What grants are available for a computer-repair/sales business in PA
(started by a middle-class caucasian male). 

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Request for Question Clarification by missy-ga on 05 May 2002 20:59 PDT

Where in PA?  Some of the grants I've seen seem to be county and/or city specific. 

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Clarification of Question by squegie-ga on 06 May 2002 08:44 PDT

The town is Everett, PA which is in Bedford County (basically outside
of anything important ;) 

Hi there! When I started looking online for what grants would be
available to you, I found at first that the websites which seemed most
helpful and direct were those that taught *how* to find and obtain
grants rather than those that actually listed them. I'm still looking
for actual grants for you, but first I wanted to let you know of the
resources out there on the actual strategy of getting and finding
grants, which may be more useful to you in the long run.

On my first Google search, I found an add for a site called
governmentgrant.com. This website advertised a book about the vast
array of Government Grants that are available to people exactly in
your situation: business entrepreneurs. The site sells a book about
finding specific government grants and writing the proposals for them.

http://www.governmentgrant.com

I also found a site that sells software to search for Federal Grants.
You can find info about that at:

http://www.federalmoneyretriever.com/

Another book that I found through my initial Google search was about
the process of starting a business, which obviously includes the
captial acquisition step and talks about grants.

http://www.businessknowhow.com/Startup/200ideas.htm

Some more sites that provide resources for finding grants that would
fit your needs are:

http://www.grant-info.com
http://www.unclesamgrants.com

As you can see, the world of grants and government funding is very
large, but the world of resources for delving into this world is large
too. I hope I have been able to help you in some way to get started.

The Google searches I used were:

grant computer repair sales business
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=grant+computer+repair+sales+business

government grant computer
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=government+grant+computer

government grant
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=government+grant


Always glad to help,
AlchemistMax

Hi Squegie,

You at a familiar place to me.  I just started a business last fall
and was in the company of others doing the same.  This was one of the
most frequently asked questions!!

It seems you already have the Federal Grant resources from
Alchemistmax, so I'll address the programs in PA.

There are incentive programs offered by the Commonwealth for creating
jobs and locating your business in certain zones - those incentives
are in the form of tax credits or waivers.  These appear to be
directed solely at the larger company who is looking to expand or
relocate, not a new single-person business just starting out.
SEE PA Open for Business: 
http://www.paopen4business.state.pa.us/BIncentives/Incentives.asp

Grants are given for specific uses, and there does not appear to be
any grants available for use in your line of work.  There is a
comprehensive search tool available where you can search just by
"grants" within all of the program available in PA, but this yielded
no results for your type of business.
SEE PA's Business Resource Network (BRN) searchable database: 
http://www.teampa.com/new/scripts/business_ast.asp?sec=2

Another option available to you would be to inquire with your local
Small Business Administration.  They usually have very current, and
sometimes hard-to-find information concerning grant or other incentive
programs available in your area.  The main site is located at
http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/, from which you can find your local
office and resources.  The SBA office will also have the necessary
paperwork required to apply for any government grants which may be
available to you.

Now, if you're seeking financing, both of the above sites (Open for
Business and BRN) have great resources and direct links to financing
opportunities.  If you are interested in financing, let us know and
we'll track down more information for you!!

Great luck to you!!
-Tracker-