What is a Federal grant?

As printed on the grants.gov website, a Federal Grant is an award of financial assistance from a Federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. A grant is not used to acquire property or services for the Federal government’s direct benefit. Twenty-six Federal agencies annually offer over 1,000 grant programs in the following categories: Agriculture, Arts, Business and Commerce, Community Development, Disaster Prevention and Relief, Education, Employment, Labor and Training, Energy, Environmental Quality, Food and Nutrition, Health, Housing, Humanities, Information and Statistics, Law, Justice and Legal Services, Natural Resources, Regional Development, Science and Technology, Social Services and Income Security, Transportation. If you are starting a business or looking to start a business that can be classified under one of these categories, you might be able to qualify for a federal grant.

Are you eligible to apply for a Federal grant?

There are many groups of organizations that are eligible to apply for government grants. Typically, most grantee organizations fall into the following categories:

Government Organizations

• State Governments
• Local Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)

Education Organizations

• Independent School Districts
• Public and State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

Public Housing Organizations

• Public Housing Authorities
• Indian Housing Authorities

Non-Profit Organizations

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

For-Profit Organizations (other than small businesses)

Small Businesses

Small business loans and small business grants may be awarded to companies that meet the size standards that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has established for most industries in the economy. The most common size standards are as follow:

• 500 employees for most manufacturing and mining industries
• 100 employees for all wholesale trade industries
• $6 million for most retail and service industries
• $28.5 million for most general & heavy construction industries
• $12 million for all special trade contractors
• $0.75 million for most agricultural industries

Individuals

An Individual submits a grant on their behalf, and not on behalf of a company, organization, institution, or government. Individuals sign the grant application and its associated certifications and assurances that are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the application process. So, if you register as an Individual, you will only be able to apply to grant opportunities that are open to individuals. An individual cannot submit a grant application to a grant opportunity that is just open to organizations.

Applying for a federal grant

Once you have determined 1. your eligibility to apply for a Federal grant and 2. The category or categories under which you should search for grants you can apply for, you should visit the grants.gov website and navigate to the applicable category to search for available grants you can apply for. Eligibility will vary on a per program basis. Some grant programs will only allow non-profit organizations to apply for their grants for example. So find program you can apply for and make not of the FON [Funding Opportunity Number] and or the CFDA Number. If you are going to apply for a federal grant you will need to register your organization or your self on the grants.gov website. The Grants.gov registration process takes 3 - 5 days and involves three basic steps.

1. Register your organization

2. Register yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)

3. Get authorized as an AOR by your organization

You will need to be in possession of a DUNS number which you can obtain on the DUN & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. You will need to be registered with the Central Contractor Registry at http://www.ccr.gov. You will need to create a username and password with ORC, the Grants.gov credential service provider at http://apply.grants.gov/OrcRegister. You will need to register with Grants.gov to open an account using the username and password you received from ORC; then the E-Business Point of Contact (POC) at your organization must respond to the registration email from Grants.gov and login at Grants.gov to authorize you as an AOR(Authorized Organization Representative). Note: When your organization registers with the CCR, you will be required to designate an E-Business Point of Contact (E-Business POC). This person will be given a special password called an “M-PIN”. This password gives him or her sole authority to designate which staff members from your organization are allowed to submit applications electronically through Grants.gov.

Once your AOR has been approved, you can commence the application process.

Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Instructions

You should have the FON and/or CFDA number. If so, you can find the application package at the following page. If you don’t have the FON or CFDA number you should go back and search for grant opportunities and copy the FON or CFDA number of the program you wish to apply to.

In order to view the application package, you will need to install the PureEdge Viewer, a small, free program that provides access to the grant application. To operate the PureEdge Viewer, your computer must meet certain system requirements.

Step 2: Complete the Selected Grant Application Package

Once you have downloaded the application package, you can complete it offline, a handy feature that allows you to share the document in your office and complete it at your own pace.

Instructions are available to assist you on the application package cover sheet to explain how to open and use the forms in the application package. Also, you will have direct access to the agency application instructions, which will include all the necessary information on what is required for your submission.

Step 3: Submit a completed Grant Application Package

Using the username ID and password you entered when you registered with a Credential Provider, you can submit your application package. In order to submit your application, you must already be registered and you will need to have already completed the application package using the PureEdge Viewer.

Step 4: Track the Status of a Completed Grant Application Package

Once an application has been submitted, you can check the status on the Track My Application page. You may identify your application by CFDA Number, Funding Opportunity Number, Competition ID, and/or Grants.gov Tracking Number.

More detailed information on how to apply for a federal grant can be found at grants.gov

[ Press Release ] [ source ]

Viacom Files Federal Copyright Infringement Complaint Against YouTube and Google

Tuesday March 13, 9:02 am ET

Suit Seeks Court Ruling to Require YouTube and Google to Comply With Copyright Laws and Pay $1 Billion in Damages

NEW YORK, March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA - News and VIA.B - News) today announced that it has sued YouTube and Google in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for massive intentional copyright infringement of Viacom’s entertainment properties. The suit seeks more than $1 billion in damages, as well as an injunction prohibiting Google and YouTube from further copyright infringement. The complaint contends that almost 160,000 unauthorized clips of Viacom’s programming have been available on YouTube and that these clips had been viewed more than 1.5 billion times.

    In connection with the filing, Viacom released the following statement:

      "YouTube is a significant, for-profit organization that has built a      lucrative business out of exploiting the devotion of fans to others'      creative works in order to enrich itself and its corporate parent      Google.  Their business model, which is based on building traffic and      selling advertising off of unlicensed content, is clearly illegal and is      in obvious conflict with copyright laws.  In fact, YouTube's strategy      has been to avoid taking proactive steps to curtail the infringement on      its site, thus generating significant traffic and revenues for itself      while shifting the entire burden - and high cost - of monitoring YouTube      onto the victims of its infringement.

      This behavior stands in stark contrast to the actions of other      significant distributors, who have recognized the fair value of      entertainment content and have concluded agreements to make content      legally available to their customers around the world.

      There is no question that YouTube and Google are continuing to take the      fruit of our efforts without permission and destroying enormous value in      the process.  This is value that rightfully belongs to the writers,      directors and talent who create it and companies like Viacom that have      invested to make possible this innovation and creativity.

      After a great deal of unproductive negotiation, and remedial efforts by      ourselves and other copyright holders, YouTube continues in its unlawful      business model.  Therefore, we must turn to the courts to prevent Google      and YouTube from continuing to steal value from artists and to obtain      compensation for the significant damage they have caused."

    About Viacom

Viacom is a leading global entertainment content company, with prominent and respected brands. Engaging its audiences through television, motion pictures and digital platforms, Viacom seeks to reach its audiences however they consume content. Viacom’s leading brands include the multiplatform properties of MTV Networks, including MTV: Music Television, VH1, CMT: Country Music Television, Logo, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, and more than 130 networks around the world, as well as digital assets such as MTV.com, comedycentral.com, VSPOT, TurboNick, Neopets, Xfire and iFilm; BET Networks; Paramount Pictures; DreamWorks; and Famous Music. More information about Viacom and its businesses is available at www.viacom.com.

[This is a third party article] "If you use Emotion and Love to drive your sales and your business, you will create Loyalty Beyond Reason. And I promise you, you will build relationships and enjoy a business that exceeds beyond your wildest expectations".

My name is Patti Page, owner of Page’s Personal Cleaning. I started a successful house cleaning business in 1998. I would like to share what I have learned through the years in hopes of helping others who are thinking about starting their own cleaning service.

First of all, before you decide to start your cleaning business, make sure this kind of work is right for you. You will need to be in good physical condition. Cleaning is very hard strenuous work. You will need to have good customer relation skills. You will need to have basic office skills and some accounting skills.

If you are planning on leaving your full time position to start a cleaning business, make sure you have at least six months of savings. Or keep your full time job and start out part time.

Research all the aspects of the cleaning service business. From customer service to advertising, taxes, employees, insurance and bonding, what to charge and how to clean a home professionally. Cleaning your own home and cleaning professionally is totally different. Learning how to clean professionally takes a lot of time. When a client pays for your services they expect to come home and find their home spotless.

Getting those first clients takes time, persistence and patience. You will not get a hundred clients overnight.

