Grant Program(s) To Open a Hair Salon?

First you have to realize that for-profit startups have received grant monies and I note some of them on my page (I will put a link to my page at the bottom).

Number 2 realize that you are going to have to go in this with some information - meaning you have to have more than just the idea/dream!  There have been for-profit startups that have received grant funding because the program itself was for entrepreneurs and they submitted a businessplan - outlining costs, profit projections and just general overall information about the business they wanted to start and most importantly WHY they wanted to start their business.

I know of one grant program that awards a $500,000.00 grant (payable over a period of time) to help people pursue their dreams and as you can imagine there are a lot of people applying for it but you have to know the RIGHT way to apply for it.  I'm not talking about cheating or lying but just telling the truth.  If it has been a dream of yours to open your salon - say so.  Include the fact that you will be hiring people - and by the way there are grant programs for THAT as well!  All grant programs have requirements and guidelines that you have to follow in order to apply for them and the most cited reason that people don't get these grants (or aren't even considered for them) is the fact that they didn't fill out the application and/or didn't submit the right materials.  So you HAVE to know what you are doing.

Grantwriting is sometimes a misunderstood term because before you can write a grant you have to FIND the grant program offering the grant.  These grant programs are not alike and each have their different guidelines and requirements which means that you have to go over them with a fine tooth comb which means that there is going to be some effort and work involved.  People have applied for these grants on their own without having to use a grantwriter so that means that you would be able to do it on your own - its not impossible but it WILL require time and effort.  As the research I FIND the grant programs that you are eligible to apply for - there is the standard questionaire that has questions that are asked and have to be answered before I begin finding the programs because finding them can't be done blindly I have to have specific information so that I will know what kind of grant programs I will be looking for.  It is a (my) business and as such when you become a client a file is opened in your name.  You get ALL the information about the grant programs that you are eligible to apply for and that includes what requirements and guidelines have to be met before you can apply for them.  You get their contact information, their website and if I do not have or can not get a copy of their application then I give you the information as to where you can get it yourself.  It takes 30 days (for the basic one-time research)and I have given clients their own online site (if they request it) to chart the progress of the work.  After the 30 days you receive all the information in a .zip file that is emailed to you.  Once you receive the information you can then decide if you want to apply yourself, hire me as the grantwriter or hire another grantwriter.

Finding the programs comes first - then comes applying for them.

Also I want you to take a good look at the kind of business you want to start.  Did it occur to you that if you TRAIN people as well as provide the service you are eligible for more grant programs.  If you provide a community or educational aspect to your program you are eligible for yet more programs.  If you are a woman and/or minority you are eligible for yet still more grant programs.  Do not limit yourself.  Remember this is a business that YOU want to start and the more passionate that you are about it the more opportunities and resources you will have to make your business more.

I hope this has answered some of your questions.

Fan Mail - Help Becoming A GrantWriter

Hi Rose,

I have been reading your posts on Teacher.net and I went to your webpage for a browse. From what I see you are really good. Can you be my mentor???

I have always wanted to learn to be a grant writer. I have a BA in English and I am working on my MA in English right now. I am working as a technical writer but it is not very fulfilling. My unofficial job with family and friends is the researcher. I can find anything and I love it. I have been to several grant writing classes and seminars but I haven't actually written a grant. I am really chomping at the bit to do it. I have called and e-mailed a couple of local people through the volunteer center that need a grant writer so I will see what becomes of it.

I hope that we can at least talk back and forth about the basics, especially about the research part of it.

I look forward to your reply.

Thanks,
S~

Thank you for your email.

Actually you have "hit the nail on the head" when you mention the word "research".  I believe that half of the work itself is the actually finding of the applicable grant programs.  This seems to be the problem that most people seem to be having.  They often get frustrated and angered to the point that they convince themselves that there aren't any programs that do exist.  Of course they are wrong and there is a lot of research that goes into finding these funding programs.

It is often suggested that grantwriters - when they first want to start out - do some volunteer work for some of their local non-profit organizations (although you could include individuals and for-profits as well).  You could find the funding programs that your local organizations are eligible for and notify them of your findings.  I don't know what results you have gotten so far with those you have written to but it is a very good place to start.  Another very good place to start would be with your family and friends.  Don't forget that grant programs (and funding) is not just limited to non-profit organizations.  There are programs to help individuals and families as well as for those that want to start their own (for-profit) business.  Your family, etc., are probably eligible for grant programs themselves and all it would take is for you to put your research skills in action and let them know of these funding programs.  So this would also be a very good place for you to start.

In fact you could turn this into a business of your own.  Have business cards and networking skills to help your business along.  Even having a website will be beneficial. 

It looks as though you are off to a very good start.

Grant Program Gone Bad?

Sometimes even the most well-intentioned grant program can go awry!  To help with providing security in schools a grant program was initiated to provide funds for schools to provide better security.  One school applied for this new grant right away and got a $75,000 grant to install digital surveillance cameras in their school.  However (as you might imagine) other schools also began to apply for the grant as well!  This provided a problem because theoretically speaking EVERY school would have been eligible to apply for this grant.  So now who decides which school would receive the funding and why would those chosen be chosen over other schools?  So in the end this grant program was cancelled )-:

This brings up a good point about grant programs in that there are new ones being created (and alas cancelled) all the time!  You really have to keep on top of this kind of information.

How To Not Pay For A Grant

The surest way not to have to pay for a grant is to read everything about that grant (program) and make sure that you do not have to pay anything to get the grant. Most of the grant programs give grant awards without the recipient having to pay anything however it is always advisable to read everything that you can about each and every individual grant program that you are applying for.

There are also some social and public agencies that may be able to help you locate grant and funding programs. Some of them charge a fee and some of them don't.

Are there REALLY any grant programs to help you pay your bills?

The bottom line is this: Are there programs that offer financial assistance to help you pay your bills? Of course the answer is yes and I'm not talking about loans I am talking about GRANTS - where you do not have to pay the money back.

There are programs for helping with mortgage/rent and especially bills relating to utilities such as heating. There is one program I was involved in where the client got a brand new boiler system and did not have to pay for the boiler or the installation! - A $3,000 job some have told me.

Ironic as it may seem the simple fact that searching for this information will bring forth results a LOT of people get frustrated to the point that they stop looking or they may even be looking too hard! These programs do exist you just have to find them!

A VERY good case in point: There was a grant program to provide a student with $400,000.00. The student had to be an orphan and they also had to study to be an engineer! Do you know that that program is in danger of being scrapped because they can't find anyone to apply for it!

So you can make fun about these grant programs but they have been around for years. (and I won't even get into the subject of the ones that being created!)

Making $5K A Month?

Rose,

Good morning to you,  I saw your advice on the said site Business Ideal Cafe, and thought that you gave some very important insight into the world of grants.

I continued to read about you and discovered your Business Plan XXX.  Please tell me what it is about etc.  I am a african american consultant who is always looking for avenues of making money.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,  J~


Someone emailed me and said that they wanted to be able to make $5K a month.  Of course they didn't include anything about themself or about the kind of work they would like to do - they just wanted to make $5K a month.  At first I thought that it was just a smart-alecky kind of email and I was going to dismiss it but my mind got to thinking.

There are 2 ways to make money - either you find a need and fill it or you take what you love to do and turn that into a business.  One of the  most profitable businesses is the onlin sex/porn industry and the reason?  Sex Sells!

My mind got to thinking about how one could start a business knowing this kind of information so I wrote a basic business plan for those that wanted to start their own business using their computer (& Internet access).  Each business plan is a step-by-step tutorial that has to be customized because certain information has to be updated or changed so that each person doesn't get the exact same businessplan.  And since this business plan has to do with the XXX industry that is why it is called BusinessPlanXXX.  Since it has to do with the XXX industry it is not for everyone.  But it is the answer to that smart-alecky emailer who wants to make $5K a month!

