Starting a small business can be costly, so obtaining a grant is an added bonus. Business grants for women
are offered by the government, as well as other organizations, many of
which aren't that well known about. It can be a challenge to find the
appropriate kind of grant for your business, however, with some useful
information, it can be a little easier to do so. The reality is that
women can be just as successful, if not more so than men when it comes
to running a business. This has become more evident as more women begin
to desire to own businesses and the government and more companies are
offering alternatives in the form of grants to help them achieve their
goals in that regard.
SBA Government Grants
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a resource that provides
many financial assistance program resources for women. The SBA
showcases a network of Women's Business Centers (WBCs) in the United
States with information about grant funding opportunities. The SBA's
resources explain where grants might be obtained, as well as offering
data on the complex process of grant applications. The SBA itself does
not fund the grants, however, their resources are legitimate and that
can save time in terms of researching grant funding opportunities.
Sometimes there are special circumstances that can assist in being
considered for a grant, such as being over 65, having had bad credit or
being a minority.
Womens' Finance
The Womens' Finance website offers information about two types of
grants. One grant ranges from between $1,000 and $5,000. The other is a
New Business grant that amounts from $100 to $5,000. It is necessary to
apply at the website in order to be considered.
Ladies Club 2000
The Ladies Club 2000 requires sign up and membership which is free
of charge. After that, you can access the grant information they offer
and discover how to become qualified for grants. In addition, the
website details where to find some grants with an eye toward starting
and growing your small business.
Women Owned
The Woman Owned website is specifically designed to assist and
empower women to start small businesses. The website offers
approximately ten websites that routinely offer grants to women.
Paid Grant Funding Search Services
There are some paid grant funding search services, however, before
doing business with any of them, thoroughly check them out with the BBB
before signing up.
The bottom line is that there are hundreds to
thousands of grant opportunities for women who want to start small
businesses such as those involving consulting of all kinds, crafts,
financial services like brokerage firms, entertainment services and
companies that offer many other diverse kinds of products and services.
It
may take some time to find one, but once a grant is secured it can make
all the difference in terms of being in a position to open and develop
your small business. The organizations described above are just some of
the many options offered to women to help find small business grants.
Perseverance is the key to finding the financial help you need, to
achieve your goals and start your small business.