Dear Sister Single Mom,
Welcome to Financial Help For Single Mom's, my blog dedicated to helping you rebuild your life. Since most relationships end over financial problems, it stands to reason that if you're recently suffered a separation, you probably have some money problems and financial help for single mom's is exactly what you need to get back on track.
Financial help for single mom's comes in many forms. Welfare assistance, scholarships for school, subsidized daycare, grants for starting a business and going to school, and so much more. There are so many options available, like legitimate work at home jobs, that just putting together a system for utilizing them all can be a job. So I've created this blog to try to help you organize and prioritize what you need to do.
I found myself a single mother during a financial crisis in my family. I was also pregnant at the time, and suffering from a severe case of postpartum depression following the birth of my first child. I was emotionally and financially distraught to say the least, and trying to find a job while pregnant was nigh on impossible, compounded by the fact that working would have taken a toll on my already weakened and fragile mental state. My first was only 22 months old and though I got subsidized daycare for him, the hours didn't mesh with any job, so I needed to find a way to earn an income. I found it by starting my own small online business. I now have approximately 20 websites that, altogether, earn a decent passive monthly income, and I provide several online services, such as writing and Virtual assistant work that give us extra money when needed or wanted.
If you have found yourself a single mom, struggling for financial help for single mom's and support and guidance, I am here to be your friend, mentor and guide. I will keep comments on this blog enabled so that you can always ask me anything you wish and I will reply. There are 5 steps you need to take toward achieving financial stability are located in the sidebar of this blog and they are:
1.) Sign Up For My "Financial Help For Single Mom's Newsletter." It's 100% FREE and I send you new information as I find it straight to your email.
2.) Get a FREE pre-paid credit card. Just fill out one page with your name and address, (no social security number or bank account information will be asked for.
3.)Get A Free CD on Government Grants, it's $2.29 for the shipping and handling, but the CD is free and it's also free to apply for grants.
4.) Get the Google Money CD, $1.97 for the shipping and handling. This CD will give you the solid foundation you need to learn how to make money with Google.
5.) Read my book "The Single Mom's Survival Guide." This book will give you a lot more than just 'financial help for single mom's.' It offers you emotional support, ideas on coping with the stress of being a single parent, pointers on where to get all kinds of free stuff for you and your family, and most importantly, ways to re-establish yourself and pick up the pieces after a break up. It even has a section on helping your kids cope with the split. You can download this book free HERE.
Showing posts with label business grant money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business grant money. Show all posts
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Financial Help For Single Mom's- A Small Business Can Help A Lot
Small business is a term that is used day-to-day. That is because in the past decade the rise of small business has been larger than in any other decade prior. This is largely due to the increasing number of services that are available to small business owners, to enable them to keep their business running.
There really isn't any guidelines for when the term small business is used, however it is simply defined as a business which has a small number of employees. How few employees is debatable, and the definition of when a business changes from a small business to a larger corporation varies both by country and industry. This number is generally less then 100 employees.
As mentioned before small businesses due to their nature, are in most times sole proprietorships, partnerships, or privately owned. Common in may countries, small businesses, are most oftenly related to: accountants, restaurants, guest houses, photographers, small shops, hairdressers, tradesmen, solicitors, lawyers, small-scale manufacturing etc.
Small businesses in often cases are located in private homes, for two main reasons. The first is because it is economical and in most cases convenient. The second reason is that there are several benifits with tax,etc for having your business in your home.
Running a small business is an exciting venture, and a great way to introduce yourself into the business world, and to gain business sense. If you are interested in starting your own small business, I would recommend having a talk with a local lawyer or accountant, who will be able to answer questions that are specific to your local area. Good luck with your new venture!
There really isn't any guidelines for when the term small business is used, however it is simply defined as a business which has a small number of employees. How few employees is debatable, and the definition of when a business changes from a small business to a larger corporation varies both by country and industry. This number is generally less then 100 employees.
As mentioned before small businesses due to their nature, are in most times sole proprietorships, partnerships, or privately owned. Common in may countries, small businesses, are most oftenly related to: accountants, restaurants, guest houses, photographers, small shops, hairdressers, tradesmen, solicitors, lawyers, small-scale manufacturing etc.
