Are there any grants to start a business? - Update!

Yes there are grants to help you start a/your business!  Guess what I found out!  There are entrepreneurial-type grants out there for those that have a business idea/vision to help better their community (and the world) for the better.  Of course the grants vary in price but there is one that has a grant reward of $100,000!  Now THAT is a big grant.

So don't let anyone tell you that there are no grants to help you start your business!

I've been linked!

Take a look see!

http://linksoul1383.blogspot.com/2005/04/working-from-home-roses-blog.html

Are there any grants for for-profits-Part Deux!

>>You mention foundations, and yet they are limited by the IRS to limit their giving to non-profits. Anything between 'big business and corporations' and a for-profit entity is a CONTRACT for services, not a GRANT. For-profit entreprenuers try to hire my firm all the time. I never take them as grant campaign clients, knowing that the chance of them receiving any kind of return on their investment is slim to nil. If that doesn't bother you, fine. We're obviously operating from very different motivations. Just let the buyer beware. There is NO FREE LUNCH. As long as you can sleep at night....<<

We are operating from very different viewpoints.  Number one foundations by law are required to give away a percentage of their revenues each year in accordance with their MISSION STATEMENT. In other words the objective of the foundation is what is important and not the entity that applies for their grant.

Here is an excerpt from Smartmoney's site:
"ANSWER: The adage "there's no such thing as a free lunch" certainly applies here. The good news is that, yes, in some circumstances the government (at the state or federal level) as well as private foundations will provide grants to people trying to get a fledgling business off the ground. But that doesn't mean the money comes easy."

There is a New York based non-profit that provides small GRANTS and business-development assistance to applicants with low income. One woman received $700 to help start her sewing business.  Now I already had this information as a result of doing research for a woman that wanted to start her own business.  The quote I found because I did research and on and on.

As for big companies and corporations operating on a "contract" basis.  That is simply not true.  There is a big corporation that offers grants in the amount of $100K.  Their selection committee invites applications for projects that fall into the following areas: science and medicine; technology and innovation; exploration and discovery; the environment; and cultural heritage. The Selection Committee will choose five awardees who will each receive a check for $100K.  What is the eligibility requirement?  You have to be an INDIVIDUAL!  If a group is applying then one person has to be the designated applicant.

Now how did I find this information?  I looked!

My motivation is this - The one thing that a person needs to start a business is desire.  I mean what is one of the primary reasons that we have started businesses of our own?  So we can be our own bosses.  What motivates me is the fact that people think that there is some kind of secret to starting (and maintaining) one's own business when all there is is work.  What motivates (and inspires me) is hearing stories about people who have started their own businesses on LESS than a shoe string.  The one that comes immediately to my mind is the woman who is a single mother who started a gift basket business (without a computer mind you!) and got a small grant to grow her business.  Another one that comes to mind is a web design company that got a grant because they filled the need of a grant.  All examples of "where there is a will there is a way".

One more thing.  One of the reasons I started this business is the fact that these comments about there being "no grants for no things no time" bugged me no end.  I knew this wasn't true for the simple fact that all you have to do is pick up the business section of a Sunday newspaper!  Now that we have 24 hours of news, every now and then a business related newstory having to do with grants will come on.  So I decided to find out for my own self and I did.  I have found more information than one one person could fathom - all on a subject that people say does not exist.  The fact that the information is not easy to find does not mean that it is not out there.  It just means that it is not easy to find.  So people get frustrated, they give up or worse they get angry to the point that they feel that if they can't find it then it doesn't exist!  The sad fact of the matter is if you can not find the information you have to keep on looking.  That is the only way that you are going to find it.  If you want a grant bad enough or your desire is high enough then you will keep on looking - plain and simple!

Looking For Investors? - What are the odds?

More and more I have been seeing posts where people are looking for an investor and they post on message boards.  I'm sure its their thinking that a potential investor will contact them this way.  Anything is possible.

But in order to get investors you are going to have to show them what's most important to them and that is "what's in it for them?".  They will want to know what they are getting for their investment and if you want them to invest in your business you are going to have to SHOW them!

Another thing that you should consider when seeking an investor or a partner is the possibility that your business will not entirely be YOUR business.  It will all depend on the terms put forth in the contract(s) that the both of you will be signing.  So be sure to read before you sign!

If you are disabled and want to start a business of your own...

You may be eligible for up to $15,000 worth of grant money to start your own business.  There are guidelines and one of the requirements is that you have to live in specific areas but if you do you can apply for these kind of grants to start your business.

If you are between the ages of 10 and 20 years old and want to start your own

Yes I said 10 years old!  That is the minimum age limit.  Do you live in a rural area and want to start a business of your own?  If you think that your business will have potential you should apply for one of the government's youth oriented loan programs.  Notice I said loan and not grant!

If you have exhausted your search in looking for loan backing then you should try one of the government's own loan programs that is geared towards helping the economy and helping youths to enter the business world. 

Webdesign & Grants - Finding A Way.....

Have you ever heard the saying that "where there's a will there is a way"?  Well guess what?  A web design company took this to heart and actually got a grant to design a website all because they did one specific thing.  They wanted the grant so badly that they figured out a way to do it.

That is exactly what YOU will have to do if you want a grant.  It is just as simple as that!  Just imagine how many web design companies that are out there right now.  How many of them do you think would like to have a grant to design a webpage regardless of whether or not they are just starting out or have been in business for a few years?  I bet that they don't even think that they could qualify for a grant because web design is still considered a new kind of thing.  I also know that they might just be a little bit upset if they found out that they might already be doing the same thing that this web design company did to get their grant.  There's nothing wrong with doing this kind of thing on your own but now that you know that one web design company got a grant to design a web page there is always the possibility that your web design business could qualify for the same exact thing.   And the size of your company doesn't matter either.  You could be 1 employee or many.  So here is another funding resource for your webdesign business.

Question-Are there any grants to start my business?

A lot of this will depend on the kind of business that you want to start. For instance there is a grant available (actually it awards 5 grants of $20,000) for minority entrepeneurs but one of their requirements is that you submit your business plan. So you applying for this kind of grant will depend on whether or not you are a minority.There are grants available for writers from different organizations and foundations. On my page is an example of a disable person who received a grant of $10,000 which was enough to buy equipment so that they could start their business.There are grants in the Floria area for start-up businesses. Are you from Florida?So as you can see it will depend on a lot of things.

How about a contest?-Got any dating woes to tell?

There is a contest with a first prize of $3,000 for the winning video chosen about dating woes/rants.  If you ever wanted to get paid for complaining about dating then this is the contest for you.

The deadline is June 1, 2005 (only a week away).  2nd prize is $250.  Your video becomes the property of the sponsor of the contest but hey if you can live with that - then go for it!

Grants for Astrology?

In India - Did you know that there was a major push to include the study of Vedic Astrology as a grant possibility?

Since University Grants Commission has decided to make astrology a subject for study there is lot of protest from skeptics, communists and many other political parties of Bharat.  These people think that such ideas are not worthy of serious consideration.  To them, astrology as an academic subject fell off the edge of the flat earth centuries ago.  The communist viewpoint is........................
_______________________________________________

One Research Group for the Critical Study of Astrology is in a position to fund small university research projects in the areas outlined above, through some buy-out of teaching duties, and the payment of incidental expenses involved in the research. Funds may also be available to PhD and MSc students in UK Universities whose research contains an astrological component.
_______________________________
In London-to encourage the study of astrology in the fullest sense with particular awareness of links to other related disciplines including astronomy, philosophy and the arts. This organization sponsors projects and makes grants to individuals and groups as funds permit. It assists research through a special memorial fund.........
_____________________________________________

- a $200 grant was awarded to study the astrological aspects of serial killers and murders!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Making a living as an astrologer - be sure to read comments from an astrologer who is making a living as an astrologer on my astrology related page at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb44170/astrol.htm

Starting Your Career as A 3D Freelance Artist

As someone that does freelance work myself I can understand why you would want to work as a freelancer.  I took a look at your site/link and one of the things that first caught my eye was the picture of the design of a room's interior.  More and more there are artists that are working from home whether they use a spare room or a room specifically designated as a studio.  I don't know if you have a area that you specialize in or would like to specialize in but my thinking is maybe (at least to start) you would want to concentrate on one area of design.  Using the "interior" design that was on your page as an example the most logic possibilities that come to mind is you designing interiors.  I once made the suggestion that a 3D artist that liked to design scenery start a line of greeting cards that represented their local area - sort of like having a line of specialty greeting cards.  You could take that same approach and do the same thing with people's rooms.  A cute idea that just came into my mind is the talk of how messy a person's room is and you could do something with that - people sending you a picture of their rooms and you designing a 3D version of it.

Another thing that I advise to people is that the best way to start making money more faster is to find a need and fill it.  Depending on what kind of area that you live in you could start doing yard work or running errands.  These kind of services are always in demand and it allows you to build up and income while you pursue your artistic career.  But another reason for doing this is that when you deal with them as customers you could design a copy of their yard or whatever and include that with their receipt and when you solicit their business on a regular basis.

While this may be something that you may not like you have to remember that earning an income will be a primary concern for you and doing something that you can freelance at allows you greater control over your time (and your spare time).  You have to start building up your reputation as a 3D artist.  While you already have a webpage you also have to have offline literature as well.  Remember you want to start a business and you're going to have to treat it as a business.  You have to have a business plan because while doing the "creative" stuff is fine you will also have to deal with the "business" side of running your business.  You have to establish a business identity so you're more readily recognized, you are going to have to determine fees, decide how contractual your work will be, what will be in your contract, how much you will charge, deposits....You should also treat it as a business and start determining expenses and supplies and you will have to deal with taxes too.

I know that right now one of your primary concerns is getting freelance jobs but you have to take steps to get there - in the meantime there are bills that have to be paid. 

In addition to be able to earn an income while you are pursuing your art career you should also look into grants, competitions, contests and the like.  There are a lot of funding resources for visual artists.  I even posted here before about a grant that's available for comic strip artists on an annual basis and there are more for visual artists.  Remember the designs for the remaking of the twin towers?  There are cajillions of historical sites in the US and you could use your 3D art skills here as well.

I have to emphasize doing something that fills a need (like the examples I mentioned above) because it allows you an income to start your artistic career.  One of the best resources one has is their own local newspaper!  Get to know your area and what's happening in your area and find ways to link your skills to fill a need in that area.  As you do this word (and your reputation) will spread and you will be able to branch out! (to include more clients and more work)

Receiving A Grant to Start A (For-profit) Daycare!

There have been a lot of questions posted asking about grants for opening a daycare center.  If you operate as a non-profit the number of grant opportunities increase for you but that doesn't mean that there are NO grant opportunities if you want to operate your daycare as a for-profit business.

For-profit daycare centers have received grants for their daycare center(s)by showing (and proving) that their daycare will help the overall community where the daycare center is situated.  That can mean anything from providing daycare services to the low-incomed to increasing your range of services to include the elderly and/or disabled and/or the community at large.

The funding can range from federal (they offer the most in grant money) to your state to the community that your daycare facility will be in.  As much research that I have done for others I have found that there is a better than average chance of almost any community where this kind of "daycare" grant would be available.  However you will have to do some work.  If you have any experience with filling out paperwork you will know that a lot will depend on the paperwork that you submit.  More than half of all grant applications are denied because the paperwork was NOT filled out correctly!  This is a proven and documented statement.  You should also be aware that since the Internet has become so popular there are many grantors (especially the government) that will let you apply online.  Some will even accept email.

You will have to do your research though.  One wrong move will mess up the whole process!  Another thing that you should be aware of is that the whole process of finding grant information (much less the whole applying process) is not easy.  Countless people have posted about how they have been given the "run-a-round", how they couldn't find any information and there are even those that say they don't exist at all!  You should take the above and turn it into your advantage and realize that the less competition there is in applying for a/the grantthe more chance that your application will be awarded the grant!

Do you have to be a non-profit organization to get a grant?

Of course the answer is no!  The government has grants that are available for for-profit organizations and grants that are open to all (which includes for-profits and individuals).  Outside the realm of the government there are grants that are provided by organizations and foundations and even big business.  The Rolex Company has a program that awards $100K in grant monies (and they even say on their website that it comes in the form of a check!) for those that have a "vision" to help provide in the fields of science, technology and even culture.

There are scholarships for students to complete/continue their education and the subjects range anywhere from math and science to the arts!  There is even one that is provided by the late Princess Grace's Foundation.  I even found a scholarship grant that is available for students to study in France.  They pay for you to get there.  They pay you a stipend.  And they even pay your health insurance!  Why is this funding available?  To help promote that the schools in France are just as good as schools anywhere.

