Misty Said:

Need help with writing a business proposal.?

We Answered:

There are many good books on writing business plans. They usually include samples that can be very useful. Any library should be able to help you. Writing a business plan requires time and effort. One of the most important parts consists of the financial budgets and estimates. Some proposal writers can do a good job, but they have to involve you in getting all the details. They may be quite expensive, depending on the nature of the business and the amount of work involved. It is not uncommon for a business plan to cost $20,000. That does not mean that you cannot write your own for nothing more than an investment in time.

Melanie Said:

how to get free information about writing a sucessful business grant proposal?

We Answered:

You were MISLED by that seminar you attended if they make you believe that there are grants for starting a business

It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business.

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.


Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/mostrequesteditems/CO…

"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."

Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE.
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALO…

Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs

I suggest you read the following books to get ideas of how to finance your business:

Financing Your Small Business http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1…
Small Business Financing: How and Where To Get It http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0…
Financing the Small Business: A Complete Guide to Obtaining Bank Loans and All Other Types of Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1…
The SBA Loan Book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1…
Angel Capital : How to Raise Early-Stage Private Equity Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0…
Financing Your Small Business (Barron's Business Library Series) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0…