I'd like to start this blog off with a quote from Rory Vaden, it's something that, as a veteran business owner I try to live by. "Success is never owned, it's rented, and the rent is due every day."
I would first like to thank everyone that has read, commented, and reached out for my previous blog, "Success is within arms reach," and if you haven’t read it please take an opportunity to read it. I have received numerous comments thanking me for compiling all of the information into one central location. When I first started out, my goal was just to do a quick blog sharing the information that I had gathered during my first year in business. As a small veteran owned business it can be a tumultuous and even, at times, demoralizing, effort when looking for outlets to fund your business. I, myself, was fortunate enough to start small with money that I had saved up, and grow my own business. But for others, the necessity for equipment, space, or even material can be a hindrance when starting a small business.
With that said, I was contacted by a young lady by the name of Kelly Pena, with Finimpact, who had also compiled an even larger list of business grants by categories including COVID 19 and Federal grants. I will be highlighting some of these that I think would benefit most businesses, I will also be including a link to their website that includes the full list of all the grants for you to take a look at. For a small business, it's a buffet of information, one that I hope will help to make it easier for you to expand and/or grow your business.
The list that was provided to me is exclusive to 2020 and are currently active grants as of June 2020. If you, as a business owner, find a grant and see that the funds have been exhausted for this calendar year, by no means does that indicate that you cannot apply for that grant next year. In terms of grants, the early bird gets the worm. In terms of Federal grants, which this list includes, you can also visit grants.gov which is the chief repository for Federal grants as well as the SBA grant list page.
For those Veteran owned businesses that are in their infancy, Idea Cafe Grant gives $1,000 to the most innovative business ideas. They offer their grant to a wide array of businesses, from art galleries to custom cycling companies.
For Female Veteran owned businesses, the Amber Grant is an outstanding option, allowing you as the business owner to apply each month until awarded $2,000 and an extra $25,000 is awarded at the end of each year to one of the monthly winners from that year. Again, this grant is exclusively for businesses owned by women. There is an application fee of $15 for each month applied.
The Caleb Brown Venture Capital and Consulting Project hosts a $1,000 grant aimed at uplifting urban entrepreneurs with a vision of rebuilding their communities through small businesses. This grant is open to start-ups and young businesses in urban areas. This runs every month, each application must be submitted by the 15th to enter.
The next two grants are specifically for Veteran owned businesses. The first of these is Warrior Rising Grant which helps to empower Veteran business owners through grants, mentorship, and training. This foundation also allows Veteran business owners to become Mentors to help others trying to start their own business. The next one is Veteran Support Foundation (VSF) Grant, provides funding for Veteran non-profits specifically involved in scientific, charitable, and educational purposes. This foundation also hosts Veteran Support Services outside of these grants. Funds are dispersed in October of every year, upon acceptance.
For those Veteran owned businesses that have been impacted by COVID 19, there are grants to provide relief. There are currently numerous grants and relief information in the list from the link below. This link provides grants for just about any Veteran owned business to take advantage of, from start-ups to non-profits to even State and Federal grants. To see the full list click the link below.
During a time such as this, when so many small businesses are being shut down due to COVID 19, I think it is the responsibility of those Veteran owned businesses that are doing well to ensure that we strengthen our Community through mentor ship, advisement, encouragement, and esprit de corps. These are the things that differentiate us from other businesses and will see that all of us make it through this hardship and/or difficult time. As a Veteran Small business owner, I hope in some small way, this information can help other business owners to propel their business to the next level.
https://www.finimpact.com/small-business-grants/
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