Grants For Profit: Where\’s the Free For-Profit Business Grant Money?
By Sandra Noble
Money seems to be in short supply. On a personal level people are struggling to make ends meet. Businesses as well are cost cutting due to declining sales. In a sense, there still is the same about of cash in circulation.
The Problem
So the United States economy is struggling. Everyone is trying to figure out what will pull us out of the current recession. In February 2009 U.S. Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), also known as the stimulus bill. Its purpose was to provide a stimulus to the U.S. economy in the wake of the economic downturn. I don”t agree with everything our Congress and the Obama administration is doing. But I trust they are getting wise counsel. Hopefully people / advisors who are well versed in the field of economics. But we are sailing in uncharted territory. Academics won”t reveal the solution, only the tendencies and trends. Creativity applied to financial wisdom and judgment will bring about and / or accelerate our recovery.
At the business level, the struggle is similar. The business challenge is how to increase revenues and reduce costs. (The government is apparently not concerned with the cost reduction side. We already had a budget deficit before the stimulus bill.) So what can companies do to survive? Marketing in uncertain times has to continue, so the business can be positioned and in the minds of its customers and clients when the recovery happens. Sales people have a unique challenge, when prospects and customers are dealing with tight and contracting budgets. The initial sale and the add-on sales is more difficult.
Who is Spending?
The one sector that is spending money is the federal government. Much of the money allocated in the Stimulus Bill / Recovery Act is targeted at governmental entities. So there is a layer of government involvement in between the money source and the business community and also individuals. Apart from the Recovery Act, the government has been and continues to provide money for many projects. The federal government buys just about every product and service. The military does the same. There is money for green initiatives. But how does the business community get access to this money and funding?
Businesses can get on GSA schedules to do business with the government. Some state and local governments are also making use of the pre-approved vendors on the federal GSA schedules. There are special programs and set asides for businesses which qualify for the 8(a) program or for those in minority owned, woman owned, veteran owned and small business categories. To get access to this money and these contracts, the business must respond to requests for proposals and requests for quotations.
An Alternative
There is one more alternative: grants. For the most part these are for governments and non-profit organizations. But, there are instances where for-profit businesses can apply for and receive this free grant money.
About The Author
I invite you to claim access to your *FREE* Report, “5 Steps For Successfully Getting Business Grant Money “ by clicking www.GrantAndProposalExpert.com
Sandra Noble, President and CEO, Noble & Associates Consulting offers expert proposal and grant writing.
Apply to get your government grant money today. We can help. Call 404-374-3384 or visit www.GrantAndProposalExpert.com now!
