Grant Basics 101

In order to get non-profit funding you will first have to be an official nonprofit organization.  That is qualifying for those whose donations will be tax-deductible when they donate to you.  That is the first thing that you will have to do.  Of course there are non-profit organizations that don't have the specific non-profit status mentioned above but having this specific status will help you qualify for the governement grants that are specifically for non-profit organizations.Unfortunately I seriously doubt that you have gone through everything about fundraising and grants and grant writing be no one person or organization will ever be able to have all the information.  Programs get cancelled, new ones are created so it is a never ending kind of thing.Logically speaking not every grant resource requires "what have you done lately" but they do require some sort of summary (at least) about your organization and the objective of your organization.  There are some entrepreneurial grants that provide funding for those with a "vision" /dream for an endeavor that will help to make the community (and the world) better.  There is such a one with an award of $100,000!  This isn't the only one.  And while this is certainly an option that you should at least look into more you shouldn't count out grants relating to the objective that you are trying to achieve - especially when it comes to non-profits where there is less of a debate as to whether or not such grants exist.The availability of grants is not just limited to the US.  Canada, the UK, India and Africa have grant programs.  And some don't even require you to live in that particular country.  There is such a thing as "global" grants.  A religious mission got a $50,000 grant to start a camp for children.  This grant didn't come to them they had to find it.  It was the first grant that they ever received so when you really get down to it you don't have to be a past grant recipient to be able to get a grant.

A Grantwriter's Creed

In the end, grant writers should be paid for their time and efforts by the hour or project, whether or not the grant is received. I question whether an organization unable to pay a fair fee for work done is likely to survive. Few non-profits forced to operate in ways not fully in accord with accepted professional standards flourish and grow.

Look at what one can find if they only would take the time to look for it!

I think that this would fit into the category about rules being open for change:

For example, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved a percentage of Federal funds for payment to grantwriters in some HUD programs. In a recent national meeting, a program officer from a different Federal agency stated that Federal funds can be used to pay a grantwriter to develop grants that will sustain or continue a program. This dramatic reversal in the Federal paradigm is fairly recent. With President Bush's Compassion Capital Fund, Federal monies will pay for grantwriting and evaluation assistance for faith- based and other nonprofit organizations.

And it should also go under the category of "look at what one can find if they only take the time to look for it!"

Getting Grants-Some Facts

Number of Funded Grants: Among respondents who identified themselves as grantwriters, the majority (two-thirds) reported receiving six to ten Federal grants, eleven to twenty local or state grants, and 51 or more foundation grants. This trend supports the observation that Federal grants tend to be larger and more complex, thus more time consuming and representing less of the work product of grantwriters. On the other end of that spectrum are the smaller, simpler foundation proposals with higher numbers received.

Are you eligible for a grant in Canada to start your own business?

Do you meet this criteria?

Who can apply?

Eligible Participants
Eligible participants are those who, pursuant to the Employment Insurance Act, are unemployed individuals who at the time of applying for the Self-Employment Program: for whom an unemployment benefit period has been established or has ended within the 36 months prior to the date of requesting assistance; or for whom a benefit period that included a maternity or parental claim has been established within the 60 months prior to the date of requesting assistance, after which the individual remained out of the labour market in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child and is now seeking to re-enter the labour force.

Other criteria may apply

What is the objective of this program?

Program Objectives

To provide unemployed Employment Insurance eligible individuals with income and entrepreneurial support while they develop and implement their business plan.
To assist unemployed Employment Insurance eligible individuals to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment resulting in savings to the Employment Insurance Account

$20,000 Entrepreneurial Grant for those with a Business Plan

Hi Rose, Yes i am a minority and I am looking to start a restaurant. Please send me the info for the $20,000 grant you were referring to.

Thanks a lot.

E~

The grant that I was referring to is one of the "entrepreneurial" grants that I was talking about.  In fact they call it an entrepreneurial grant.  One of the requirements is that you be between the ages of 21 and 30.  For those of my clients that fit that requirement I give them the information.  Sometimes even if they don't fit the requirement they still want the information.  There is more than one requirement and you have to be able to meet them all.  Another requirement is that you have a business plan because THAT has to be submitted as well.  There is also a deadline!

If you don't meet the requirements of this particular grant then you should review the other "entrepreneurial" grants that are available to those that want to start their own business.

Past recipients of this grant include a woman that started her own film company, a catering company and a women's spa. 

If you have a solid (and concise) business plan you should submit it to be considered for this grant.  Four grant awards of $20,000 each are given.

