1,500 A Month To Live On While You Start Your Own Business…
… Did you know that the government will give you money to live on for 6 months while you start your own business? There are a number of states, including New York and Iowa that will allow you to collect unemployment money while you are trying to get your business started. It used to be that you could only receive unemployment compensation if you were actively looking for a job and going on job interviews. Now Uncle Sam considers entrepreneuring to be a legitimate job. Contact your state unemployment labor office to see what your local rules are on entrepreneuring.

$10,000 To Take Entrepreneur Training Courses…
… Each state has established local job-training centers that provide money to job seekers to upgrade their skills and get better jobs. Many of these local centers allow residents to use this money to train to become an entrepreneur. So you might very well be eligible to receive $10,000 to take a course in “How To Start Your Own Business.” Contact your state One-Stop Labor Information Center headquarters located in your state capital and they can direct you to a local office to explain how to get this money. Check them out at www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/onestop/onestopmap.cfm.

$100,000 To Be A Freelancer And Work From Your Kitchen Table…
… My wife got over $100,000 of government money to do consulting right out of our home. My sister got over $350,000 from the government to frame pictures. They are both government contactors and they make good livings as freelancers. To be a freelancer in this country all you need are business cards, a phone and a desk, and the government will take it from there. There are free offices around the country that will help any freelancer get government contracts. The government buys more of anything than anyone else in the world including: legal services, web design, aerobic instructors, landscaping, cleaning, and even stand-up comics. And only 20% of this business is in the Washington area. Can you believe that one year the government even spent $30,000 on a freelance priest? Contact your state Office of Economic Development located in your state capital or your local Procurement Assistance Office who can match the product or service you are selling with the appropriate agency, and then help you market your wares effectively. To find the office nearest you, contact Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office, Cameron Station, Room 4B110, Defense Logistics Agency, Alexandria, VA 22304; 703-767-1661; www.dla.mil.

Free Help To Turn Your Hobby Into A Career…
… Are you a hiker wishing you can find a job as a back-packer but don’t think there are any? Maybe you love golf, but know there is no way you are ever going to be good enough to make money playing it. Or, you love animals, but know you never want to go through the rigors of veterinary school and anyway, you cannot stand the sight of blood. Do not worry as there is always more than one way to make money with your passion and you can do it for FREE. There are dozens of little businesses that you can start for free around any area of interest and get all the free help you need to get them started. A back packer can sell backpacking equipment on the Internet or be a back packing tour operator. An avid golfer can sell golf related equipment or supplies or be a golf tour organizer. An animal lover can sell unique pet supplies on the web or offer pet sitting services. And none of these businesses require money to start. If you want to selling products start contacting manufactures and tell them so. If you start it on the web, you don’t even need samples, just pictures. If you sell off the web, the worst is that some manufacturers will ask you to purchase samples at a discount. But if you are enthusiastic, you can likely talk them out of this. For any service business, like hiking tours, golf tours or dog sitting, the only thing you need are customers. And if you cannot figure out the tours, find a tour operator doing business now and ask if you can sell their product. They will love it, and you will learn. If you need marketing, management, legal or any other kind of help, contact your state Office of Economic Development and ask for your local Small Business Development Center www.govengine.com. They will help you for free.

$250,000 To Buy Out Your Boss…
… There are a number of federal and state programs for employees who want to purchase the company where they are working. Some programs offer money for any reason and some for specific reasons like: making your company employee owned or keeping your employer from moving out of state. Contact your state Office of Economic Development located in your state capital (www.govengine.com) for a starting place for locating these programs.

$2,000 To $2,000,000 To Start A Business…
… Each year over 1,000,000 entrepreneurs will get government money to start or expand their business. You can get $20,000 to start a business at home or millions to build an energy business in Texas. This money can be in the form of grants, loans, loan guarantees, venture capital and contracts. There are literally thousands of places to contact at the state, federal and local government level. The best place to start is your state Office of Economic Development located in your state capital www.govengine.com, but make sure you do not stop there.

Get A $100,000 Government Contract On Anything…
… Need some help marketing your product or service to the government? The Procurement Assistance Offices are attuned to the federal procurement process, and can help you draw up a sensible business plan that will be successful. They can match the product or service you are selling with the appropriate agency, and then help you market you wares effectively. To find the office nearest you, contact Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office, Cameron Station, Room 4B110, Defense Logistics Agency, Alexandria, VA 2304; 703-767-1661; {www.dla.mil}.

Free Accounting Services For Non-Profits and Small Business…
… There are a number of organizations around the country that provide free accounting services to help non-profits, small businesses, and even needy individuals get the accounting help they need. They can help with bookkeeping instruction, system analysis, preparation of 990 forms, preparation for audits and free publications. A minimal one-time cost may be required. To find free accounting help in your area, contact Accountants for the Public Interest, University of Baltimore, Thurnel Business Center, Room 155, 1420 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; 410-837-6533; Fax: 410-837-6532. You can also contact your state association of Certified Public Accountants, as many may be able to direct you to a volunteer CPA who would be willing to help.

Get $75,000 In Trees and Bushes…
… Let the government help you to replace trees, bushes, and vines through the Tree Assistance Program. If you are a landscaper/orchardist and had plants damaged or destroyed by natural disaster, you can be reimbursed up to $75,000 for the cost to replant eligible trees, bushes, and vines. To find out how, contact the Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20250-0506; 202-720-7809 www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/tap04.htm.

Get Paid $75,000 To Send Product Samples Overseas…
… Reach new consumers with government money! Through the Quality Samples Program, let the government help you transport and market your products overseas, with funding up to $75,000. With over $2.5 million in funds available, you can introduce new foreign buyers to your agricultural product with the help of the USDA. For more information, contact the USDA-FAS Marketing Operations Staff, AG Box 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., Washington, DC 20250-1042; 202-720-4327; www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/qsp.html.

Ask Lesko…
“Mr. Lesko, why is grant information so expensive and difficult to find, doesn't the government have to give this money away, why do they make it so hard to get a hold of the information to attain it?”

Answer: It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s mostly politics. When Congress passes a law to give away millions of dollars to people to solve some problem, it is very difficult to get the Congress include an extra couple of million dollars to advertise that they are giving away millions of dollars! I was speaking to a legislative aid in the New York State legislature just this week and he was telling me how their congress continually gives out money in programs that only represent a small percentage of the people that are eligible, because they know that everyone eligible will not apply. He also told me of a county program near Albany that gives rebates on taxes paid for electricity and ZERO people applied for the money in the past 3 years. I’m going to track this one down.

The government does not purposely hide information about these programs. They just don’t have any money to advertise they are giving away the money. It comes down to the responsibility of the taxpayer to find out about these programs themselves. Many people need a tax expert to find out about getting money back from the IRS. I hope that we can be experts in helping people getting their money back from the rest of the government.

See Me Live on January 29th….
… and get your grant questions answered in person! Learn the facts about how to apply for and get a grant. Reserve your seat at www.howtogetagrant.com/grseminar1.

Want to Be Your Own Boss…?
… My new book, “Free Money for Entrepreneurs” will show you how! There are over 10,000 programs for people who want to start or expand a business including grants, low-interest loans, loans you don’t pay back, money when the bank says “no”. Plus hundreds of free services like free help with filling out money applications, free help getting government contacts, free legal help, free marketing help, and more. Order your copy today at www.howtogetagrant.com/grentrepreneurs1.