Where can I get a grant to start my business?

Have you ever wanted to know if you could get a grant from the government to start your own business?

Wouldn’t that just be awesome…

It’s like getting FREE money to do with as you please.

Now for a real dose of reality.

Although grants are certainly possible for a numerous amount of great causes, none of those causes are for helping you start your business.

Typically what you will find when it comes to getting a grant is that they are usually for non-profit types of businesses that have a very specific purpose and will most often have a list of requirements that have to be met before the grant is given.

They are usually never given to individuals who want to do their own startup and who most definitely who do not have a track record of success.

And yes, I do know that there are info-mercials and books that try to lure you in with the thought that you can get a grant for whatever business you might choose, however the fact of the matter is that what these guys are doing is zeroing in on you being desperate. The desperate mind will often toss out logic when an idea is presented to you.

Where the rational mind will be more likely to use logic to rule out the idea.

Now there are situations where getting a grant for your business is certainly possible.

I know…just a few moments ago I said that it wasn’t possible. But read on to find out how.

And that is if your business is a non-profit type or one of the ideas that the government has listed as being one where they will issue a grant.

Besides those that I just mentioned, getting a grant for your business is less likely to happen.

If you are really strapped for cash at the start then I would recommend that you look at different alternatives. One being crowdsourcing.

Now there is a good chance that you may have heard of the site kickstarter.com. They are one of the leading crowdsourcing sites in the business.

However, I prefer the site indiegogo.com.

Why?

Well they have a simple quirk in their system. And because of that quirk your dream of running your own business can become true.

What’s the quirk you ask?

How about an example.

Let’s say that you want to start your own clothing business.

And you’ve determined that you will need let’s say $5000 smackers to get you going.

Where if you were using kickstarter and you began to raise funds for your goal. If you came up short, then you don’t receive anything. It’s back to the drawing board.

Now compare that to indiegogo.

For the same campaign if you came up short. whatever the amount that you were able to raise you would actually get to keep and use towards building your business.

Much, much different.

Anyhow…

Your turn:

What do you think about grants? do you run a non-profit business? If so, how do you deal with grants.

photo credit: yomanimus via photopin cc

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Do I need a Logo for my business when I’m first starting out?

This was the question I was asked the other day from a friend who was thinking about getting into a home based business.

Now as I thought back on how my own entrepreneurial adventures came about, one of the things that sticks out most was that at the beginning, I actually didn’t have a logo.

I only remember in one instance where I did have the logo at the beginning and that was for a transportation company that I started.

Other than that, every logo that I did develop came later on in the process.

Personally I don’t follow the rule that states that you need a logo at the start of your business nor am I a believer that loads of money is needed when you do finally develop a logo. To me the logo falls under the category of branding. I’ve had lots of sales and never once did anyone ever say to me that they bought a product or service just because of the logo I used. When you deliver a product or service that solves their most pressing problem, they could give a rats ass about what kind of logo you used. It only comes into play when once you have delivered your product or service that they will then associate your logo with your company if at all. Some of my customers couldn’t pick out my logo from my competition, yet they buy from me over and over.

When I do need a logo I’ve used a small company called logonerds.com and they have done a really great job with my logos.

Whenever you are just starting out as an entrepreneur your main focus should be on one task.

To just get going!

You don’t have to get everything right, but you do need to get going.

In fact one of my biggest mistakes that came about when I was just starting out was what I like to call “Paralysis By Analysis”

I literally was paralyzed through my constant need to analyze everything.

Too much of my time was spent on spot checking the tiniest things that had no real effect on whether or not the business would be successful.

Now, understand that you will need to do your own due diligence about whatever type of business you will be going into. I’m not in any way telling you not to do your research.

However, there will come a point whereby you will need stop with all of the paper chasing and put action behind your plan.

It’s only after you have some actual time in your business that you will be able to analyze the data that you get to see if the business has a chance of becoming sustainable.

At the beginning I simply had the name of my business written in a cool font and that was it. I don’t even remember the kind of font it was, but it did it’s job.

As the business began to grow, then I revisited the logo and changed it.

Why?

Because now I was making money and it could be justified.

So, to wrap things up here, my advice is that you can start off with something simple with the thought being that if the business starts to take off then you can always change or refresh it.

Your Turn.

What do you think about having a business logo at the start of your business. How critical is it to your success? I’d like to hear your thoughts.

photo credit: Silicon Prairie News via photopin cc

Where should I incorporate my business?

I’m often asked this question from time to time about where you should incorporate your business. And honestly I usually respond back with the answer “in your home state.”

The reason being that you will have a better understanding of the state that you are in as opposed to you having to learn about another states laws when it comes to incorporating your business.

Now of course there are some benefits of incorporating your business in others states that can look really enticing. Things like cheaper taxes for the members of the company are always a big lure. In fact Delaware is known for their much more friendlier corporate laws. And I’ve seen some owners take a two step approach.

What’s the two step approach?

First they would incorporate their business in their home state.

Then in step two, as some time has past, they would actually incorporate in another state after they have had some time in business.

Is this a good way to do incorporation?

It depends.

Doing the two step approach can mean that there can be some confusion later on down the road and who wants to deal with that. Paperwork, and changing any marketing materials associated with the change can prove to be a bit much.

In the end what should really determine your own particular answer to this question should be your planning. What do you want to achieve with your company in the long term.

It may be that in the short term it doesn’t really matter where you incorporate your business because your goal might be to sell it at a later date.

Or

In the long run you may want to have a more stability for personal reasons.

You’ll have to be honest with yourself and you are doing your planning.

Your turn:

What do you think about incorporating in another state? Leave me a comment below.

The one crowdfunding site every entrepreneur should check out at least once

So you’ve come up with that new breakthrough idea. You’ve worked out all of the bugs with it.

No you have only one question left to answer.

Will it sell?

Here is an easy way to find out without having to break the bank.

Crowdfunding.

However, there is one more problem that comes up when you want to go the crowdfunding route.

There are tons of sites out there that offer to help you with getting your idea off the ground.

And there lies the very problem

With so many sites out there screaming to get your attention, how do you know which site to choose?

Well here is a nifty little site that can help you find exactly which platform is right for you.

It’s called crowdsunite.

You Can Explain eBay’s $50 Billion Turnaround With Just This One Crazy Story

good story..thanks for the post

Panos Nomikos Blog

This truly fascinating story on INNOVATION was published on Business Insiderhere

You Can Explain eBay’s $50 Billion Turnaround With Just This One Crazy Story

Jack Abraham’s taxi came to a stop.

It was Saturday night, Feb. 17, 2012 — around 7:30 p.m. Outside the cab, it was dark and in the low 40s.

Abraham had arrived at San Francisco Airport. He had just barely enough time to make his flight.

Still, he hesitated, momentarily glued to the seat as the momentousness of what he was about to do fully dawned on him.

“Are you crazy?” he asked himself, out loud.

In a few minutes, Abraham and five of his coworkers from eBay would board a 14-hour flight to Sydney, Australia.

Their plan was to spend the next two weeks re-inventing the eBay homepage, based on a rough idea Abraham had pitched to Donahoe only the day before. The CEO…

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5 must have apps for running a business from your phone

Here are 5 simple apps that you can use to run your business right from your smartphone.

I use numerous apps to help me
with building my business.

Understand this little nugget about the business of making money.

If you want to be on the side of the cash register where people hand you money then you need to set yourself to receive money.

So, you’re probably wondering what are the five apps.

Read more..

7 inspirational quotes that you’ve probably never heard of before

One of the lessons I’ve learned over the years is that if you really want to hit a homerun in life, then you have first believe that you can.

If you don’t even have a firm belief in yourself then it’s game over.

However, what if getting that homerun was made a wee bit easier.

What if you didn’t have to have the major degree from a university and could still hit a homerun in life.

What if the whole science of hitting that homerun came down to the tools you use.

In this case your tool, is one that you’ve had with you all along.

It’s has to do with your mind and your own self confidence.

With confidence in yourself you can do whatever you choose to do.

You can ask for a raise.

You can find your right spouse.

You hunt down success.

Now, I’m not going to bullshit you and say that building self confidence will be easy.

Because it isn’t.

It’s actually one of the hardest things you will ever do.

How come?

Because your confidence is always under attack everyday.

365 days…

There will be times where your confidence is sky high and it will take a hit.

And then you’re rocketing back to me-too-ville.

Understand that it’s never the event that destroys your confidence, it’s how you choose to react that stomps on you.

Here’s what I do to keep my confidence sky high.

I saturate my mind with thoughts that suggest confidence in the present and in the future.

And one tactic I swear by is the use of quotes by other confident and smart people.

To get you started here are some quotes deposit in your thoughts daily.

One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.
Michael J. Fox

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.
Marilyn Monroe

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.

Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth.
Iyanla Vanzant

How would your life be different if…You stopped allowing other people to dilute or poison your day with their words or opinions? Let today be the day…You stand strong in the truth of your beauty and journey through your day without attachment to the validation of others
Steve Maraboli

The man who does not value himself, cannot value anything or anyone.
Ayn Rand

I am beginning to measure myself in strength, not pounds. Sometimes in smiles.
Laurie Halse Anderson
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