As advisors and community economic-development specialists, we are often approached by individuals who are looking to start a business or expand an existing one with one common question: “Are there any grants available for my business”? There is a simple and a complex answer to this question. The simple answer is yes there are some grants available, and the complex answer is that the grants offered may not apply to your business.
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For as long as they can remember, Tucker and Colin Ray have wanted to start their own business. The brothers grew up working for their Grandfather in his furniture and floor covering business located in Hamilton, NY. There they saw the great impact a small business can have on the community it belongs to, and how that community can rise up and support the small business in return. As a business advisor for the Onondaga Small Business Development Center (SBDC), I frequently encounter entrepreneurs with great ideas for new businesses. Most often, they are convinced that they have a business model that will be successful in the marketplace. Whether it is high-tech or low, product, service, or a combination of both, they are convinced that it is a winner. The owner of Natural Solutions, Erica Spencer, M.S. L.Ac., is a very motivated, hard working, and uniquely qualified entrepreneur. A graduate of Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture at NYCC, Erica received a Master’s Degree in Science and Acupuncture (MSA). She is a Licensed Acupuncturist certified by the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and Erica is also a United States Marine Corps (USMC) Veteran with over four years of experience working in the Mental Health and Chemical Dependency fields. The holidays are over, and as we reflect on the weight gain, credit card debt, and family get togethers, one thing may be sticking out in your head. At least everyone loved my recipe for “fill in the blank.” Maybe you are thinking that you should take your recipe that your family and friends adored so much and do something with it, like turn it into a business or a side hustle right? Well, let’s take a closer look at all that is involved to take your idea for a food business and make it a reality. Terry Powers lives with her best friend - a Golden Chow mix named Shadow - that she rescued from the shelter. Dogs have always been an important part of her family. That is why she decided to open 'Stay and Play Doggie Daycare' in 2014. Terry opened her business not only to help pet owners while they were away from their dogs during the day, but also because she wanted to surround herself with these loving animals. Combining “the rich heritage of cooperatives with the promise of 21st century technologies, free from monopoly, exploitation, and surveillance,” is the definition of platform cooperatives as presented in the 2017 edited compilation, “Ours to Hack and to Own: The Rise of Platform Cooperativism, A New Vision for the Future of Work and a Fairer Internet.” You may not be readily clear on what a platform-technology business is, but you have almost certainly been a consumer of one or more of these businesses, and maybe even a provider. Martin Butts was burned out after seven years working long hours in the cramped and bustling aisles of the Syracuse Cooperative Market. He was passionate about working with small scale and local food producers, but unsure about how to continue that work when he left. A chance encounter with a vendor from his time at the co-op in 2009 flipped a light switch and in a matter of days, Small Potatoes went live. Sometimes start-ups take some time to pull together both technically and mentally, as was the case with Sarah Curtis who is now operating Syracuse Mom’s Blog, LLC as a home-based business. In Sarah’s own words from the website at https://syracuse.citymomsblog.com/ – “Syracuse Moms Blog is a collaborative blog, parenting resource and community that strives to inform, empower and connect families in Central New York.” So much these days is written about entrepreneurship, but perhaps too little is written about the entrepreneur. What is an entrepreneur exactly? In fact the word itself has seen dramatically increasing popularity in recent years, probably due, in large part, to colleges adopting entrepreneurship programs of study. But how do we define entrepreneur in dictionary terms? |
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