Small businesses in often cases are located in private homes, for two main reasons. The first is because it is economical and in most cases convenient. The second reason is that there are several benifits with tax,etc for having your business in your home.
Running a small business is an exciting venture, and a great way to introduce yourself into the business world, and to gain business sense. If you are interested in starting your own small business, I would recommend having a talk with a local lawyer or accountant, who will be able to answer questions that are specific to your local area. Good luck with your new venture!
Playing And Winning The Grant Game.
Depending on what kind of business you’re planning to start, you might be able to get a home business grant. These grants are usually government-issued. They are, effectively, ‘free money’ – as long as you use the money for what you say you’re going to use it for, you don’t ever have to pay it back. Even if you don’t think you would qualify for anything, you might be able to modify your business plan subtly so that you do.
Why Would They Do That?
The money is designed to encourage specific kinds of businesses – it will always be given to you for a very specific purpose. Also, grants almost never cover the full amount of whatever it is you want to do, leaving you to make up the rest yourself. Note that not all grants come from the government -- some are given out by charities trying to further a cause, or by local community organisations.
Areas commonly covered by grants include businesses that are exporting (every government wants exports to be more than imports), businesses that will provide training to their employees, businesses that are doing useful research and businesses that are providing services and jobs in places that are candidates for 'regeneration'. You may also be able to find extra support for environmentally-friendly businesses, and if you're a woman or a member of an ethnic minority then that could qualify you for a grant too.
Training Grants.
Grants for training are some of the best ones out there -- if you're planning to have any staff, you should really look into them. Basically, you get a grant towards the cost of sending some of your employees on a training course. This is good for you, as you can train your employees more cheaply, and they'll do a better job afterwards. It's good for them, as they learn new skills or improve the ones they have and improve their career prospects for the future. Finally, at least in theory, it's good for the economy, as there will be a greater diversity of skills available in the job market.
Research Grants.
If your business is trying to solve a problem or develop an invention, you might be eligible for a research grant. This can be especially helpful for covering the costs of things like patent applications. Watch out, though -- application for research grants is some of the fiercest out there.
Location, Location, Location.
Whatever kind of grant you're going for, the biggest factor in whether you get it will probably be where you're based. Grants tend to be locally-focused, and especially targeted in areas that are deemed to have a lacking economy. Since you're a home business, you might even find it worth researching what is available in each area, and moving home strategically.
It's Hard to Get a Grant.
Beware of anyone who makes grants look easy. There are all sorts of ‘grant agencies’ who want to take a fee, and ‘guarantee’ that they’ll get you a grant. They won’t – as with almost all things like this, never pay up front. However tempting their offer might seem, you should be applying for the grants yourself. This will generally involve submitting your business plan plus a letter of about 1,000 words saying why you should get the grant in question -- you can't really use the same letter for each grant. Pick what you apply for carefully, as it's a waste of time to apply when you don't meet the criteria properly.
If you want to make sure you're applying correctly, the best thing to do is to phone up the organisation offering the grant -- they'll usually be eager to offer help and advice. Still, don't be upset if you don't get chosen, as it might just be that there were more qualifying candidates than there was money.
Other Benefits.
Any grant you get is likely to bring you to the attention of some kind of agency or organisation who want to help you in other ways too. They might help you get onto courses if you're lacking any business skills, or even provide a mentor to guide you. You might think it all sounds a little silly, but believe me, when you run a home business you need all the help you can get.
Why Would They Do That?
The money is designed to encourage specific kinds of businesses – it will always be given to you for a very specific purpose. Also, grants almost never cover the full amount of whatever it is you want to do, leaving you to make up the rest yourself. Note that not all grants come from the government -- some are given out by charities trying to further a cause, or by local community organisations.
Areas commonly covered by grants include businesses that are exporting (every government wants exports to be more than imports), businesses that will provide training to their employees, businesses that are doing useful research and businesses that are providing services and jobs in places that are candidates for 'regeneration'. You may also be able to find extra support for environmentally-friendly businesses, and if you're a woman or a member of an ethnic minority then that could qualify you for a grant too.
Training Grants.
