Posts tagged with small business grants

Applying for Small Business Grants: The Importance of Executive Summary

August 16th, 2009

It is required to submit a formal project proposal if you want your application for Canada government grants to be entertained. In fact, you can not expect to get small business grants if you do not have a project proposal. But if you want your application to stand out among the rest, then you have to ensure that the Executive Summary of your proposal will be compelling enough. The executive summary is the cover page of the proposal so this is the first item that grant officers will read.

The executive summary should be a one page document only. You will seldom see a project proposal with a summary extending to 2 – 3 pages. Reviewers who accept proposals and applications for Canada government grants do not have time to read overly long executive summaries. Your application for small business grants can be easily bypassed and rejected if your project summary is longer than the body of the proposal. You also have to make sure that the executive summary will be composed only of 5 paragraphs. Make sure also that the page is clean and has lots of white space and the typeface is clear. You must avoid placing any logo or colored graphics on the summary page because these can be very distracting to the readers.

The executive summary should contain four specific information pieces. The problem that you want to solve should occupy the first paragraph. The solution to your identified business problems should occupy the second and third paragraph. Your request for Canada government grants should have a specific paragraph of its own. The last paragraph should be devoted to corporate or organizational information. This is the optimum flow of information that should be reflected on your executive summary. You also have to take note that there are only 5 paragraphs in this kind of composition. You can modify the content of each paragraph section but the information flow should always remain the same. Your application for small business grants will be more effective if you follow this standard summary formatting.

The statement of the problem should be brief and must only include the major concerns that you have uncovered. It is not good to make litany of all your business problems there. You should only identify the primary issue that hampers the growth of your business. The solution should include a concise description of the entire project. You should specify the objective of the project, the expected outcomes, and identify the beneficiaries of the project. It is also best if you can give a short overview of the implementation strategies that you will adopt. The funding request should be as specific as possible. You must provide specific amounts and state your plans for funding in the future. The last component should briefly highlight the strengths and capabilities of your business.

Writing a compelling executive summary will increase your chance of getting Canada government grants. You have learn how to write a powerful executive summary to make sure that your small business grants application will get favorable attention from program reviewers.

Do you want to know how to get Canada government grants? Visit our website today and learn how you can effectively apply for loans and small business grants from the Canadian government.

Small Business Grants: For Women of Today

July 17th, 2009

Women of today have a lot in store for them should they decide to take the plunge and get some small business grants. This is because it is very easy to get them and almost hassle-free, you would not want to miss out if you are a woman. The great thing about today’s times is that loans know no gender, and thus dispels the misconception that only men are entitled to securing their loan in order to assume their role of the provider. Today, even women are showing just how much they can do themselves.

Small business grants are readily available to women, even those that need thousands of dollars so they can jumpstart that dream business of theirs. Not many women as well as minority members are taking advantage of this opportunity, and as a result the amount of money available to them (as well as the probability of being approved of the grant) becomes bigger and easier to get. Over several billions of dollars worth of loans are available to small business owners, and this is not just limited to men. In the world of business, money is sex-free and gender-fair so that everyone else will get their own chance.

Should you be wondering why small business grants are available for women, there is one simple reason to explain this. Small business grants are readily available mainly because the entire economy really needs some movers and shakers to uplift today’s economic recession and restore it to its past glory. Providing small business grants to women who have the potential to become success stories will make things better not just for the livelihood of that particular woman and her family – but also for the greater economy as well. Here, we can clearly so how one small thing affects everything else around it.

Looking to apply for small business grants if you are a woman has a higher chance of being approved if you apply for government ones. Admittedly, the tight credit market and suffering banks will most likely shoo you away should you apply for a loan. But the government is there to provide and encourage businesses to start, seeing they have the prerogative as well as the responsibility to keep the economy running and to make sure the money is moving around. It does not matter if you are dreaming big or starting out small – as long as you know what you want to do you have a high chance of getting approved.

Starting out for small business grants will begin with you knowing what you want, being of legal age and ironing out your idea for the business you want to start. As soon as you have got this in the bag, you just need to download the free documents for grant applications and fill it out, indicating the amount you will need to jumpstart your business. As much as fifty thousand dollars are available to help fund your business so you can get your move on.

If you have a small business, you will definitely benefit from grants. This will allow you to jumpstart your dream in the soonest possible time.

