All the major government sites list the grants that are available but the fact is that these free grant applications have all competition everywhere to get the free grants.

The government gives out grants for a specific objective which of course tie up to a lot of political advantages and also to a lot of minority and economically backward upliftment.

For getting your hands on the free grant application you need to get you hands on a CD which is free but that is not the case .

The last I checked the only place where you can get some information about each and very grant is the www.grants.gov site

Looking at  some of the companies or internet websites which are selling this information the minimal amount you will need to spend is around $40 or as they say $39.95 because of the fact that these compilations have wealth of information which you will never ever get anywhere and that is

Because there are 25000 or more types of grants and finding the one you need is going to time consuming and challenging. Plus all the states information and related private foundation information.

Yes I know what you are thinking that you will get online and do the search bit that can be again so huge in scope that it will take you weeks to dig out relevant information. You would have lost those hours of productivity for a more fruitful use somewhere else especially in your business because that in the first place was your target to get grants for small business that you own.

 In the case of a student who is looking for a financial aid the government agency is FAFSA looks much better to get you a free grant application.

Let me clear the air for you, most US government departments like the Deptt of Commerce, do not provide grants for small businesses.Most of the grants you would find will be through the state government organizations and they also tie it up to a specific objective they are pursuing like the minority uplifment or specific fields like cancer research or education or even more specific like aglicultural communities etc.

This then begets the question that whether grants for small business owner like you are really worth pursuing.On an average it may take upto two weeks of search for you to find a specific grant. Finding is always not enough , you need to meet the spcific eligibility criteria for the grant like experience, sex, community etc. Now you stop and think again if you need to spend your time going through the application process.Think about the process and ask your a few probing questions because at the start up stage for you time is money.

Will you be able to spare time for searching the grant that meets your requirment? Weeks can go by without you finding a grant that fite the bill.

Do you have the money or rather would like to spend the money to hire a consultant or a grant writer?You can spend this money in marketing, promotion or simply put it in researching your market.

Think whether you really need the money at this stage of the business or you could live without it for the initial year or two ?

There are a number of resources there to help you find the right grant like the Foundation center or the Grant.gov or even the small business administration website.Browse through them and you will be able to zero in on a few possibilities.

Some tips will come in handy for applying the grant, which means you can save some time and reduce the odss of rejection.

1) Accuracy and transparency is one of the foremost requirement when writing a grant application.

2) Make sure you know everything about the deaprtment you are applying to, in turn it will help you understand the constraints and work those in your favor.

3) Use consultants and experts if needed. Also, use a consultant for preparing a well laid out business plan.

If you have already decided that grants for small business outweigh the demands on your time, then make sure that you are diligent and thorough coupled with lots of patience and persistence.

The first step in the process is finding a grant that fits the bill and is suitable for you.Select the best suitable grants for you , my advice would be to find not only one but at least two or three so that you can have sufficient chance of getting approved in atleast one and if you get approved in all three, the more the merrier.

Second step is applying for the grants that you zeroed on in.Here you will need help of three people who can make your work look professional and upto the specifications desired in the grant application.

Hire a grant writer,for writing the grant proposal and application.You can do the application on your own but that way there is a chance that you will miss a few things where as a professional help would do away with these mistakes as they can prove to be costly.Each and every detail counts and this application is the only way for you to impress a grant officer about your business worthiness and your need for grants for small business.

Find a lawyer who is knowledgeable enough about the grant process. The lawyer or the law firm will know the intricacies of the system, and can work with you to secure you a grant.The grant lawyers would usually know what is important and what is not so imprortnat to be emphasised on.

Your aim for getting a grant is to finance the business, which means that you should have a business plan. This plan can be prepared by the third professional you need as I said earlier which is the account.All the information that the grant officer should see or has the need to see should be included in the application material.Your bsuiness plan should be able to speak for you and the grant officer should be able to comprehend each and every aspect of your business from the business plan.

Remember, a grant officer is swamped with grant applications, he may be pouring over hundreds of grant applications in a day thereby you can assume the span of time he has for approving or rejecting your application.That said, you application should be complete in all respects and should impress the grant officer in the first look itself. Once the application holds his interest then it is easy for him to scan and make up his mind about approval. You do the application badly and it will be tossed out in minute. Your bussiness plan should have quality and also should have solid numbers to make a great business case. Remember, the professionalism and accuracy are two mainstays of a great grant application.

You can definitely find the grant you need but make sure that you application process is as complete and accurate as can be to make or mar you chances of getting a grant.