The development of small and medium-sized enterprises is of great importance for the economy of Kazakhstan. Despite the fact that state support largely contributes to positive changes in this area, the competence and interest in promoting the business of entrepreneurs themselves is crucial, which implies using all the opportunities that the market provides. The article emphasizes that currently, leasing and factoring are often an alternative to bank loans for entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan. However, these types of financing are characterized by high cost and do not have obvious advantages as a funding tool for small and medium-sized enterprises compared to bank loans. It is suggested that an alternative to this method of raising funds can be P2B lending, which involves the flow of funds from the investor to the borrower without the participation of intermediary financial institutions. In addition to finding optimal sources of financing, SMEs should pay attention to the use of alternative business methods. In this sense, franchisors have great prospects.