Conditionally Rsepayable Contribution for Canadian Small Business

July 16th, 2009

The Canadian government has many grants programs for small business.  These subsidies and financing instruments are designed to boost the growth of the Canadian national economy.  Because small businesses are the dominant economic players in the localities, giving the necessary financial boost will surely stimulate the entire economy and spur robust jobs growth.  If you are a Canadian business owner, you may want to know more about a program called conditionally repayable contribution.

Official Canadian government grants, called conditionally repayable contributions are similar to equity financing.  The Canadian government will invest in your company or provide financing facilities for your small business.  The minimum grant amount for conditionally repayable contribution is $10,000.  The maximum amount that your small business can get from this Canadian grants program is $500,000.  As you can see, you can enjoy substantial capitalization from the government of Canada once you qualify for the conditionally repayable grants program.  With a single lump sum of $500,000, you will be able to modernize your small business by acquiring new equipments and latest technology for manufacturing or production.

Through the conditionally repayable contribution grants program, the government will serve as an investor for your business.  However, you will be protected from such partnership because the government will only demand repayments of loans and grants if your company starts to enjoy positive cash flow.  Essentially, repayments of loans and official capitalization will depend largely on the profitability of your business.  You can not find such arrangements if you seek loans and financing from private investors and commercial lenders.

The conditionally repayable contributions program of the Canadian government also provides several financing options for you.  So you can enjoy access to different types of financing and funding if you qualify for the repayable contributions program.  For example, you can choose a special loans program for your small business and get an interest free loan from the Canadian government.  Depending on the terms and conditions of the loan, you will be given the option to repay just a portion of the entire loan.  There are also options where you will be required to repay the entire amount of the loan with easier terms.  The Canadian government can also provide 50 percent subsidy for the cost of your start up.  The amount extended to you will be in the form of conditional loan and payments will start once you register positive cash flow.

Aside from start up costs and operational expenses, your small business can also draw financing from the conditionally repayable contribution program for staff trainings.  Eligible activities also include product innovation and development, marketing, advertising, quality control and assurance, and research.  As long as the needed capitalization will not exceed $500,000, then your small business can take advantage of this grants program of the Canadian government.  There are also instances that the Canadian government will foster cooperation between business owners and unions through this type of grant program.  With government financing, you and your employees can build a partnership thus ensuring the continued growth and success of the entire enterprise.

Are you looking for Canadian government grants? Visit our website today to find available loans for small business and financing programs provided by the Canadian government for small business owners.

Dispelling the Myth of Small Business Grants

July 16th, 2009

Small business grants are great opportunities for people to get a jumpstart on their hopes and dreams and ride out this recession wave. But not everyone is as informed about this as others. This is because there are some myths that have made their way into the minds of penny-pinching recession folks, thus making them afraid to commit to borrowed money and suffer their fate. It is then important for people to know the truth from the misconception about this thing.

Because of the recession, a lot of people are slowly thinking of getting their own dreams done and accomplished via the small business route. Because of this, the most important thing would besmall business grants. But one thing that people do not know about grants is that there is a lot in store for them without it seeming to be something that will become their downfall in the end. With a lot of hard work and effort and a commitment to doing well with your grant, you and your small business dream could be on its way to fulfillment.

The first myth about small business grants is that it is a gift. Therefore, people stop caring about making their business better because they think that if it does not turn out well – then, two bad. This will hurt the economy in a really bad way, because taxpayer’s money gets wasted and you end up discontinuing something you invested in and will thus a trail of waste in terms of resource. The criteria for eligibility for these small business grants will mean that they give it to the people who will do it good – and if you are that person, then it means you have a responsibility to do well.

Second, people end up not pursuing their small business grants because they think they will be overwhelmed with all the paperwork and red tape. While a lot of paperwork should indeed be expected, it does not mean that you should drop it all together. On the contrary, the government is just looking for simple and concise explanations of why you want it – and if you can put that in black and white, then it will be easier for the grant approval committee to consider you and then later on approve you for the loan that you want. So – it’s time to push that paper then.

Thirdly, when it comes to small business grants most people think they will end up disheartened with the results and that the follow-up procedure is definitely not worth it. On the extreme end of the faith spectrum, let it be known that yes, follow up really is worth it. It may not seem like it from the get-go, but you can definitely be sure that as you pour in more time, effort and hard work into your small business you will slowly but surely reap the rewards. As such, you should only see the trouble as “effort” on your part in the beginning and things will get a lot better.

Starting your small business is a lot easier with grants. For as long as you know what it is, you will be encouraged to apply for it.