The company's venture fund has $5 million privately raised, and Farid hopes to grow that to $10 million. So far, Edible's leasing program is only available to Edible affiliates, who can get up to $100,000 to cover equipment costs. But Farid Capital Corp. could eventually expand to offer financing to the franchising industry at large, Farid says. Other chains, including Florida-based CruiseOne, are offering simple loans to cover startup costs. Senior vice president and general manager Dwain Wall says his travel company began offering new franchisees financing for $7,300 of their $9,800 franchise fee in August. Since CruiseOne uses a home-based business model, the commission usually makes up the majority of the startup cost. The loan carries a prime interest rate plus 6% – not exactly cheap, but moderate in today's lending climate. With more than 500 locations and plans to open 100 more in the next 12 months, Wall says it's important to help CruiseOne affiliates begin to continue growth