Last year I spent considerable time helping a relative look for scholarship and grant money to assist in funding her continuing education. If any of you have ever done this, you know what a headache it can be. Think there’s a lot GRQ online? Just wait till you start looking for scholarships and/or grants! Sites with flashing banners and confusing navigation, upsells galore, unclear qualification descriptions, etc.

So recently I’ve been talking to a neighbor who has been designated the “grant researcher” at a local private school where she teaches. We’ve had several conversations about grants, scholarships and the like. Both of us have heard numerous times how there is SO much money available for businesses, education and other various causes if you dig deep enough. But where the heck is this money anyway and who qualifies?

Being the obsessive researcher that I am, I went on a new hunt. This time I started looking for grant money to expand my home based business. I’d like to take it to a higher level. I have big plans, lots of motivation, determination and knowledge in the field. Problem is, I don’t have the funds. But if I can get a grant or two, I can hire people to help me build the business. To me, that’s a win-win.

If you follow Alice Seba at all, you’ve probably heard that she is a big proponent of outsourcing. While I agree with the fact that outsourcing can really help take a business to the next level, it’s easier said than done for most. In fact, I’ve done some outsourcing on a “shoestring budget” and it’s helped, but there is a trade off. For example…

• You have to have the time to properly teach those you outsource to.
• You need to be able to pay them decently or they’ll soon be on to the next better paying job.
• You need to be able to monitor and make use of outsourced work.

So in reality, starting to outsource can become a job in itself. It takes both time and money. In my mind, qualifying for a home based business grant can remove one of those hurdles. Unfortunately I don’t know of any “time grants” available to help remove the other hurdle

So if you are struggling to find funding for something you are passionate about, here’s a short list of different types of businesses and causes that grants have been awarded to in the past year…

• Business Start Up
• Education Funding
• Research
• Business Expansion
• Entrepreneurs
• Writers
• Non Profit Organizations
• Product Research

There’s a ton more but I’m focusing on business-related grants here. After days of research, I found an excellent grant resource which I’ve downloaded and am using. It provides a HUGE list of resources which offer grants, shows you how to write a letter of proposal, includes a step-by-step business start up, management and resource guide and a whole bunch more stuff I haven’t even gotten to yet.

According to what I’m learning, American citizens are entitled to apply for free grant money ranging from $500.00 to some astronimical amounts. If you are African American you’re instantly qualified for over a dozen programs. Hispanic? Qualified. Being a Christian gets you into 20 programs and there are other programs available for different faiths. Being broke, qualifies you for lots of programs. Unemployed? Sheesh you’ll qualify for 500+ programs.

The list and sources are current yet a little overwhelming (which is probably why most people quit looking for grant money). But I figure if I do my due diligence, I’ll qualify for a business grant and be on my way to expanding my business.

Is it time to take your business to the next level? Consider getting a grant.

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