Finding Business Loans, Grants, Incentives and Financing

Encouraging small business growth, whether through loans or incentives is a key part of the economic development plan of every state in the nation. Some states even offer small business grants. Small business incentives offered by the states could include subsidized low-interest rates on SBA loans, tax breaks and participation in business incubator programs.

Finding these specialized, state-based business incentive programs can be a daunting task. Fortunately, the Business.gov website, a service of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a simple tool for finding them.

On the Business.gov Search for Business Loans, Grants and Financing page, you simply specify what type of assistance you need -- like starting or expanding your business - the type of business you have or want to start, and the state in which you business is or will be located. You can also tell the program to search for opportunities specifically available special classes of business owners, including women, minorities, persons with disabilities and members of the U.S. military community.

The Search for Business Loans, Grants and Financing program will return a current list of all financing opportunities and incentive programs currently offered by the federal government and the state you selected.

Business Incubators Briefly

"Business incubators nurture the development of entrepreneurial companies, helping them survive and grow during the start-up period, when they are most vulnerable. These programs provide their client companies with business support services and resources tailored to young firms. The most common goals of incubation programs are creating jobs in a community, enhancing a community's entrepreneurial climate, retaining businesses in a community, building or accelerating growth in a local industry, and diversifying local economies." -- The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA)