Grants for Business Start Up - Reality or Fiction?

June 26, 2007

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Are there really thousands of available grants for business start up, or is this just a cruel rumour spread by the government to make it look as though they really want to help start up businesses?

The fact is, there are numerous grants available to businesses in the UK and the USA, and many are available to start up businesses.Â So why don’t you know anyone who has managed to get one of these grants then?Â After all, it’s free money to assist with starting up a business.Â You don’t even have to pay it back.

The truth is, many business start ups don’t apply for grants because they don’t know where to begin.Â Time is a precious commodity for a start up business, and searching for available grants is one task that is often put on the backburner.Â

Another problem is the application process.Â Â Applying for any type of grant canÂ be complicated andÂ a small business start up is often required to jump through several hoops.Â For example, if you’re looking for a grant to assist with buying equipment for a small business, you will often be required to submit a detailed business plan, along with your grant application.Â If the grant is to be spent on marketing, you may be required to submit a detailed marketing plan.

All this may seem a little complicated, but don’t let it put you off.Â Raising the capital to start a small business can be tough, and some of these start up grants are worth thousands.

Here are some resources to give you a head start.Â If you live in the UK, this is a free searchable database of small business grants.Â There are currently 2474 available.Â Some will be for start up business, and some of the grants will only be available to established businesses.Â Going through the database can be time consuming, so do yourself a favour and create a file on your browser to store the ones that may be applicable to you.Â You may also find Grant Writing for Dummies a useful guide to helping you through the application process.

There is a fantastic resource for business start upsÂ based in the USA.Â Â In addition to listingÂ hundreds of pages of grants available in the USA, this guide also comes with free grant application software.

If you’re looking for grants for business start up,Â bear in mind that many people just can’t be bothered to go through the process of applying, which will give you a head start if you’re willing to put in the effort.Â Good luck.

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