Business Starting Grants

How do I go about starting a business, where do I look for grants? The business is a truck Stop?

What I am doing is trying to open a truck stop, I just don't know where to start the process. I don't know who I should be getting in contact with. Where do I start with opening a business and who do I talk to in my town.

Public Comments

1. your best bet is to check out a company called national grants conference. they are online at www.nationalgrantsconference.com they are excellent and assist you all the way with whatever your need for a grant.
2. Sounds like this project may be over your head. The questions you ask are not even remotely where you should start this process. Find your local/ state business development group. They usually offer inexpensive courses for first time entrepreneurs.
3. Starting a small business takes a lot of courage. But, as they say, courage does not pay the bills. To be successful – to stay in business – you need more than courage. You need a combination of hard work, skill, perseverance, and lots of luck. Some things you need to consider: - "How can I support my family while I build up by business?" - "What are my abilities?" - "Is there a market for the product or service I have chosen?" - "How long will it take this business to reach the financial goal I have?" You may want to read the article "How to Start a New Business Successfully" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol51/launch.htm , which lists six steps to launch a new business successfully: 1. Provide a benefit. 2. Determine the fit with your market. 3. Right timing is everything 4. Be ready to support your business 5. Develop a blueprint for success 6. Market, market, market I recommend that you read the following books: - What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business : Real Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs - Starting From Scratch: How To Start A Business When You Don't Have Money - If You're Clueless About Starting Your Own Business and Want to Know More - On the Move : How to Succeed and Survive As an Entrepreneur - How to Make 1000 Mistakes in Business and Still Succeed As for grants, it is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business. And yes, grants mean PAPERWORK - lots and lots of it, that is why a cottage industry of grant writers was born. Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture. Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business. Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html "The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) 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." Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE. http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center's Foundation Grants for Individuals Online. It's a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don't have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs. http://www.cfda.gov http://www.grants.gov http://gtionline.fdncenter.org http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol66/grants.htm http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html