Here is a typical email asking about grant information

Hi Rose Im M~ and i live in fl im want to open a pet store but my credit isnt going to let me get a loan do you have any ideas or anyone who can help

Of course I have a lot of good ideas but a lot of this will depend on you. Number one you say that you want to open a pet store. Have you anything prepared like a business plan, operating budget? Or do you just want to buy a building and open your pet store?

Will the building be just for your pet store or can you rent some of the other space to others like low-income people or seniors? What kind of background/previous experience do you have? Do you have any veterinarian experience? If so did you know that there is a $15,000 grant to study/research cats if you are a vet or vet student? The foundation that provides this grant was started by a guy who loved his cat. Even if you can't provide study/research, this foundation will also accept proposals that they deem beneficial to cats as a whole.

That also begs the question of what will you be offering in your store. Will it be just pet supplies or will you also be selling pets? If so what kind of pets? This also brings up the question of your age. There is a scholarship and financial funding for an animal school right in your area of Florida - but that is only if you enroll.

If you are talking about operating this as a strictly commercial business then do you want to start with your own business or is there the option of you buying someone else's shop. I saw a quick glance of at least 5 pet stores that are up for sale in Florida ranging in cost from $15K to $99K. If you want to start this kind of business on your own there is a program where you could look into "surplus" property that you may be able to get donated to you or available for "$1".

There is also a grant provided by the government to help increase awareness by either research or development in certain areas which includes animals and they specifically mention about women/disadvantaged owned businesses. The average amount of this grant in the past has been $94K and it is available for for-profit businesses. You will have to read their guidelines but most importantly you will have to submit a proposal that meets with their objectives.

And this only covers one government grant. There are others that may be geared to what you are looking for. There are also grants that are provided by organizations and foundations. There are also quite a few non-profit/charitable organizations that are animal/pet related that you should be looking into as well.

For more information about grants, just click here