I really hope this information helps. I know you are not the veteran, but if your husband can be a partner in this process it will go a lot easier. Good luck!!

It’s not get rich quick, but it will quietly run in the background until it’s ready to truly support you & your family with a real income. (Doesn’t take long, though.)

I really recommend this!

Yahoo frowns upon links here in the Q & A section, so if you would just click on my profile, you will see it there.

Blessings to you in 2007!!
Bea

It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business.

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) and Grants.gov – these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the CFDA listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website

“The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments.”

Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business — THERE’S NONE.

Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT – Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women’s Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women’s business center that will train women entrepreneurs

I suggest you read the following books to get ideas of how to finance your business:

Financing Your Small Business
Small Business Financing: How and Where To Get It
Financing the Small Business: A Complete Guide to Obtaining Bank Loans and All Other Types of Financing
The SBA Loan Book
Angel Capital : How to Raise Early-Stage Private Equity Financing
Financing Your Small Business (Barron’s Business Library Series)

For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center’s Foundation Grants for Individuals Online . It’s a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for “students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices.” Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don’t have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.

As for a “loan that doesn’t have to be paid back right away,” banks or even the SBA will not give you such terms. Ask your family and friends to lend you money.

You might qualify for an SBA microloan:

but there are only seven lenders in the entire Texas that particilate in this program. There may or may not be one in your immediate vicinity…