The commercial aquaponics industry has struggled to become established globally to spite significant interest from the general public for sustainable and urban agriculture. Many of the issues that prevent aquaponics from gaining a foothold are financial. These specifically relate to 1) obtaining startup funds, 2) economic viability, and 3) marketing of products. This presentation will discuss where and how farmers obtain funds, the need for loan programs, and need for viable business plans that lead to successful businesses. The bottlenecks for economic viability to be discussed are cost of system infrastructure, operating cost in various climates, challenges of scaling up, diversity of income streams, and cash flow. Finally, the realities of marketing products with relation to consumer acceptance, sales strategies at volume, and product value in relation to local demands and cost of production will be discussed.