Grants for training are some of the best ones out there -- if you're planning to have any staff, you should really look into them. Basically, you get a grant towards the cost of sending some of your employees on a training course. This is good for you, as you can train your employees more cheaply, and they'll do a better job afterwards. It's good for them, as they learn new skills or improve the ones they have and improve their career prospects for the future. Finally, at least in theory, it's good for the economy, as there will be a greater diversity of skills available in the job market.
Research Grants.
If your business is trying to solve a problem or develop an invention, you might be eligible for a research grant. This can be especially helpful for covering the costs of things like patent applications. Watch out, though -- application for research grants is some of the fiercest out there.
Location, Location, Location.
Whatever kind of grant you're going for, the biggest factor in whether you get it will probably be where you're based. Grants tend to be locally-focused, and especially targeted in areas that are deemed to have a lacking economy. Since you're a home business, you might even find it worth researching what is available in each area, and moving home strategically.
It's Hard to Get a Grant.
Beware of anyone who makes grants look easy. There are all sorts of ‘grant agencies’ who want to take a fee, and ‘guarantee’ that they’ll get you a grant. They won’t – as with almost all things like this, never pay up front. However tempting their offer might seem, you should be applying for the grants yourself. This will generally involve submitting your business plan plus a letter of about 1,000 words saying why you should get the grant in question -- you can't really use the same letter for each grant. Pick what you apply for carefully, as it's a waste of time to apply when you don't meet the criteria properly.
If you want to make sure you're applying correctly, the best thing to do is to phone up the organisation offering the grant -- they'll usually be eager to offer help and advice. Still, don't be upset if you don't get chosen, as it might just be that there were more qualifying candidates than there was money.
Other Benefits.
Any grant you get is likely to bring you to the attention of some kind of agency or organisation who want to help you in other ways too. They might help you get onto courses if you're lacking any business skills, or even provide a mentor to guide you. You might think it all sounds a little silly, but believe me, when you run a home business you need all the help you can get.
How to Find Free Government Grant Money
Finding free government grant money can be time and labor intensive. Identifying the specific agencies and their purposes and specific subject areas can involve a lot of research work. Ads that claim the process is easy usually involve some sort of fraud and are untruthful. Government grant money will need to be answered for very specifically in today's world.
Free government grant money does actually come with at a price. It does not have to be repaid, but it does come with strict conditions and restrictions on how it is spent. There are usually strong sanctions involved when used improperly as it is to be used directly for the outlined project and within the objectives of the funding source.
Locating free government grant money for new and existing for-profit businesses is difficult. Typically, the free grant money is given to non-profit organizations that provide some sort of community social service function and benefit everyone. Despite this, it should be noted that there is still free grant money available from the government to entrepreneurs in competitive fields of business.
The U.S. government's grant.gov website would be the best place to look to find available free grant money. Here, you will be able to find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all federal granting agencies online. The application and approval process is automated to improve the process. The site also offers a free sign up for notification of future grant opportunities.
The government's Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is another source to find free available grant money. The CFDA.gov website lists government grants and assistance for homeowners, renters and even small business start-ups. Grant information is available by category, topic and key words. Eligibility requirements are listed for all grants to determine if you qualify for them.
Keep in mind while searching for free government grant money that it is not available in any specific area year-round. You must apply when advertised and meet a deadline if you want a chance to qualify for it.
Free government grant money does actually come with at a price. It does not have to be repaid, but it does come with strict conditions and restrictions on how it is spent. There are usually strong sanctions involved when used improperly as it is to be used directly for the outlined project and within the objectives of the funding source.
Locating free government grant money for new and existing for-profit businesses is difficult. Typically, the free grant money is given to non-profit organizations that provide some sort of community social service function and benefit everyone. Despite this, it should be noted that there is still free grant money available from the government to entrepreneurs in competitive fields of business.
The U.S. government's grant.gov website would be the best place to look to find available free grant money. Here, you will be able to find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all federal granting agencies online. The application and approval process is automated to improve the process. The site also offers a free sign up for notification of future grant opportunities.
The government's Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is another source to find free available grant money. The CFDA.gov website lists government grants and assistance for homeowners, renters and even small business start-ups. Grant information is available by category, topic and key words. Eligibility requirements are listed for all grants to determine if you qualify for them.
Keep in mind while searching for free government grant money that it is not available in any specific area year-round. You must apply when advertised and meet a deadline if you want a chance to qualify for it.
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