Why Every Small Business Should Apply for Grants

Hey there!

It’s me, the small business owner that started her business over 6 years ago (coming up fast to 7 years yahoo) and has relied heavily on grant funding to propel her said business in a forward motion because to get where you want to be, sometimes you need a bit of help.
If you’re reading this as an entrepreneur or not as one and don’t know what I mean by grants or small business funding, let me break define that for you;

A small-business grant (or sometimes referred to as funding) is an award, usually financial, given by one entity (typically a company, foundation, or government) to a company to facilitate a goal or incentivize performance. Grants are essentially gifts that usually do not have to be paid back.

Quote from article by By Erik Haagensen.

So reading that you will know that a grant isn’t “free money” but instead it’s an opportunity to build up different aspects of your business all while working internally on the logistics of how to get to where you want to be. People often ask me, what did you spend funding on within your business and why would it be worth my time to apply and I’ll list some items that I’ve used grants for and why it was worth my time;

• Branding photo-shoots (we used this to create our brand’s look but also to create our blog and popular social media channels that help find new fans, clients, and partnerships)

• Finished interior/project photos (This helps showcase what we have been working on for years to potential new clients and shows them what we offer - so AKA very attractive and realistic marketing)

• Subscriptions for software that was helpful for business operations (Canva, Microsoft, Lightroom, etc…)

• Workshops that helped my mindset grow as a business owner (marketing workshops, time management workshops etc..)

• Skill development courses (I took a public speaking course and it was such an eye opening experience on why my story is so important to share)

• Signage (ahem - drive by my shop, it looks beautiful!)

• New equipment (conference table and chairs to seat more people for workshops and events - more to come on that at a later date)

And honestly so much more that I probably don’t remember. Regardless if you had asked me “was all the time spent on applying for these grants and documenting my process, submitting my reports and such worth it..” I would scream 1000 times YES!

I like to think when grants are offered that it’s someone basically saying “hey I think you’re great and if you present your vision to me, I quite possibly will believe and see your vision and will reward you to make it happen”.
Humbly I’ve also been referred to as the “Grant Queen” by some fellow colleagues of mine and I wear that crown proudly.

So my top four tips for small businesses and applying for grants/funding are;

1. Do you research and see what is out there. Don’t wait for people to tell you what is out there because typically by that time, the funding period is done or you will be in such a rush you won’t enjoy the process or have a clear plan in your head. Small business centers, government funded websites, and just good old google searches are great place to start.

2. When applying, cross examine your calendar with deadlines to make sure that you can meet those deadlines… because if you’re awarded funds and can’t meet a deadline of what needs to be done, it’s almost pointless to apply because you won’t be able to meet the guidelines which then means you’re not eligible for funding!

3. Be realistic about what will actually help you out within your day-to-day. Like yes a massive espresso machine would be handy for meeting with clients at your space but is it going to help bring in new clients when the market is slow? Will it help alleviate your stresses that operating a business causes? Probably not. Also when someone reads your submission, this will impact their decision greatly if it doesn’t seem like a worthwhile business altering change for you… because ultimately they make the decision and award the funds and if you’re up against 1,000 other businesses - are they going to select the person looking to expand their operations by 75% or someone who just wants a good cup of coffee.

4. Last tip is one for those who have a hard time writing a grant submission. When I apply for a grant, I always think about my “why” and purpose of applying, then I try and break down all the important points in a draft document (or handwritten on paper) before inputting it into anyone’s system. This helps with the writing process and making sure you hit all your important points needed because most times the rest of the words are just “filler” and people want to get to the meat and potatoes of the submission. Keeping it short and concise is also usually key in these submissions because most times you are controlled by a maximum word count as well.

Anyways, if you want to chat more about grants and applying to them send me a DM or an email. I’m always happy to hear when a business received funding because most times the funding is going towards improving their systems, processes, marketing, location etc… which in return makes them a stronger business at the end of the day.

I hope these tips and this quick little read has inspired you to do your own research and invest some of the precious entrepreneurial time into grants.

Thanks for following along and happy applying!

Markie.