Daycare (again)

I have been working at a small daycare for about a moonth and a half. It is considered "for profit" run by an individual.  She has no business plan, profit or loss information and not earning any money. She takes in infants which I have tried to convince her its not a money maker and has "toddlers and older (preschool age) about 30 iin all. She is broke already.   She has had to lay off folks and it makes it hard to run the  business this way. She is now talking about going "non profit". I would like to know the difference  and how can I help her make this daycare a success. She has 11 babies (under 12 months) and has 2 staff and sometimes 3 to work this room.  She and her partner say taking infants "brings em in" but she has to pay out in payroll. I see alot of  potential, but infants keep coming in and that makes it difficult because the younger the age the more staff has to be hired. Can she turn and go non profit now that she has been open for awhile? This is something she has wanted to do and I have observed she has not given it a whole lot of thought. I used to have my own daycare and would like to see this one do the full combination starting at 18monts to 2 1/2 or so and then 3's to 5's. She keeps bringing them in younger and younger. There are not alot of daycares in our town that offer this service. She is also way to cheap to make it worth while and hesitates whenever it is suggested to raise her rates. Please advise. Thanks J~

One of the reasons that are given for starting a daycare business is that this is a service that is always in demand.  In fact your post - where you say that there is a need for this service in your area - just proves my point.

What I don't understand is the specifics of whether or not the parents are being charged for taking care of their children.  The most major sore point of your whole post (and you are answering your own question) is the lack of planning!  The fact that you do have so many children that you are taking care of just goes to show that there is a profit potential here.  Why is she NOT making money?  How is she charging for her services?  What is she charging? 

The whole purpose of a business plan is to have a plan for your business.  In simple, basic math you have to make more money than you spend.  Your income - how much you charge - should be more than your expenses - how much you spend.  When I do a business plan for someone they are amazed at how simple a thing it can be.  There is no great mystery here - just a plan for your business.  One of the most important things is to decide the objective of your business.  Is it to be self-sustaining - in other words being able to earn a livable income from it?  If so then WHAT is the amount that you would have to earn annually?  Offset this against your expenses with the intent of having a profit.  That is what this person is going to have to do!

As far as profit vs non-profit - it is a matter of choice.  One of the most cited reasons for making one's endeavor a non-profit is that donations are tax-deductible.  You qualify for more grants if you are non-profit but by the very definition of non-profit there is a limit on how much and what kinds of profit are available to you.

Bottom line is that she has to have a plan!  Be it a business plan or just a day by day (not recommended)kind of plan - she is going to need one. 

Work at home advice....

>Looking for work I can do at home. Pretty good on a computer.   Lots of free time.<<

I have always said that the fastest way to make money is to find a need and fill it!  Or do you have a "dream" job?  Is there something that you like to do like hobbies, interests and the like that you could turn into a business?  You can even take something that you hate and turn that into a business.  One business example that I gave was how one could take their hate of washing dishes and turn that into a business by starting a newsletter - you could hold contests, post polls but where you would make your money would be the advertisers wanting to advertise.

Just think of how you want to earn your income.  Is it sitting in front of the computer typing away?  What kinds of programs do you have installed on your computer?  Turn one of those into a business.

Since you have computer experience offer to be the neighborhood "Ebayer" and start an auction using a website - where others will pay to list their items.  In fact you might want to think about selling things on Ebay yourself - lots of people are making a living this way.

Advice to a frustrated webdesigner that wants to freelance

Here is my 2 cents.  I think the first thing that you should do is create a budget.  Write down your monthly expenses so that you will know how much you need to make monthly. 

Next comes the part about generating the income.  One of my most favorite things to say is that the fastest way to make money is to find a need and fill it.  I have participated in many discussions about this.  Businesses like starting a cleaning service, babysitting/daycare service, running errands and doing yard work are all good examples of businesses that still have a very high demand.  Another interesting business that came up was starting a dog-walking service.  If these ideas don't appeal to you and/or you want to do something that is more computer related have you tried Ebay?  There are many Ebay Power Sellers who have successfully managed to earn an income.  There are others who have managed to earn a living income online by piggybacking onto something that is already successful.  In fact one business plan that I create is specifically related to this.  However it is not for everybody but as much as people tout about being able to work from home on their computer there are people that are actually doing it - they just don't brag about it!

And the most important thing that I want you to remember is that regardless of what business you start - remember your main objective is being able to be a professional webdesigner and that you are doing one thing to be able to do what you want.

There is something that you should know about me!

• I do not work on commission.
  
• I will not work on a percentage basis
  
• I will not provide free grant research and grant related services
  

It never ceases to amaze me that people will ask for "free" work to be done. It is obvious to me that they don't know the time and effort that is required to find information about grants. And it gets more harder when looking for specific types of grant information. Once they start looking for this information on their own hopefully they will have a whole new respect for the time and effort that is needed to find this kind of information.

Besides it wouldn't be fair to any of my clients to provide free work to someone else when they themselves are paying for this kind of service. This is a very good lesson for all of you that want to start a business of your own.

Past Life Regression/Grants/Private Practice

PAULA ENGLANDER-GOLDEN, PH.D.

She maintains a private practice in both states. She is a Professor at the University of North Texas and Founding Director of the Institute for Studies in Addictions, which she established in 1989

She has been the recipient of many state and federal grants for her work in addictions and prevention of other destructive behaviors, in promotion of wellness and strengthening the family.

still think that grants don't exist?

Average amount of grants?

Someone did a search for this and it led them to my grants page.  The truth of the matter is that there is no average amount.  Well there is if you want to do a calculation of all the grant monies that have been received.  I have seen grant amounts from as low as $200 to as high as $5 Million Dollars!

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

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

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

I've been linked!

Take a look see!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now how did I find this information?  I looked!

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

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

Looking For Investors? - What are the odds?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question-Are there any grants to start my business?

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

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

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

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

Grants for Astrology?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starting Your Career as A 3D Freelance Artist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Me?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Group receives funding for their newsletter!

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

I'm no Steven Spielberg but....

I'm no Steven Spielberg but....

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

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

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

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

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

Have you ever heard of such a thing! 

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

Are there any grants for school music programs?

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

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

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

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

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

Is $600 too little to start a business?

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

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

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

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

A different kind of research job.....

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

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

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

I'd have to agree with the reply posted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ontario - Grant Program to open a nursing home?

Still think that there are no grants?  Here's one in Canada

Grant Funding Available and Budget -Up to $100,000 in Foundation funding may be requested for the proposed innovation in nursing practice, payable up to 2 years (maximum of $50,000 per year). Grants may be requested for either a new project, or to bridge an existing pilot project that has demonstrated the potential to improve nursing practice, to sustain the outcomes or to broaden implementation of the innovation in nursing practice.At this stage, the Letter of Intent, you are asked to provide the total amount requested only. In the second stage, for those short listed and invited to submit a full proposal, a detailed budget will be required. While matching funds are not required, commitments from your organization and partners will support the feasibility of the project and longer term sustainability.

6. Eligibility The Proposed Project must: 
Be a innovation in nursing practice that develops implements and evaluates either
A new innovative intervention, process, or application, or Bridges a pilot program to sustainability of broader application  Address a topic within the one of the designated strategies: NOTE: Research projects, needs assessment, or evaluation of existing programs are not eligible.The Applicant must (REVISED December 17, 2005)

NOTE: Grants will be awarded for the project proposed-applicants do not have to be "a registered charity". Non Profit, private, for profit organizations are eligible to apply.

The contract for the Nursing Grants competition is being developed, and will be posted by mid January. The requirement that LOI applicants review and agree to the "letter of agreement" has been deleted from the LOI form.
Develop the application in consultation with front line nursing staff and nursing leaders in the organization
Have the capacity to achieve the proposed results.

Be located in, and carry out the project in Ontario

The last part above is very important in that the area/location of the area eligible for the grant is limited.  Now the deadline has already passed for this year.  What about next year though?

Pre-Movie Review - The Relic.....

When I post a movie review I like to compose it offline first instead of just typing it while I'm online. But this movie came on today and the subplot line about grants.....oh well then you know I have to talk about THAT! So this isn't my main review sort of like an added footnote.

I have always been fascinated by certain buildings like museums and zoos and the like and kind of knew somewhere in the back of my mind that they needed and were spending more money than what they got from being open to the public and this movie reminded me of it. We have people that work at the museum who rely on grants and funding like in the case of one of the main characters who relies on the grant to continue her work. And what is her work? Well (as far as I can get it) she has found a way to break down the composites of things that have multiple (for lack of a better word) composites. This of course would be very helpful in areas relating to science and even crime analysis!

From what I get from the movie she has already received the grant but must apply for it on a regular basis as it is also the way she pays for her staff. This brings out some good points about grants.

• just because you were awarded a grant one year doesn't mean that you will automatically get it the next year. You will have to apply for it every time that you want it. In this movie she finds that a fellow worker will also be applying for the same grant that funds her work - which brings up another good point
  
• you can always apply for more than one grant and people do just this such a thing!
  

One of the things that I didn't get was that she was preparing to speak in front of the people who are the grantors - a process that I thought was done by applying the regular way. Of course if I'm following the movie correctly this wouldn't be a government grant but one that is being funded by some kind of foundation.

How much should I charge?

