About 10 million women own business in the United States. Of the 10 million businesses owned by women, just fewer than 2 million businesses are owned by minority women. It is a sure bet that many of these women in business today get started or grew their business thanks to federal business grants.

The government and its many agencies recognize the ingenuity of females who are able to balance many obligations in their lives and still drive a business to success. This track record created by successful women has paved the way for many more to seek federal funding to start or enhance their own businesses.

Business Grants for Women

There are many types of grants available to support and encourage women in business:

Federal business grants are available for specific purposes, primarily to help small businesses and individuals do the work of the government among the people. High tech businesses, businesses that assist others within the community and businesses that enhance or improve others are all likely candidates for federal business grants for women.

Private grants are offered by individuals or private companies. These grants are often awarded for specific reasons as well, but will often have less stringent qualifications than federal grants. Martha Steward, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, and Bill Gates are well-known individuals who offer private grants to women.

Corporate grants are those offered by companies seeking to promote self-serving interests, such as Boeing offering grants for innovating avionics, or to enhance the communities the corporations serve. Corporate grants are vast and have tremendous possibilities for women seeking funds to improve themselves, their businesses or their community.

Professional grants are available through universities and groups. These grants are often provided to members, but not always. A university might offer grants for higher learning or research. Groups such as Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, for example, might have a more dedicated focus on medical and health research.

Seeking Business Grants for Women

There are a huge number of grants available to women in business, but many of the grants go unclaimed each year. This is partly due to the increasing number of grants available as well at the small number of women that even consider a grant to help grow their business. The majority of entrepreneurs in the United States are women – the majority of which are single mothers or mothers working at home.

Seeking a business grant earmarked for women is as simple as locating the available grants and applying. Using a resource familiar with existing grants can help considerably when it comes to consolidating possibilities and learning to fill out grant applications correctly. When considering a grant program, be sure that the program is updated regularly as new grants are made available. The program should also do more than redirect you to websites leaving you to search on their own. A quality grant program can be a true asset in your search.