I think that the most unusual grant that I found was one that was given to a witch (yes an actual witch).  In the words of the organization that provided the grant "she submitted the best proposal of them all". 

So if you don't think that there is the possibility of a grant being available for you just remember the above example!

$100,000 Grant (in the form of a check!) for your vision?

Do you have a vision of a project either in the fields of science, technology or even greater cultural awareness?  Do you know that there is a $100,000 grant available to help make your vision a reality!  Do you think that $100,000 will help make your vision a reality?  Then you better get started and submit your application because the deadline for this grant is May 31st 2005!

About Me?

Almost like anything else it all begins with desire.  Desire motivated and still motivates a lot of people.  Let's see what was the last thing I was reading about - okay - one of my most recent entries in my blog was about a group of women artists who felt that there was too much racism and sexism in the art world so they decided to form a group.  Since this information is still new to me I still can't tell whether or not they are a non-profit agency but they got a government grant to start their newsletter.

Since I started doing this I have been overloaded with information about grants and one of the things that I have come to find out is that not only are there grants provided by the government but there are more grants provided by foundations and organizations.  The one that comes to mind is the one offered by the Miller (Beer) Company for minority owned businesses.  The grant is for $20,000 and one of the recipients was an African American woman who used her grant to start her film company!  Now on a personal note I just struggled with making a 5 second film short just for fun.  If you would like to see it here is the url

http://members.aol.com/Roseb44170/lamott.dir/lamott.htm

But the point being that it all starts with desire.  I have been pleasantly surprised by all the websites that I have seen from others who have started their own business online.  That even brings to mind the story I read about the woman who started her own gift basket business and she didn't even have a computer.  She received a smaller grant to help keep her business going.  I know of a friend of a friend who likes to make dolls by hand and even without a computer I hope that she pursues this professionally.  She was working with another person - doing the sewing for his upholstery business and he had to let her go because his wife thought that he was paying her too much money!  What a shame!  Suffice it to say that HE is no longer in business but she is now working for a company where her day to day job security is not secure.  In her own words she's afraid that she will show up at work one day to find the doors locked shut.

From my own personal experience the last job I had I hated.  I was a cashier and I hated standing on my feet all day.  I hated working 6 days a week with one day off (and they even used to call me to work on my one day off!).  I hated it with a passion (hint-desire) but the one thing that I loved was toiling away on my computer and I wanted to continue to do so - working the hours and the days when I wanted so that is what I decided to do.  And when it came to me that since I was working at home that I could show others how they could work at home a career was born!

That's why I'm glad I found this board because it just shows that there are others out there who are working from their home - because they had the desire to, they wanted it so badly and that there's no secret club or society of secrets involved - just work and desire.

Group receives funding for their newsletter!

How interesting!  A group of women got together and decided that there was so much sexism and racism in the art world that they decided to do something about it and they started their own group.  Their newsletter was funded by a government grant!

I'm no Steven Spielberg but....

I'm no Steven Spielberg but....

I hit on the idea that I would take pictures from my webcam and turn it into a little, short (and I do emphasize the word short) film.  While I was taking the webcam pictures it occured to me that I had some film editing software so I decided to play around with it to see what I could do with the program.   It had been a while since I used the program - in fact I forgot that I even had it but I "clicked" it up and started playing with the buttons.  Of course it took longer than I though but I was determined to at least have some kind of finished product that I could put on one of my pages.

Like I said its a very short, short film but I think its a good start.  There's no telling what I can do with this program once I get to know it better.  Here's the link to my little short:

http://lamott.blogspot.com
and the little video short is located at the bottom of the blog.

Can you believe this? Reduced interest in grants results in....

In one state there is a grant that is available to preserve/restore historical buildings - including schools, commercial buildings and non-tradition building structures such as bridges, ships and even lighthouses.  BUT since the demand for this grant has decreased the commission has decided to reduce the grants' funding!

Have you ever heard of such a thing! 

Here is a grant where because of a lack of interest the grant itself will be reduced!

Are there any grants for school music programs?

A news article that I found recently was about how a school district in Redwood City received a $20,000 grant to continue with its music program for its third and 4th graders.  Although this was not a government grant it was a grant that was provided by a private foundation. 