You can find out more about BusinessPlanXXX by going to my website at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/consult.htm

Can you get a scholarship(s) to attend art school?

Of course the answer is "YES".  Because of the work that I do I know this for a fact.  But what makes it more true is the fact that I just read about a student from India who won a scholarship to go to an art school here in the United States!  What makes this story even more inspiring is the fact that although the scholarship was very much appreciated it still fell short of covering the entire tuition.  Guess what?  The student submitted addition artwork that he did and HE GOT THE SCHOLARSHIP INCREASED!

Still think there is no funding out there!

Spam?

I was posting on a message board asking about spammers.  As annoying as this is to people with email addresses some spammers actually make money at this.  (Why else would they do it?).

I remember a story on TechTV where they interviewed a woman spammer who sent out thousands of email spam a day!  She said the reason why she does it is because she actually gets customers this way!  Another story I read in the paper about a guy who made a lot of money by sending spam mail.  Not only did he make money by sending his spam, he made even MORE money from advertisers who wanted to advertise on his spam mail.  I guess the way that they look at it is that if they send thousands of spam mail they are likely to get a percentage of customers and even 1/10th of thousands could potentially mean a LOT of money! 

Even though you may delete or throw away that spam mail chances are you may actually get a customer or two if you send out enough of it.

Am I advocating spam mail?  No.  I hate getting it as much as everybody else.  And even with all the steps that have been added to get rid of spam mail you just can't seem to get rid of all of it.  Spammers find a way around it or just get a new email address.  Sometimes you can't even trace where the spam has come from!  So why does it still happen?  Because there is still a lot of money to be made.

PS - If you're thinking of starting your own spam campaign then you'd better be careful.  Many email accounts have been cancelled because of sending spam.  If you get enough complaints then your account could also be cancelled.

So what's the solution if you're trying to sell a product or a service?  You do it the right (and legitimate) way!

Just Starting Out? - What About Creating Your Own Flyer?

I think this is a very good idea for those that are just starting out and the only thing that I wanted to add was that you should if anything definitely make a flyer.  This is a very good way to start with something that you already have - which is your computer and some wordprocessing software.  Even though it may take longer I suggest that you first write out how you would like your flyer to look and then create it.  If you're wary about giving out some personal information don't add it. 

When you're starting out you want to build up a reputation and the best way to build up a good reputation is to provide good services with each customer that you get.  "Word of mouth" is the best advertising there is and when your customers are satisfied they will spread the word!

Today I'm Just Tired!

I got a LOT done yesterday.  I might have even overdone it a bit!

One of the things that you should be careful about when you work at home and/or have your own business is to not overdo it!  Time management and all that is very sound advice.

I also found out about a program in my local area that provides low-interest loans to those that are low-incomed but seeking to buy a car.  I happened upon this information quite by accident which just goes to show you that information can come from anywhere!  A lot of people have done searches looking for fundding programs so that they can purchase a car and I have just found another one.  This is for low-incomed families and you have to be employed for at least six months.

Career As A Poet?

First of all the fact that you have been able to get customers for what you love to do (which was designing special occassion greeting cards) just shows that making a living at it is possible!

You have received many great replies and you should take them to heart!  Get your website up!  The one good thing about having a website is that you will be reaching a LOT more potential customers.  Yes you will have to build your website up and the way to do that is to identify your target market - which is who would be most likely to buy your products and then you go where they "hang out" and let them know that you are in business.  Do you know the old saying about looking for a job will be your job until you get a/the job?  The same thing will apply to you as well.  It's not enough to put up a website and expect people to come.  You have to work on your website to get people to come to it.  You have to remember that people will find sites when they go to search engines.  You want to be in the list of links that the search engines provide - its call SEO for search engine optimization - which simply means that you target your website to get the highest search engine ranking as possible.  This is something that also requires work but the more you do it the more better you get at it!

A while back someone posted (on another message board) about how dis-heartened they were because they wanted to start an on-line astrology business but they were becoming frustrated because either they got people that wanted free readings or they didn't get any inquiries at all.  When they posted their frustration to the board almost every reply was for her to "give it up".  Now I knew better than that but just to be sure I emailed a couple of on-line astrologers who were making a living doing the same thing that this person wanted to do and one of the replies that I got back was from an on-line astrologer who said the reason why she was making money on-line was because she had to "make it work" and that is exactly the same thing that you have to decide as well!

If this is something that you love to do/have a passion for then it will show in your work and people (as well as potential customers will see that) and besides getting more customers more options will become available to you.  There are syndicated poetry columns out there and you could be one of them.  You might even be asked to write a book or you could publish your own book!  You may get advertisers if you start some type of poetry site/newsletter kind of thing - income-making avenues will start to open up for you that you probably had never thought of.

Since you have experience with children you should also try to turn that into some type of tutor/counseling kind of thing - something which you could also do online.  There are many others who are doing this exact same thing online now and it would behoove you to check some of them out if for no other reason than to see that others are doing what it is you want to do and they are doing it successfully (and profitably) as well.

There are so many resources that you have available to you and I'm thinking mostly of your computer.  Now you said that you have created using your computer using clip-art and the like and I'm glad to see that you are using what your computer has to offer because a lot of people that want to start their own business don't.  But along with your computer you have Internet access which opens up the world to you!  Have you considered all the poetry competitions out there?  I'm not talking about the ones where you have to pay a fee but there are those where you don't have to pay a fee.  There are grants for poetry, competitions for poetry and there is even a handbook for writers which you should purchase because it has a list of what publications are seeking poetry and what their submission requirements are.  I'm sure that that is one resource that you didn't think of.  Have you considered songwriting?  That's poetry too!  I'm currently reading Patti Davis's biography and one of the things that she mentions in her book is the fact that since she wrote a song that appears on one of the Eagles albums she is still receiving royalty checks on that one song she wrote! What about giving speeches, seminars, poetry writing classes - things that you can also do online?

This brings up another aspect and that is copyrights!  You have to learn more about them!  Do you know how strong the need is for good songwriters is?  People pay good money for good songwriters and I'm sure that you have heard songs that kind of relate to the kind of poetry you write.

One last thing - the business aspect of running a/your business.  No matter how much you don't like or know about this aspect - you had better learn!  Even if you hire someone to do this aspect of your business you will want to know enough not to get taken!  How many celebrities or even other people have you read or heard about who have gotten taken by the very people they hired to take care of their business.  You're also may not be aware of the fact that there are a lot of deductions that business owners can take on their taxes - like supplies, equipement (including computers, etc.,)

I will end this very long post by saying that you have gotten a lot of great replies and you should take them to heart!

If you don't think you can't make a lot of money being a poet just look at Maya Angelou(sp?) or even Bob Dylan!

Remember no matter what it is that you want to make a career out of someone is already doing it or doing something similar to it and has become very successful at it.

Make your business fun!

The saying is true.  You are only as limited as you think you are!

Have You Considered A WebPage?

So many people want to work at home but they just don't know what they want to do (or how to do it).  Have you considered having a webpage?  "A webpage about what" you may ask?  What is your dream job?  There are lots of people out there that want to be actors, singers, designers, etc.  A webpage can help almost any type of career that you want to be in.  You can post your resume/portfolio on your webpage so people will know about you and about what you want to do.  You can make a recording of your voice and put it on your webpage.  Whatever it is you want to sell you can take a picture of it and post it on your webpage.

If you want people to know that you are "open for business" then you are going to have to let them know (and see) that you are open for business.