Obtaining Those First Clients The hardest part of starting your own cleaning service is obtaining those first clients. Most clients want to know how long you have been in business and want references. The best thing to do is let clients know that, yes, you are new to the business but that you have thoroughly researched all aspects of the cleaning business and assure them that you know what you are doing and that you are quit capable of cleaning their home to their specifications. Be confident. I can’t stress this enough. Clients love to see confidence. It relieves their worries and lets them know that their home is in good hands.

References: To get a few good references when starting out, ask some friends or family members if you can clean their home for free or at a discounted rate. The sound of working for free may not be appealing but it will be worth it to get some good testimonials.

When cleaning those first homes, go for quality, not how fast you can clean the home. Cleaning efficiently takes a long time, but you will get to the point where you can do a thorough cleaning in a short time. After cleaning make sure you go back and double check all rooms to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Impress those first clients and word of mouth will spread soon.

Advertising Your company image is everything. Before you start advertising, decide what image you want to portray on your advertising material. Your image is very important. Be consistent with all your advertising. If you have a logo be sure to use it on all your advertising materials. I think it is best to have a website developed before you start advertising. When advertising, stick with the same logo and colors.

Advertise in Local Paper: Start by running a text ad in your local newspaper. Try to come up with an eye catching ad. Do not sell your services on low rates, sell your services on your quality of work and what you can do for the client that other companies don’t. There is a lot of competition in the cleaning service. You have to stand out from the rest.

Magnetic Signs or Lettering for your Vehicle: Having your business name and contact information on your vehicle is a great way to advertise. We use the vinyl lettering. The lettering looks much more professional than the magnetic signs. You can purchase whole vehicle lettering (both doors and back window) for $120.00. Or you can letter the back window only at a very affordable rate.

Flyers: You can print nice flyers on your home computer, but I would suggest investing in some professional flyers. Hang flyers at Hair Dressers, Laundromats, Restaurants, Bakeries, Grocery Stores, etc. Put flyers on car windows at local groceries stores and businesses. You can even go door to door in neighborhoods you would like to work in. You cannot put them in mailboxes. but you can put them in the front door.

Door Hangers: Door hangers are a great way to get new clients. Pick the neighborhood you would like to work in and hang the door hangers on the doors. When people get flyers or ads in their mailbox they usually throw them away with the junk mail. But if there is a door hanger on the door they will take the time to look at it.

Business Cards: Start passing out your business cards to friends and family members. You can also ask your local businesses if you can leave some cards on their counters.

Referral Program: A great way to obtain new clients is through a referral program. Offer existing clients a discount when they refer a friend. You can give your existing clients a discount when the friend uses your services three times.

Website: These days people live very busy lives so they use the convenience of the internet to shop for the services they need. A lot of working women will shop for services while at work. We obtain 90% of our new clients from our website. Everyone that has a business should have a website. It shows clients that you are serious about your business and allows them research your business in their own time.

Supplies You can purchase all the cleaning supplies you need to start your cleaning business for about $100.00. Home Depot and Sam’s Club are great places to buy cleaning supplies.

Page’s Personal Cleaning made the decision in 2006 to start using all natural cleaning products with the added benefit of aromatherapy to clean our clients homes. By using all natrual products, we can offer our clients a healthy cleaning experience and protect ourselves against harsh chemicals

Tip: Always carry hand sanitizer and wash your hands often while cleaning homes. Wear gloves when cleaning bathrooms. You will be exposed to a lot of different germs in clients homes.

Remember most customers prefer that you bring your own cleaning supplies. That way they do not have to worry about going to the store for cleaning supplies before you clean. Some customers have special cleaners for certain appliances or floors in their houses. These customers usually will have these cleaners on hand for you to use. We almost always use the customers vacuum cleaner. That way you do not have to carry a heavy vacuum from house to house.

What to Charge I mentioned earlier that you should sell your services on your quality of work and not your low rates. If your rates are too low, clients will think that your work is sub-standard and that you are not experienced. Also you want to attract the clients that can afford your services. I made the mistake of pricing my work too low when I first started out. Cleaning is hard work, charge what you are worth. As the old saying goes "You get what you pay for."

Some companies charge by the hour, some charge by the room, some charge a flat rate per home and some charge by the square foot. I always give a flat rate charge per home. I think it is better to charge by the home, not by the hour. If a client knows they have to pay one set fee, they don’t care if you take 2 hours or 5 hours. Also your clients will know what they are paying up front and won’t have to worry about added expenses.

No two houses are the same. And there is no set charge for all homes. You have to clean for awhile yourself to get some experience and to work out a system to clean efficiently. Only you know what you want and need to make. Decide what you need to make hourly to cover all expenses and still make a good profit.

A Basic Price Guideline: 2 bedroom, 2 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $90.00.

3 bedroom, 3 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $100.00.

4 bedroom, 4 bath home, bi-weekly: starting at $ 125.00

These are just example rates. Rates will vary by State.

A word of advise: Make sure when you start your company that you charge what you would charge if you had employees. Some people make the mistake of under charging when they start out just to get customers and then later on when they grow and need to hire help they aren’t making enough money on their houses to pay help. Don’t under price your work. Cleaning homes is very hard physical work and you didn’t get into this business to work for nothing.

New Construction Cleaning If you decide to do this type of work you will need more equipment. You will need ladders, window cleaning kits with long extensions, a shop vac, etc. These types of jobs are usually 2 to 3 person jobs. New construction cleaning requires a lot more cleaning. You may have to remove stickers and labels from windows and bathroom showers, sinks and toilets. Some require that you clean the vents to remove dust from construction work. There will be ceiling fans to clean, scrubbing floors, and cleaning woodwork to remove dust. New construction cleaning rates depend on the area you live in. Normally they run from .12 cents per sq .ft. to .25 cents per sq .ft. depending on where you are located. Insurance and Bonding

Insurance and Bonding. You need to be an honest person and somewhat personable. People will need to trust you to be in their homes. Most clients are concerned about having someone new in their house, with good reason. You should be bonded and fully insured. Liability insurance rates depend on your insurance carrier and where you are located. Each person you hire will increase your liability insurance. It’s well worth the cost. You can pay quarterly or yearly. You can purchase your bond through your local insurance company. You will need to renew the bond every year. *Note: if you hire employees and cover them under your insurance, they must be an employee on payroll and not a sub-contractor. If you employ them as a sub-contractor your insurance will not cover them. If they are a sub-contractor they are required to carry their own insurance. You need to carry at least 1,000,000 in general liability insurance.

Taxes I have listed a few links that are very helpful with answering questions about taxes for your cleaning service business: starting a business and keeping records, deductions for your business, employee taxes and a very nice withholding calculator.

Small Business and Self Employed One Stop Resource. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small Business Taxes http://www.irs.gov/business/small/article/0,,id=98966,00.html Starting a Business and Keeping Records http://www.irs.gov/publications/p583/index.html Businesses with Employees http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98862,00.html IRS Withholding Calculator http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html

Franchises This is a link to some great information about Franchises and why you don’t need them. http://www.build-a-business.com/cleaning_franchise.htm Hiring Help If you start out cleaning the homes by yourself, you will eventually get to the point where you need to expand your business. Start out with one part time employee. Train her and let her take your place one day a week. Then have her take your place 2 days a week and so on. This will give you the free time that you need to market your business and obtain more clients. After you get more clients you will be able to hire more part time help. Eventually you will be able to stop doing the cleaning yourself and just run the business end, which is the only way you will be able to grow your business. When training new employees, always, either train them yourself or have a lead person train them. Make sure there is a lead person on each and every cleaning job. Employees have a tendency to slack off when they are on their own.

Growing Your Business You will eventually get to the point where you have enough employees and lead people and you will be able to stop working in your business and start running your business. You will find that after awhile it will get to be too much trying to clean everyday and at the same time giving estimates, answering calls, scheduling, doing book work, obtaining new clients, etc.

Remember one of the most important qualifications for a cleaning service is TRUST. A client has to know they can trust you alone in their home. After you acquire a few cleaning positions ask the clients if you can use them for a reference. Most of the time they are more than willing to let you use them for a reference. This is how you build your business and acquire new clients is through referrals. Be dependable. Most clients will want to be set up on an every week or every other week schedule on the same day of the week. Try to always keep this same schedule unless the client asks you to switch to another day. If you have to cancel a cleaning date, make sure you try to reschedule at the earliest possible date to make up the cleaning.