Small Business Grants for Women
Every time I get online, it seems there's another pop up ad, or an email message telling me about the $300 Billion dollars of grant money that is being given away by the U.S. government for small business owners. If you’ve seen them too, chances are you want to know two things: One: Where is all this FREE Money I've been hearing so much about? And two: How do I get my piece of it?
Well, wonder no more, girlfriend, because I'm about to give you all the inside information. Because underneath all the hype, and the hoopla, there really IS grant money available for small business owners - and you probably qualify for some of it!
In fact, I’m going to give you the 7 top “insider secrets” of successful grant writers! So, grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and keep reading. I’m about to “show you the money!”
First of all though, let me tell you a little about myself. (I don’t want you to be wondering why you should listen to me!) I’m the mother of three, I was a widow for several years, and recently married a wonderful man. I divide my time between my homes in southern France and Southeast Utah. And, as my family, friends and clients know, I have really bad karma when it comes to technology! (I think I must have been an evil copy machine repairman in a past life). In fact, I’m being dragged slowly and reluctantly into the 21st century – nails digging furrows behind me – I’m only now having my very first Web page designed! But, while I may be technologically challenged, I’ve been writing grants for over twelve years, and helping small business owners “weave their dreams into reality” for three.
So, back to your first question – where is all the Free grant money for your business?
Do me a favor. Google “
small business grants” right now. How many sources did you come up with? (When I did it as I was writing this article, I got over three million.)
Three million sources for small business grants! That’s a little overwhelming, to say the least, isn’t it? (Even if two thirds of them are repeats, broken links or not pertinent to your situation…that still leaves over a million Websites!) And it brings up so many more questions. Are you wondering where to begin searching? Or, if you did happen to luck out, and found a potential source right away, what your next steps should be? What information do you need? How do you find out if you qualify? Are you a good enough writer?
Secret #1: You don’t need to have a degree in English lit, or even be an especially talented writer to write a successful proposal. If you have average writing skills, and can read and follow a recipe, you can write a grant yourself. All grants have a basic format, with certain “ingredients”. Follow the format, provide the required information, and you’ll end up with a finished grant that has as much chance getting funded as one that is written by an “expert.” And just so you know, you receive a “grant” (which is money for your business that doesn’t have to be paid back), but you also write a “grant”. Another word for a written grant is “proposal”.
Hmm…that brings up another point. There is some specific terminology used in grant writing that will be helpful if you’re familiar with. All the definitions are going to be on my Website, but…it’s not up yet! (Darn technology.) Okay, I’ll tell you what. If you want a list of the most common words and definitions used in grant writing, email me, and I’ll send it to you!
Do you want some more good news? Your proposal is going to be your business plan.
Secret Tip #2: If you don’t have a business plan already, you need to write one, or hire someone to write it for you. Your business plan isn’t just for getting a grant. A good business plan is a written statement that describes your business. It’s a road map you've created that gives the details of how you're going to get from where you are now, to where you want to be. It puts you in charge of your success.
There are several good sources that will give you more information, even walk you through the steps of writing your business plan. Here are just a few:
http://www.sba.gov/
http://www.bplans.com/
http://www.count-me-in.org/
For the purposes of this article, I’m going to assume that you’ve already got your business plan written, and that you’re ready for the next step. What is it?
Research. Sadly there is no such thing as a “free lunch”. Because there are thousands, okay, millions of sites out there (remember your Google search?), you’re going to have to do your homework. Even with the links I’m going to give you, and the rest of the secrets I’ll share with you, be prepared to invest some time to find that perfect grant for you!
Secret #3: Put together a research system now, before you get started, where you will keep all your research, supplemental information, a calendar, RFPs and copies of completed applications in one place.
This may sound pretty simple, but believe me; you’ll kick yourself later if you don’t set one up before you get started. There’s nothing more frustrating than looking for a scrap piece of paper that has a vital piece of information on it, or trying to remember what the deadline is on a grant application you filled out two months ago. There are a lot of different organizing systems out there. You can use a 3-ring notebook, keep everything on your computer, or get an expanding file. Use whatever system you’re most comfortable with.
So, where do you start? How do you get a piece of the grant money pie? I suggest you start by looking for grants for women and minority business owners. Does it surprise you to know that every year, over 500,000 women start their own businesses? Or that, according to the National Foundation of Women Business Owners, Women-owned firms now generate over $3.6 trillion in sales, a 132% increase since 1992?
In fact, according to the Center for Women's Business Research, the growth rate of women-owned businesses is twice that of other firms. So, “yay” us! But, on the downside, the two biggest reasons that businesses fail are lack of planning, and not having enough capital. And statistically, as women, we still have a harder time accessing capital through traditional methods than our male counterparts.
Secret #4: Narrow your focus, become your own niche! You know when marketing your business on the Internet that the tighter your niche, the more successful your business is. It’s the same thing when you’re looking for grant money. You want to find a grant that is as closely matched to your needs as possible, because it gives you a better chance for being awarded the money.
The secret here is defining your business. Are you a “start up” or ongoing concern? What is your field of expertise? Who is your target market? Do you live in an urban or rural area? Do you have employees? Do you offer services or products, or both?
The next step is to define yourself. Are you economically disadvantaged? Disabled? The primary caregiver for a disabled spouse or child? What is your ethnic background?
Now decide what you need the grant for. Education or training for you or your employees? Research and development? Capital expenses? To purchase equipment, supplies or inventory?
The answers to those questions will give you your keyword search terms. Knowing keywords specific to your business is going to save you a lot of wasted time when you start researching. I suggest that you write them down, and keep them in your system under “keywords”. You’ll be referring to them and adding to them as you move from the “initial research” and start doing “primary research”.
Where do you go to find the “initial research”? That’s actually…
Secret #7: Access to my private databases, online links and closely guarded sources! (I told you I was going to share secrets that would help you get a grant, remember?) Some of the information that I’m going to give to you now has taken me 12 years to compile, and is one of the reasons that I am so good at what I do. I know exactly where and how to find money that my clients qualify for.
You may have noticed that I listed it as secret #7, and we’re only on Secret #5. That's because number 7 has a lot of information, and I want you to finish reading this article!
Secret #5: Don’t reinvent the wheel! Remember Secret #1? Take the time to become familiar with the grant writing formula. Look at examples of how successful grants were written, and follow their example. Read through the guidelines of each grant you’re writing. If you’re looking at a corporate or private foundation, explore their Website. Find out about their core operating
values and their principles. See whom they’ve given money to in the past. CALL and talk to someone at the foundation. Ask questions. Pick the brains of your local librarian, your SBDC representatives, your Score Executive, professional grant writers. If you don’t understand something, ask, explore, do some more research.
Don’t forget your own local resources as well. Do you have a Women Business Development Center near you? Chamber of Commerce? Small Business Development Center? (The Small Business Development Center is one of the first places I send new clients. They are an incredible resource for business owners, and offer an almost unbelievable range of services for you – most of them FREE!) Is there a micro-enterprise group, or women’s group in town? Check with your state legislator’s office. If your state has a Web page, get online and look around. If you’re disabled, go and talk to someone at your local Vocational Rehabilitation office. (Did you know that they have grants to help you start a business that range from $6,000 to $15,000, depending on the area and other guidelines?) Always start with at home, because chances are your local agencies, organizations and groups are going to know about grant resources in your state.
Visit to: http://businessstartupgrants.blogspot.com/
Source: http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/internet-marketing/small-business-grants.html
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