Yet, still people don't know what kind of work they could do at home and a lot want to do something that has to do with their computer that they can make a living at.  You could start a community newsletter type of thing and get advertisers for it.  You could take an interest of yours and turn that into a career using your computer.  If you are really good at something you could offer tutoring or advice online.  How about your favorite TV show or sports team - you could make a career out of those or almost any interest that one could possibly have.

I know a lot of people want the convenience of working for a company that will pay them.  While I do know of a few of these companies you should definitely find out for yourself if their terms are suitable for you.

Are there people who are successfully working from their home?  Of course there are!  There are astrologers, tutors, teachers and writers who are successfully working from their homes!  And you can too!

Teachers! - Grant Program for teaching Energy Conservation

Many times I have posted about how grant programs were started to help bring a greater awareness of something - in this case it is about energy conservation.  17 teachers in Texax are going to share in a $1 Million Dollar Grant and Scholarship Awards program because they were teaching energy conservation projects to their students.  Some of the projects included students building a fuel efficient car and cooking with solar power. The individual grant awards were either $5,000.00 or $10,000 grant awards to the teachers.  This grant program was started so that the students would learn to become more energy efficient (and provide better and alternative uses of energy and energy conservation.  The teachers were also awarded $300,000 in scholarships so that they could attend a three-day conference, a science kit and related material to help teach their students about energy conservation.

The above information is also a very good example of a grant program that is provided not by the government but by a business corporation. 

You have to look at more than just the government sites for grant funding because many, many other entities are providing grant programs for teachers.

Still Think That There Are No Government Grants For (For-Profit) Businesses?

Here is an excerpt from an Entrepreneurship Newsletter:

Q: My company just launched a health care product for post-surgery and emergency room care. The product has been well received in the medical community but I need money for marketing and new product development. I'm finding that our product line is just not sexy enough for local venture funds even though we solve major patient care issues in all hospitals. I'm about to give up on the investor route and just get a loan from the Small Business Administration. Is there anything I'm missing?

A: Raising capital for an entrepreneurial business is very much like navigating bad rush-hour traffic. Yes, you want to drive fast, pass other cars and avoid slowdowns. But sometimes when entrepreneurs are so determined to drive in one direction, they never see how taking a different route can get them to their destination.

Think of it this way. When the state Route 520 bridge is clogged, practical drivers with an opportunistic outlook take Interstate 90. So where is your I-90 funding alternative?

Let's start with grants for the small business.  These grants are available from various departments of the federal government, such as the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, etc. Each participating department sets specific priorities, or topics of interest, for its research dollar. Small companies that best match these broad research topics receive grant awards.

I like this grant program because it can provide "free and clear" capital for innovative, for-profit companies. This means that business owners like you can receive funding without repayment obligations or equity dilution. This is a better deal than an SBA loan or a venture fund investment.  Grant recipients' only obligation (not to minimize this) is to complete the proposed development work on time and within budget.

These grants are funded in two phases: Phase I awards provide up to $100,000 to help businesses test the technical feasibility of a new product or service idea. This is extremely valuable to entrepreneurs who pursue less sexy business goals or have been told they are not "far enough along" to warrant serious attention from investors.

Top-performing Phase I grant recipients can then apply for a second grant of up to $500,000 to help bring their technologies to market. I'm told that there is considerable emphasis today in funding technologies that can meet U.S. market needs plus serve our military interests in Iraq. To the extent your technologies can potentially improve the care of U.S. causalities, you may ride the express lane to this kind of grant funding.

It's important to know that the administrators of these grant programs are supported by an elite team of technical advisers. They are highly knowledgeable in specific technical areas and favor well-researched, well-reasoned applications. They also will carefully evaluate the likely ability of a company's management team to build a prosperous business. Much like venture fund investors, these administrators want to fund companies with the best chances of long-term commercial success.

To improve your funding prospects, I encourage you to learn as much as they can about their funding priorities before starting proposal work. Identify the names of companies that have received this same type of grants from your targeted federal government agency. Speak to the "principal investigator" of several approved grant projects. Also ask how to boost the perceived technical stature of your investigative team.

There is one other benefit to this grant program. With extra capital in hand to achieve meaningful business progress, most grant recipients find they have greater appeal to investors and lenders. So don't give up. There are many ways to reach your destination. You can do it!

Working From Home?

So many people are searching for "work at home" opportunities and the majority seem to want to be able to work for companies that will let them work at home.  Although there have been many of these kind of opportunities that have been posted a lot of them are scams or have some hidden kind of agenda.  However there are some out there that are completely legitimate.  For instance I have found information about 2 different companies hiring people to work from home.  One is an auto club that uses "at-home" workers to take and screen calls.  Another company has hired people to work from their homes taking calls from customers/people who want to order their forms.  Although these employers do not offer benefits they do allow you to choose your own hours.

Option number two would be for you to start your own business working from home.  What kind of business could you start?  Almost any type of business!  What kinds of businesses have people started from their own homes?  Writers, artists, graphic designers, desk-top publishing, tutoring, and almost anything else that you could imagine.  If you would like to see some good examples and read questions from others (and my reply to them) you can go to my consultation page at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/consult.htm

I am an example of someone who works at home.  I started my own business because I hated the job that I had and lots of people have done the very same thing!  Even though I love working at home I also have to remember that a certain amount of discipline is needed when one is working from home.

How Do You Know When A Grant Offer is a Scam?

One of the things that you should definitely look for is "we guarentee that you will get the grant".

One of the things that you have to realize is that no one can guarentee that you will get a grant.  The only exception is when that person is on the committee that makes the decision of who does and who doesn't get a grant - and even then you should be wary of that.

The basic grant process is this:

1.  you apply for the grant

2.  a decision is made as to which applicant(s) will receive the grant funding

3. if you will be awarded the grant you will definitely be notified!

Getting A/The Grant?

If you are new to this whole "grant" process there is one thing that you have to know (actually there is more than one thing but I'll get to that later).

It seems to be a common belief that grants are automatically guarenteed.  They are not!  A lot of people are searching for grants to start a daycare and/or their own business and they automatically assume that once they find the grant that they will automatically receive it.  That is not true.  The truth is that you will have to apply for the grant and you will have to apply using their rules and guidelines.  You can't just take one standard grant application and just send it off to everyone.  You will have to follow the specific guidelines and requirements of each grant program's application process.  One of the main reasons why applications have been turned down or denied was because the application process was not followed correctly.

Your application may be amongst many applications and there may even be the occassion where your application is the only one!  The best rule of thumb to follow is that the application that best meets the objectives of the entity funding the grant will most likely be the application that receives the grant.

You don't get a grant right away by applying for it.  It has to go through of a process of evaluation along with the other grant applications that have been received.

What Type Of Grants Are Available For Childcare and/or Daycare Centers?

There is grant money available for providing childcare/daycare care services at both the state and federal levels.  However these grant programs will only be available to you if and only if you meet certain eligibility requirements.  What are the eligibility requirements?  Well it will depend on each and every individual grant program that you are interested in.  They all have their varying requirements and criteria and no two grant funding programs are exactly alike!  This means that you will have to go over each and every available grant program that you think you are eligible for and see what their specific requirements are.
Here is an excerpt:

"There are specific grants available for infants, toddlers and childcare, ranging from infants with disabilities, special education requirements. These grants for these purposes must be use for specific purposes: quality expansion; infant and toddler quality improvement; and child care resource and referral and school-age child care activities. "

And while non-profit entities are eligible for these programs, for-profits and individuals are also eligible for some of these programs as well.  In fact you may be surprised at the number of funding resources that are available for child/day care services that are run by both individuals and for-profits!

In one county $3 Million Dollars in grant money was provided to those that provided daycare in their homes (as well as other kinds of daycare providers) - they were classified as subcontractors and this grant money was provided simply because the need for child/day care was so great!

