Small Business Grants - Free or Low Cost Consulting for Your Small Business

by: Michael Saunders
Did you know that it is possible for you to receive free or low cost consulting for your small business? If it sounds too good to be true, rest assured it is actually possible. Not only does it make sense economically, but you would be receiving advice from professionals who have extensive business experience.

The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) provides grants to fund either active or retired business management professionals to train and/or counsel existing small business owners or those who have an interest in starting their own small business.

SCORE works with the Small Business Administration and works with this agency to serve existing and aspiring small business owners. SCORE is the nation's largest volunteer business counseling service.

SCORE was established in 1964 and has been a tremendous service to small business owners. SCORE has provided advice on how to grow and start their small business to over 8.5 million people. SCORE's purpose is to connect volunteer business professionals (with extensive management experience) with the owners and/or managers or small businesses that feel that they would benefit from the expertise.

There are approximately 11,500 SCORE volunteers serving throughout the entire 50 United States. With over 370 local chapters, there is likely a SCORE volunteer within your vicinity.
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Small Business Grants - Free or Low Cost Consulting for Your Small Business
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About The Author You can find more information on business grants for women and programs offered by both the federal and state governments at Top Government Grants. We also provide additional resources on wide variety of grants for small business and entrepreneurial topics on our home-based business site. Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Additional Resources

category - Small Business Grants

Small Business Administration Background
The Small Business Administration was established in 1953. Since that time the agency has dispensed millions of dollars in loans and loan guarantees, contracts, consulting assistance and other programs for small business across the United States.

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Small Business Administration's Portable Assistance Program
The Small Business Administration has established the Portable Assistance Program wherein they seek to provide grants to Small Business Development Lead Centers that provide services to small businesses in an effort to increase the success of small business establishments and their viability in certain communities where economic hardship is apparent and is attributable to the impact of a major disaster.

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Historically Underutilized Business Zones - HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program
The Small Business Administration has established the Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) Empowerment Contracting Program wherein they aim to provide federal contracting assistance to eligible small business corporations which are located in underutilized business zones so as to improve their employment opportunities, investments, and their area's economic development.

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Small Business Administration's Recovery Capital Loans
The Recovery Capital Loans Program provides financial assistance to small business with less than 500 employees to obtain a deferred payment loan from the agency, in order to meet existing debt payments, thereby giving the business the opportunity to refocus their business strategy.

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