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Federal Government Grants To Help Start Small Businesses

Posted by George Benson on 06/11/2009 under Other. Currently 27 comments.

Federal Government Grants To Help Start Small Businesses

One of the biggest hurdles that most people face while starting a small business is lack of funds. If your biggest concern is how to raise sufficient amount of capital, you will be glad to know that there are federal government grants that you may qualify for. These grants have come a long way in helping individuals start or expand their business.

Government Grants Are Different From Commercial Loans

The first thing that is very important for you to understand is that these grants are not like commercial loans. Where you borrow money as loans, it becomes a legal obligation for you to repay the same at a certain rate of interest within a set period of time. On the other hand, once you get the grants, you may not necessarily have to repay the same. That is the reason why government grants are often described as "free money". Another big difference is that where loans can be easy to obtain, government grants can be much, much tougher to qualify for and acquire. There are strict conditions and criteria that you have to fulfill in order to qualify for federal government grants. The criteria include the basic factors, such as the targeted sector and the nature of your business.

Who Are The Grantors?

These grants may not necessarily be offered by a government department alone. There can be many public and private organizations and institutions that can help you in this regard. If you need capital to start a new small business or expand the existing one, you may qualify for grants at the local and state government level. Alternatively, you can also contact small business institutions such as the Small Business Association (SBA).

There is a certain application procedure that you have to follow. You will be asked to submit your business plan. Remember, there is a very limited supply of finances that these grants provide. Therefore, you can have a good chance of approval only if you have an effective plan of action and your business is well organized.

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