At a time when money is tight and resources are dwindling, it might
be difficult for start-ups and small businesses to locate the funds they
need to thrive and expand. It’s a disheartening situation for those
that want to get and keep their businesses on the right track. But even
in such times, there are still many institutions, organisations and
individuals willing to finance small businesses, from banks to
businesses, government bodies and the EU. Impossible? Not quite!
1. There are grants and funding opportunities out there
There might be grants you could qualify
for that you never even knew about. Although you might think that having
a small shop in a rural area would not be significant enough to secure
grant funding, you could be an excellent candidate for a regeneration
grant – the opportunities are out there, you just have to find them! For
example, have you considered that funding programmes like the ‘Rural
Shop Improvement Scheme’ exist? You might not know about the many grants
and funding opportunities you could apply for, but dedicated funding websites provide a free searchable database of small business funding opportunities.
2. Don’t be afraid to apply
Although you might have heard that grants
are difficult to secure, they are worth trying for. Nothing ventured,
nothing gained. If you are passionate about your business and think you
have a great reason to secure grant funding, you only need to translate
your enthusiasm onto paper. Effort is required, but it might be more
than worth it. Moreover, there are resources out there to help you write
your grant funding applications, and review them. Free resources exist
online to help you with your grant applications, like j4bGrants 10 Steps to Successful Grant Applications. There are also special services
whereby funding professionals will take a critical look at your
proposal and help you write the best possible application you could
submit.
3. Stay positive
The fact that so many funding
opportunities exist in the midst of a recession means you have as good a
chance as any other business of getting the boost you need. Grant
funding could provide you with amazing benefits, whether you are an
established business or just starting out.
Searching for grants might be time-intensive, but luckily free
resources exist to help busy business owners locate funding quicker and
more effectively. j4bGrants.co.uk
has been re-launched with a new-look website featuring thousands of
opportunities for business funding. The site is completely free
following registration, and allows you to search by business type, size
or location, providing access to information that is constantly updated
by a team of researchers who do the time-intensive searching for you.
The opportunities are out there – you just have to find them!
Follow me on Twitter @GoldenWords_UK
0 Comments: