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Archive for Small
Jan
25
What Should You Know About Grants for Small Businesses
Posted by: | CommentsIn this age of recession small business grants are required and needed more than ever.
The U.S. federal, state and city financial institutions are offering very attempting and affordable grants to non profit organizations and small businesses. But, before you apply for this kind of program for your small business financing, you might need some extra information in order to spare some time and not get disappointed later on.
A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. That is not referred to the federal assistance or loans to individuals.
Keep in mind that grants from the federal government are mostly available to non-commercial organizations, non-profits organizations and educational institutions (e.g. education, medicine, scientific research…). Some of the federal grants are available for you but not directly- there are award grants that federal government provide to state and local governments in order to help them with economic development, and these are the grants you might be able to take advantage of in financing your small business.
State grants provide grants for expanding child care centers, developing marketing campaign for tourism or creating energy efficient technology. Often, these grants are not free money and need to be combined with loans or other financial sources.
Even though there are no direct grants for small business available from the federal government, many state development agencies offer direct small business grants and other types of small business assistance designed to help small companies owners to start and expand their business.
The federal government programs called small business grants don’t exist, but that doesn’t mean you should be discouraged. However U.S. Government agencies do award hundreds of millions dollars in grants for specific services, research and programs such as housing, transportation, energy, education etc. There are also some federal grants which target businesses owned and performed by women or minorities.
Grants.gov is official government website (and organization), where you can find all the information about this and see (and fill in) the application form. It was established as a governmental resource named the E-Grants Initiative, part of the President’s 2002 Fiscal Year Management Agenda to improve government services to the public.
They offer over 1,000 grant programs and provide access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards. More than 1,000 grant programs are offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies, and these programs fall into 21 categories (agriculture, arts, business and commerce, community development, health, education, regional development etc), few of them are available to individuals and none of them are available for personal financial assistance.
Still, lately grants.gov programs had much success helping individuals. They have surpassed 300,000 submissions for fiscal year 2009. Submissions have grown by nearly 50 percent over fiscal year 2008. In fiscal year 2008 there were a total of 202,366 application submissions for the entire fiscal year. Much of the growth experienced this year may be attributed to the Recovery Act, which resulted in increased overall website traffic and application submissions.
Due to the rapid influx of traffic and subsequent strain placed on the system, many challenges were presented this year. Grants.gov however have maintained the single electronic entry-point for accessing grants from all 26 federal grant-making agencies, providing a unified and streamlined process for finding and applying for all federal grant opportunities.
For more info visit www.grants.gov
Jan
24
Small Business Grant Money – How to Find Free Government Grants to Finance Your Business
Posted by: | CommentsFinally decided to start your own company but having problems finding the necessary startup capital in order to get it running? Have no fear, the Government is here! Yes, I did just say The Government. The US Government offers free grants to small business owners as a way to help encourage growth and stability. While there are thousands of these offers available every year, very few are even applied for? Why is that? Because most people don’t even know they exist!
Every new entrepreneurs dreams to take his business to the Forbes 100 List but most of them fail to realize realistic goals. One of the largest contributing factors to this is a lack of startup capital or initial investment. Running your own business is expensive, something that is easy to miss-judge. For this reason, the Government offers free grants that are available to boost new business here in America.
So how can I get one of these small business grants? Simple, you need to search one of the many thousand offers available to find one that fits your needs and requirements. Some guidelines regarding that process as well as some tips on what to look for in a grant offer can be found at the Small Business Grant Money Guide. Once you’ve found the offer that fits your company you then need to submit a business plan/grant application.
Some important things to keep in mind when applying to offers:
1. Presentation of the business plan -
The first important step is the presentation. Any small business grant distributor will be interested primarily in how you tend to use the money if they give it to you, and also how you plan on using the funds to make a profit. The difference between a bank loan and a federal grant is you don’t have to show them how you’ll repay it (grants are cash gifts), which means you should focus on the ultimate goal of your business rather than the small steps you plan on taking to generate revenue along the way.
2. The message conveyed in the business plan –
The business plan is the cornerstone of any grant application This plan give a clear idea of your goals and vision as well as a rough timetable for accomplishing these goals. The potential in your business is shown in your business plan and it is the plan itself, which increases the confidence that the grant distributers will have in you.
3. The Eligibility for small business grants sanction -
Small business grants are readily extended to small business industries to help them grow, only if they have a potential.
Small business grants bodies have their own objectives and give grants money to those satisfying them in the best possible manner.
The location of the business is one big reason for sanction of small business grants. The government wants decentralization of industries in order to avoid migration toward cities. For example, you’d have an easier time securing a government small business grant if you planned on being headquartered in upstate New York rather than downtown New York City.
The Small Business Grant Money Guide provides detailed information on how to find and get a grant to help finance your small business.
Tom Conrad is no stranger to the world of corporate financing, having worked in the industry his whole life. His most recent work to help educate the general public about startup financing can be found on the Small Business Grant Money Guide.
Jan
18
Federal Grants for Small Business Start Ups
Posted by: | CommentsEvery year the United States government gives away billions of dollars in the form of grants. This money can be used for a number of things including paying for education costs, buying a home, paying down debt, and for the entrepreneur it is a great way to pay for the start up costs of a new business. The best part of getting federal grants for small business start ups is you don’t have to pay the money back.
Think about that if you seriously thinking about starting a small business. You don’t have to pay the money back. Now most entrepreneurs go a different route when it comes to financing their idea. They either go to the bank and take out a line of credit or loan, or they find investors who are willing to back their idea with investment capital. While this works starting a business owing money places that much more stress on the new business person.
Now if you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to start out with a load of debt hanging over your head then researching and applying for federal government grants can help free you of that burden.
There are many websites on the internet that provide information and resources to help you find the government business grant that works for your purposes. These websites make help expedite the process considerably by categorizing all the thousands grant options and the governmental agencies offering them.
This is important because each grant and granting agency will require different types of information on their application forms. Knowing this beforehand can make filling out the required paper work much easier and ensure that your application is complete. You will also want to try and find out how long the approval process is likely to take because patience is something that most likely will be required.
You may also want to employ the services of either an accountant or lawyer who is familiar with federal government grants. These professionals can help guide you through the process and ensure that your grant request is complete. One important item that most government agencies look for is a workable business plan that outlines how your new business idea will work and how you plan to grow it as time passes. Again, an accountant or lawyer can help with this as well.
Cash flow is a big deal for any entrepreneur who is trying to get a fledgling business off the ground. Owing money is one of the last things that anyone wants to worry about and federal grants for small business can be the perfect way to avoid that problem.
To learn more about finding and applying for federal grants for small business please click here.
Jan
14
Government grants provide free money to start and expand small businesses. According to the federal government’s Small Business Administration (SBA), most small businesses fail within the first five years. One of the most common reasons is a lack of adequate funding.
Despite this fact, federal and state governments award billions of dollars in grant money each year to individuals from all walks of life to start their own business.
The Grant Authority is written to help entrepreneurs and business owners locate and apply for grants from the government and other, non-government sources.
Its author, Ron Wainrib, Esq., is an attorney and writer with decades of experience as a consultant to small businesses. He has taught entrepreneurs who want to start their own business the pros and cons of running and financing a new business, and keys to obtaining small business funding.
His book offers resources, a comprehensive glossary, and an extensive collection of forms and other important documents in its Appendix on a free CD that comes with it.
Unlike many books that just offer lists of the million of dollars of grants available to start or expand your business, The Grant Authority teaches you where to find these grants, how to apply for them with a well-written grant proposal, and what to do after you submit your proposal.
It features real-life success stories of people who launched their businesses with the help of government grants. “You’d be amazed at the businesses that began in someone’s garage or home and grew to important contributors to our national defense, war against terror, and war for energy independence” Wainrib says.
He shows how major companies, including Cobasys, FuelCell, ArmorWorks and Siga, have used government grants to fund their research and development work for energy conservation, military armor and smallpox vaccines, to protect the nation’s safety and security.
The book includes checklists, tips and web site photos to simplify the complex grants process, teach you how to do effective research, and write well-written grant proposals to gain a winning edge in the competitive world of grants.
Deepak Khanna
Free grant money
Jan
09
Small Business Grants for Starting Up!
Posted by: | CommentsSmall business grants are not just given away by government agencies or private institutions for helping you start your business. There needs to be a particular interest in your project in order for them to provide the funding that you need. And it’s not enough to have a good idea in order to obtain finance for it; you need to have a well made business project to convince them of your eligibility.
No Credit Or Income Requirements?
Though there is no need to reimburse the money on government grants, claims that state that there is no credit or income requirement in order to get approved for a government grant are far from being truth. Truth is that the requirements for approval are not present in the same sense as on private or federal loans but there is still a qualification process.
You may wonder then, what is needed in order to qualify for a government grant. The idea is that you’ll need to show that your business project is viable, and thus, you’ll need to show that you can be trusted which implies having a fair credit score and the ability to generate a proper income to show proof of the business viability.
Presenting a Viable Business Project
What you need to understand is that prior to requesting a government grant, you’ll need to prepare a presentation of your business project. This obviously implies having a project and not just a mere idea. There must be certain degree of research done with market analysis to prove the viability of the business and the income generation capacity.
Though the money doesn’t need to be returned, the government agency is interested in investing the money in a project that will endure in time and that will keep generating job positions and revenues thus boosting the economy and the welfare of the nation. The particular requirements of each government grant need to be consulted with the government agency that provides them.
Getting Approved For a Government Grant
The key to getting approved for a government grant is to present an appealing business project that shows great feasibility and relates to those fields that the government is interested in promoting. If you don’t meat the requirements for a government grant approval, there is not much you can do about it. Yet, if you do qualify, it is important to be well informed prior to applying in order to take the proper steps and avoid getting declined due to bureaucratic reasons.
If you can’t qualify for a government grant, don’t despair and use the opportunity to consult about government business loans that are sometimes offered with subsidized interest rates and very affordable payments.
Business Grants
One of the best places to research the availability of business grants and loans is the Small Business Administration, an agency of the federal government with a mandate to help business, especially small business succeed. Despite what many people tell you, the idea that the government is just sitting around with a pile of money waiting to give out to you or any other small business is just plain wrong. The idea of obtaining a small business grant, for many small business owners, is great.
Your chances of obtaining grants for your business dramatically increase if you have a non-profit organization. This isn’t to say that assistance isn’t available at all, just that grants are probably a long process when and if you happen to find one where your small business fits. While the Small Business Administration does not have any monies to provide directly for business grants and loans they can direct businesses to a number of government agencies and departments that do provide this type of assistance.
Even though the category of Business and Commerce may be what appears to have the largest selection of resources for business grants for women, consider the other categories as well, according to where your business falls. There are many types of grants offered by the Governments and other financial institutions that include individual grants for personal necessities, business grants for starting new business, education grants for funding education and many more. There are two main types of financing available for small businesses; small business grants and small business loans.
You’re not along if you need small business grants and loans to get your business started. If you want to avail of free government business grants then you need to locate a program that provides grants to start up businesses. Government’s Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) provides a listing of Government grants and other types of assistance that you can receive.
The downside of grants is that business grants for women are not widely available. So, are there any grants available to you as a small business owner? New business owners and existing business owners are eligible to apply for business grants.
Small business administration grants are provided for small businesses that are already in operation. Small businesses always play a significant role in the economic growth of a country and that is the reason governments are always ready to offer financial resources to facilitate small business. This type of service offered by the government is only obtainable to businesses that barely needs a financial support but can not apply for a loan because of inadequate security.
There are indeed many grant and loan programs for small businesses, including many that are administered by state or local government, rather than the federal government. Having pointed to the drawbacks, there are many genuine government grants for both small businesses and individuals available, and these can be substantial. That’s you’ll actually be able to access whatever grants, services and resources are available, because the nonprofit organizations are the ones who work with indidivuals and provide “service delivery.
First, let’s take a look at what type of grants are available. The allure of these so-called small business grants is understandable. If you are interested in looking for a company that can provide you with small business administration grants, you can try searching through the World Wide Web for information.
If you are considering starting your own home business in the near future you should consider researching small business grants and loans now. Federal Grants provides detailed information on Federal Grants, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Government Grants, Federal Grants For Small Business and more. Small Business Loans provides detailed information on How To Get A Small Business Loans, Minority Small Business Loans, Small Business Bad Credit Loans, Small Business Government Loans and more.
To conclude, small business loans are usually awarded to all kinds of businesses to help them to begin and to succeed in their trading. The government is more than willing to help out businesses especially with the economic condition that still remains volatile and unpredictable and with the need for more economic development.
Smith Chen is an author and internet marketing consultant. Find more about Business Life Way and review page more
Dec
18
How To Get Easy Grants for Small Businesses from the Government
Posted by: | CommentsSeveral states have small business government grants. These are not offered by the federal government but a number of state-run development agencies provide free government grants. The states that offer these are Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Utah. Other states provide financing through loans with incentives to those who want to start a small business rather than free government grants.
