How do you get government grants to start your own business?

Question

How do you get government grants to start your own business?

Answer 1

Yeah, it's really hard because you have to do some really specific things, for specific people, in specific areas for government grants.  Better off trying to get financing.

Answer 2

Grants are almost exclusively for public benefit non-profit organizations.  Some cities might have small grants specifically for starting a woman-owned or minority-owned business, but you would still have to get SBA or other loans to  help with the financing.

Before you go any further, I STRONGLY recommend you contact the Small Business Development Center (at your local community college) and talk to them; the counseling is free and they might have information about the grants I mentioned above.  

Regardless of whether you get a grant or a loan, you will still need a good business plan to qualify.  

Business plans may be a pain in the butt to prepare, but without one, your business is doomed to failure.  To start with, you won't know what your startup costs are going to be, what kind of income to expect, what your ongoing expenses are, who your competition is, and even whether or not you can make a profit.  Without a GOOD business plan, you will not be able to get a business loan to get your business off the ground.

Answer 3

You can't.  But you may be able to get a loan from the Small Business Administration.