GOVERNMENT GRANTS : Government grants to start your small business

The American small business owner generally gets left out of Uncle Sam's government business grants when it comes to doling out billions. But there are some exceptions to that rule, especially these days, with President Obama keen on funneling more and more federal dollars into programs aimed at getting existing businesses back on their feet.

Here's what you should know about American government grants for small businesses.

For starters, head over to the Grants.gov website. This is the central clearinghouse for government assistance programs, and includes grants for research projects, community development, education, and of course, promoting small business.

Next, use the Advanced Search feature to 'Search by Eligibility'. There are more American government programs than you can shake a stick at (whatever that means), and most of them are programs that you're simply not eligible for. By highlighting categories that your are eligible for -- like Small Business, or Individuals, or perhaps Native American Tribes -- then you can narrow down the field to grant programs where you have a realistic shot at getting funding.

Depending on the nature of your business activities, you may want to narrow the results even further by selecting grants from specific American government agencies, or particular topic areas.

Now that you have some grant search results, it's time to go to school. You'll need to become familiar with the format of grant program presentations -- who can get a grant, how much money is available to grantees, when and how to submit an application, and so on. The best way to do this is just begin reading through grant programs that look promising. If you're looking to fund a start-up, make sure this type of activity is appropriate to the grant program. Take notes, so you can come back to the ones that seem particularly appropriate to your business start-up.

Make sure to check State programs as well. A lot of the American federal dollars for grants are being funneled through state (and sometimes even local) governments. There's no consolidated set of links. Instead, search Google for your state name along with the phrase: small business grants. Your state Department of Commerce or local Chamber of Commerce are also usually good sources of information on available grant programs.

By David Sarokin June 10, 2009 - http://www.examiner.com/x-12803-DC-Internet-Business-Examiner~y2009m6d8-Getting-government-grants-to-start-your-small-business

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