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Helping Business Grow
Funding Targets "Rural" Areas 
By Marissa Berg, Grant and Contract Funding Consultant

One of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most successful grant programs could get needed funds into your hands and help grow your business to what you have always desired it to be. It’s called the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) Program. This program provides grants for rural projects that finance and help develop small and emergingbusiness. It also assists in the development of distance learning networks and adult education programs that will increase employment. However, small business cannot go at it alone. Strong partnerships among several businesses are the key to success in a project like this. The funder wants to see a coalition of businesses in a rural area working together in a common goal. There is no maximum level of grant funding available. Generally, grants range from $10,000 to $500,000 and smaller projects are given higher priority.

An RBEG program can be used for the acquisition of development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings, plants, machinery, equipment, access streets and roads, parking areas, utilities; pollution control and abatement; capitalization of revolving loan funds including funds that will make loans for start ups and working capital; training and technical assistance; distance adult learning for job training and advancement; rural transportation improvement; and project planning. All projects must benefit small and emerging private businesses, which are considered as businesses that will employ less than 50 employees and have less than $1 million in gross revenue.

Marketing used to be much simpler in past decades. The choices for advertising and promotion were much more limited. Today, however, the selections are vast and constantly changing concerning the sundry choices available to market your wares or services effectively. One of the newest and best-received technologies for use in marketing is the creative integration of Quick Response Codes, more commonly known as QR Codes. 

QR Codes, and their considerable applications, are quickly starting to dominate the marketing arena.  As today’s world increasing relies heavily on hand-held devices that...

Chances are you have heard of the so-called free money that is being given out on any given day, but for some reason you don’t know one person or you only know a few people that have been the benefactors of grants.  Grant giving is the process of giving money to an organization or person by another entity like the federal, state, local government, university, or foundation to fulfill an agenda (like improving literacy, beautification projects, cleaning up toxic sites, etc.).  Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations make up the largest number of grant recipients and generally they are the most competitive at receiving them. However, for-profits also receive grants.