Finally decided to start your own company but having problems finding the necessary startup capital in order to get it running? Have no fear, the Government is here! Yes, I did just say The Government. The US Government offers free grants to small business owners as a way to help encourage growth and stability. While there are thousands of these offers available every year, very few are even applied for? Why is that? Because most people don’t even know they exist!

Every new entrepreneurs dreams to take his business to the Forbes 100 List but most of them fail to realize realistic goals. One of the largest contributing factors to this is a lack of startup capital or initial investment. Running your own business is expensive, something that is easy to miss-judge. For this reason, the Government offers free grants that are available to boost new business here in America.

So how can I get one of these small business grants? Simple, you need to search one of the many thousand offers available to find one that fits your needs and requirements. Some guidelines regarding that process as well as some tips on what to look for in a grant offer can be found online. Once you’ve found the offer that fits your company you then need to submit a business plan/grant application.

Some important things to keep in mind when applying to offers:

1. Presentation of the business plan -

The first important step is the presentation. Any small business grant distributor will be interested primarily in how you tend to use the money if they give it to you, and also how you plan on using the funds to make a profit. The difference between a bank loan and a federal grant is you don’t have to show them how you’ll repay it (grants are cash gifts), which means you should focus on the ultimate goal of your business rather than the small steps you plan on taking to generate revenue along the way.

2. The message conveyed in the business plan -

The business plan is the cornerstone of any grant application This plan give a clear idea of your goals and vision as well as a rough timetable for accomplishing these goals. The potential in your business is shown in your business plan and it is the plan itself, which increases the confidence that the grant distributers will have in you.

3. The Eligibility for small business grants sanction -

* Small business grants are readily extended to small business industries to help them grow, only if they have a potential.

* Small business grants bodies have their own objectives and give grants money to those satisfying them in the best possible manner.

* The location of the business is one big reason for sanction of small business grants. The government wants decentralization of industries in order to avoid migration toward cities. For example, you’d have an easier time securing a government small business grant if you planned on being headquartered in upstate New York rather than downtown New York City.

Author: Tom Conrad
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

photo credit: janiejonesmt

Don’t underestimate the value of advertising your pet sitting business online. Advertising in directories, using pay-per-click and Squidoo and Hubpages can increase your website’s traffic and sales conversion rates.

Advertising in Directories

Look for directories that cater to your business’ location and your target demographic. For example, if your business is located in California and your target demographic is older women dog owners, consider submitting your business into directories that appeal to California residents, dog owners and women. It’s even better if you find a directory devoted to dog-owning women in California.

Some Tips: Read the rest of this entry »

The holidays are right around the corner and holiday merchandising is an important way to increase sales. Whether you have a boutique or traditional pet store, merchandising the store festively can increase your bottom line in numerous ways. Once customers see the beautiful holiday window displays and store merchandising, the holiday mood and spending has begun. There is some debate on when to start holiday merchandising – too early and customers might be put off but too late and you might lose trigger sales. A good rule of thumb is Nov 1st; take those Halloween displays down and replace with the Christmas and Hannukah displays.

There are many ways to increase holiday business but four key elements are knowledgeable salespeople, point of purchase displays, holiday gift baskets and setting the holiday scene. First and foremost is your staff – having knowledgeable salespeople who know the product line as well as all the product offerings is key to successful sales. Even with the most gorgeous holiday displays, if your salespeople can’t sell the items, the holiday displays are serving merely as a store decoration. Kerry King from Kool Dog Kafe, a doggie bakery in New Mexico, states, “Sales associates up selling last minute items or gift certificates are extremely important in successful holiday business.”

Point of purchase displays and those last minute items at the register are also a great way to increase add on sales at the holidays. Kerry King recommends, “Rounders or shelves around your counter for impulse purchases are important as well as point of sale signage at the counter with hot holiday items.” Kristen Stavistky from Max’s Place, a pet boutique in Spring Valley, NY, suggests holiday impulse items should be displayed at the counter, “Cute dog toys are perfect or all-natural dog biscuits. The key is inexpensive, $10 and under, and cute, unique gifts. You want to show items that people will “need” to buy.”

Gift baskets are also a key holiday merchandising technique that will increase your sales. The baskets add to the festivity of the store while giving your customers a great gift idea for their friends or pets. Kerry King states, “We find holiday gift baskets and packaged sets make for easy gift shopping and increased sales”.

