2.
Re: Internet Grants Aug 24, 2008 12:04 PM
Grants involve a lot of time -- up front (in the application process), during the process of doing whatever the grant was provided for (to demonstrate that the work complies with the terms and conditions of the grant), and after the fact (to show that everything was completed and approved by the granting authority -- otherwise the money might have to be repaid).
99.999 percent of the listings in those Internet resources you mention would be a waste of time. The most realistic sources for grants for a small business owner are
local and are affiliated with programs that exist to benefit a specific group or objective (for example, minority business owners in the community or the revitalization of an economically depressed neighborhood). You can get all the info you need, locally, for free, about those programs -- plus, the local beneficiaries (past and future) can help accelerate the learning and application process if you're eligible for something.
In spite of what the ads say, grant money is not "free money" -- someone is providing it in exchange for your efforts to produce an outcome that they want to see happen. Yes, if you can produce that outcome, you don't have to repay the money -- but it's certainly not a "gift" and should not be approached as such.
Best wishes.
