Can You Get a Government Small Business Grant?
A Home Business Article Contributed by Elizabeth Fox-Wise
You Have Heard Talk of Free Money for Your Small Business Through a Government Grant
You have probably seen lots of ads from people promising that their book or program can help you find free money for your small business through a government grant. Typically, the cost for their book or program is relatively low in comparison to the thousands of dollars they claim you are "entitled" to from the US Government in the form of grant money to start or expand a small business.
But you hesitated to buy these books and programs because something just didn't seem "quite right" about this claim to you. Is the Government, who is always cutting budgets and taking away programs, really sitting around with thousands of dollars of grant money just waiting to help budding entrepreneurs start a small business or existing small business owners grow theirs?
Are You Really Missing out on All of This Small Business Government Grant Money?
The answer to this question is not an easy one.
The US Government does indeed give some grant money to small business. There really are hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding available free to entrepreneurs and small business owners.
The small business grant amounts will usually start around $5, 000 and go up from there.
However, the chance that you will get free money to start a new business or expand an existing small business, through a small business government grant, is not a very probable one.
The US Government, according to the Small Business Administration, does not give free grant money to people for use in a "for profit" small business. Since most small business owners are opening a for profit small business, the chances of you securing free government funding through a small business grant are very slim.
Who Can Get Government Grant Money for a Small Business?
Grants given out by the US Government, through the small business administration typically are given to nonprofit and educational organizations as well as into specific areas of research and technology development.
According to the Small Business Administration "While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."
If you are looking to start or expand a small business and you think that perhaps your particular business might qualify under the governments strict guidelines, it is best not to waste money on a "middle man" who wants to sell you a program for investigating government grants.
Rather, you can information on any government small business grants that might be available through the Small Business Administrations web site, www.sba.gov/.
If after looking into the government small business grant program you discover that you are not eligible for a small business grant, the SBA can assist you with securing a small business loan, as an alternate means of financing your business.
