Are There Any Grant Programs For My Mother To Start A Pet Business?

There are grant programs that fall under the category of entrepreneurial grant - meaning that they are grant programs that are specifically geared to those wanting to start a business. These kinds of grant programs are available on a national, state and local basis however a LOT will depend on the specifics of the business. For instance I know of a grant program for aspiring entrepreneurs who are a minority and under the age of 35. That grant program awards $20,000 and the award goes to more than one winner. In this case you have to be a minority and under a certain age. All of these grant programs are like this - SPECIFIC!


Another thing is that you have to understand the whole grant process thing. Just because you apply for a grant does not mean that you will automatically get a grant. Theoretically speaking the grant application submitted that best meets the objectives of the organization awarding the grant will - theoretically - get the grant award.


What your mother will have to do is to tailor her grant application for the individual grant programs that she is eligible to apply to. A lot is going to depend on the kind of business plan that she has. Entrepreneurial-type grant programs are most often awarded by foundations and big businesses and corporations so that will be a good place to start to look. The federal government also has grant programs that are "open to all" and/or open to businesses to apply so you can check for those programs at their website.

Grant Programs For Individuals?

Are there grant programs out there for individuals? Of course the answer is YES! For example there was a professor who, at age 64 received a grant award of over $100,000 that had no strings attached (meaning he could spend the money any way that he wanted) simply because of his love of books. Technically this grant is called a fellowship but the award is for individuals of outstanding talent to further continue their endeavors and they don't have to be affiliated with institutions which means that they can receive it as an individual. This grant is open to scientists, artists and even businesses people and entrepreneurs to apply!

There are no credit checks involved. It doesn't have anything to do with what your credit report score is and this is not a loan. It is a monetary award that you can spend in any way that you want. And like I have said many, many times before these kind of grant programs have an objective in mine. In the case of this grant program the objective is to help encourage creativity and education.

So there are "grant" programs of this sort - in this case provided by a foundation. So in spite of what the so-called experts say there are grant programs out there for the individual!

Some Grant Programs I'm Not Too Crazy About.....

In its most basic meaning a grant is money given that does not have to be paid back. That is what a grant is in its most pure and simple form. However there are some grant programs that don't follow this simple and pure form. You should never have to pay money to get a grant and I am finding that there are other requirements that don't adhere to the "pure and simple" form. The latest grant program that I am investigating has a specific requirement that has to be fulfilled by the applicants. No, not by the business that wins the award but by every business that applies for the grant program. To put it quite simply the applicants have to apply for a line of credit. Now since part of the grant award is provided by a bank I think that there may be a conflict of interest - and especially so because the applicants have to apply to the bank that provides part of the grant award! There is a list of the grant recipients so that means that the grant program does get applicants but there are some questions I have. One of the most important has to do with the business applying for a line of credit. Would they do so even if there wasn't a grant program behind it?

A lot of businesses that I know and that I have worked with didn't have the means to apply or be eligible for a line of credit in the first place and that is why they are seeking grants. And doesn't having a line of credit mean that you have to pay it back? That doesn't sound like a grant program to me. While there are other requirements as well this one stood out to me because it doesn't sound (or feel) like a grant program.

Movie Review - Lara Croft Tombraider!

I'm all for independent women and this is certainly one! Lara Croft (as potrayed by Angeline Jolie) is gorgeous, smart and rich! Her father was an archeologist and she seems to have taken on the business after her father's death.

The reason why I'm mentioning this movie is because I had a chance to see it again and I was reminded of why I like this particular movie. Number one that place that she lives in is gorgeous! I especially love that bathroom and the reason why it stood out for me is because I want one just like it! Now you may be asking yourself what this has to do with business or working from home or even grants. Here is my answer(s)

1. Carrying on a father's business - do this sound familiar? Do you know of anyone (male or female) that has taken over the family business? What about you yourself? Are you a part of a family owned business? What about starting a family owned business? What about starting a business that has to do with families? For instance there is a market for helping people find out about their family roots or geneology. You could start a business researching this information for others. It's the kind of home business that you can start and do from your home researching on the internet and even going out to find specific information for others.
2. Archeology - It may seem like a boring topic but there is a LOT of interest in it and as far as it being grant-related there are grants for archeology-related endeavours.
3. Lara Croft - Did you know that there is a newsgroup that discusses this movie and character? How could you turn that into a business? Lets say that you are a fan of the movie. If you make jewelery you can design specific pieces relating to the character and the movie. (However I should note that (of course) the Laura Croft movie and character are copyrighted items so you can't do things like sell images of the character unless you have permission.) There are many fan websites on the Internet and some of them have managed to make a living from their website. So if you are a fan of a specific thing you should seriously consider putting up a fan website!

Top Home Businesses That You Can Start From Home!

Here is a link to an article about businesses that you can start from your home. The first one that is listed is one that I have been recommending for a long time now!

1.Pet Sitting: Imagine the perfect home-based business where you get paid to walk and enjoy the companionship of pets. A pet is often the "children" of the family in more homes today as Americans spend more than $34 billion a year pampering their pets.

Darlene Ehlers of Pampered Pets Home Care in Blue Jay, Ohio and Pet Sitter of the Year couldn't imagine the potential of a home-based business opportunity. "I started as a part-time business and never dreamt it would be a full-time business. It just keep growing and growing," says Darlene.

With busy work schedules and the choice of leaving their "best friend" in a kennel, more and more pet owners are hiring the services of a pet sitter to walk the dog and provide companionship while at work. With the current dog and cat population in the U.S. at 135 million, according to The Pet Food Institute, this is one home business that should purr for years to come.

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The link to this article is: here

Hurricane Katrina-related repairs

It is expected that over $1 Billion Dollars in grant monies will be awarded to help apartment owners repair storm related repairs to their apartment buildings.

Homeowners are expected to receive over $7 Billion Dollars in grants for Katrina-related repairs!