Grants for Women Entrepreneurs
Grant Woman provides free information and education on finding and applying for grants for woman entrepreneurs.
We recommend that you take time to thoroughly research this subject so that you know what you're getting yourself into. :-)
There is something that we at HomeBizWomen jokingly call the "Murphy's Law of Money" which states that it is ten times more difficult to convince an organization to give you money, than it is for you to give them money!
Though Grant Woman does not have evidence of this "Murphy's Law" we have observed it in action over and over. We would add to this that in most circumstances it is easier to get a loan than to go through the intensive research and grant writing process required to successfully get a grant.
Remember that for a woman to get a grant requires an extensive amount of documentation and record keeping. There are rules you'll need to follow and you'll need to keep detailed track of your income and expenditures.
The key to receiving grant money lies within your personal grant proposal. Your grant proposal will explain to the grant agency why you need financial assistance.
In our research so far, Grant Woman has discovered that contrary to popular belief, there are few federal grants for women available to start a home business. The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses. It does offer loan programs and the few grants for women they offer are for organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These women's grants are mostly for non-profits, lending institutions, or local and state government.
There is a list of all federally funded assistance programs in the US which you can look through. These are listed in the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance. If you are looking for a grant or a Government program and it is not listed in here, then most likely it does not exist. If you discover grants for women in business here, please let us know!
Where do you go if the government doesn't offer grants for women owned businesses? Some foundations and corporations offer grants for women, and some smaller companies also offer grants.
Knowing where to look, and how to tailor your search efficiently is the key to getting a successful business grant for your woman owned business.
Remember, when you are asking a company or agency to give you money, you will need to go through a long process of filling out paperwork, documenting your business, including every detail of your business plan, and so on. You'll need to keep accurate and up-to-date business records. The granting agency will have it's own requirements that you will need to fulfill in order to receive the grant. You also most likely will need to go through a waiting process once you've submitted your applications.
Grant Woman recommends that you create a business plan first before applying for a grant. A business plan will help you to look at all aspects, potential implications and benefitis of your business proposal.
If at all humanly possible, make personal contact with the grant provider before you finish the application and documentation process.
Your application should clearly and compellingly explain in detail how your business plan will meet the objectives of the granting institution. Remember that each grant agency or company will have it's own rules and requirements for their grant recipients.
Include your business plan's estimated expenses, and pay particular attention to describing your business's track record.
When you are applying for grant funds, the people who make decisions will be looking carefully at evidence that you will use the funds wisely and in ways that will meet their objectives.
Generally, the more local the grant institution is, the quicker you are likely to get a decision.
Applications to local granting agencies are in most cases reviewed in a matter of days or weeks. National grant agencies have larger bureaucracies and will take longer, perhaps several weeks or months, to review your grant application and make a decision. Some grant providers have streamlined the application process with a "Fast Track" procedure.
Grant Woman has been researching the internet to find reliable resources that will assist you in your search to find grants to start your business.
In addition to many helpful websites we've found some books and software programs online that offer information on grants for woman owned businesses. These vary in quality widely, and also in cost. We've reviewed a few here that we feel are the best of the lot. Some of the criteria we looked for were affordability, comprehensiveness of information, credibility of the authors, money back guarantee, and real information rather than hype. So that you can find good and valuable information about starting your business with grant money for a woman!
- Federal Grants is a site where granting agencies post the availability of grants, and gives applicants a place to research grants, to be notified of new grants. Do not use their XML database dump service which is not made for individual applicants.
- Department of Commerce has a helpful FAQ section with links to other small business services.
- Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. This site acts as a single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies. This service is managed by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
- Minority Business Development Agency does not give grants but provides referrals and assistance to minority business owners to obtain capital for their businesses. Loans are the most common form of financing. To access capital, the entrepreneur needs to prepare and understand the basic credit guidelines and resources available using MBDA’s portal.
- SCORE provides entrepreneurs with free, confidential face-to-face and online business counseling in hundreds of locations across the US, and has an extensive database of info on all aspects of business funding and grants.
- The online Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives you access to a database of all Federal grant programs available to State and local governments.
Reviews of Online Grant Guides For Women
Grant Woman has researched dozens of grant information guides for women. We've reviewed here a few that we feel offer the most valuable information and the most reasonable prices from the many grant guides that we researched. Each of these services has a different focus. Most of the grant guides include information on finding grants from a variety of sources. Remember that very few grants are given by the government, despite what some of the websites say! Our reviews are designed to save you time and money in finding the right grant guide for you to help you start your business. We make no guarantees about these services as each is an independently owned company, so please do your own due diligence before choosing a grant guide. All of these resources we have included here had to pass Grant Woman's 6 point test for being included in this list:
- Is the information provided useful?
- Is this resource guide affordable?
- Does the company offer a money back guarantee?
- Is the company trustworthy?
- Would I use this for my own business?
- Do I have a good "gut" feeling about this service?
One of the popular grant guide services, for grants of all kinds, with one of the most compelling guarantees we've seen. If you apply for a grant and do not receive at least $25,000, this company will gladly refund your entire purchase price. This service has the most reasonably priced of all the information guides. They will require an e-mail address to give you all the details. I appreciated that they let you know right up front that getting grant money isn't easy ... it takes time and research. The Today I Can Grant Guide has a lot of useful information on their site, you will need to request their free tour to get the full story. [Editor's Note: The link to this website no longer works. Apparently, the company has taken down the website. We at Grant Woman are currently looking for a suitable replacement for the Today I Can Grant Guide service, and business grant money for woman. In the meantime, you can check out The Truth Behind Government Grants for step-by-step instructions on how to write a grant application.]
This comprehensive grant and loan directory is well categorized and organized. It provides over 40,000 Grant listings covering a wide variety of categories. The company offers 15 free bonuses with purchase including a Grant Writing Software Tutorial, "Unclaimed Assets" Search Engine and Directory, Foreclosure resource directory, "Make Money with Government Auctions" Software Package, etc. The website has some good information, and Uncle Sam's Money Grant Guide does have a 90-day money back guarantee.
This scholarship and grants guide has 3 hours worth of personalized scholarship consulting, and several other free bonuses. This package is slightly higher priced than some of the other services, with a focus on education and financial aid. The three hours worth of personal consultation is definitely worth the small extra cost if you are specifically looking for educational grants and scholarhips for education. Scholarship and Grant Guide
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