not but at what rate.