"All the research shows kids brains are developed at an early age," S~ said. "We need to emphasize quality child care and early childhood education."S~ said neither of the local counties had a licensed daycare center.  So B~ plans to open her daycare at her residence using $23,600 of the grant funds. Her facility will have four infant/toddler slots and six pre-school age slots. The remodeling is finished. I'm waiting for the children's equipment to come in," she said. "It should be here in the next five days. During summer months she will take kids ages six to 12. K~ plans to open her for-profit daycare in June with $26,800 in grant funds. This facility will have four infant/toddler slots and 16 slots for kids up to age five. "

Grant monies have also been awarded to those providing daycare to women who wanted to finish their high school education.  An interesting example is where in one community neither the school board or the community wanted to provide such a service so the grant program was amended so that a for-profit daycare could receive the grant funding!

There is also a program in place to help provide "seed" money to help with starting up your business.

Can You Get Grant Money To Start A Business Without Buying One of Those Books?

The good news is of course you can. The bad news is that you will have to find the information yourself. With the exception of hiring a grant writer or consultant or getting someone to help you for free you will have to hunker down and find the information yourself. Don't feel bad though because how do you think the books and the others got the information? They went and looked for it. As a matter of fact looking for and finding the information yourself will help you keep up with the
latest and most current grants. For example I recently found out that the IRS will be starting a new grant program in the year 2006 for the 2005 tax year. I have also been able to find out about castles being for sale at a reduced price in Germany.

Many conventional grant funding resources don't have ALL the grant funding resources that are currently available. Did you know that there is a competition for the best business plan using a particular piece of software and of course it is being sponsored by the software company itself. A 2004 recipient of that grant started a lingerie boutique! There is a grant awarded to 5 minority applicants for the best business idea/plan and the grant award is $20,000 and the program itself is
annually. There are also quite a few programs out there where the main requirement is coming up with an endeavor/vision to help community and society as a whole - the largest grant award that I
have seen so far is $100,000! These kinds of programs are from more than one source and while they are not impossible to find they do seem to be quite hard to find - especially the grants relating to starting a business. That helps you because the less people that know about them the less competition there is for you when you apply.

How does grant money work?

As I have said many, many times before no two grant programs are alike so this also means that the way(s) that one receives grant money will not be the same.  However the answer that a lot of people want to know is if they will get the money in check form.  The answer to that is that it will depend on the grant program itself.  Yes there are some grant programs that issue a check made out to the person (or organization) that has won the grant award and I can tell you that in an example my client was issued the check, it was deposited and it took 2 days for the check to clear.  In this particular case the money could be used for anything and that is EXACTLY what it was used for - ie buy food and paid some bills!

In other cases the grant money is not paid directly to the person it is paid to a creditor, supplier, merchant, etc., - it will depend on what the grant is being used for.

So as with all questions about grants there is no one simple answer.  It will depend on the individual grant program itself.

Are there any grants to buy a car?

The answer is "Yes" and maybe.

Disabled Vets and those in the armed forces are eligible to apply for a grant to buy a car.  But don't get greedy because this program is for buying a used car and not a new one!

One program got a million dollars to use hybrid school buses.

If you are applying to a grant program that allows it you may be able to get enough to buy a good used car IF and only if you can prove that having a vehicle is necessery for what you want to do.

There is also talk about being able to provide money for buying a used car (or "transportation money) for needy families but this isn't official yet.

"Writing Grants............."

This is a very broad and often misleading term.  Grant programs come in all shapes and sizes and how you "write" a grant will depend on the specific grant program's guidelines.  As far as "writing" grants go the process can vary widely from a simple telephone call all the way to a complex myriad of forms and additional information like copies of documents that have to be submitted.

Anyone that tells you that "one form fits all" is ENTIRELY wrong!

"I Have Found The House of My Dreams.........

I have found the house of my dreams +, it has all the amenaties to start my own business of Bed and Breakfast. It would be in the O~ county, in the country. I am in need of $200,000.00 to purchase the home and the 2 small single dwellings that come with it. Can ANYONE help me find the funding or fianancing for this? I am 53 yr, disabled, low income, and really want this place. I mean it just screams "g~, buy me".


I do know of a grant program that helps people pursue their dreams and have often recommended this grant program to my clients since it is open to both profit and non-profit endeavors.  If I were you I would find out more about this program and see if you qualify because their grant award is currently for $500,000.  Unfortunately it is not all paid at one time but if you think you qualify to apply then you should definitely find out more about this particular program since it is a grant program and not a loan program which means if you are granted the award you don't have to pay the money back.

Working From Home?

I see lots of people are doing searches looking for information on how they can work from home.  A lot of these searches have been from people trying to find out how to start their own porn and/or webcam business.

I have oftentimes given suggestions about successful businesses that one can start from their own home such as starting a cleaning business, starting a daycare and even starting a dog-walking business.  Each of these types of businesses have been recommended by others besides me because these are businesses where these kinds of services are in great demand.

A lot of people want to be able to just use their computer to work at home but they don't want to start a business of their own.  They want to work for a company.  I'm sorry to say that most times these "work at home" offers are scams but I am glad to say that I have found some legitimate work at home opportunities too.  For example a woman works at home using her computer for an automotive company and another works at home for a federal organization.  So there are legitimate work at home opportunities out there.  You just have to be able to tell the good from the bad.

Questions About Grantwriting?

Rose,

Hello, my wife and I are just now starting down this long road of trying to find assistance in starting a daycare in a newly developed area in Colorado. I understand the service(s) that you provide, and have a couple questions. Mainly, I know your research services are $875, but I did not see your fees for the actual grant writing services...It appears to me that just as important as finding the grants is making sure you know how to fill out the forms properly. Second, this would be a for profit daycare, does that severely hinder the ability to get a grant? Third, S~ is the developer in our area, do you check with private organizations in your search for grants?

My wife has approximately 8 years in home daycare experience. She also
has a B.A. in Behavioral Sciences, is a licensed teacher, and has her
M.A. in Early Childhood Development...She is looking to create a
literacy based childcare center with a pre-K program, Kindergarten
program, as well as before and after school program...This particular
area has been deemed by our county as an "economic growth" area, they
offer plenty of tax incentives but no "grants"...Anyway, the specific
grants we would be looking for would be for new construction,
educational resources, equipment, etc....

Any help is greatly appreciated, I look forward to hearing from you.


Every client is required to fill out the questionaire that appears on the same page as the payment information sheet which is located at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/payinfo.htm

Amongst other questions, one of the questions asked is whether the project will be operated as a profit or non-profit or both? I ask that you please refer to this page because it answers some of your questions. For-profit daycares have received and will continue to receive grant funding.

Since the research that I do requires me to send the client ALL the information about the specific grant programs that information includes how and what is needed to apply for the funding program. Not all requirements are the same and some grant programs have simple application procedures while others are more complicated. No two grant programs are the same. Once the client has this information they can decide whether or not they want to apply on their own or whether or not they will want to hire a grant writer whether it is me or someone else.

My basic grantwriting fee is the same as the research BUT it will depend on the individual grant program that is being applied for and what is required for the application. The more information that is required and the more application work that has to be done - the higher the fee will be. So it will depend on the individual grant program and what they will require as far as application procedures are concerned. No two programs will be alike in what they require.

Becoming A Webcam Model?

Unfortunately this brings some very dangerous situations to mind.  I'm sure some of you have heard on the news about the woman who was killed because she answered a "webcam model" ad.

However if you still want to become a webcam model you might just want to consider doing it on your own.  It is a lot safer and you will be cutting out the middleman and you will be your own boss.  All you need to start is a webcam, of course.  You should also have a website - even if you use a free hosting site to start - there are even some hosting sites that are specifically for adult fare.

