Grants for New Businesses – Find Them Here

If you’re out of work or struggling to get by with a small paycheck, you and your spouse may have decided that the best solution to boost your income is to start a small business. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get capital from the banks to fund your new venture. However, there are federal and state sources where you can get grants for new businesses; you just have to know how to find them. The good thing about grants is that they don’t need to be paid back. If you are interested in looking for grants for a small start-up venture, here are a few tips that might help you:

Visit official government websites such as Grants.gov and the Small Business Administration site. These sites will allow you to search for the grant you need and give you the conditions for eligibility. The former website will also allow you to do a keyword search so that you can find the specific grant you need. Once you’ve found the grant you’re eligible for, you can directly apply for it by downloading and filling up official forms from the site. Follow the instructions given on the site carefully and make sure that you have completed all the requirements properly.

Visit the local development agency website of your state. Many of these agencies offer grants for new businesses and other types of financial assistance to help entrepreneurs in starting or expanding small ventures.

Try grants from private foundations and trusts. Use locator websites to find foundations in your area from which you can apply for grants. Take down contact information such as URLs, e-mail addresses and street addresses and phone numbers. If they have an official site, do some research and visit the site to see if they offer grants for new businesses for which you might be eligible.

Ask friends and acquaintances. People you know may have availed of grants or can refer you to someone who has availed of a grant; use these people as resources to help steer you to places where you can apply. They can also provide you with tips on the process of applying for a grant.

Subscribe to a free grant site. This will allow you to receive regular e-mail notifications and inform you when a grant you may be eligible for becomes available.

While looking for a grant, you might also want to increase your chances of actually landing one by studying how to write a good grant proposal. Such proposals are vital since government agencies will use them as a basis for deciding whether or not to approve a grant. You can get copies of successful grant applications directly from the relevant government agencies.

To get copies of winning grant applications all you have to do is locate the Program or Grant Management Contract for the Grant you are interested in on a government agency’s site and find the contact person or persons. Write or e-mail them and make your request; be sure to note that you are making your request in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Since you are dealing with the government, you may need to follow up your request a few times before you get the information you need.

If you follow these tips, you should have no problems finding grants for new businesses so that you can get the funding that you need for your small venture.

Click Here To See The Many Different Types Of Grants You Can Qualify For!