If you are planning on starting a small business and want to find funding to help there are many programs available that can assist you financially. Grants are a great way to fund a new business because they are easier to qualify for than traditional bank loans and they do not need to be repaid. Here are four places to start your search for grants for starting a small business.

Grants For Starting A Small Business: 4 Places To Get Financing

1. Grants.gov is a website where you can find federal grants for starting a small business and apply for them. This site provides access to all of the grants available through the 26 federal grant-making agencies. They have over 1000 grant programs available and award approximately 500 billion annually.

2. Another place to check for access to grants for starting a small business is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) website. Here you will find a list of all federal programs available, financial and non financial assistance programs. They aim to help you identify what programs fit your specific needs and help to provide communication between the Federal Government and Local Governments.

3. Grants for starting a small business can be found at the Small Business Investment Company. They embody a partnership between the Federal Government and private investors. Since their inception in 1958 they have awarded over 30 billion in investments to over 90,000 businesses. An interesting bit of information is that Staples and Apple Computer got their start up money from this company.

4. Another company to look into for grants for staring a small business is the Small Business Administration. This organization not only provides funding but counsels, assists and protects the interests of small business. This is all in an attempt to protect free competitive enterprise and maintain and reinforce the economy as a whole. They partner with public and private organizations to help you start and grow your business.

What You Need To Have Before Applying To Grants For Starting A Small Business

Grants for starting a small business are not hard to come by. They problem is in the preparation. You will need to be sure that you have a comprehensive business plan completed before applying. A review committee will want to see that you have researched and put in place a plan for long term profitability and marketability. You must know your market, know your competition and most of all, know how you will survive once you are up and running. This will require a great deal of study and more than likely, some professional advice.

What Is The Best Market To Start A Small Business In (That Is Easy And Can Have You Up And Running Quickly?)

This all takes time, research and more time. If you want to start your own business but are wondering where you will find the time to spend researching and putting together a comprehensive business plan, or if this sounds like a whole lot of work, you may want to consider a small online business. Online businesses have very small start up costs that you can usually fund yourself. They also do not require ongoing costs such as wages, supplies and rent.