"Clearing the air"

It would be good to clear the air and understand some of the basics of the "grant" process.  Basically speaking you must first find the grant program(s), read their guidelines and application instructions to make sure that you qualify.  Once you are sure that you qualify you can then submit your application.  the grants are awarded to those applicants that best fit the objectives of the person/organization that is funding the program.

If you are asking about me and my services  I find the grant programs that the individual or entity is qualified to apply for.  Take for example my latest completed research job which was for a single mother.  She is currently in school and wants to start a business of her own.  Doing 20 hours of research for her included a grant program that provides one award of $50,000 to a minority to start their own business.  Past recipients of this award were both women - one who used the award to start her own film company and the other that used her grant award to start her catering business.  Also included was a program specifically targeted towards single mothers especially those who are in bad financial shape and this program helps with paying back the single mother's student loan!  Now how many people know about THAT program?  Apparently not enough because if there were a lot of people that knew about this program - especially when it relates to helping to pay back student loans - then this organization would be inundated with applications but it is not.  I prepare all the information about these funding programs and 95% of the time the information about the grant programs are emailed to my clients - usually in zip format because the copies of the applications and other material(s) from the grant programs are also included - including as much contact information as I can find.  It is then up to the client whether or not they want a grantwriter to handle the work or whether they feel confident enough to do it themselves - but that decision is up to them.  Sometime the application process can be as simple as a simple "letter of intent/introduction" and a lot of people feel confident enough to do that on their own.  But again I leave that final decision to the client.

How Can You Tell When A Grant Offer Is A Scam?

One of the things that you should definitely look for is "we guarentee that you will get the grant".

One of the things that you have to realize is that no one can guarentee that you will get a grant. The only exception is when that person is on the committee that makes the decision of who does and who doesn't get a grant - and even then you should be wary of that.

The basic grant process is this:

1. you apply for the grant

2. a decision is made as to which applicant(s) will receive the grant funding

3. if you will be awarded the grant you will definitely be notified!

Grants For Single Mothers?

Do you know that there is an actual organization dedicated to helping single mothers?  And did you also know that this organization has a program to help single mothers pay off all (or at least part) of her student loans?

If you want to find these programs you have to look for them.  They won't come to you - YOU have to go to them!

Excerpt from a newspaper in my state

The state government regularly spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year on loans and grants to subsidize major civic projects or to help businesses expand ...

How long does it take to get a government grant?

Or any other kind of grant?  Of course the answer will depend on the grant program itself.  I managed to get a $100 grant towards the payment of a client's heating bill.  It took a couple of phone calls and faxing a copy of the bill to the organization.  They approved the grant within 2 days and the payment was sent to the utility company in time to show on the next bill - so it took about 1 week for the utility company to get the payment from the time I first contacted the organization.

With more complicated grant programs, on the average, it may take up to 6 months to a year to receive your grant award.  You have to realize that most grant programs have a deadline date and the choosing of whom the grant award goes to could take another few months as well. 

There are some grant programs that take even less time than mentioned above but it will depend on the individual grant program(s) themselves.

In other words on the average it could take anywhere from 6 months to a year to receive a grant award - and mind you I say AVERAGE!  Sometimes you can received the grant funding sooner and sometimes it may take longer (there are even some grant programs whose award is so substantial that it is paid over a period of time).  It all depends on the specifics of the grant program itself.

How To Start Your Own Porn Business?

Yet another person doing a search wanting to know how they could start their own porn-webcam business.

Well I do have a webcam page but it is definitely NOT a porn page.  You can  view my webcam page by going to:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/webcam.htm



My (Recently Moved) Webcam Page

Basically what you would need to start your own porn-webcam business is your own webcam!  Now you could have a digital camera to do your "artwork" but it will be more complicated as far as posting your pictures.

As with any business the more people that know about your website the better.  Are there any successful porn sites out there?  Yes!  Some porn sites make as much as $1,000,000.00 a month!  And that is NOT a typo!  There is even a 60 year old woman who has her own porn site and she is doing quite well!

While I do sell a "Business Plan XXX" it doesn't have to do with how to have one's own porn site but it is a business plan for tapping into that market without having to take off your clothes!  You don't have to necessarily take off your clothes to tap into the sex/porn site market and that is what my "Business Plan XXX" is about.  The idea for it came to me when someone emailed me and said that they wanted to make $5,000.00 a month and still be able to work from home!

February 2010 Update!

Because of the changes at AOL I have had to move my webcam to here:

http://roseb441702.bravehost.com/webcam.htm

"How Do I Get Grant Money To Help Pay Off Bills?"

Well first it will depend on what bills you are talking about.  There are programs that are available to help pay rents or mortgage payments that have gotten behind, help with utility bill payments and some home repairs!  Some of these programs are complicated and some are not.  For instance I helped a client get a $100 payment applied towards their heating bill.  All it took was a phone call, faxing them a copy of the utility bill and the payment was applied to the heating bill within two weeks!  Another client of mine hot a brand new heating system because their's was too old and beyond repair.  The heating system and the installation were both provided for free from a program that provides grant money for just this kind of thing.  There are also grant programs that provide emergency financial assistance as long as you can demonstrate need.

Basically what you will have to do is simply find the programs that you are eligible for.  You can do this by searching online or even by going to your local library.  About 90% of all the grant information that I have found has been online.  You can even apply for some of these programs online!

So to answer the question: You have to find the funding/grant programs that you are eligible for, find out their application procedures and then apply for the funding.  Remember that this funding is not guarenteed and the more your application fits in with the organization awarding the money the better chance you stand of being awarded the money.

Grants for FOR-PROFIT Daycare(s)

Time and time again (and not just on this board) the question has come up as to whether or not there are grant programs for for-profit daycare services. Well I just uploaded information to my page now about a grant program in my own state which shows what I and a lot of grant writers here (and elsewhere) have said about if the need is there then there are grant programs that for-profits can
apply to. 

In cooperation with the Department of Public Welfare a grant program has been in activation that will provide grant monies for both for-profit and non-profit daycare services. One of the most important requirements of applying for this grant is that you will provide services to low-incomed families and special consideration is given to those that will operate during non-traditional hours.  The minimum grant amount is $50,000 and the maximum is $1
Million. Contact information is available by regular snail mail address, phone and fax #'s and website.

Which Grant? Which Program? How do I apply?

The first thing that you are going to have to do is to find the funding programs. I do this for a living and I can tell you that there is no "one place to apply for all grants" to go to. For instance if you are a minority and want to start a business of your own you could apply for a $50,000 grant HOWEVER it is not as simple as just applying because you will have to meet their requirements and guidelines. There is a $500,000 grant program for entrepreneurs as well. So you see you will first have to find the organizations that are offering funding(s) for what it is you want to do. Once you find them then you can find out more about the kind of grant programs they are offering and what requirements and guidelines you will have to follow in order to apply for the funding(s).  

Getting Grants Without Paying A Fee? - I'll say it again

You have two choices here

Number 1 - you can find the information yourself.  You have to know that over 90% of the grant information that I find I find online without having to pay for it.  It is just a simple matter of research - which means searching and searching and searching again until you find the information.  Just because you can't find the information doesn't mean that it isn't out there - you just have to keep looking.  It is just as simple as that!

or

Number 2 - you can find an individual or agency that will help you find these programs and who won't charge you anything for the service.

$500,000 Funding To Help YOU Reach Your Dreams?

Did you know that there is a grant program that offers a grant award of $500,000?  I'm helping a client now that will be applying to start her own daycare businesses helping needy children. 

