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Check out these 6 private small business grants for women-owned businesses.
September 3, 2015 11 Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses – Part 2

Thanks for joining us for part 2 of this 2-part series. (5 Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses) Let’s continue with the last 6 private grants for women-owned businesses.

6 More Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

  1. Chase Google — Mission Main Street Project: Google has partnered up with Chase to create private grants for women-owned businesses. Together, they award winners with $3 million in small business grants. In 2014, grant winners received $150,000 each to help expand their small businesses. The lucky winners also received:
    • $2,000 coupons to help with Google Consumer Surveys market research studies
    • Google Chromebook laptops
    • Trips to the Google headquarters
  2. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR): This program, which is award-based, includes a partnership between 11 different federal government agencies. The program helps small businesses owned by women explore the potential of their technological products and services.
  3. Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR): This program focuses on federal research. It’s in place to help fund development in order to provide women-owned businesses with funding opportunities specifically for research and development.
  4. Women Veteran Entrepreneur Corp (WVEC) Small Business Competition: This grant is organized by Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and Capitol One. For this competition, you’ll have to present a 2-minute pitch to judges. You’ll be competing for the chance to take part in a 9-month business accelerator program.
  5. Wal-Mart Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative (WEE): Yes, Wal-Mart offers private grants for women-owned businesses. These grants are for both US-based businesses and international companies. The small business funding opportunities are part of a very big Wal-Mart initiative. Over the next five years, awards will increase to $40 billion.
  6. Zions Bank — Smart Women Smart Money: Is your woman-owned business based within the state of Utah? Then, this may be the small business grant for you. Awards of $3,000 each are given out each year, across six different categories, with business being one of them.
Check out these 6 private small business grants for women-owned businesses.
Check out these 6 private small business grants for women-owned businesses.
Image Source: Edu-Schools

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The EntreMarketing Group will help you build your business brand so that your award money doesn’t go to waste. Contact The EntreMarketing Group about helping you grow your woman-owned business into a brand your target market knows and trusts.

Check out these private grants for women-owned businesses in the US.
September 2, 2015 11 Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses – Part 1

Looking for private grants for women-owned businesses to help you launch your start-up or grow your company? Well, The EntreMarketing Group is here to help. In this 2-part series, we’ll explore 11 different small business grants specifically designed for companies with female ownership.

5 Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

Here are the first five on this week’s list of 11 private grants for women-owned businesses. Check them out:

Check out these private grants for women-owned businesses in the US.
Check out these private grants for women-owned businesses in the US.
Image Source: Tommy Toy
  1. The Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program: Each year, five grants are awarded to businesses that are 100% women-owned. The principles behind the company must include innovation, sustainability and social consciousness.
  2. Huggies Brand — Mom Inspired Grants: Dedicated to the development and advancement of innovative products related to motherhood. Award winners receive grants of up to $15,000 and resources to help them advance product development and small business startups.
  3. FedEx Think Bigger — Small Business Grant Program: Award winners share $75,000 in grants. Applicants share their visions, which are judged by votes from the general public to become finalists. This small business grant allows you to promote your business as you compete for votes.
  4. Idea Café Small Business Grant: This is a freeway online gateway that gives you access to various small business grants all hosted on one website. Currently, it’s promoting the 16th Small Business Cash Grant. The grand prize is $1,000, which will be awarded to the woman-owned business with the most innovative idea.
  5. InnovateHER: 2015 Innovating for Women Business Challenge: This is one of the private grants for women-owned businesses sponsored by the SBA (Small Business Administration) Office of Women’s Ownership. In the end, three awards of $30,000 each in prize money will be given to the three businesses that make major impacts on the lives of women.

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The EntreMarketing Group will help you build your business brand so that your award money doesn’t go to waste. Contact The EntreMarketing Group about helping you grow your woman-owned business into a brand your target market knows and trusts.

Next, We Explore 6 More Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

Tips to Getting Organized When Applying for a Grant
September 1, 2015 Women-Owned Businesses: The Art of Applying for a Grant

There are many funding opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Many of them have been specially designed to meet the specific needs of women-owned businesses. Whether your business is a new start-up venture or you’re trying to grow your business, there’s probably a funding source just for you. But, you need to be very organized before applying for a grant. That way, you can keep up with the demanding requirements of each one without getting all discombobulated.

Tips to Getting Organized When Applying for a Grant

Once you’ve found a funding source for your small business, now it’s time to go through the tedious, demanding application process. When applying for a grant for your small business, follow these simple tips to keep you organized each step of the way:

Tips to Getting Organized When Applying for a Grant
Tips to Getting Organized When Applying for a Grant
  • Eligibility – Read all of the eligibility requirements and grant guidelines before applying for a grant.
  • Checklist – Create a comprehensive checklist for all of the information, data and documents required to apply for the small business grant.
  • Rules – Make sure you follow the rules and application guidelines down to the t. It would be wise to have someone double-check your work to ensure that all accompanying documents and info is in place.
  • Time – Don’t wait until the last minute to get started on your grant application. Go ahead and get started early, so you’ll have time to make changes before submitting your app.

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Ready to start applying for a grant? Then, continue with this Women-Owned Business Grants series. Tomorrow, we’ll explore some really small business grants designed specifically for women entrepreneurs and small businesses owned by women. Or, go back and read our earlier post “Understanding Small Business Grants for Women-Owned Businesses” and learn five tips to finding grants for women-owned businesses.

Next, we’ll explore a list of Private Grants for Women-Owned Businesses.

Women-Owned Companies need tools designed specifically for growing businesses owned by females.
June 19, 2015 Small Business Tools for Women-Owned Companies

Business ownership for women is becoming more and more competitive these days. As new startups continue to sprout up, women find themselves competing with male counterparts for small business loans and funding sources. That’s why so many women have turned to networking with other businesswomen, both online and offline. This is one of the most effective ways to learn about small business tools specifically designed for women-owned companies.

SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership

The Small Business Association’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership was established for networking purposes. Its mission is to launch and manage an entire network of Office of Women’s Business Centers (WBC) across the country.

Women-Owned Companies need tools designed specifically for growing businesses owned by females.
Women-Owned Companies need tools designed specifically for growing businesses owned by females. Image Source: Pixabay

Women business owners gain access to small business resources needed to help companies grow. WBC provides female entrepreneurs and business owners with technical assistance and management tools.

Women entrepreneurs, especially those considered to be socially or financially disadvantaged, can receive comprehensive counseling and training. Participants learn about a wide variety business-related topics. All the resources were designed to help women start new businesses, as well as help established women-owned companies grow and succeed.

InnovateHer Women Business Challenge

InnovateHer is a business challenge for women-owned ventures. It was created to help businesswomen uncover innovative services and products that empower and impact women and the families they lead. Now that women make up about half of the American workforce, these types of challenges are critical to the US economy.

With the InnovateHer women business challenge, female entrepreneurs can:

  • Impact the lives and productivity of other women and their families
  • Learn more about and take part in commercialization
  • Fill various necessities already existing within the workplace

DIY Corporate Credit Series for Women-Owned Companies

DIY Corporate Credit Series

Finding funding and small business loans can be a bit of a challenge for women-owned companies. That’s why networking with women entrepreneurs is so important. Network with us and ready our DIY Corporate Credit Series to learn about resources to help your woman-owned business grow and succeed today.

Your Company’s Profile is Very Important to Establishing and Building Corporate Credit
June 11, 2015 DIY Corporate Credit Series: Your Company’s Profile, Banking, Assets, Revenue and Insurance

Lenders, credit cards companies, vendors and other potential creditors will review your company from various angles before granting credit. Establishing corporate credit means establishing your company’s profile. Today, in our DIY Corporate Credit Series, we briefly discuss the following:

  • Business Bank Account
  • Company Assets
  • Corporate Revenue
  • Business Insurance

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Read DIY Corporate Credit Series: How Does Business Credit Scoring Work?

Your Company’s Profile and Business Bank Account

Creditors will look at the age of your business bank account. As far as creditors are concerned, you began conducting business the day that first account was established. So, establish a business checking account as soon as possible, and maintain it throughout the life of the company. And, make sure the business information on the account matches the rest of your company’s identity documents and sources identically.

Many business credit experts recommend having an average minimum balance of no less than $10,000. It should be in your company’s primary business checking for at least the last three months.

Your bank rating is not as complicated as you may think. This is how business bank rating works in general:

  • The scale is Low, Medium and High
  • It’s based on the amount of digits in your average minimum balance

So, let’s say the average minimum balance is $1,000. That’s the low end of 4-digits, making your bank rating a “Low 4.” However, if it’s $50,000, which is the medium portion of 5 digits. So, the bank rating would be a “Medium 5.”

Your Company’s Profile and Company Assets

Does your organization own assets? Then, congratulations! You have a much better chance of obtaining corporate credit and the capital you need. That’s because many assets can be sold or leveraged in order to obtain working capital. Assets also give you access to more lenders willing to work with you, as well as more favorable loan terms.

Your Company’s Profile and Corporate Revenue

Your Company’s Profile is Very Important to Establishing and Building Corporate Credit
Your Company’s Profile is Very Important to Establishing and Building Corporate Credit
Image Source: mancai/Deviant Art

You’ll need to show creditors and lenders that your business is capable of managing debt. That means having verifiable revenue. And, the best way to support the consistency of this corporate revenue is by making timely payments. This shows that you not only bring in enough revenue to manage the company, but you manage the revenue itself properly. Creditors and lenders weigh this greatly as you try to build corporate credit.

Your Company’s Profile and Business Insurance

If you’re seeking bank financing or loans, most will require proof of various types of business insurance. These institutions want assurance that debts will still be repaid in the event of unexpected catastrophes.

For example, if your personal health fails, you can’t run the business. If you’re in an automobile wreck, and you’re uninsured, you stand the chance of being sued. And, if a customer or employee is hurt on your premises, that could be disastrous for you and the company.

So, banks may require proof that you have personal health insurance, automobile insurance, business liability insurance, maybe even disability insurance. These are very important for establishing corporate credit with banking institutions.

Your Company’s Profile Online

You need to establish your company’s profile online as well. That means having a responsive website, regularly published, unique blog posts and social media marketing for your business brand. Ready to get started? Contact EntreMarketing Group about customizing a business brand building package for your business today.

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This concludes our DIY Corporate Credit Series. Would you like to review this series all in one place? We’re putting together an eBook for you to download. Come back next week to get your free eBook download DIY Corporate Credit Series: How to Establish Business Credit for Your Company.

Sample of a D&B Credit Report and Credit Score
June 10, 2015 DIY Corporate Credit Series: How Does Business Credit Scoring Work?

What are the three main business credit scoring agencies in the US? They are Dun and Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax. As you’re building corporate credit for your business, you’ll also be building your company’s credit score. Knowing how each one manages the business credit scoring process will help you grow your business through funding and other financial means.

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Read DIY Corporate Credit Series: Your Company’s Equifax Credit Profile

How Do the 3 Primary Agencies Calculate Business Credit Scoring?

Each one of the main three business credit scoring agencies does its own mathematical calculations differently. This is how each determines your company’s credit worthiness and the likelihood of timely payments being made. Corporate credit scores are accumulated based on past payment history with creditors who have granted financing, loans, credit cards, etc…

Dun and Bradstreet Paydex Score Business Credit Scoring

Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) uses a simple credit scoring system. Similar to your personal FICO score, it calculates scores from 0-100. Generally, a Paydex score of 75 or better is considered “good business credit.” With such a score, your company can typically establish credit with new creditors on its own merit.

Click here to order your D&B Paydex Credit Score

Sample of a D&B Credit Report and Credit Score
Sample of a D&B Credit Report and Credit Score
Image Source: D&B

Experian Intelliscore Report Business Credit Scoring

As one of the largest credit reporting agencies in America, Experian is very important for building business credit. This agency uses its own unique method of calculating corporate credit scores known as “Intelliscore.”

Click here to order your Experian Business Credit Score

Establish Your Company’s Experian Credit Profile to Help Build Your Corporate Credit
Establish Your Company’s Experian Credit Profile to Help Build Your Corporate Credit
Image Source: Experian

Equifax Small Business Risk Credit Scoring

Another major business credit scoring agency that helps you build corporate credit is Equifax. Its numerical value helps your company’s potential creditors determine its creditworthiness. The higher the Equifax credit score, the less risk, according to scoring factors.

Click here to order your Equifax Small Business Credit Report

Equifax Small Business Credit Scoring
Equifax Small Business Risk Credit Scoring
Image Source: Equifax

Build Your Business Brand and Business Credit Yourself

The best way to build business credit yourself is to make all of your payments on time. To build a D&B Paydex business credit score of 75 or better, you must have at least five creditors reporting on-time payments.

Ready to build your business brand to improve your credibility with potential creditors? The EntreMarketing Group helps small businesses build brands that sustain the test of time. Contact CEO Kereen Henry about customizing a small business brand marketing package for you today.

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Tune in tomorrow when we continue this series with ‘DIY Corporate Credit Series: Your Company’s Banking, Assets, Revenue and Insurance’…

6 Benefits of Getting Your FREE DUNS Number
June 4, 2015 DIY Corporate Credit Series: Using a Free DUNS Number to Obtain Corporate Credit

Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) makes it possible for new start-ups, entrepreneurs and small business owners to get business credit. This is done by starting a credit profile with D&B using what the organization calls a D-U-N-S number. You can always get a Free DUNS Number directly from D&B.

Read DIY Corporate Credit Series: Verify Your Business Entity Information

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6 Benefits of Getting Your FREE DUNS Number

What is a D-U-N-S number? DUNS stands for Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. It’s a 9-character, unique identification number which identifies your company’s location.

6 Benefits of Getting Your FREE DUNS Number
6 Benefits of Getting Your FREE DUNS Number

Here are six lucrative benefits of getting a free DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet:

  1. Universal Recognition – DUNS numbers are the most widely used identification numbers for US businesses. Most banks, lenders, suppliers, vendors and other creditors use D&B credit reports as determining factors for granting corporate credit.
  2. Establishes Credibility – Your DUNS number shows potential creditors that you care about the corporate image of your business. It’s a sign that you plan to comply with D&B business regulations and are willing to make your company’s information publically viewable.
  3. SSL Certificate – If you decide to apply for an Extended Validation (EV) SSL secure certificates for your website or other type of SSL certificate, having a free DUNS number will speed up the validation process. No document verifications will be needed.
  4. Federal Government Contracts – You must have a DUNS number in order to apply for Federal government contracts. Without one, you won’t even be allowed to register for them in the SAM, the System for Award Management.
  5. Federal Government Loans – If you plan to apply for a loan from the Small Business Association (SBA), you’ll need a DUNS number. Without one, you won’t have access to this type of corporate credit.
  6. Applying for Corporate Credit – Your DUNS number gives potential creditors access to your D&B credit report. This makes it much easier to get approved for business loans and corporate credit lines. Instead of going through a lengthy verification process, lenders, banks and other creditors can simply run your company’s D&B credit report for quick access to references and credit history.

* Remember that you can always get a FREE DUNS number directly from Dun & Bradstreet online.

Already have a business website? Contact The EntreMarketing Group about performing a website evaluation to ensure that your site meets Google’s new mobile-friendly standards today.

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Tune in tomorrow when we continue this series with ‘DIY Corporate Credit Series: Get Your DUNS Number Free’…

You have to stay motivated if you truly want to see your business succeed.
May 20, 2015 3 Tips to Stay Motivated and Lead Your Business to Success

The thrill of launching your start-up is long gone. You’re now engrossed in the day-to-day challenges of running your own business. And, you seem to be losing motivation to continue pushing forward. So, what do you do to stay motivated to keep pushing forward? We have some tips for you.

3 Ways for Entrepreneurs to Stay Motivated for Business Success

Follow these three tips to help you stay motivated to drive your small business down the road that leads to success:

1. Set Realistic Business Goals

Is your start-up goal to earn $1,000,000 this year? Then, more than likely, you won’t be achieving that goal. You’re literally setting yourself (and your business) up for failure.

It’s okay to set these kinds of long-term goals. But, for a goal for this year, you need to set more reasonable short-term goals instead. Set multiple smaller goals and create milestones you can actually track and measure.

Then, draw up a plan of action to achieve those goals. Tackle that plan… one day at a time, and that will help you stay motivated to achieve business success.

You have to stay motivated if you truly want to see your business succeed.
You have to stay motivated if you truly want to see your business succeed.

2. Remember How Badly You Want to Succeed and Achieve

Do you know what the most important asset of a successful entrepreneur is these days? Perseverance. Two of the keys to keeping women entrepreneurs and small business owners motivated are:

  1. Ambition
  2. Determination

These two tools drive an entrepreneur’s need to succeed and achieve. And, it’s that need to keeps entrepreneurs from giving up each time they experience a failure.

When you find yourself losing your morale, take a look around and figure out who’s pushing you towards business success. Maybe it’s a goal-oriented mentor or an inspiring energized colleague. Either way, surround yourself with people who will motivate you by cheering you on through your journey to achieve big things and accomplish the success you desire.

3. Take Care of You

Most driven women entrepreneurs and small business owners have the potential to become workaholics. That’s okay, as you as you remember that being overworked and being invested aren’t one in the same.

Make time to take care of yourself each day. Eat right. Stay hydrated. Work out. And, by all means, take breaks during the day. Woman Entrepreneur Sharon Middendorf shares what she does to stay motivated:

“…ambition, exercise and meditation. This inspires and guides me through the days.”

If you’re not healthy, you can run a healthy business. If you don’t feel energized, you won’t be able to keep up the momentum you need to push your company forward. So, do whatever it takes to keep yourself healthy, energized and, of course, stay motivated to keep your company on the path to success.

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Ready to lead your small business to financial success? The EntreMarketing Group helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners build successful brands online. Schedule a free brand-building consultation with the EntreMarketing Group today.

How to Write a Killer Proposal to Help You Land that Contract.
December 5, 2014 How to Write a Killer Proposal Your Potential Client Can’t Resist

When it comes to writing a proposal, this can be a daunting task for many women entrepreneurs. But, with the right tools, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed. And, let’s face it, if you want to land that contract, you’re going to need a killer proposal to win that potential client’s confidence.

Not everyone has extra dough to dish out to a professional proposal writer, especially if you’re just starting out as a small business owner. That means you’ll need to sit down, bite the bullet, and write that killer proposal yourself. So, how do you get started?

Featured Image: How to Write a Killer Proposal to Help You Land that Contract. Image Source: Freshbooks

How to Prepare to Write that Killer Proposal?

Well, to begin preparing a killer proposal, you need to determine two things:

  1. What’s the purpose of the proposal? In other words, what are you offering, and what do you want the reader to do after reading the proposal? The latter will act as your Call to Action (CTA) in your killer proposal.
  2. Who will be reading the proposal? This is important because you wouldn’t come at a woman entrepreneur running a news website the same way you would a male business owner running a real estate business. Each killer proposal needs to be tailored to speak directly to the intended reader.

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