Starting my own business
By elana_marie
@elana_marie (44)
United States
August 12, 2008 10:24pm CST
I am looking to start my own business. Maybe in child care or construction. Ya, I know two totally different fields. However, I don't know how to get started or how to get funding to start a business. I know there are loans and grants out there. Preferrably the kind I don't have to repay. Does anyone know how I can get these grants or any information on how to start my own business?
3 responses
@sweetierook (311)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Without knowing you, it is hard to say. it is differant from state to state. Assuming you are in the U.S. The Texas Rehab Commission helps people with money to buy tools and equiptment to start bussiness. For example: if you are a mother that has been not working while raising kids and now you want to work, but need training or assistance, they will help. You can also qualify if you have depression problems, you are an addict or you have been incarsorated. I am sure there are other factors as well. I actually know people that have aquired help starting as bussiness from there. Also, you can apply for a grant for schooling. This is a fairly easy grant to get if you a from a poor family or do not make alot of money yourself. There are bussinesses that you can start with little or no over head to speak of. For example: Cleaning service, Baby sitting, Deliver Breakfast Burritos to construction sites in the mornings and charge a couple of $ a peice. You can put them in a cooler to hold the heat until they are ready for sale. I work myslef as an independant contractor doing telemarketing for an internet company. I work out of my home and the hours I choose. There are so may things you can do if you use your imagination!
@sweetierook (311)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Well, I worked in a telemarketing room for a few years. A friend of mine started with Liveops out of her home and was making good money. Then another friend left to do the same. Then another. Then one of our supervisors did the same thing. They were all making as much or more working at home than at the phone room. I found myself in a predicument because my driver liscense got suspended. I have 2 kids still at home and it was impossible to get a ride to work and for them to go to day care. I decided to give it a try and I have been working at home every since. I can drive now! LOL But I still prefer to do this over anything else. I have worked for a couple of differant companies. The demand for people to do this kind of work is good and like I said it pays pretty decent. No gas money or baby sitter money is needed, so tht is also a plus.
@elana_marie (44)
• United States
14 Aug 08
That is what I want to do. Be able to work without spending the majority of my paycheck on child care and overpriced gasoline. I have three kids so it gets to be a lot.
@elana_marie (44)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Thanks for the advice. I live in Indiana. How did you get started with the telemarketing out of your home?
@coolseeds (3919)
• United States
13 Aug 08
You should check with your local SBA, Small Business Association. Look it up in the phone book. They will help you. You can set up an appointment. There are fellow business owners who provide assistance.
Personally you should do the one that you will like the most.
It seems like it would be easier to automate the child care operation. You could hire people to do everything once the business is established. If I had to choose one of them I would pick the child care. It sounds like it would also cost less.
I don't know where you reside but if there is any kind of off season then keep in mind that you will not have an income during the winter with a construction company. If you have credit payments money can get tight. The child care should provide you with a steady income.
With the construction you will always have to give bids or hire someone qualified. If you are able to trust someone. I own a landscaping company and have not trusted anyone to take one of my trucks and drive to the job site and work unsupervised. I have heard a lot of horror stories about people who have worked for landscaping companies. There was a company who's entire maintenance crew was going to the mall and not doing anything for who knows how long.
A lot of banks are not going to give you $100,000 to buy construction equipment so you can take a chance at successfully owning a business. But some might. That is a lot of money to risk. Hopefully you can acquire the funds you need through grants.
@elana_marie (44)
• United States
13 Aug 08
Thank you very very much for the information. You are the first person I have ever talked with that has given me great advice. However, do you know if the SBA has grant information? I like child care the most, but construction also seems very profitable in my area. I would love to operate a child care center, but I don't want to run one out of my house. Although I am beginning to think that would be a great way to start. Once again thanks for the information.
@coolseeds (3919)
• United States
14 Aug 08
You should call the SBA. They have business owners who can provide different information. Let them know you would like to talk with someone about grants and funding. They will probably have someone that can help. It might take a week or two to get an appointment.
Before you consider child care out of your home, check on the laws. An example is I can have a business in my home. However a client can not come to my house.
Something else to check are liabilities running a child care business out of your home. What if a child gets hurt?
Where I live if a client gives an order on a job site, they become the job foreman. If someone gets hurt it comes out of their home owner's insurance. I think they passed that law so people aren't interfering with progress. I have had clients who try to tell me how to do things like dig a hole but I usually ignore them.
Would it be possible to rent a place for the child care business? You will have a separation between home and work. This could be good for you so that you don't think you are at the shop all of the time.
I started my landscaping company with a $25 lawn mower, a $5 weed eater and tools that I had acquired over the years maintaining my own flower beds. I then bought tools as needed. Now I have everything we need except property and heavy equipment like a dump truck and a bobcat.
@fwangaa (3057)
• China
13 Aug 08
sorry,i don't know,i also want to starting my own business,aslo have not enough money,could you help me first ,if i earn more money ,then i can give you enough money to start your own company,i want to start a restrauant,but it will spend me a lof of money ,i have no loan because i have a loan for my house.
@elana_marie (44)
• United States
13 Aug 08
I think I will help myself first, but thanks for the response. Restrauants are very profitable so I wish you all the luck in that.