Small Business Grants and Loans Worth Exploring – Especially for Technology Startups

CNNMoney.com recently featured a story focusing on a number of resources for small businesses grants.  The story contends that while grants for small businesses are rare, they are out there and they are well worth researching.  

The information needed to find and apply for legitimate grants is publicly available and free.  There are typically more of these grants available for technology startups.  The federal government awards more than $2 billion each year through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.  

Then there are programs available through state, county and city governments.  The article cites the TechColumbus TechGenesis program as one such program that allows technology entrepreneurs to test their ideas to see if they are business worthy.  The TechColumbus TechGenesis fund is supported by the Ohio Third Frontier and other partners.  The fund has been supporting small technology startups since 2007.  

Another local resource for small business loans in INCREASE Community Development Corporation (CDC).  INCREASE CDC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase economic and self sufficiency through micro-enterprise development, personal financial education and job creation.  INCREASE CDC recently received $50,000 in stimulus funding from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.  These funds are earmarked for suburban entrepreneurs – those small businesses located outside the city of Columbus, but inside Franklin County.

For more information on small business grants, see the story posted on CNNMoney.com 

For more details on the INCREASE CDC small business loan program, see the release from INCREASE CDC