This is a very unusual and gratifying award offered by not the government but by a foundation that wants to help people fulfill their dreams.  Of course you do not get the full $500,000 all at once but you get it over a number of years.  Since one of the criteria for being eligible for this grant award is having a "dream" you sould like you may definitely qualify to apply - so any grantwriter that you do get should be able to help you find out more about this grant program.

Unfortunately you will come upon people who say that there are no grants to help start a business or that there are no grants for for-profits.  Since I do this for a living I know that they just don't know what they are talking about!  However these programs will not come to you - you will have to go to them.  And since I have seen that no one has mentioned this very special grant program then that tells me that they just don't know about it or else they would be applying for it themselves (if they qualified)!

Dream Job?

Hi Rose,

I love your blog site. You provide valuable information. I am interested in starting my own Network marketing business. I have been looking at acquiring a grant to do so.  I currently work and I am a Network marketer, that has a web site, with products and services in the telecommunications area. I no that there are alot of business out there for this type of services and products.  Schools, government agencies local and federal are in need for this. The question is are there any grant monies for my type of business that I want to start?

Any information that you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

S~

My most latest client is a single mother who is looking for grant programs.  I was able to find her 3 grant programs that she is eligible to apply for and an additional funding source for her to continue her education.

Your post reminds me of the article I read about the woman who had heard all the talk about grants and decided to find out for herself if she could get one.  She did her own investigating and did find a grant program that she was eligible for.  She applied and she got the grant.  What was the type of business she was in?  Marketing!

"A GrantWriter" by Rose

While a grantwriter does what the title says - write grant - what is often mistaken about the term is that 95% of the time the person wanting the services of a grantwriter doesn't have any idea of the kind of grant they want to apply for.  That increases the duties of a grantwriter to not only include writing the grant but FINDING the grant programs as well.  I have seen posts by other grantwriter (not from this forum) about how someone wants to hire (or want the services of) a grantwriter but they fail to mention (at least at first) that they don't have any specific grant program in mind.  Their response is "Oh I thought you would have some grant programs for me."  I have even heard one grantwriter refer to these kind of people as "flakes" - someone that doesn't have ANY idea as to the process of finding applicable grant programs - and I stress the word applicable because unlike a magician a grantwriter can pull a grant out of his or her's "hat"!  Time and time again (and I suspect that it will be an ongoing time and time again thing)people have posted about wanting a grant (which by the way shows they need more basic information because one is not automatically guarenteed a grant and if anyone says that they can guarentee a grant you had better think twice (plus it also shows that one does not know the process of the "grant-making machine"! 

Time and time a post will say "I need a grant to start a daycare".  First of all this lets me know that the person has not taken the time to read the past posts where there have been a lot of information given about the various day-care related grant program.  It also lets me know that they are not familiar with the "grant" process.  There is NO grant program for someone that wants to "start a day-care".  There are grant program for those wanting to start specific kinds of daycare.  Now any good grantwriter can take someone who wants to start a daycare and tailor the specifics of it to meet with the requirements of related grant programs BUT no one is going to get a grant (or better I should say APPLY for them) for "I want to start a daycare"  There are certain questions that have to be asked and answered all leading to the specific way that one is going to operate their daycare.  You can't decide that you want to start a daycare and expect to get a grant for it and THEN decide the details later!  It doesn't work that way!  Sure there are day-care grant recipients that have received as much as $250,000.00 in grant money to start a daycare but you can't honestly believe that they were awarded the grant simply because they just said "I want to start a daycare" - and nothing else!

Do you know what a grantwriter does?  It can be comparable to what researchers and technical engineers do!  Why?  Because it involves finding information, deciphering it so that it makes sense.  It's hours and hours of reading "fine print", mounds and mounds of papers (or disks - whatever the case may be), databases, searching and finding and searching some more, keeping up with the current programs and finding out about the new ones (and yes there are new ones being created).  As a point for my own curiosity I'm wondering how many grantwriters out there wear glasses - you know all that fine print and all - because I am one of them! - LOL!

It is a LOT of work finding these programs and I will repeat that again because it bears repeating - IT IS A LOT OF WORK FINDING THESE PROGRAMS!

Will you do FREE work for me?

Well I have been trying hard and been to a seminar and couldn't afford to pay $1200.00 dollars up front. I am a serious minded person. I am not trying to be funny when I say this but if I wasn't serious I wouldn't be asking for help and if I haven't been trying hard to find a grant I wouldn''t be asking for help. If you have been in my shoes sending letters here and there and being turned down because they don't do grants for what I am asking for. I have sent out plenty and still haven't had any luck. if you can point me in the right direction I will continue on if you don't want to help me.


It is obvious to me that you want to use my services but do not want to pay for them.  I have come upon this situation before and as per my website I advise all of those that want the information about the various grant programs that are out there to do the research themselves - that way they will know and be aware of the time and effort that is required to find such information.

And, again, unfortunately, it doesn't matter how many times you have said that you have tried or how many places you have tried the fact still remains that these grant programs are out there and you just haven't found them yet.  I know this because I do this for a living.!

You will definitely have to find the information for yourself or find an individual or agency that will find the information for you at no charge.

(no subject)

I am trying top get a grant to build a foster home/day care. I have been seraching the internet and come up with all these sights you have to pay to get a grant. I have taken the classes and and everything and need a bigger house to take in more than two kids. I want to be able to take in at lease five or six so that's why I need a grant to build a bigger house. I am serious about the is because there are alot of children around here that is bouncing from one house to another. I want to build a big house so once they get to me they will stay as long as they want to stay because I will have the room. I want to make my home day care into a day care center and need a grant to build a day care center of my own. Please help me get a grant for my business and a housing grant to build a bigger house to make it a foster home.

Thank you,
L~



You list what you want but you haven't said what you have done so far to get a grant.  Since I do this for a living I can tell you that there are grant programs out there that you can qualify for.  But if you don't take the time and effort to find them then you are not going to get any.

You complain about how the sites that you have gone to want money.  Why do you think that is so?  You will know the answer to that when you start looking for these funding programs yourself.

Editor's note:  Upon looking at this email I see where its posted that "the sites you have to pay to get a grant" - unfortunately THAT should tell you something right away!  No one can guarentee you a grant.  You have to apply for it just like everybody else.  The application that best meets the needs of the organization awarding the grant will be the one that is awarded the grant.

Help For Single Mothers?

I'm sorry but I have had clients who are single mothers and I have found no less than 4 programs for them.  There is an organization that specifically deals with single mothers, providing financial help plus help to help pay student loans.  There are government programs to help with buying one's first home and there are grant programs for those that want to start their own business. 

What you have is access to the Internet which is the biggest library in the world!  You should find these programs!  They ARE out there!

Grant(s) for a Web Designer?

Well that is going to depend.  Web designers have been hired by organizations to design websites for the organizations (it's the organization that gets the grant and the grant money is used to pay the web designer).  There is one grant that comes to my mind that is for women to start an online business (depending upon if you are a woman).....

So obviously you are going to have to be a bit more specific.  In a word the answer to your question is "Yes" but it will depend on what kind of design.

What do I do?

Hi Rose, I just forund your site while searching for something eles.

I am working with another grant writing service and I am begining to believe they are not quite on the up ane up,  nothng concrete yet, just a few things they have metioned and talking with so many different people.

Do you write proposals or just do research for the funds?
I would like to know more about your service and what your fees are if you write the proposals.

Thanks J~

Thank you for your email.

My basic service is to find the grant and funding programs that clients are eligible for.  Basic service is 20 hours of research and all grant information including application forms and contact information are emailed to the client.  Then the client decides whether or not they want to apply themselves or whether or not (regardless of whether it is me or not) they will want to hire a grantwriter.

