vacation rentals: I own property right next to a golf course in a rural area out in the country and would like to develope the land and build a cabin or two just as a weekend get away rental property. I am a single mom and have heard that there are several grants for women started businesses but I haven't found them yet. My property is in East Texas and would like to know if someone could point me in the right direction.|||It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business. And yes, grants mean PAPERWORK - lots and lots of it, that is why a cottage industry of grant writers was born. Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture. Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business. Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html鈥?/a> "The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments." Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE. http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALO鈥?/a> Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center's Foundation Grants for Individuals Online. It's a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don't have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.|||Your local library will have books on various types of grants that people can qualify for. One author coming to mind is Matthew Lesco but surely there are others in the same area. Make sure the concept is legitimate. There are alot of "too good to be true" offers out there.|||I had a buddy who did the matthew lesco (guy on tv in the funny suits) thing and it worked out for him. Took some time but in the end he got some cash|||Check out the small business association and see what they have listed|||Please, visit daveramsey.com to find out what not to do. He has probably messed up for you. Find a radio station or online so you can listen. do your project successfully with cash only. You might be able to get 97.5fm Houston 11am - 2pm Mon - Fri depending how far in E.Tx you are.|||If you have a decent business plan, you can get a bank construction loan/permanent loan & pay it back out of the earnings.