If you're searching for small business start up grants to finance your business, you may be in for a surprise. Although anyone can apply for government grants, not everyone will qualify.

Funding your new business venture with grants, may not be what you may have expected or been told. 

Government grants are available for select purposes, so don’t unrealistically expect Uncle Sam to be in the business of giving away “free” start up money to all who apply. 

The availability of funding, criterion for successful application and grant writing process further narrow down your chances for qualifying for small business start up grants. 

Where Do I Find Grants to Start a Business?

Grants to start a business are very much available.  However, most of us will simply not meet the eligibility requirements for successful application.  The best source on the web for finding and applying for government sponsored small start up grants is at www.grants.gov.

Here you can search hundreds of grant opportunities offered by a cross section of government agencies.  If you meet the exacting qualifications for the grant process, you will certainly find what you’re looking for there.

What if I Don’t Qualify?

If you’ve found that you don’t qualify for any of the government grants to start a business that are available at grants.gov, you may want to investigate peer-to-peer lending groups, such as Prosper, Zopa, Loanio and Lending Club.

The more popular of these lending sites is Prosper.  Prosper loans have a more lenient criteria than traditional bank loans, which makes it an attractive option for anyone seriously considering a small business start up loan.

If you are considering this option, here’s a quick glance at some of the advantages of Prosper loans:

• You don’t have to have perfect credit

• There are no interest penalties or fees for early payoff.

• Borrow up to $25,000.

• No collateral is required to qualify.

• There are no application fees.

As always, we suggest that you not borrow to finance your start up if not absolutely necessary.

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