How did England finance its early exploration or colonization of America?

They financed their colonies much like the other conolizing counties did: by exporting the countries' produce and products and selling them at a profit on the (then mainly local or European) market.

Until the 19th century countries like England did moreover not spend much money on governing their colonies: local rulers (if present) usually were left to keep on ruling the country at their own expense, and 'white' settlements were supposed to be self-supporting.