Of course the first step you need to take is the search for a grant program for your small businesses and the next step is the grant application.

The first step I mentioned is easier said than done. There are various resources you can reach out to for searching for that elusive grant for you. I have listed out a few of the most valuable resources which are a must for you if you want to have that complete information about the government grants for small business.

Small Business Administration – This is an agency of the federal government to aid and assist the small business and this is what it says on it’s websit sba.gov “The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation”.

State Economic development Offices – The other resource to go to is the state’s economic development office. As is known that there is nothing which is known as federal government grants, so you best bet is the state government and almost all the states have their economic developlment wings which you can visit to get more information about the grants for small businesses in your particular state.

Small business development centres or SBDC’s give out free information and counseliing for first time business owners plus they offer assistance for minority members of the community and for economically disadvanatged groups. There are about 100s SBDC’s across the country.

SCORE – Another non proft organization that can guide you and help you in your small business and this is what they say on their website “SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)”

Grants.gov – A government owned information storehouse of everything that is grants. It says on it’s website “Today, Grants.gov is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards.”

Foundation center – This is also a powerhouse of information of grant makers and has the most comprehensive database of grants and grant makers.

Hopefully, the above resources will hlep in securing that coveted grant for you and in turn your small business into a thriving business.

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.

The unique thing about grants is that,you are not required to pay the grants back which is in stark contrast to the loans which need to be paid back.Not having an additional burden of paying back helps in the inital years of the business which is getting off it’s feet. The other option is get equity partners into you business and hence get the funding. Now I am sure you would love it to have the business all by yourself and the event of the business running successfully you could sell equity at a late stage to get more money and also many more people as well as as outsiders would be willing to invest in it. Also, the other issue in the initial years is that mostly family members is what you rely on and god forbid if you do not have understanding family members to back you in your your dream venture with money then the only option for you is to rely on grants for small business.

The next question is from where would you get the grants for small business ? The options include grants from local, state or federal governments and several private organizations who promote enterpreneurship. Well, easy money such as grants do not come easily namely because of two reasons. Firstly, it is tough to find them and secondly, it is even tougher to geth them. You need to fill out a plethora of forms and several hurdles to cross after that to lay your hands on a grant.As I told you earlier the grants do not need to be paid back so there you are correct in assuming that competition would to get them would be tough. Persistence and patience pays in this aspect.

Filling out forms and getting through the initial hurdles is what enterpreneurs applying to get grant should be ready to do. That said is it not enterpreneurs forte to come over obstacles and be patient with an eye on the final outcome.You need to be one up on your competition anyways and the business of securing a grant is no different.

Did I scare you already ? If yes, then you need to evaluate your mental toughness ! There are plenty of resources available online that can help you secure a grant for small business. A prime example being the Grant.gov is a valuable resource which spews out of thousands and thousands of federal grants. Find a grant that is applicable to you .
Another resource that is helpful is The Foundation Center , though a private organization it has all the information assimilated in one place for all your grants related needs.

Seraching for the sources of funding is by no means an easy task but make sure that your search starts from the government grants and you should put in every effort to secure a grant for your business. Best of Luck !