Grant writing is a creative and satisfying career for anyone who has an aptitude with words, so you might consider starting a grant writing business. The main job is to write grant proposals for funding for a corporation, non-profit organization or government agencies. The job involves researching, consulting, developing goals and objectives, in addition to finding workable solutions.

Here are 8 tips which may help you get your venture on its feet.

1.  Educate Yourself

Before starting your venture, you need to educate yourself. Depending on your knowledge, educating yourself can take some time. But don't lose heart. When you submit your grant proposal, you want it to be unique. So practice!

2. Practice

Nobody is perfect, but you can hone your skills. Practice writing sample grants based on the actual ones. The topic is irrelevant here, what matters, is that your skills are being honed till your proposals start reading in a professional manner (minus the fluff). So, write as much as you can. You can also write for free to get hands-on experience with writing a grant proposal.

3. Read

Just like writing is important to hone your proposal writing skills, reading plays a vital role in identifying the key terminology. Therefore, read other grant writers' work. See what is it that got selected and where are you lacking, and then try to improve it.

4. Network

Networking is important. Meet fellow grant writers and talk to them. Ask them what they did to get started. Did they take any classes? If yes, what classes? Can they recommend it to you? And then, do your own research. Find out about grant writing workshops in your locality and enroll yourself there.

5. Make a Website

You have honed your skills, and you have researched and identified potential client organizations, now is the time to market your business through a dedicated website.

Create a portfolio of all the proposals you have written, and post them on your website. Visit the local organizations and spread a word about your work and website.

6. Get Feedback from Employers

Collect all the feedback from all those employers for whom you were writing the proposals, and post them onto your website. It adds credibility to your profile, and it will impress potential clients.

7. Keep Track of Expenses

While you are busy finishing the above steps, keep a tab on your expenses. Don't spend too much, as you will not be able to recover the cost immediately (which might discourage you in the long run). Keep a record book of all the expenses to keep you stress free.

8. Don't Fear Failure

Be patient. If even after all this you have not been approached for a grant writing task, don't feel bad. It takes time for people to learn about your skills, so keep updating your resume and your portfolio.

Keep these tips in mind when starting your new grant writing endeavor!