Grants And Credit Card Debts?

Their have been a LOT of questions asked about whether there are grants for people to pay off their credit card debts. While this has been talked about in Washington nothing has been made into law yet. However there are some grant programs where you can spend the money ANY way you want and that would include paying off credit card debts.

I know of one grant program that awards $100,000 in grant money and you can use that money any way you want. However there is a big note here - you have to be eligible to apply for the grant!

Getting Investors

I see a lot of "investors wanted" posts all over the Internet. Somebody has an idea for a great invention and they need investors so they post to the Internet. I used to think that this was a very futile kind of thing to do but in the back of my mind was always the thought "you never know". Its one of the things that I talk about on my consultation page - about the fact that you never know where your opportunities may come from.

So tonight I was watching this program about a man who invented a different kind of sneaker and what was so surprising to me was that an investor sought him out instead of it being the other way around where he went after investors. Did you know that he got a check from his investor for $150,000!

So this kinds of puts things in a new perspective as far as those who are looking for investors go. If you got a good invention and you need investors - SPREAD THE WORD! You never know who's listening!

Grants For A For-Profit Daycare?

A lot of the email that I get has to do with people asking about grant programs for starting a for-profit daycare business. On my grants page there is a grant program spotlight about a grant program for minorities that want to start their own business. What that spotlight doesn't mention is that one of the recipients of this grant was someone that started their own daycare business. Further down the grants page I talk about 2 grant programs that can be used to start a for-profit business. They are both open for those that want to start a for-profit business. The first is a program that awards $50,000 and it was put in place for those aspiring to start their own business. This funding program was started to help encourage the entrepreneurial spirit! Although not everyone is eligible to apply, once you read their eligibility requirements you can determine if you are eligible to apply.

The second grant program has a $100,000 grant award and what is so significant about this funding program is that you can use the money any way that you like! This funding program was put in place to help people fulfill their dreams and it is open to people that want to start their own business, artists, scientists and teachers.

But getting back to those that want to start their own for-profit daycare business you have to know that there are funding programs out there for you! Just go to my grants page or my daycare page to read more about these funding programs.

Requests For Information

When you send me an email and ask me to send you "all the information that you have" you just do not know what you are asking. First of of I have a lot of information - too much to be sending "everything I have".

Clients get their information about the grant programs that they are eligible for emailed to them in a zipped file. The file is zipped because there is a lot of information besides the information about the grant programs themselves.

If you are a client but don't know how to unzip files, please email me and let me know.

Grant Programs For The Already Established For-Profit Business

Grant programs for the already established for-profit business do exist. For instance the Small Business Administration has a grant (not a loan) program that provides up to $100,000 in grant money to test the feasibility of a new product or service idea. What you are proposing would come under the heading of a service idea. If you do manage to get this grant then you are then eligible for the 2nd level of the grant which will entail bringing your service idea to the market.

You will have to prepare a proposal and budget that will have to be submitted. A quote from my notes follows "they favor well researched and well reasoned applications". It has been advised that people that want to apply for this grant research the program's funding priorities - meaning find out what areas they are leaning more towards - to better help them when they submit their application materials. Now some states such as Indiana will match the grant money that you do receive so of course this means that you will get double the grant money

Basically what this means is that you will have to prepare a proposal and budget for what it is you want to do. You can find out more about these grant programs from the SBA's website as well as finding the necessary forms and application forms that you will need to find out.

Still Think That There Are No Grant Programs Out There?

....One day I was driving in the car with my dad and I was talking about how I knew if I could just get the word out there my business would be successful. If I had more money for advertising I could try many different things. My dad started talking about a friend of his that was getting paid to write a book. I asked my dad if I could speak to this guy. One phone call later and I had learnt about the grant program. This grant program is a government funded scheme that pays ‘life support’ income to you every two weeks for a year while you run your business. I went to an information session, and two months later, having written a proper business plan, fronted at a panel interview and having been assigned a nice business mentor I was on the scheme for a year. I received just under $200 per week, which technically I was supposed to use to support me whilst I spent time running my business, but since I was still living at home with minimal expenses I could use the money towards marketing my dot.com business better. If you are an Australian and you would like to learn more about this program try googling for it. If you are not an Australian I suggest you hunt around for similar business start-up grants or sponsorship programs as they can provide much needed cash and business mentoring.......

Even My Own State Has Daycare-Related Grant Programs

Even in my own state of Pennsylvania the US Dept. Of Welfare has worked with a childcare grant program which awards grants to both for-profit and non-profit daycare services that will serve or agree to serve children from low-income families. The minimum grant award amount is $50,000! The maximum is $1 Million Dollars! Special consideration will be given to those that provide childcare services during non-traditional hours. Non-profits can also apply on the behalf of for-profits. Contact information is provided via regular snail mail address, phone and fax number and website.

Emergency Financial Need?

As one charitable organization puts it "can make sure that no hard-working person is ever forced to choose between taking a child to the doctor and putting food on the table...."

The majority of us have those emergency financial situations that pop up from time to time! An unexpected car expense, a costly repair or even just having enough money for food.......these kind of emergency financial crisis situations come up all the time and there are more than a few charitable organizations that want to help and they do help people by providing emergency financial funding for things like car repairs and medical bills. Last year one charitable organization provided emergency financial assistance to over 3000 individuals and families!

So maybe the next time that I tell you that there are charitable organizations that have emergency financial assistance programs available to those that have an emergency financial need - maybe you'll listen to me!

Uh Oh - The Government Has Did It Again!

The Social Security numbers of 38,700 people who received Agriculture Department grants have been posted on a government Web site since 1996, but they were taken down last week. Free credit monitoring is being offered to those affected. The security breach was only noticed last week and promptly closed, the Agriculture Department and Census Bureau announced Friday.