Here is an excerpt:

By now you've probably gotten the idea that grant writing is a lot of work, so even if you don't have a proven track record you need to charge enough to make it worth your while. You can charge by the hour but I wouldn't charge less than $50/hour even if you've never worked on a grant. That is rock bottom and if you've got a track record as a freelancer that's not much money. Some grant writers charge by the project, say 10% of the value of the grant. A grant that will bring in $1 million per year calls for correspondingly more work. If you're trying to establish yourself, you can work in a bonus if the proposal is funded, but either way, you get paid. If a client wants you to do most of the work in a short period of time (say, one month) charge them accordingly, or I promise you, it won't be worth your while.

Grant Research and Writing - Current fee schedule from the Writer's Market...

Still think I charge too much? Take a look at the Writer's Market has to say:

Government research: $35-50/hour.

Government writing: $30-50/hour. In Canada, $50-80/hour.

Grant proposal writing for nonprofits: $30-100/hour or flat fee.

And there are some places that charge much more than this. I also find it quite interesting that a higher fee is charged for government grant research as opposed to just searching for foundation and non-government sponsored grants.

This is very detailed work. Ever remember studying in the library with a stack of books all around you? All turned to a different page? It's kind of like that.

Free Tarot Scholarship?

Actually its a free 15 day trial of their course/software.  They decided to call it a scholarship.

But if you ever wanted to study tarot reading here's your chance!

Oh I forgot to mention....

The newstory also showed that the illegal immigrants were protesting because they want the government to give them free drivers licenses.  As a person that has to pay to have her driver's license renewed on a regular basis I don't agree with this at all!

Another example of your tax dollars at work!

Last night I had a chance to watch a newstory about illegal immigrants and this particular story was about the Georgia area. Now there is nothing new about illegal immigrants but what I found interesting about the story was the fact that over $50 Million Dollars in taxpayer money was spent to pay for their medical costs!

Another illegal alien managed to get a scholarship to go to school!

And people say that there is no free money
out there. The example above just proves that you are so
wrong.

Here's a link to the story:
http://www.theamericanresistance.com/issues/health_care.html

Here's Another Option!

Did you know that there are organizations (not the government) that have grants, fellowships and scholarships for a variety of subjects!  For instance did you know that there is a $60,000 grant available for entrepreneurs!  You do not need to be a non-profit organization in fact if you are then you can't qualify.

As with most grants of this type there is a deadline (you still have a few more months to go)

More information about a government grant to open a comicbook store!

Do you know that there is an actual government grant for this!  There are some conditions though.  Number one you have to be a certain age limit and there is a limit on the population number of the area where you want the store to be located.  There are other guidelines and requirements that are required as well.

The main thing here is that this is a loan and not a grant but it is provided by the government and you pay back the loan based on your earnings.  This is a $5000 loan.  This may not be for you but you will never know until you find out more about it.

Government grant to open a comics shop?

Someone recently did a search looking for information about getting a government grant to open up a comics shop.  Interesting notion don't you think?  Here is a link to an interview with someone who is an actual comic book store owner.

http://www.tcj.com/journalista/zarch200211D.html#shop

Do you know that 2 comic book writers got a $5000 grant and a $20,000 loan from their government in Austraila!

So you want to get a government grant to open a comics shop?  A lot is going to depend on you!  Do you know that there is a grant available to you if you move your business to Canada?  Not what you're looking for?   How about this?  There is a very interesting concept where in order to be able to receive a grant for your business, the property/building that you want to buy you just categorize it as (---deleted-----).  Your are part real estate investor and part business owner!  Now remember you still have to provide the same information as far as business plans, budgets, outlooks/forecasts or whatever the particular grant application process is.  It's a sneeky way to get around something but as long as you are following the terms of the grant then you can apply for it just like everyone else.

For more information about grants, just click here

The U.S. Department of Agriculture advertising on my local radio station???

I just heard it not a minute ago.  As I have said before I like to listen to the jazz music from one of my local radio stations and I hear the commercial.  It's for the Food Stamp program.

Grant Recipient - Disable Entrepreneur Receives Grant to start his business!

Universal Low Vision Aids
Columbus, OH

Owner:
Dessie Page

Initial Capitalization:
$10,000

Sources of Capital:
State Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired

Revenues:
Annual gross sales in excess of $500,000

Number of Employees:
6 full-time employees– many of whom have vision disabilities

Future Goals:
Page is intent on continuing to meet his customers' needs.