The government does have grant programs for music programs for schools because education is a primary concern for the government and they have grants to meet this kind of objective.  Government grants are highly desired because they usually offer more in the amount of funding that they award as opposed to non-government entities like foundations but don't rule them out!

Still think you can't make money off the Internet?

Here's a link to someone who has sold his blog

http://www.ensight.org/archives/2004/09/22/im-now-a-millionnaire

Is $600 too little to start a business?

In Texas a woman received $600 to help start up her business. For every $1 that she put in the government put in $2. She's started her business in a one bedroom studio and her business offers relaxation for stress. There is talk about eliminating the program that provided her with this grant. It is currently being hotly debated and there is always the possibility that the program will be eliminated but it was originally started to help bring business into the state of Texas. This is a government grant although not provided directly from the government - but provided indirectly via non-profit agencies. Congress created this program in 1998 aspart of its ongoing desire to help individuals and families be more independent and self-sustaining.. It distributes $25 million a year through non-profits to be matched by private sector dollars and dollars from the account recipients themselves. If you think that you may qualify for a similar grant such as this you should check your state's resources. This grant allowed the woman to start up her business by providing her with the funds she needed to buy equipment and miscellaneous items and she also noted that without this grant she would have never been able to start her business without it.

"Am I too old to start a new career?"

Of course the answer is no!<BR> <BR> Here is a very good link that I found that gives advice, inspiration and examples of those who started their career(s) later in life. I especially like the one about Grandma Moses!

http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/never.htm

A different kind of research job.....

Of course there are a lot of people who don't have Internet access or that even have a computer. I have just been hired to find some movies for a movie buff. He wants to have copies of some of the "classics" and I was able to find them for him. Now I have to prepare an informational document for him because he's not acquainted with the process of buying the movies from this online site. I was also able to find out quite some interesting things about this site (I should say the company) as well. Since there are some people that have had problems with them I feel compelled to add this information to the document so that the client will be aware of them before they decide whether or not they want to order from them.

Writers, writing and going the "traditional" route..........

Here is my reply to a post talking about the "traditional" route of a writer getting their work published.

I'd have to agree with the reply posted.

The original post talked about traditional publishing and that in itself will tell you a lot.  We are seeing more and more real life examples of non-traditional publishing - especially with the whole Internet thing.

Coincidently I have a copy of The Writer's Legal Guide in front of me and there are so many sections devoted to non traditional forms of support for writers which includes subjects such as grants and fellowships and non traditional sources such as literary magazines, colleges that fund writers in residence, and programs that relate to writing for the arts. 

There is also a growing discontent for the tradional process as writers are getting fed up with the small payments offered to them and the fact that they have to give up their rights in order to be published.  I used to have a news feed from someone who had a blog about such examples of the small amounts that publishers were offering writers (mental note to myself to find that feed again!), examples of writers getting together and trying to stop (and in some cases suing) unfair contracts.

I will say this though.  There are writers and people out there that want to write and the only way they know of getting published or getting an income from their writing is to go the traditional route because it is the only way that they know.  I have seen the question asked over and over again "I have completed a manuscript now how do I get it published".  And some people want their worked published so badly that they will pay to have it vanity published - which I'm not 100% knocking - but you don't have to go the traditional route.  In fact the most ultimate desire would be to have the publishers start a bidding war over the writer's work - surely not the "traditional" publishing route but a more desirable publishing route.

Journal Jar Question Link-What was the first job you ever had?

http://journals.aol.com/roseb44170/RosesJournal/entries/1266

How about a grant that pays a monthly stipend AND health benefits!

You just cannot tell me that there are no grants out there! Doing research for others who want to find places where they can apply for grants is just making my head spin! You just can't believe how many grants there are out there!

Here is one of the latest that I have found. If you are a student did you know that you could receive a grant to study in France for at least 6 months AND you would get a monthly stipend AND health benefits! You can't tell me that there isn't a student out there that wouldn't mind going to France to study for 6 months AND get paid for it AND get health benefits! What if you could apply for the grant again at another time? What about other areas? Do they offer similar grant programs? You will never know this information if you don't look for it and if you think that they are not out there then you are sadly mistaken!

Who wouldn't want to travel to France AND get paid for it? (By the way did I mention that the trip to France itself is paid for by the grant?)