Both the information about my services and my fees are located on these 2 pages:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/grants.htm

and

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/payinfo.htm

Helping To Make Your Dreams Come True!

You have to remember when looking for funding that you simply keep looking.  I am currently helping a woman apply for a $500,000 grant so that she can start a daycare for "special needs" children.  This funding program is not being provided by the government but by a private foundation whose sole objective is to help people fulfill their dreams.  And I think that $500,000 would definitely help towards that end!  Such funding programs are available for both for-profit and non-profit endeavors - it doesn't matter because the main objective is to help people make their dreams come true.  It is just as simple as that.

So if you still want to search for funding before going the "loan" route then you should find out more about these grant programs.

Call It A Scam If You Want But.....

Call it a scam if you want but I have just got finished helping a woman get a $100 payment that is going to be applied towards her heating bill! 

This little "grant" came as the result of a simple phone call and faxing a copy of the heating bill.  No questions - other than the basic contact information - and no form(s) to fill out!  The whole process took 2 days!  So to all of you that still think it is a scam - unfortunately you just don't know what you are talking about.

"What are my chances of getting a grant?"

I would like to know if you help individuals as myself obtain a grant for personal needs please?,and if so what are the chances of me getting a grant to pay off my school loans and to purchase a car?

Thanks G~

As is noted on my website I find the grant programs that a person is eligible to apply for.  I find the information, compile it concise form and send it to the client.  All program information includes contact information, eligibility requirements and guidelines.  Once the client has this information they can decide whether they will want to apply themselves or whether or not they will want to hire a grantwriter - whether it is me or someone else.

According to my Grants Basics 101 page at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/grants.htm

no one can be guarenteed a grant.  You have to go through the process of applying.  The applications that best meet the needs of the organization supplying the grant will be awarded the grant - it is as simple as that.  So the better your application is prepared the better your chances.

There are some funding programs to help with paying student loans however you must know the specifics of these programs to know whether or not you are eligible.

There are funding programs that cover "transportation" costs which may sometimes include buying or providing a used car.  But again - like I have noted above - you must know the specifics of these programs to know whether or not you are eligible.

Help?

hi rose.you had sent me an email on not to give up on my dream that grants and funding id out there if you could please help me find that grant or funding to start my business i would be grateful,Right now we are ..............and i have no where to go and i have 2 kids and if i dont find something  we will .......i have been trying for a yr to find something but i just cant find it,I want to rake care of my kids and make sure they have things but that is not working out for me.So if you can please help me find that grant or funding ot would take alot of stain of me right now.if you need more information on my gift store you can call me at...........I am looking for a grant for 85,000 for start up to open my gift store.


Thank you for your email.

I have been on the phone all this morning helping a client to get mortgage assistance.  The same thing applies to rental assistance as well. 

There are some basics you have to understand about grants.  The basic process is that you will have to apply for a grant and your application is assessed.  The applicant(s) that get the grant award are the ones that best meet the objectives of the organization giving out the monies.  One of my past clients has informed me that she will be receiving a $20,000 grant to start her daycare and she emailed me to thank me.  If for no other reason this just proves what I have been saying all along and that is that there ARE grant programs for those who want to start their own business.

Unfortunately you are not a client and in such cases I always advise that one should find this information for theirselves.  That way they will see what time and what effort are required to find this kind of information and that is exactly what I advise you to do.

Loans?- I talk a lot about grants but there are also a lot of good loan programs

In particular for first time home buyers!  If you are considered low-incomed there are many loan programs for you that would be favorable for you.  First-time home ownership is something that the government (our government) wants to encourage - that is why there are a lot of good programs for it!

Young People Seeking Jobs

I have seen posts from a lot of younger teenagers who are looking for jobs.  Unfortunately their young age will make it difficult for them to get a conventional job so the thing that they can do is make their own job!  It's not as impossible as it sounds either.  You could start a dog-walking service, do errands, have a paper route or do yard work.  As a matter of fact you could combine some of these and earn even more money and have more clients.

How hard would it be for you to design a cute little flyer and pass it around?  I once helped someone who had an upholstery business.  We put flyers on parked cars at the local mall and in a few days he started to get calls and some of those calls turned into customers.  You might even start to get more customers than you can handle and then you could get others to work for you - then you'll be a manager!

As a side note this isn't a bad idea for adults either.  You could do the exact same thing that I mentioned above!

Still think there's "no hope"?

If you still feel that there's still "no hope"
then tell that to:

the single mother who was one of my clients who got a $20,000 grant to start her own business, has an application that is still pending to help pay back her student loan

my very first "grant" client that is a writer who got a $20,000 grant

the woman that got a $150,000.00 grant to start a daycare center

the disabled man that got a grant to start his own business.  He got a $10,000 grant - last year his business made over $500,000 in sales!

the woman that got a grant to buy more play equipment for her daycare which was in her home and FOR-PROFIT

our government's website that lists who got what federal money for the past 5 years (last year over 5 BILLION DOLLARS was given out in (just) federal monies alone!

the woman who got a $700 grant to start her quilting business.  Now that may not seem like a lot of money to you but she MADE it work for her because it was enough for her to buy material and equipment to get buyers for her quilts.  As she made more money she was able to get a more conventional loan.

Planned Parenthood who receives 250 million dollars per year in government grants!

Sheri Winchell of Maryland who lost her job in telemarketing and received government money to start a  monogram store in a shopping mall.

Composer/singer/songwriter/lyricist, Bobby Robinson received a grant to help write music for film.

the daycare providers in Cambria county who were recipients of a $3 Million Dollar grant funding.  They were considered "subcontractors" who provided daycare services and some of them were friends and relatives and neighbors who simply agree to provide daycare services...

these people/recipients didn't give up hope

How did you start? And what advice would you give to aspiring grantwriters?

Actually I started it on a more personal note and didn't even consider myself a grantwriter until I saw the specifics of what a grantwriter does.  It was the same thing that I was doing all along but didn't know that there was a name for it.  I was doing it as a personal kind of thing for family and friends.  Then when I started talking more about it, telling people that there were indeed funding and grant programs of all kinds I was called a scam!  So that really got me PO'd which made me want to know more about it.  And you know what I found out?  I found out that there were indeed grant programs to help start a business, people who have actually received grants to help start their business and how "big" business gets grant funding all the time!  I dug even deeper and found out the most unusual things like the man that got so much grant money that he gave some back saying that it was too much, the people that got a monthly check to grow weed for "patients" and just the most surprising information that one could find.  And it taught me a very valuable lesson and that was don't take what someone says as the end all be all.  If you have your doubts then check it out yourself and that is exactly what I did!  Do you know how good it makes me feel when I see someone saying that "there are no grants......" when I know for a fact that there are!  I started doing it on a personal level and then I start doing it professionally.  My very first successful client was a writer that got a $24,000.00 grant!  Doing grant research/consultation/writing is part of my "full-time" work but I do do other things as well.  I still have my very first business card client that I still do work for.

Yes I do enjoy my line of work because I can decide my own hours.  And I am quite suited for this type of work since I was a "bookworm" in school, worked for both H&R Block and the IRS and love researching things anyway.  There is a great deal of satisfaction when someone says there are no grants for.......and yet and still I have had clients - both personal and profession - that have gotten grant funding for the very thing that these people say that there are not grants for.  I will say that it is quite tedious and very detailed work but there are some people that are well suited for that kind of thing and I am definitely one of them.  I have worked during the night all the way to the sun coming up and me wondering where all the time went!

What would I recommend to an aspiring grantwriter who has a pession to help people?  Well I would recommend that you get yourself prepared to research!  Essentially you will be finding "needles in a haystack" and once you find those "needles" you are then going to have to make those "needles" make sense in other words you are going to have to interpret the sometimes complex wording used in grant applications/guidelines.  Remember you are going to have to explain these programs to your clients so the better YOU understand them the better they will.  As it is with starting any kind of business you are going to have to let people know that you ARE in business.  I have seen the very good piece of advice of starting locally by helping a few organizations for free - that way you start to get a reputation and "word of mouth" is the best kind of advertising their is!  

Job Openings!!!

I belong to a number of boards where people both post about having jobs available and needing jobs.  I sometimes wonder why the two don't get together?

For instance I listed some jobs that were available in the field of lighting design (or related to that kind of job).  Since the person wanted to work in the Chicago area that is where I limited my searching to.  Just as a preliminary search I was able to find five current job openings for that particular field! 

Still in another instant the subject of caregiving is the main topic of discussion and there were those that were looking for a caregiver position and those that were seeking caregivers.  Again I wonder why the two don't get together - especially when both sides say that they can't find someone to provide caregiving and those who want to provide it can't find any positions.  Their both in the same forum but no one says they were able to find what they are looking for - which to me seems strange because they are both in the same forum.  Even if you are not familiar with any of these kinds of forums you can - so to speak - start a forum of your own.  Regardless of whether or not you are either seeking or providing caregiving you can let people know by having a website.  If your Internet Service Provider doesn't provide you with webpage hosting you can take advantage of the free webhosting sites.  There is more than one of them.  The disadvantage to having a webpage via one of the free hosting sites is that they will put advertising on your pages.  However this still gives you enough room to put your own content on it.  Lots of people have websites via the free webhosting sites and what may surprise you is that they are making a living - even using a free webhosting site!

Are there grants for for-profits? (Again I Say) Yes!

Yes there are, in fact, grants available to for-profit daycares - both in the home and out of the home.  I just think that the woman that you went to is just not familiar with them. That is why this kind of work is so rewarding because of knowing that there are funding programs such as these.  If there are no grant programs for for-profit daycare then someone forgot to tell the organizations that provide the funding! 

In a past post I have listed some daycare grant recipients both of whom were non-profit and FOR-profit - a few were a combination of both!  As a matter of fact you would be shocked at the types of grant programs that there are.  I suspect that since people find it hard to find these programs they comfort themselves with saying that there aren't any of these types of programs out there.  And sometimes the grant recipients themselves don't divulge the programs because there will be less competition and they will more likely be awarded another grant.  This is what a lot of grant awardees do - they apply for the same grant over and over again and they get it - so why would they want to tell anybody else about it?  Some of the funding programs receive little or no applicants that the funds just go back into the "pot".  And even more shocking still is that some funding programs are discontinued simply for the reason that there were too little or no applicants!

When you are finding grant programs for the first time it is going to seem like a science.  First you have to find the funding programs and then you have to make sure that you are eligible to apply.

Unfortunately I have dealt with many social agencies who were shocked (and surprised) that I knew of the many different funding programs.  After you find the funding programs you should go right back to this woman and show her just how wrong she is.

The bottom line is that there are programs out there for for-profits - it is sort of comparable to finding a needle in a haystack.  They may be hard to find but they are there just the same and if you can't find them then that still doesn't mean that they don't exist - it just means that you haven't found it yet.

How do you get a grant without paying a fee?

The simple answer is you do the work yourself.  You can also go to a social agency because they know about different programs.

Want to become a real estate investor..................but no money......

If you have absolutely no money then you still have some choices/options.  I read about one guy that want to become a real estate investor and he didn't have any money so what he did was get some investors.  He targeted doctors and sent them a letter and a proposal.  Of course not every doctor accepted his proposal but enough did to help him get started.  He found the properties and used the investors' money.

Now if you don't want to do that then you can start small with single residences and work your way up.  There are government programs to help those who are first time home buyers.  These programs were started because the government wants there to be homeowners (why they want it is a topic for another time).  How do you find these programs?  You look!  They don't come to you - you go to them!  You have Internet access - use the Internet and start looking.  Go to your nearest library and start looking!  90% of every grant program information that I have found I have found online!  So no one can tell me that these kinds of programs don't exist because I know that they do.

If you don't have the money then you use what you do have and that is your time and effort!

Can you apply online for a grant?

Absolutely!  A lot of the organizations that have grant programs also have websites that let you either download their application or let you fill out the application online and submit via their website.

Would it also surprise you to know that some of these organizations provide email addresses so that you can contact them for more information?

But don't forget about the organizations that aren't online yet.  They still have phone numbers and regular "snail" mail addresses too.

"Where can I get free grant help?"

The suggestion about doing some research at the library was very good and I will even take it a step further and suggest you do your research online.  Over 90% of grant program information I have found online and since you have internet access you should use the Internet.

I'm also sorry to tell you that the non-profit that you mentioned is EXACTLY the type of program that gets grant funding(s).  Now you can either find an organization that does the same thing that yours does and ask them how (and where) they got their grant funding, you can ask someone that specifically does this kind of work and ask them to provide you freely with the kind of grant information that you are looking for and then there is the additional option of attending community seminar-like lectures - that are free - that are being held in a lot of communities.

Austrailia Farmers To Get Grants!

These farmers were hit by cyclones which damaged their farmers very badly.  It was recently announced that tax-free grants of $10,000 would be available!

Grants and Daycare?

I  am wanting to open a daycare here in ga. I have been a homedaycare provdier before, so now I want to become a larger building and have alot more children. I would love to create jobs for the people here in brunswick. How do I write a grant? where do I go? Just point me in the direction I would love it!!<<

Even though your enthusiam is good you need to know some basics about the whole grant process.  I can find at least one grant program for 95% of my clients and that goes up to 99% if I really dig for the information.  However the only reason that I can do this is because I have been doing it for a while now.  You have to understand that there is no one place to apply for a grant/funding program. Basically speaking you dont "write" a grant until you know what kind of application materials that you have to submit and you won't know that until you know which funding program you are going to apply to and you won't know that until you find the funding program.  How do you find the funding program(s)?  You look!  It's just like going to the library and doing research - you find the information.

Getting a grant(s) for day/childcare has been a very often asked question.  When you start finding the funding programs that you are eligible to apply for you will see the different criteria that these funding programs will want as far as you applying for them and usually no two are alike so it will depend on the specific funding program.

You should also look "outside" the box meaning that you shouldn't just apply for daycare-related funding programs but funding programs that you can additionally qualify for such as those that are business related, those funding programs that are available for women and if you are a minority you should also look for those kinds of grant programs as well.

Grant?

Hi Rose,

I love your blog site. You provide valuable information. I am interested in starting my own Network marketing business. I have been looking at acquiring a grant to do so.  I currently work and I am a Network marketer, that has a web site, with products and services in the telecommunications area. I no that there are alot of business out there for this type of services and products.  Schools, government agencies local and federal are in need for this. The question is are there any grant monies for my type of business that I want to start?

Any information that you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

S~

Thank you for your email.

My most latest client is a single mother who is looking for grant programs.  I was able to find her 3 grant programs that she is eligible to apply for and an additional funding source for her to continue her education.

Your post reminds me of the article I read about the woman who had heard all the talk about grants and decided to find out for herself if she could get one.  She did her own investigating and did find a grant program that she was eligible for.  She applied and she got the grant.  What was the type of business she was in?  Marketing!

Front Page Express?

A potential client emailed me about doing some webpage and graphic work for her.  She mentioned that she is currently using Front Page as her webpage editor.  Personally I don't like using the Front Page program as a html editor because it adds a lot of unnecessary coding.  Mind you I'm talking about an earlier version and the program could have improved since then but I have my favorites that I use for editing my (and others) webpages.  Sometimes I even prefer to edit pages using notepad because I can edit more precisely.