Finally, your store should encapsulate the holiday season with color, in store merchandising and holiday window displays. Basically, you want to “set the scene” of the entire store with an assortment of products and holiday accouchements. Kerry from Kool Dog Kafe recommends, “We found using theatrical props such as a sleigh or fake snow, etc. in our window displays draws attention to the store with a hip/cool element.” Kristen from Max’s Place suggests, “We’ve found that it helps to set the scene; we include a range of products so that we can inspire our customers. They might feel as if they are looking at a room in a house, rather than a single item display. We also group products by color and style.” Elena Ferrante from Sophisticated Canines in Westwood, NJ recommends setting up little vignettes with a holiday theme to show people how the items could be used, i.e. have a little decorated Christmas tree set up with a dressed up stuffed dog wearing holiday attire. She states, “Set up the display so that people can envision how their purchases will look.” Whether it’s grouping products by color, style or showing how the products can be used, it’s important that the entire scene of the store flows together with your chosen holiday theme.

The holidays (Christmas, Hannukah, etc) are a great way to enlighten your store with color, products and displays but what about other holidays during the year such as Thanksgiving, Halloween and more. These are great opportunities to spruce up the store with color, themes and products to sell. Kristin from Max’s Place suggests decorating the store with goblins, ghosts and dummies at Halloween and she even has one idea that might really spook the clientele, “We also have been known to color our pond and fountain displays and have an eyeball or two floating by!” Kerry from Kool Dog Kafe says, “We bring Halloween decorations to create a spooky atmosphere and also use fall leaves and hay bails. This time of year is such a great time for creating that cozy (shopping) holiday experience.”

Whether you are decorating your store for Christmas, Hannukah, Halloween or even Ground Hogs Day, remember to spotlight your best holiday merchandise.

Quick Tips for Holiday Merchandising:

Do use holiday colors and holiday product assortment for unique displays
Do set up holiday scenes rather then random products
Do use fun props such as lighted sleds, snowmen, etc
Don’t let your props overtake your products being displayed
Don’t use items that can be dangerous to animals, i.e. poinsettias, open cords

Author: Lori Dotterweich
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty

To most people, figuring out how to apply for small business grant isn’t the most enjoyable thing. A lot of people get frustrated and bored within a few weeks. Of course, there are no advertisements from the US government on the amount of funds to be offered as grants.

Actually, one needs to have a number of qualifications for applying for a small business grant. Then again, it’s also true that grants can be endorsed for anyone who is a legitimate American resident.

However, grants are extended towards individuals as well as small businesses. If you want to get grants for your small business, you can consider the following steps.

Step 1
Address a problem that is half-way to the solution. Carefully judge your situation to figure out what your needs may be. Perform some research to understand the kind of grant that may meet your current needs, and how to justify it.

Fortunately, you’ll find the SBA and/or the SBDC useful here. Grant applications of a lot of people were turned down just because they were unacquainted with their specific funding needs. So if you want to apply for small business grant, make sure you can explain how your grant will benefit your business directly.

Step 2
Make sure that you’re meeting your grant requirements. When you apply for the grant money for your individual needs, rather than the needs of your company/business, then you won’t qualify for the special advantages or privileges available for companies.

So in addition to knowing your organizational needs, you must register your company before applying for the grant. This registration ensures that you’re applying for the grant to support your company – not you as an individual.

Step 3
When you’re applying for a grant to support your small business, you can expect better results by applying online. The majority of the government grant applications are available online. Luckily, the online application process is designed to save you much of the lengthy procedural steps otherwise needed.

In addition, the online procedure of applying is much faster. All formalities are arranged and broken down into a step-by-step process. And government grant sites also have FAQ sections. All online grant requests are assigned a particular Funding Opportunity Number.

This number is of major importance. You have to provide this number when you want to download the application. You’ll need it in the registration process on the Central Contractor Registry. The same is true when you apply for other type of grants.

Step 4
Now is the time you get prepared with your grant proposal letter. You’ll also need your business plan at this stage. You can get some help from the nearest branch of SBA or SBDA. They will assist you and make your job of applying for small business grant much easier.

Author: Benjamin Tan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Excise Tax

As you know, millions of American families go on vacation every
year. It’s the great American Summer tradition. And now, with
travel prices going down, many more families are expected to
travel this year.

This is why now is the perfect time to start a pet-sitting, dog
walking, or doggie day care business. With families on the
move, demand is going nowhere but up. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you worried about the nutritional value your dog is receiving from his current brand of food? If so, you may want to explore a new option: make your own dog food. That’s right: you can make your own dog food; and it isn’t even time consuming or expensive. Not only will it be fun, but it will also help rover by giving him something that isn’t loaded with potentially-harmful chemicals.

Right now is perhaps the best time to get started, too, since many other pet owners are looking for alternatives to commercial foods in the wake of the imported dog food scare. Indeed, if you wanted to, you could not only cook food for your own dog, but you could also start a business that sells to many dog owners who wish to keep their pets safe. Read the rest of this entry »