Research State Loans and the Wealth Tax, which will give you 50k that you must pay back (and then some) over 10 years. World Wars: Utilizing Logging Camps, Lumber Mills, and the new Shipyard building will be your saving grace in the World War era.
Build a few guard towers near your shores/ports if the game tells you to or right before independence (assuming you don’t want to spend 15k), but keep them on a low budget until you’re ready to secede. Construct a Pirate’s Cove and decide between Rescue: Many if you need workers, or Treasure Hunt if you want to try and get extra money on the side. Follow the typical rebel requests and always ask for 10 Revolutionary Immigrants, and research the Penal Colony and issue that as soon as possible. Make sure your teamsters are not overloaded by building either more Teamster Offices or upgraded Teamster Ports. Issue the Wealth Tax and Employee of the Month (goes for ALL Eras). Gold is another very valuable resource that nets a lot of profit with only one structure required (Gold Mine) and little commitment. Keep both Logging Camps and Lumber Mills on max budget and build affordable housing nearby them. Planks are a great early export make sure you find an optimal trade route to get a bonus 5-20% on top of the already consistent revenue (as well as for other exported goods). A good strategy to follow for consistent money is to focus on creating Logging Camps and Lumber Mills. Colonial: This is the hardest era to mess up, as once you play through the colonial era a few times, you’ll understand just about everything there is to this opening Era.