Has anyone had experience getting grants, either private or government?
I own a small business and want to expand. My partner is a woman and someone suggested the other day that there are grants available for female-owned businesses. However, I haven’t a clue as to where to go to look or what to do after that. Internet searches simply turn up people who want to sell me a list of names for 50 bucks on up, but no info on how to apply to them.
Hopefully, the fount of all wisdom that is the SDMB can help me out.
I’m not sure, but I’ll throw out a plug for my boy Matthew Lesko, who lives in the town where I grew up.
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Honestly, your best bet is to contact your local public library. There are an awful lot of grant sources out there and this is the type of thing that librarians are trained for - they can get some more information from you and help you find what you’re looking for. A cursory search of the Houston Public Library’s web site turns up some electronic journals that might be helpful http://atoz.ebsco.com/home.asp?optPages=1&txtKeyword=grants&SF=Titles&id=1398&sid=245825700&LH= , though I assume you’d need your library card to actually acess them online. You can also contact a librarian in person, via phone, email or online reference - http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/hpl/interactive/answers.html
I would start by contacting your local and state department of economic development, or whatever it’s called (if there’s more than one that might fit, call them both!), as well as the U.S. Dept of Commerce. Talk to someone and ask them where to go for help with grants. Don’t hang up without making them give you somewhere else to call. Keep calling.
If there’s a department related to your business, call them, too. They may have or know of grants just for your kind of business.
Eventually, you’ll find someone whose job it is to help small businesses get grants.
They can help you find possibilities. Then contact the person you apply to, and find out what they want in an application.
Someone in one of these steps may suggest coming to a workshop or presentation about grants in general or a particular grant – if you think it’s a good chance you will qualify, then go – this is the best way to learn what the people giving the money are really looking for.
Just be patient, and remember that everybody giving out money has a purpose. The best way to get money is to convince them that giving it to you helps acheive their goal. And if they tell you that you’re not who they’re looking to give money to, understand that and move on.
There are grant writing workshops held regularly in Austin. I can’t remember who puts them on, but I found out about them through the Texas Historical Commission.
I just resent my note…it was to the same address you have posted here; let me know if you didn’t get it…or try e-mailing me through the Message Board. If that doesn’t work we will have to get the Mods involved
Find a Small Business Development Center for your state and they’ll refer you to the most local office. They are a government institution with the job of guiding small business owners and entrepreneurs to grants, loans, and other sources of financial backing, free of charge. I worked for one, once. They can help guide you to the most relevant sources of funding, as they’re experts that do this all day long. Most states have a website for their SBDC.