Universal Low Vision Aids, Inc. (ULVA) is a Columbus, Ohio-based firm specializing in assistive devices and software for people with print impairments (such as blindness, low vision, and learning disabilities). In addition to product sales, ULVA offers optional on-site installation, system orientation, and technical support. Owner Dessie Page, who has a visual impairment, knows first-hand how crucial these devices are to those who need them. As one of the first participants in the grant program, Page started ULVA with a $10,000 equipment grant.  The equipment enabled him to offer product demonstrations, leading to his initial sales. After that, Page says, "it was sink or swim time." He sought no additional help for the business and has never collected Social Security benefits.  This firm that once operated out of a fledgling office on Page's side porch, now has an accessible office in downtown Columbus where customers can browse the latest equipment. Today, ULVA enjoys gross sales in excess of $500,000 annually. The company serves the entire state of Ohio and has a staff of six–many of whom are people with vision disabilities. While the business has experienced steady growth over the years, Page's focus hasn't changed–he still gets great personal satisfaction from meeting his customers' needs.

And this information comes to you courtesy of the public accessible page of the US Department of Labor!

Here is a typical email asking about grant information

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information about grants, just click here

The fastest way to make money is to.....

find a need and fill it.

That's why its suggested to start a business such as daycare/babysitting, cleaning houses or running errands or doing yard work.  These kind of services are always in demand and that means that you stand a better chance of making money more quickly if you are providing something where there is a high demand.

I'm being compared to Matthew Lesko.....

Here is an excerpt:

My reply to a post=Again, its the research I provide and not the grant writing service. No>where on my page do I say that the grant is guarenteed. It is the research>that I am providing for those that want grant information about the>objectives that they are trying to achieve.>

The reply I received=As we figured -- you're another Lesko.>>>

My reply=I really do not mind being compared with Matthew Lesko. I don't work for him and have never met him but I have had him reply to my comments.

From his own words he has said that he originally starting doing grant work for big companies and when he saw how much regular people were missing out he decided to offer his services to them. I have seen the quotes of what Bush said about him and read about his dealings and experiences with the Federal Trade Commission. I have also seen testimonials from those who have gotten grants as a result of the books he sells. I have also seen his website where he recommends that if people don't believe him about government grants or grants of any kind that they can do the research theirselves if they don't believe him - which is exactly the same thing that I am saying so I don't mind being compared to him at all.

The great "government grant" debate continues

Of all the subjects that I have decided to pursue this one has brought forth the most emotional feedback.  The basic question comes down to "Can I get a government grant to start my own business?"  My answer is yes, but there are some "buts" here.  There are 2 ways of applying for a government grant.  Either you find a grant that is open to individuals and/or for-profits and small businesses and tailor your business proposal to that grant OR decide what kind of business you want to start and then find a grant that you can apply for that relates to the kind of business that you want to start.

There's is a debate about the words "free government money".  Yes, the money is free in that you do not have to pay it back.  However you do have to qualify for the grant.  You have to apply for the grant.  And you have to be approved for the grant.

Another debatable term is "starting a business".  My viewpoint on this is simply that "starting a business" starts when you decide to start a business.  You do not need equipment, or employess to "start" a business.  You start a business when you actually decide to start a business.

"West Wing" Writer

I just happened upon him on CSpan last night and I ended watching the rest of it.  He did mention about him working from home as a writer and he said one of the things that he really hated was the fact that people would call him up all the time (figuring he wasn't "working") because he was at home.  He actually said he was glad when he got to work for West Wing because it got him out of the house.

Oh well, different strokes...............

All Work and No Play? No!

My favorite computer game (for the moment) is Descent! While this is an older game that's usually my MO anyway! I had the CD for awhile - I even forgot where I got it from! But anyway this is one of those shoot-em-up games and this particular one has 24 levels with 6 secret levels. I'm quite addicted to it! So far I have managed to get through all the levels on the Trainee level and now I'm in the process of trying to get through the difficulty levels. I may even put my score online and start some kind of club-type thing where everybody can try and beat everybody else's score.

Before Descent I was a nut for Quake - and before that it was Doom! I even tried making my own levels - but thats gonna take some time (-;

I was also quite fond of Hellbender which came with my computer disk. However I have the demo version that only has one level and I have been trying my darndest to find a full version of the game.

So after I go offline I'm going to play some more Descent!

I was talking to a woman yesterday......

She works as a driver for a transportation company. She expressed interest in starting a different career. She wanted to be nurse's aide. In my time it was called nurse's aide but now they are called Certified Nursing Assistants or CNA's for short. She was getting discouraged with her current job mostly because they were cutting her hours and it was getting harder and harder for her to get overtime.

I encouraged her to go ahead. There is a trend (including from the government) to help seniors and those that are disabled and the like to be able to stay in their homes. I have also found that the people themselves want to stay in their homes as much as possible - not to mention the relatives and/or spouses that want them to be able to stay at home as well.

This has resulted in an increasing need for aides, whether they be nursing assistants or companions or caregivers. Even regular caregivers need some time off and/or vacation time. What if you were available for emergencies?

