First of all, you need to become familiar with the grant writing process, the terms commonly used, and what funders are looking for. Spend a little time looking over Websites from both corporate foundations and the CFDA (Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance). When looking at private foundations for grants, check out their core values, their operating principles, and what they’re looking for. Go to your local library, check out a few books to find out what a grant proposal looks like, and the process involved in writing a grant proposal.
Most federal grants are funneled to the states, so the best place to start looking for business grants is with your own state government. Most of them have specific information about what business grants grants or funding (as well as training and other resources) are available for business owners in that state. Even in states where there isn’t a lot of grant money available, there may be funding for you to go to school (to take classes in bookkeeping, marketing, or computers), to hire and train employees, hire a consultant and much more! Taking advantage of all the free resources to help your business succeed is…just good business…
Read the rest of: Where Are All the Business Grants for Women? here
