Bootstrap Babes

Free Grant: $5K for Women Business Owners

No business plan required!

Wells Fargo Bank and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) are handing out a total of $15,000 cash to recognize successful women business owners. Through their NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award, they select three female entrepreneurs each year and award them $5,000 each.

No business plan is required. All you need to submit is a completed application, your bio, and two letters of recommendation.

What they're looking for is:

• talent, drive and innovation as a woman business owner; 
• successful development of unique products, services or delivery channels in their business; and 
• vision and commitment to building an organization that makes a difference in the community.

You can apply for yourself or nominate another woman business owner, but the nominee must be:

• in business for at least three years;
• at least 18 years old;
• a woman who owns at least 51% of the business and is an active principal of the business; and
• a legal resident of the United States or its territories.

Prize: $5,000 for each of the three winners, plus a special honor at the NAWBO Women's Business Conference, held June 25-27, 2009, in Chicago, Ill.

Cost to apply: Free!

Deadline:  Entries must be postmarked by March 24, 2009.

Get an application and more info here.

Related posts:

• Free Grant: $10K for Women-Led Web Communities & Blogs
• More Free Business Grants for Entrepreneurs
• Free Money: 6 Business Grants for Women Entrepreneurs

4 Ways to Slash Your Home Biz Telecommunications Bills!

Are you paying too much for telephone, Internet, and TV services?

I remember back in the 1992 when I was a college student. I had ONE telecom bill -- my phone bill. It was about $35 a month. And I carried loose change in my purse to make calls from pay phones. Things were simpler then.

But it's 2009 and times have changed! How many different telecommunications bills are you getting every month? First you had cable TV. Then you got a cell phone. Then you got broadband Internet. Then you got a separate line for your business, and another one for faxes. Maybe you even have a separate long-distance bill. Bit by bit, your telecom expenses have been creeping up, and you're probably paying hundreds every sngle month. Do you even know how much you're spending in total?

If you run your business from your home and are looking to reduce waste and be smarter about your spending, your telecom bills are one of the first things you should look at. Industry competition and new technology create opportunities to create big savings for savvy business owners.

Here are four ways to slash your telecom bills right now:

1. Know how much you're spending.
First things first: know how much you're really spending every month. First, guesstimate your monthly telecom total and write it down. Then gather up all your bills or statements for all of your telecom services: landline phone lines, long distance carrier, cell phone, pager, Internet service, mobile broadband card for your laptop, virtual phone service, cable or satellite television, online movie services like Netflix, and any other telecommunications services. Add up your full total for every servce -- not the "$49.99 per month" but the actual total you pay including taxes and fees, and look at the monthly total for all services. How far off were you from the first number you wrote down?

Free Grant: $10K for Women-Led Web Communities & Blogs

McCormick Foundation Funds Online Startups

Are you a woman who has an original idea to create a new Web site, mobile news service or other entrepreneurial initiative that offers interactive opportunities to engage, inspire and inform a particular community?

If so, the The McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs program may have a cool $10,000 for you.  They're offering three such grants to fund women-led projects that will "rock the world of journalism."

Your venture can be a solo idea or team project, as long as it's a startup, spearheaded by women, launching within 10 months, U.S.-based, and has journalistic value. Individuals, businesses, and non-profits are all eligible to apply.

Past winning projects have included:

• Echo, a system of public storytelling installations in Atlanta.
• Latina Voices, a news site for and by Latinas. 
• Northwest Navy News, a networking site for the Puget Sound military community.

Application deadline: March 31, 2009.

(Shout out to Ifetayo White for hipping me to this grant. Thanks, mom!)

Related Posts:

• More Free Business Grants for Entrepreneurs
• Six Questions to Ask Before Starting a Group
• Free Money: 6 Business Grants for Women Entrepreneurs

More Free Business Grants for Entrepreneurs

Your Biz Idea Could Win a $25,000 Jackpot!

As regular Bootstrap Babes blog readers know, I'm a big advocate of entering contests to win free money for your business. (See how I won a total of $4,000 in free grant money in 2006.)

The great thing about grant money and contest money is that they aren't loans, so there's nothing to pay back. And there isn't anyone who wants a piece of your profits, as it would be with investors. It's simply free money!

For some of these contests, all you need to do is write your business idea on the back of a paper napkin -- literally. Others want you to submit a funny or inspiring story about your business. And some contests require a detailed, written business plan.

Here are six great contests where you can win $500 to $25,000 to finance your biz:

1. Intuit Small Business United Grant Competition
Submit your useful, funny, and/or inspiring business story and win one of 50 cash grants ranging from $5,000 to 25,000 and a variety of other prizes, including Flip video cameras and Intuit products and services. (Intuit is the maker of Quicken and QuickBooks accounting software, among other things.) No purchase required, free to enter. Deadline: March 23, 2009.

2. ideablob
Submit your business idea to this online community and get feedback from other entrepreneurs and small business owners. Community members vote for their favorite ideas, and every month through March 31, 2009, one idea will win $10,000. