One of the first places that most potential women business owners look for grant funding is the internet. A quick use of any of the major search engines will spill over about 10,000 websites that offer to search and find grants specifically for women available, for a nominal fee of course. However, as a potential business owner, the idea of spending scarce resources unnecessarily doesn’t sit well.

So the question becomes, is there a way to find out what grants are available, without spending your hard earned money? Of course there is, but you will have to spend a bit of time and effort tracking down the information. The following few paragraphs will detail some of the commonly overlooked resources for finding the financial assistance you need.

The Public Library

Surprised? Your local public library is a great source of information concerning women business grants and other financing opportunities. In fact, many libraries have complete sections dedicated to small business grants, for both women and minorities. Simply stop by the reference desk at your local library and ask to see their business resources section.

The Local Chamber of Commerce

Another great resource for finding funding for your new business venture is the local chamber of commerce. In most cases, your local town or city wants to encourage the development of local industries, including women entrepreneurs. Because of this desire, many cities offer specific women business grants designed specifically for start up costs, costs of property maintenance, and even the cost of everyday business expenses. While there might be a nominal application fee, the information is free. All you’ve got to do is ask.

Specific Business Organizations

Perhaps your potential business is one that has been well established in the national community. If that is the case, there is a good chance that funding is available from various professional or business organizations specific to your line of work. Check with the financial officer of the professional organization. They should be able to direct you to a few women business grants that could get the ball rolling.

These are just a few of the various resources that are available to any man or woman wanted to make the leap and start their own business. By doing a little legwork, and taking a little more time in the research process, you’ll be able to find the women business grants you need to start your dream business.

Gary Pearson is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about business grants visit Your Home Business Site for current articles and discussions.

* Buy an existing coffeehouse; or
* Start a brand new coffee shop from scratch.

It is absolutely critical that you discuss each option with your accountant and as you can expect there are advantages and disadvantages with each.

Existing coffee shop:

The obvious advantage of buying an existing coffee shop is that it should be an established, successful business. Also, you won’t need to spend as much money fitting the store out, as you would in a start-up business and it is as close to a turnkey business as you can get. On the other hand, if you buy an existing business, you may be buying the problems of the outgoing business owner, for instance increased rent and overheads, a disappointing bottom line, etc. Of course though, you can minimize the risk by carefully considering the business and its full financials with your lawyer and accountant’s expert advice and direction.

Start-up business:

If you start your business from scratch, you can fit your space out as you like from day one. You are completely designing your store from scratch. On the other hand, start-up businesses are riskier because you don’t have a proven track record in the business as you have created it at that location, and it costs a lot more to start a brand new business as opposed to buying an existing one.

Be sure to thoroughly do your homework and research whenever you are considering an existing or start-up business – and remember to enlist a great accountant and lawyer to help you make the right decision.

Chances are you will probably require funding from an outside source to get your coffeehouse business off the ground. There aren’t too many people around who can fund a business on their own!

To secure the finance you need to turn your coffee shop dream into a reality, you’ll need a business plan. After all, the financial institution you hope will loan you money needs to know that you have a great business concept that is viable.

Even if you are fortunate enough to fund your own business, you will need a business plan!

You’ve probably heard of the term, “Fail to plan, plan to fail” right? Basically it means that failure is highly likely if you do not plan your business.

You need to know exactly where you want to take your business, and you need to come up with strategies to help you achieve those goals.

Your business plan will take into consideration absolutely everything: your mission statement, your market position, your finances, your sales projections, your marketing and advertising and your future plans – absolutely everything!

So, take some time to plan and avoid expense and stress in the long term.

Trace Beaney has collaborated on a guide to setting up a coffee shop, based on coffee shop owner Don Clarke’s years of experience in the industry. The guide has been reviewed by Cafe Culture Magazine. You can read this review at: http://www.howtosetupacoffeeshop.co.uk/review.htm

Your Free Top 10 Tips can be downloaded from the website, together with a copy of the current newsletter.

Let us check on some of the growing list of Women’s business Grants. The lists go on and on so we will be able to just touch briefly on some of the offerings. They offer varied options of grants and other help to create, maintain, and run the best business that you can. Help is there so check out some of these offerings and you will be surprised what is available.

Grant applications and be hard to understand, so you need to use some of the groups below to give you suggestions and help with all of the forms. A correct form and meeting qualifications will get you that grant you so much need.

• Small Business Administration – The SBA comes up every day with more options for women who have enough obstacles in starting and running a business.
• Count-Me-In – This is a new fundraising group that has woman collect money to give to other women. Experience is looked at instead of credit report to give grants. The CEO of this organization is the one that started bring your daughter to work day.
• Federal Money Retriever – This program offers software that contains a large database of Federal Government grant programs available to women.
• The Women’s Funding Network – They have a program that promotes the development and growth of women.
• NBC Supplier diversity program Website – This is not so much as funding organization but a specialty organization to help both women and minority owned businesses.
• American Association of University Women – this foundation was founded and is one of the largest private sources of funding for graduate women in the world. They also support scholars around the globe, teachers, and activists in local communities. Also funding exists for women at critical stages of their careers.
• Te ADA project for Women (TAP) -Includes information on conferences, discussion groups, grants, fellowships for women.
• Grants for Women that look at state by state options.
• The Asia Foundation – Government and Law
• The Astraea National Lesbian Action foundation – Source of financial support for business that are lesbian run or lesbian focused.
• Avon Productions Foundation – Supports organizations for women and girls
• Business and professional Women Foundation – Supports women with help for extra schooling.
• The Liz Claiborne Foundation -Grants for nonprofit groups run by women or for women.

Matthew Finn is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about womens business grants, please visit Booming Home Business for current articles and discussions

Recently I was told of a woman who had started her twenty-first business. In each case the business was related to cooking. The good news was this woman was a capable businesswoman and an excellent cook.

The problem for this woman was that she got tired of running a business very easily. She would get a business established and grow weary of the day-to-day grind and would set a date to close the doors. Her husband was a carpenter and had systematically refurbished twenty separate properties for his wife’s business ventures.

This woman recently started a coffee shop with a variety of baked goods for sale. The business hadn’t been open 3 months when a separate coffee shop opened in the same retail complex. When she discovered the new business she threw her hands up in despair and asked the owner of the second shop if she could come to work for her.

You see, there is an invisible wall that is sometimes difficult to overcome. That wall is moving beyond the difficult work of day-to-day business where you are needed in the monitoring of all aspects of the business. Some, like the lady in our story, simply get tired and go home to regroup their strength for a later attempt. Others will find ways to derive income that does not rely on their own efforts. These are the entrepreneurs that more easily move forward.

Passive Income

If you are a store that specializes in a product you have created, the sale of items that are available from other suppliers can provide income that is your simply because you supplied shelf space.

The sale of insurance provides a means of deriving an income based on commissions that require little attention from you.

The use of affiliate programs can allow others to sell your products and provide you with an income on something you were not actively involved in selling.

The development of passive income is important to entrepreneurs because if you attempt to develop revenue exclusively on your own then your revenue stream goes dry the minute you need time off.

Someone once said, “Work smarter, not harder.” That’s especially true as you continue to develop your business. Seek ways to allow others to help you sell and market your goods and services. This likely means there will be salespeople working at selling your business even when you’ve left the building for a much needed day off.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects.

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There are many benefits in dealing with a nationally-known company. The company’s name and familiar products are assets when it comes to attracting customers and boosting sales. While this is not a guarantee of success, it can make quite a difference in how quickly and easily your coffee shop draws business. This is because customers prefer to deal with a known quantity rather than an unknown. Another positive aspect of choosing to purchase a franchise is that you will be trained in how to operate it according to the company’s policies. While companies differ in the extent and methods of training, buying a franchise will include being provided with information and guidance you need to do well. These are two of the most important benefits to franchising from a nationwide chain.

You may prefer an alternative. Depending on your personal sense of creativity, financial considerations, the your desire to be completely on your own, and other relevant factors, you may decide that a coffee shop business which is not connected to a chain would be better for you. However, even if you feel that you do not need to rely on a popular company’s reputation and guidance, or if you are considering this option because you cannot reasonably afford a franchise, it is in your best interests to have all of the facts in hand before you reach a decision.

While it is true that opening your coffee shop business on your own would mean you do not have to adhere to a company’s policies regarding products, store design, you may not wish to give up the benefits of dealing with a widely-recognized company for the sake of creativity. The difference can be as significant as having a thriving business with a high volume of sales and customers, or having a shop which looks very nice but does not result in profits.

An independent coffee shop business is not necessarily a recipe for disaster, but it does lack the important edge you would have from dealing with a company which offers franchises. Whether you are considering it because you want your business to be completely on your own terms, or whether you believe you can do well on your own without the financial investment in a franchise, it is not as easy to start your own business without the backup of a major company as you may think.

While it is not impossible to be successful with your own coffee shop business, you must have a clear view of what you can expect with this method. If you decide that an independent business is what you want, you can strike out on your own without striking out.

Stewart Baker writes for JavaBeanReview.com Get the latest facts on popular and successful coffee shop business names like Starbucks and Its a Grind. They even have data on the Maui Wowi franchise offering. Compare and contrast each offering to see which meets your needs best.