Government Grants

[J-Rod]

A few friends and I are starting a local PC repair/small business consulting shop (nothing new). One guy had the idea of applying for a gov grant to get our business started. (I now know that this does not happen...) Anyway, I was searching through the grants page on grants.gov and came across this, which I thought might be of interest to some. What I'm wondering is if anyone has much experience with obtaining government grants for research and if so, how was the experience? Our plan for our business is to slowly migrate to the security field, so I thought I'd look into the grant process to see if we'd ever stand a chance for one. (This really sounds like an "Ask Slashdot" article or something.) Peace, -J-Rod

[latras]

Re: Government Grants

Did you Ask Lesko?

*grin*

[J-Rod]

Re: Government Grants

Did you Ask Lesko?

*grin*

Man, that guy really makes late night television unenjoyable... heh. On that subject... linky. I'm glad I didn't get my hopes up too much... it was my friend's dad who gave us the idea. He said "government grants is the way all those foreign people get their damn quick stops."

[erehwon]

Re: Government Grants

Man, that guy really makes late night television unenjoyable... heh. On that subject... linky. I'm glad I didn't get my hopes up too much... it was my friend's dad who gave us the idea. He said "government grants is the way all those foreign people get their damn quick stops."

Your friend's dad isn't too far off on that, the U.S. government almost nearly financed Mohammad Atta's attacks on the United States to the tune of $650K, we can thank our lucky stars Atta was such a nutjob during the interview as he didn't get the cash.

The money for what you want to do is out there, I'd call your local small business incubator, your local chamber of commerce, and your cities economic development center, they all should have good pointers for helping you in the right direction.

Good Luck!

[J-Rod]

Re: Government Grants

Your friend's dad isn't too far off on that, the U.S. government almost nearly financed Mohammad Atta's attacks on the United States to the tune of $650K, we can thank our lucky stars Atta was such a nutjob during the interview as he didn't get the cash.

The money for what you want to do is out there, I'd call your local small business incubator, your local chamber of commerce, and your cities economic development center, they all should have good pointers for helping you in the right direction.

Good Luck!

Yeah, the SBA (Small Business Association) offers assistance for getting low interest loans and lots of advice, but no free money. However, I was considering a minority grant because the co-owner is Native American. I saw one for getting minorities interested in Comp Sci in college, so possibly something like that. Most grants, however, want the backing of an educational institution of some sort... Guess I could pull a South Harmon Institute of Technology, hehe...

[shrdlu]

Re: Government Grants

A few friends and I are starting a local PC repair/small business consulting shop (nothing new).

I've read all the responses so far, and I've seen a bit of good advice, but I think you need to answer some questions first. You already understand that you do not qualify for a government grant, and even having a co-owner who may or may not be american indian will not change that. Let's examine your business worthiness first.

1. Do you have a business plan? No, I don't mean "have you thought about things" or "do you have a list of stuff". A business plan is a requirement for anyone legitimate who might give you money. Although google is your friend, here's a kick start.

http://www.sba.gov/starting_business...ing/basic.html

2. Is there a need in your community for yet another computer repair/consulting business? Before you answer this one, you need to do a few things. Get out the local phone book, and check the yellow pages. Check the advertisements in the local paper.

3. Examine your motivation in this. Are you, and any partners you might have), self starters? Can you make and keep to a schedule (this one is much harder than it looks)?

4. How is your current standing in the community? Do you already have potential customers lined up, or is this something you just started thinking about?

What I'm wondering is if anyone has much experience with obtaining government grants for research and if so, how was the experience? Our plan for our business is to slowly migrate to the security field, so I thought I'd look into the grant process to see if we'd ever stand a chance for one.

As a data point, in a former life, I may have worked in some capacity that allowed me to understand the processes you are referring to above. I think that the security business may be a potential area, but *only* if you are offering something unusual; either very new, or very hard to find. A computer repair/consulting business is a sensible route (assuming positive answers to the above), but it does not automatically lead to grants, either government or otherwise.

I know that Erehwon pointed out some sensible avenues to pursue, and I hope you follow up on them, but get the business plan in order first.

The creation of a business plan will tell you whether or not you are really going to succeed in this. If it seems hard, if you're tempted to leave things out, or pieces unanswered, then you're not ready to do this.

[astcell]

Re: Government Grants

Lesko used to wear a suit and publish "Information USA" in the early 80's. His act now is all marketing, but the info is just as useful.

[J-Rod]

Re: Government Grants

We have a solid business plan I wrote up and a presentation I created for a business class. I was the only one in the class the professor told that (if he were a bank) he would give a loan to. Our unique area that I'm considering is physical pen testing. We've had a couple small business customers lined up, some non-profit organizations, and quite a few home users. My friend and I are well motivated and even though the market appears full, a phone book ad made us a decent amount of money. Luckily, I have a guy I can turn to in the pen testing area for assistance and another in the forensic data recovery field. We have a ways to go before we want to offer official security services, for now we're covering the basics with any user we work with: passwords, WiFi encryption, viruses, and spam/con emails. I'm working on getting my Security+ so I can have a legitimate piece of paper to show I know something about security. For now, the business is an ad here a flyer there, offering the best service in town for the best price. As for the grants... well, they're something to talk about and make fun of after a round of drinks until we get some legitamate work under our belt. However, I'm still curious if someone would like to share an experience working for the suits...

[Voltage Spike]

Re: Government Grants

For now, the business is an ad here a flyer there, offering the best service in town for the best price.

I'm sure you already know this, but it is often a poor idea to compete on price for what are viewed as "professional" services. Many people still have the mindset of "you get what you pay for", and if you charge half of what the other guy charges...

What can be a good idea, though, is to offer a discount on your service if the customer mentions the advertisement, is a new customer, etc.

Of course, charging a lot more than the competition, especially without a customer base, isn't going to work either. It's all about balance. Good luck and let us know what you find.