You could work for an agency or on your own. One thing that I want to emphasize here is that there is a big difference between medical care which requires training and giving general and non-medical care. You could look in on seniors for family members, you could do the shopping for them, run errands, pick up their prescriptions, provide them with transportation, do yard work or lite cleaning for them and so much more!

If this sounds like something to your liking you should get started right away! If there aren't any seniors in your area (or not enough of them) you could expand this kind of service to include babysitting or doing the same thing for your area's residents. All you have to do is let them know that you are open for business!

Sometimes you just have to fight!

A relative of mine who is disabled used to take public transportation for the disabled.  That's where they pick you up at your door and take you to your destination - in this case to her doctors appointments.

Do you know they sent her a notice in the mail saying that it was determined that she could take regular public transportation and that she was no longer eligible for the disabled transportation access!  They determined that she could use her manual wheelchair and wheel herself the 3 blocks to the nearest bus stop.  Nevermind that there would be a hill that she would have to wheel herself up and down to get to and from the bus stop!  She was told that their decision was final and that there was nothing she could do about it.

Well I found out some interesting things.  First of all public transportation has to adhere to rules for transporting the disabled - I guess that's probably why they get so much public/state related funding. 

So what I did was sit down and write out a carefully detailed letter outlining why their assessment was wrong and I gave the reasons why.  Then I mailed the letter to them.  One month later I called to find out about the letter.  They told me that they hadn't received it!  So I faxed a copy of it to them that day which was a Thursday.  Monday I called them and they acknowledged the letter right away without me even getting a chance to identify myself or to whom the letter was about.  They informed me that while the appeal process was taking place the person would be able to take the specialized transportation for the disabled.

Sometimes you just have to fight!

Making it Work!

I usually tell people to start a business doing something that they love to do or ask them what their dream job is.

For example just recently I read a post from a group I belong to where a woman was interested in pursuing astrology as a career (Yes I said ASTROLOGY!). She asked for advice from others as to whether or not she should pursue it as a career and wondered if she could make a profit from it. The very first person that replied to her said not to. Why? Because she had went to college and got her degree and want to pursue the same kind of career herself. She said that she found that besides people asking for free readings she had got not one paying customer and that was her reason for suggesting that the original poster not try to pursue it either. Of course I could tell from her post that she was feeling frustrated and disappointed but I also knew that she was wrong. So what I did was email an astrologer who had an online site and was working from her home and I told her about it. She emailed me back the next day saying the reason why her site and her astrology career was successful was because of one simple reason - She had decided to MAKE it work! Just as simple as that.

I'm going to include a quote that she had on her page onto my own site. But my point here is to say that no matter what kind of home business you want to start there is already someone out there who is doing it successfully (and profitably) now.

Working From Home doesn't take the pain away BUT!

it makes it a little easier to take!

Experienced some gum pain this afternoon - don't know what set it off but after taking a few aspirin the pain has subsided and I feel a lot better (I must feel better because I'm here typing away).

It's nice to know that if the pain gets too bad I can lie down and take a nap at anytime and then work some more when I feel better. If the pain gets any worse I'll be able to make a dentist appointment without having to worry about missing work or working on my day off!

Just one of the many good reasons as to why it's great to work from home!

Hi!, My dream job is working for my self. I have trouble working for others. My problem is my appearance. Inside I feel fine. Out side people laught at me. I have some sort of problem with affect. Like when someone is insulted some people will laught! well I have no control what I look like. I have alot of skills because I have worked every job you can emagine and then some I have a very high IQ, and I feel I have talent in the Arts, but then again this is what I think. I am tired of looking for work every 90 days with is the probation peroid of most jobs. I just started a new job $22.00 @ hr. but I already know I will not last!, Can you help? I have no savings , I owned nothing!. I am at my lowest point in my life.Thank you for your email.

It sounds like working from your home would be just the thing for you! $22 an hour is not bad and it is a lot more than what a lot of other people are getting salary-wise.If you want to work from your home you must have at least some idea of what kind of business you would like to start. If not you could start a business that is already in high demand like starting a day care service, cleaning houses or running errands. These kind of businesses are always in high demand.

If the above ideas are too physical or don't appeal to you and you have your heart set on working from your computer then there are things you can do. There is the option of starting a business like the one I mention on my Consultation Page that is called Business Plan XXX. It is called that because it is a business one can start working at their computer. However it related to the Adult Sex sites that abound on the Internet and it is NOT for everybody! It is however a perfect example of tapping into a market that is already making people as much as $1 Million Dollars a month and you would be tapping into that. It is not a business where you actually participate directly but do indirectly. It is however for those that want to start their own work at home computer business.

