Applying for a grant used to be a difficult and tedious process. The applications were long and often difficult to obtain. Even worse, loans used to be difficult to locate. Unless you were extremely familiar with government loan programs, in all likelihood, finding a grand and applying for a grant meeting your specific needs may have been nearly impossible to find.

Fortunately, that has changed in recent years…

Read the rest of: Applying for a Grant : Step by Step here

The Small Business Administration states that business loans for women are on the rise, and will continue to be needed on an increasing basis in coming years. Business loans for women are more popular than ever due to a variety of factors.

1. Women are taking the initiative needed to become business owners and are opening new businesses.

According to the most recent data on businesses, available from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, there were 5.4 million women-owned businesses in the United States in 1997. The Bureau of the Census also stated that the number of women-owned firms grew almost three times as fast as all firms between 1992 and 1997. They have reported that the number of women-owned firms increased by 16 percent in this five-year period, compared to a six percent increase for United States firms in general. The 1997 Economic Census states that women-owned firms made up 26 percent of the nation’s 20.8 million…

Read the rest of: Starting a Business? here

Do you have multiple debts? Do you have just one large debt which you could afford, but your circumstances have since changed? Are you finding it harder each month to meet the payments on your debts?

You know debt is a problem, but maybe do not have any idea what the best way out is. Financial problems rarely just go away, so a solution of some beneficial sort is needed. Otherwise the problems just keep piling up and eventually overwhelm you.

While there may not be any instant debt solution, there are a number of things that can be done. Some of those things that can help you, apply across all methods of improving your debt situation, so let us have a look at those first…

Read the rest of: Is There A Way Out Of Your Debt Problems? here

Angel Investing is the process of finding start-up companies and funding the early stages of their development in exchange for a share in the company and percentage of turnover. Businesses often opt for angel investment as the funds do not appear as a debt on the balance sheet. If the business chose to raise capital with a bank loan then if the company fails they are still liable for the debt.

Angel Investors are normally confused with venture capitalists. An angel investor is a passive investor that will fund an enterprise during the first stages of development. They will provide seed capital to companies who have potential for massive growth. Angel investors are normally wealthy individuals and their contributions are anything up to…

Read the rest of: Find Angel Investors for Your Business Startup here

To have a successful grant proposal, you must be prepared with a carefully thought out package and make sure it is consisely packaged. Packaging can be everything when it comes to getting your government grant. Don’t skimp on the information and reports you need to assure getting the grant available for you.

Try to make yourself familiar with with the programs criteria that is related to the Catalog program where you are requesting assistance. You will need to get:

1. Funding available information for the specified grant
2. Grant Application deadline
3. The process used by the granting agency
4. Grant Application forms
5. Information and procedures related to your grant proposal

If you do not have any grant writing proposal experience, it may be wise to attend a grant writing workshop or even hire a professional grant writer. You can find them all…

Read the rest of: Developing Ideas for a Government Grant Proposal here

Every business, whether a start-up business or a business that’s been in existence for 30 years, needs financing from time to time. Taking on a business loan can bring many positive things, and can assist with items such as launching new products, expanding the business, or purchasing inventory. However, there are also business loan risks to consider. Before signing for a loan, or even applying for a loan, consider the reasons why business loans or loans for women who are business owners may not be ideal due to the business loan risk.

Technology changes daily, so if you feel that you need the latest technological update for your business, as an example, write down the positive and negative impact of owning that piece of equipment. Would it truly bring in additional income to the business, or would it simply look better or be a…

Read the rest of: Avoiding the Risks Involved with Obtaining a Business Loan here

One of the first decisions that you will have to make as a business owner is how the company should be structured. This decision will have long-term implications, so consult with an accountant and attorney to help you select the form of ownership that is right for you. In making a choice, you will want to take into account the following:

– Your vision regarding the size and nature of your business.
– The level of control you wish to have.
– The level of structure you are willing to deal with.
– The business’ vulnerability to lawsuits.
– Tax implications of the different ownership structures.
– Expected profit (or loss) of the business.
– Whether or not you need to reinvest earnings into the business.
– Your need for access to cash out of the business for yourself.

Sole Proprietorships
The vast majority of small businesses start out as…

Read the rest of: Legal Business Structure: Forms of Business Ownership here

Have you been turned down for a loan recently? Have you applied for store credit and been refused? Did you really want that car and find out that because of your ‘credit score’ that they would have to require an unreasonable down payment?

Credit reports are designed to help businesses evaluate the risk factor in giving you money or valuable products on a line of credit.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act promotes the accuracy, fairness and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting agencies. The act is enforced with regard to the consumer’s rights and requiring new responsibilities for the credit reporting agencies.

For example, a reporting agency must give you a copy of your report and they must provide a list of every inquiry about your credit report within…

Read the rest of: How to Report an Error on Your Credit Report here

Is there a government agency that can answer my questions about selling to the government?

Yes actually there is. The agency is called the “Regional Procurement Technical Assistance Center.” They have offices all around the country, and they can provide a wide variety of services.

Check Digital Women for a list of links, addresses, etc, then choose the government grant office closest to you here

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