Government Grants - A Great Deal, If You Can Get Them
23 Jan 2012 | Category: venture-capital | Author: admin
Under the right conditions, a government grant can be extremely helpful to those in difficult circumstances. For the most part, however, a government grant is a fairly difficult thing to qualify for and get. Excluding scholarship grants for education purposes, government grants can only be used by government entities or non-profit organizations--individuals cannot qualify for grants. In recent years many people have sought after government grants as a way for quick money, but there are quite a few requirements involved.
Government grants are a dead end for most businesses, which are actually better off to find some other sort of funding, such as through the Small Business Administration, or money through a private investor. Non-profit organizations can, however, receive grant funding. There is a caveat though: there are grants that might be used to start up small non-profit businesses. Once such a business has received a grant it theoretically could become a for profit business. But as with any grant, the legalese is usually baffling and unintelligible.
Even in the cases of non-profit entities it can be a very difficult process to get a grant. The government has complicated legal procedures set up that often deter seekers of grants. The government will often reject grant proposals on the basis that the proposals themselves were not properly written. There are many people in government positions who have dedicated great amounts of time to become grant writers. These grant writers must be well-versed in understanding what sorts of grants can qualify, as well as what sort of language to use in writing the grant proposal. Grants not written within fairly strict requirements get turned down quite easily.
Though government grants are difficult to procure--featuring widely varying requirements, many grants for duplicate purposes, and are subject to the specific government entity to judge whether the requested grant will be made--for those who qualify there some obvious advantages. Depending on the purpose and the type of grant, those who qualify may be able to receive thousands of dollars. Certain categories of grants can even bring in a million dollars or more into some organizations, though these kinds of grants are usually reserved for larger groups that have to have a good purpose for such a large quantity of money.
Scholarship grants are the only type that can be granted to individuals. These grants are a form of financial aid that are sometimes available for low-income families where the cost of college tuition would be a major financial burden.
The World is Full of Business Opportunity Leads
06 Dec 2011 | Category: venture-capital | Author: admin
One of the most pressing problems in our modern world is unemployment. The population is ever increasing while job opportunities are steadily decreasing. Nowadays it's common to meet acquaintances who are looking for jobs or those who have sadly lost their jobs. Still there are others who have lost hope of ever finding employment. But have they really bothered to look for business opportunity leads, or have they just surrendered to their seemingly hopeless situation? The nature of finding employment and the entire market has changed over the years. Have you kept up with the change?
One major revolution in searching for employment is the internet. The World-Wide-Web is the best medium in finding employment in this modern-day world. The practice of scanning through the ads of newspapers looking for "Help Wanted" is old fashioned and out dated. The most convenient way to seek business opportunity leads is through your PC or Mac.
Try surfing Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com to find the best business opportunity leads. These sites will greatly assist you if you are in need of a job or career that will help you provide for your family. All you need to find that ideal job is to punch in your field of work and location. This will direct you to that ideal job.
Most companies nowadays have turned to the World-Wide-Web to improve their business. The internet has made it all simpler. You don't need to drive all over the place to ask your friends for business opportunity leads. You can do it conveniently at the comfort of your home. You may now even submit your resume through the internet.
Are you also in need of a job or a new career? Have you tried looking for business opportunity leads yourself? Business nowadays can be home based. The internet may help you towards that dream job that allows you to support your family and your hobbies as well. You should consider surfing online for useful business opportunity leads. Learn from those who have gone from rags to riches through their own companies or businesses. Start changing your future today!
Private Angel Investor - How to Take Their NO
19 Oct 2011 | Category: venture-capital | Author: admin
Picture this scenario and let me know if it sounds familiar. You've met with a potential private angel investor about your new startup opportunity. During the meeting the private angel investor told you that the business plan "sounded interesting" and they "really liked the opportunity". They enthusiastically shook your hand on your way out the door and you left feeling elated.
Days later you waited patiently by the phone for a follow-up call, but the phone didn't ring. You checked your e-mail, your instant messenger, and your text messages - nothing. The days soon turned into weeks and somehow you never heard a peep from those highly interested private angel investors.
What went wrong?
The short answer is that nothing went wrong - that's the way private angel investors work. You see, private angel investors speak a very different language that most entrepreneurs have a hard time translating. They tell entrepreneurs that they are excited about a business opportunity which entrepreneurs of course take to mean they are ready to invest.
What they really mean is that they have no interest in investing in your company, but they want to leave the relationship on a positive note in case they ever change their mind. It's like going on a date in high school with someone and not officially telling them you're not interested - just in case one day they turn into Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.
Why Private Angel Investors Can't Say "NO" Directly
The truth is that private angel investors can't afford to say "no" to any opportunity in a direct manner. Most opportunities that pass through their door might sound terrible today, but tomorrow they could be the next MySpace or Google. Smart private angel investors know that there's no value in ruining a relationship with an entrepreneur just because the deal doesn't make sense today.
This is of course completely maddening to the entrepreneur. In life we're used to hearing "no" when someone means "no". To make matters worse, entrepreneurs are so excited to get their deals funded that they often perceive anything that isn't a "heck no" to mean "yes."
The Art of the "LONG NO"
Private angel investors have made what I call the "long no" into an art form. They've found dozens of ways to avoid saying "no" while meaning "no way". The result is a long, roundabout way to tell you "no" without actually saying it. To help you understand this process a little bit more, let me give you some examples of what the "long no" sounds like.
The "long no" often involves some iteration of the phrase "interesting." You'll hear something like "sounds interesting" or "this could be real interesting" which of course sounds like a positive response. In reality, it's the equivalent of describing your not-so-attractive date as having "a really good personality." You don't want to offend them, but you don't want to tell them what you really think either.
Although it may sound counter-intuitive, you don't want to be "interesting." You want to be invested in, which means you need to get as quickly past "sounds interesting" as possible and get right on to "we really want to get this deal done today."
You'll also get a fair amount of "let us think about it" or "let us get back to you." These are also telltale signs of the "long no". Private angel investors run across very few deals that are exciting enough to invest in, so you can imagine the ones that they like get their immediate attention. They didn't forget to call you back - they are just ignoring you.
Entrepreneurs often think of pitch meetings with private angel investors they way they think about sales meetings with customers. Sales meetings usually involve follow-ups with an eventual close after the decision-maker has had time to decide.
Private angel investors on the other hand are more likely to have made their decision before you even walk out of the room, whether they express it or not. Therefore you can imagine if they are not following back up with you right away, your deal probably isn't going to get done.
The Answer Is NO Until the Check Clears
Instead of driving yourself crazy listening to private angel investor double-speak and corporate euphemisms, perhaps you should try this piece of advice - assume the answer is "no" until the private angel investor's check clears.
That may sound overly pessimistic but you'll probably find after spending enough time with private angel investors that's it's a far more pragmatic approach. It's typical for an entrepreneur to spend 6 - 9 months trying to raise capital (if they raise any at all) and most of this time is spent being misled by private angel investor reactions.
Assume everything an private angel investor says that doesn't involve writing a check is as good as hearing the word "no". Even if you are fortunate enough to get into the nitty gritty of a deal where you begin to talk through specific deal terms don't assume the answer is "yes". Assume the answer is absolutely "no" until the private angel investor has written the check and handed it to you. And then assume its "no" until it clears.
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