Instead of money the government will give free advice and training to those who want to make their business grow. The United States Government’s Small Business Administration (SBA) is where the free government grants originate from. Since fifty percent of the labor force comes from the twenty five million small businesses in the United States and that contributes more than half contributes to more than half of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), there isn’t much question why the government is interested in the quandary of the small businessman.
The free government grants come with free counseling, training, and technical assistance. The Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have full and part time staff that will get help from the private sector to give the business whatever help that they need. This help usually comes in the form of consultants, engineers, and testing laboratories. The grants offered can be found in the Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) website http://www.sfda.gov under the “Small Business” and “Small Business Person” beneficiary category. You can browse this free government grants for small business at CFDA free of charge.
The SBA has no funds of its own actually available to supply to small businesses. They depend on the private sector such as banks, credit unions, coops, etc. to provide loans then they guarantee the loans. These loan programs are Loan Guaranty Programs, SBA LowDoc Loans, SBA Express Loans, and Microloan Programs. Targeted Loan Programs are also offered such as defense-delta loans, CAIP loans, Pollution control loans, and Export Express Loans. These loans are meant to target or meet specific needs. Since these places are all ready aware of the SBA you only need to mention SBA for the banks etc. to know immediately what to do.
While free government grants could of course be very useful to any business. The help that a business receives need not be money to be useful. The advice that a business receives can be just as invaluable. The professional service could be worth more than money itself. As the old line says “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life.” The success of these businesses can only be beneficial to the government in the long run so the advice given is definitely the best.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as an Easy” target=”_blank”>www.easygovernmentgrants.com”>Easy Government Grant at http://www.easygovernmentgrants.com
Dec
14
The US Government has recognized the concern of enhancing the lives of underprivileged people. Their citizens have voted senators and congressmen to power. The main election campaign of US is based on the assurance to the minorities for their financial empowerment. These assurances in fact drive the politics of grants provided by the State and Federal Government of United States.
A small business grant is said to be a direct financial payment offered by the government to the minorities. These grants are actually based on some of the criteria’s that are specifically designed to promote entrepreneurs begin or expand their small businesses. Several millions of dollars is being granted to minorities in America for small business purposes. These minorities may include Indian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans or any other minorities.
Minority Grant Programs
Minority business grants in US are listed in all the grants assistance programs offered by government. They deal out finances for lending to student business training, community based business opportunities, minority entrepreneurs, real estate investment and research work.
An ethnic minority or a women entrepreneur is also entitled to these funds particularly for developing their business ventures. An entrepreneur who seeks these funds for any kind of business or any personal projects must possess a practical business arrangement. These entrepreneurs must spotlight on how to enhance their business venture for surviving independently without these programs.
Ultimately, your main aim would be to build a flourishing business and so you should have some kind of business idea to succeed without any minority funds within 3 to 5 years. This is why it is important for you to work hard and also to have a discernment of market if you want to succeed in your business.
Different Types of Business Grants
From the time when the US government has introduced small business minority grants, many minority businesses have developed throughout the United States. Since the year 1992, minority business firms have increased incredibly from 2.1 to 2.8 million. These small business minority grants can be obtained from the following: -
You can obtain one billion dollars as grants for starting a business through a minority business grant. You can also obtain these grants for expanding you existing business venture. You can receive 9,000 dollars for free legal advice. You can receive 6,000 dollars for college tuitions. You can even receive 75,000 for remodeling your house through these grants. You can also receive special help for the women’s entrepreneurs program.
The US government has in fact provided a great opportunity to all the minority communities for starting their own small business. This in fact will lead to the social integration and economic empowerment of these people.
John Goldman is one of the foremost advisors in matters relating to Government Grants and Financial Aid. To learn more about government grants and how to apply for them visit the Government Grant USA website
Dec
14
How To Get Approved Government Grants For Your Small Business
Posted by: | CommentsFederal government grants for small business can assist you to expand or start your business enterprise and achieve your business plan. The government can give you grants worth $50,000 and above, depending on your business strategy or plan. You must follow some procedure and terms by filling necessary documents before grants can be given to you.
You can get cheap loans to start a business apart from federal government grants. There are many charity organizations and financial institutions that can give funding to entrepreneurs with the objective of assisting them to be successful in their industry. Make sure you do detailed research on different type of grants information to get the best grants programs that is suitable to you and your business concern. Read the eligibility requirements carefully before taking any loan or grants. Some grants programs are for specific business opportunities, grants for small business for women and other business ventures.
Ensure that you have a comprehensive business plan. This will contain an overview of your business resources, marketing and sales forecast, competitive analysis, price audit and market demand. Make sure you get your business plan ready before you apply for any grant or loan. This will offer the best possible presentation of your business grant application and enhance quick approval. The authority will need some level of assurance that you can properly handle the cash if given to you or manage your business effectively.
Lastly, the approval process varies from a particular grant to another but government grants for small business tend to pay strict attention to rules and procedures. If you use the money judiciously and according to the grant terms, you will not be asked to pay back the funds or loans and the grants is tax free.
To starting your business with government grants, click here Start Your Business With Government Grant
Dec
12
Different Sources That Provide Grants To Small Businesses And Firms
Posted by: | CommentsThere are business grants by the US government that are readily available to any average person but they are very detailed and they can also be very complicated when it comes to understanding them and especially when you are getting the information through a government website. You should probably think again if you assume that the government is jut offering you the money to start a new business.
This does not mean that you cannot get grants as these business grants are readily offered by the government to any needy person. However the government would also expect something in return for their grant. Your business will be awarded the grant but there might however be more specific requirements related to availing the grant.
For instance one of the grants that is currently available is the Veterans Entrepreneurial Training and Counseling where the award in nearly $150,000 and so you are expected to go something great with the money like you can provide entrepreneurial counseling and training to veterans.
Getting Government Business Grants
Most of the business grants are much similar to the above one in which you would be provided to perform a specific task. This however does not mean that you cannot use the financial help from the US government for your own business. If you have your own business that helps others start a new business of their own then you can surely use the US government business grants for the purpose.
Some of the major and common requirements of US government grants can be easily fulfilled and they might also not be exactly what you might have anticipated. However this does not mean that you cannot avail the US government business grants and use them for your business.
Government Business Grant Source
The official US government website can be the right place to start gathering information about government grants but you should know that the listings in the website can be a bit detailed to be clearly understood. You also have the option of using a database which can list all the government grants that can be applied for.
You should remember that writing the proposal in order to get the government business grant is not simple and you might even need help from a professional. However there are a number of sources available which can offer you with plenty of information when applying for a government grant for your business.
When you take a project which comes along with government grants can be a very challenging task for you if you need to expand your prospects. There are a number of people who take the advantage of these government business grants for any of their business financial requirements.
You should know that government offers grants for many different requirements and if you are thinking about completing your education or would like to buy a new home or equity then you can surely avail help from the government. You should just make sure that you approach the right government office in you area as not all specialize in such feature when applying for US government business grants.
John Goldman is one of the foremost advisors in matters relating to Government Grants and Financial Aid. To learn more about government grants and how to apply for them visit the Government Grant USA website
Dec
03
Government Business Grants for Small Business Start Ups
Posted by: | CommentsFor many entrepreneurs trying to start a small business finding the cash to do so is often a major stumbling point. There are many routes to consider and for most small business owners the first two they think of is either getting a bank loan or finding willing investors who believe in their business. While these two methods do work there is one major drawback, the specter of paying back that money while trying to get your business going.
The third method that many small business start ups seem to forget is getting one of the thousands of government business grants that are offered by the federal government every year. For the fledgling business owner this infusion of free money, that’s right, grants do not have to be paid back, can be the difference between a successful start or a dismal failure.
If this sounds like a good way to get started there are several things you need to get organized before you start writing grant proposals for your business endeavor. The most important part of any new start up is a sound business plan. This is essentially your road map to success and any governmental agency that is responsible for giving grants will want to see one.
Two people who can be of great help when it comes making a business plan and applying for government grants for small businesses are a good accountant and lawyer. They can help guide you through the whole process making sure that your business plan is sound and all the numbers make sense. This can significantly increase your chances of successfully getting a small business grant.
It is important that you use any grant money you receive for the purpose for which you originally stated in your application and business plan. Those agencies that granted the money for your business purposes want to see you succeed. They believe you have a sound plan but if you are found not to be using the money to further your success you stand a good chance of being strongly sanctioned or penalized.
This usually isn’t a problem though because most entrepreneurs use the money for its intended purpose, which is to start and grow their business. For this purpose it’s hard to beat government business grants.
To learn more about finding and applying for government business grants please click here.