Your Questions About Business Online Services Group

Jere answers:

Hello,
To share information about any purpose amongst the FACEBOOK community there is need a big network of your fans, friends and followers…facebook is the one of the most popular social network where millions of net user presently sharing their post articles and reviews..
Facebook is a social networking platform where you can promote business and marketing too, this is right place where you can increase the contact with internet users. You should work on various factors such as connect yourself by facebook profile to promote and marketing or share any kind Information between the big network..But this task is too big I think you need help, one and different effective best way to create an online group, why don’t you leave this responsibility on others I mean hire any professional for this job…somebody recommended me before a month about magicsolv.com specialist in online group creation and business promotion and marketing too..I tried and felt development in my business they increased my fan group, I just say try ’em hope will get more in a few days good luck.

Jere answers:

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. And yes, grants mean PAPERWORK – lots and lots of it, that is why a cottage industry of grant writers was born.

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

Even if you buy books on “how to get grants” or list that supposedly has information on grants — all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same – hardly any grants for starting a for profit business.

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html

“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 http://www.sba.gov/financing 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.
Http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show

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 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1572484500/powerhomebizguid
Small Business Financing: How and Where To Get It http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0808007386/powerhomebizguid
Financing the Small Business: A Complete Guide to Obtaining Bank Loans and All Other Types of Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580626815/powerhomebizguid
The SBA Loan Book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158062202X/powerhomebizguid
Angel Capital : How to Raise Early-Stage Private Equity Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471690635/powerhomebizguid
Financing Your Small Business (Barron’s Business Library Series) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764124897/powerhomebizguid

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.

Jere answers:

THE FREE SITES ARE FINE FOR QUICKIE ONE – 10 WORD TRANLATIONS. THEY’LL GIVE YOU THAT FOR FREE AND YOU CAN MAYBE FIND A HOUSE KEEPER OR GARDNER (NO OFFENSE TO ANY GROUP – THIS IS JUST REALITY).

Sorry about the caps.

Anyway – they give that away in hopes of finding someone who wants to do business in a foreign country and will need a more complicated translation on a regular basis. That’s where they make their money.
-a guy named duh

Jere answers:

There are some on-line business networking sites where businesses like yours are members and where, when you’ve built up some relationships, the people in your network recommend you to their network. (Send me an message and I’ll send you an invite to one that I belong to.)

Don’t forget the opportunities to promote what you do off-line. Again, one of the best ways is recommendations through networking. Check out what groups there are locally. We know an IT guy who uses this as a way of increasing his business and it works very well. People in his network will call him when they’re with one of their clients who mentions they’re having IT problems.

Good luck!

Jere answers:

A true business credit card is a line of credit that is taken in the name of the business, under the business’ credit. Activity, whether good or bad, is reflected on your business’ credit report through D&B and other financial institutions, and the liability for any debts incurred and bills owed is with the business.

However, some companies out there offer “business” credit cards which they require a person guarantee for. These institutions will often ask for a personal guarantee, and will almost always ask for a social security number from the person applying for the card. If this is the case, the credit card is not a business credit card, but is simply a personal credit card which is used for the business. The business is not liable for bills and debts – you are.

When applying for a credit card for your business, watch out for areas asking for your SSN (and not your TaxID or EIN) and be wary of any credit card that asks for a personal guarantee. By ensuring that your credit card is in the name of your business, you can help to build your business’ credit, while avoiding creating problems with your own.

Many companies offer a list of credit cards that are issued under the business name only. Those lists typically run $300-$900, depending on the quality of the information inquiring. I would suggest starting your search online via google or yahoo. Search for “strong business credit” (just like that in quotes) to find services that sell the information.

Good luck,

Ilya Bodner
Small Business Owner
Initial Underwriting Group