If this is not for you then you should take the same concept that is used in this business plan and apply it to another business or industry. Of all the things that you don't have don't forget the things that you DO have which are your computer and yourself.If you have a specific interest, hobby or dream job in mind please let me know since you didn't mention a specific one above.

Grants DO Exist!

I answer one of my critics:

>>Sure, there ARE Federal grants. They seem omnipresent, but they are awarded to units of governments and non-profits for specific projects or stated purposes. BUT the evidence to-date shows that opportunities for private enterprise to receive unrestricted direct payment of grant funds are rare, at best, and likely do not exist at all today.<<

Here is my response:

From the Dept. of Agriculture:
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applicant Eligibility Any public or private organization, or individual, including those located in the U.S. Territories, may...
You say in your response that they are rare - does that mean that you are saying that there are some that exist?

Regarding "likely do not exist at all today" -

Deadlines None. Range of Approval/Disapproval Time Not applicable

Will I say where I got this information? - No way!

This particular grant does not list their grant payment information - for that you have to contact the agency/office that is listed. Will I give the agency/office name? - No way!

Now the above information I found by research. Pure and simple! If you choose not to believe me then do so. But this is an example of a federal grant that is available to profit entities (and even individuals). If you can get approved for this grant (which is money that you do NOT have to pay back then this is an example of grant to start a business.

It all comes down to the type of business you want to start and making it relate to the grant. This information I found in one day!

So if you want to start a business with a government grant you're going to have to get serious!

If you really want a government grant you're going to have to tailor your business to the grant's requirements. To anyone that says that government grants don't exist to start a business I say to you that you are wrong. Either you haven't searched right, you haven't search enough or you just don't know what you are talking about.

Argh! I had to re-install AOL! (again!)

Oh good grief! I had to re-install AOL again today! I tried to sign on and got that little waterdrop sound. I tried to install their latest version which is 9.0 but I settled for 7.0! A good thing about having to go thru this again was at least I got to install a newer version - but still it is such a hassle! But I got through it and at least I know (since I have had to go through this more than 1 time) I can re-install the program again and although it took me a good three hours to do it - it could have been a LOT more worse!

I'm still not happy that AOL decided to cancel access to the Usenet Newsgroups though and I want that access BACK!

If you feel the same please go and vote in my poll. You might just be curious enough to see the results posted so far.

Business Plan XXX - about?

Subj: Re: BusinessPlanXXX

Date: 3/3/2005

Sure, I'd like to know hhow to make money just looking a sex videoes, but don't you think
$575.00 is a little pricey for that kind of information?
How many offers have you gotten at that price? Not too many I'll bet...

Thank you for your email.

It's not just the information that is offered. It is a complete business plan. It starts with a general outline of the business and goes on to include setting it up online, advertising and market, minimum requirements to get your business up and running, keeping and maintaining records, taxes and business basics.

All in all it is a complete business plan from start to finish. Customized and specialize business plans go for more than $1000! So believe me you're getting off cheap!

The specifics of the business plan (while it could include watching the videos) are specifically geared to running a business looking at the sex sites. It is for people that want to get started right away and want ALL of the information they need to get their business up and running. More than anything it is a step by step tutorial at best.

And to answer your question approximately 10 people have purchased the business plan. Every time the BusinessPlanXXX is purchased new and updated information has to be added. Plus the fact that with the logo and business forms a different one has to be created to avoid any copyright infringement.

So you see its not just the information that you are getting you are getting a step by step "hand-holding" tutorial business plan and that is why the cost is the way it is. The people who have purchased it are now running their own business from home and getting enough revenue that they think the price of this specific type of business plan is definitely a bargain. Besides, the less people that purchase this specific business plan the less competion (and more revenue) for those that have set up their business.

Remember this is a business plan for a business that you can operate from your home, work the hours and days that you want and be your own boss!

Giving information is one thing. Step by step directions and details are quite another.

---

By the way a lot of people say that they want to work from home BUT they either want step by step information for free, they want the security of working for a company (from their home)as opposed to working for theirselves or they don't want to find the information for theirselves.

Grants for Writers?

I see why Matthew Lesko has said that there are grants available for writers.  There are!  However bear in mind that you can't just write about anything that you want you have to adhere to their guidelines.  I know the question you are asking is how much?  Well, the amount of the grant is around $30,000 for the year.  I say "around" because while that is the minimum amount it's not the SET amount.  You do have to apply for this grant but guess what?  The first step of applying is simply sending them an email!

On this point Matthew Lesko does know what he is talking about!

Hey, I'm a composer!

Oh, most definitely.  When I do compose I'll start with the piano down stairs and compose from there adding the notes to my sheet.  Then I'll come upstairs to the computer add the notes to a midi program and add instruments as I see fit.  I can always convert the midi to a wave or mp3.

Hey I'm a composer!

Grants - I found some interesting information about them!

While I have mainly concentrated my research to the US I have found out about grants in other countries - the UK,  China, Russia - and some of those grants were even provided by the US!

You don't even need a webcam to make money on the Internet!

How about setting up your own private chat room?  You can either add special code to your web page or use one of your chat programs to set it up.  You can schedule chat sessions, make appointments online for specific chats and on and on.

You can offer tutoring, advice or anything that your imagination can think of.

Another reason that I'm glad that I work from home!

Because I am a smoker!  The last job that I had we had to go outside to smoke during our breaks.  A few other people smoked in the bathroom - I didn't do that only because I was too afraid of getting caught.

Now that I work at home I can smoke when and where I want!  Thank Goodness!

You really should have a website!

Even if its not for business you really should consider having a website.  Your ISP may provide you with webspace but even if they don't you should take advantage of some of the free webhosts that are out there!  You can also "buy" your own website by registering a domain name and paying a webhost to host your webpages!

People advertise galore about "email me for more information" where it would really help them more better if they had a website.  You just don't know what you are missing out on!

Make Money While You Sleep?

Can you really make money while you sleep?  The answer is YES!  

Let's say you make custom jewelry and you want to sell it online.  Well, you could start with Ebay.  You could sell your jewelry using Ebay and put up a picture of your jewelry.  Now depending on how long your auction will last your jewelry will be seen by everyone that views the auction.  Remember the Internet is World Wide! Every time of the day and night your auction will be viewed by people all over the world.  

Let's say you decide to sell your jewelry using a webpage of your own.  If you take credit card orders and have the "Buy" button right on your page that means that when that "Buy" button is clicked you have just received an order.  When your webpage is up and on the Internet it is seen 24 hours a day and seven days a week!  Even while you are sleeping!

A Gorgeous Day Outside but.....

alas I have some work that I have to do!

Drat! and Darn and dagnabbit!

AOL has got me mad!

They are discontinuing access to the Usenet Newsgroups in February. The reasons that they have given include them saying that their members don't use them as much and that there is so much spam and the popularity of blogs.

I do not agree with this. My main reason is because now I won't be able to send or receive binary files! If I have to pay for this service then I will definitely be leaving AOL! There is no sense in me paying 2 services!

Microsoft Word!

I was playing around with this program last night. In fact I was playing with it for a couple of hours! I forgot just how many options this program has! Usually I'll use a more simple program for my word processing but I have a neighbor who is a writer who told me about a problem he was having with the program.

So I'm playing around with it - especially drawing pictures and turning them into 3D pictures and having fun with adding patterns and colors.

I'll have to use this program more often!

Not Everyone Started Their Own Business With A Lot Of Money!

A lot of people that have started their own business did not have a lot of money to start with.  What you do in a case like this is use what you do have which is your time and effort.

I do consulting all the time and there are a lot of things that one overlooks when looking for resources that are available to them right now.  For example one's own computer is a gold mine as far as available resources go and I'm not just talking about being able to go online - I'm talking about the computer itself and the programs that come with them.

Offline you can start your business by using one of the most overlooked resources that one has and that is their local paper.  You have to use what you have to get what you want and even though there are a lot of businesses out there I'm sure your gut will tell you that not ALL of them started out with a lot of money.

A lot to be thankful for....

Just watching the news and hearing all the devastating stories from people that have lost so much makes me realize how much I have to be thankful for.

How do you stay motivated?

This message is for anyone who runs a home based business. How do you stay motivated? I think I lack the dicipline to work out of the house. Does anyone have advice that might help.

I think it all comes from desire. A lot of people have started their own business because they didn't want to or were sick and tired of working for someone else. I posted a message on one of the AOL boards called "Why would anyone want to work from home!" It was kind of meant to be an ironic sort of thing but people hate working for someone else, hate the amount of pay they get, hate the office "politics", hate their commutes...but I think its the desire that helps to keep one motivated. Once you get your first customer/client and you get that first payment then you're hooked!

I stay motivated because to put it quite simply I want to work from home and I want to continue to do so. I don't ever want to work for someone else again!

As far as you lacking the discipline to work from just think of and remember the reasons why you want to work from home. My discipline comes as a result of my business plan, my goals and the objectives that I have for my business.

I would think that receiving orders (and payments) from clients would be a very good motivational reason for maintaining the discipline to be able to work from home. What about being one's own boss? What about working as much (or as little) as one wants? What about actually being able to earn a profitable living doing something that one loves? What abut not having to go thru that daily commute - through the rain, the cold, the wind and the snow? What about being able to work at home so that you can be at home to be able to keep your eyes on your kids? But I think that the most best reason is simply the desire that you want to work from home.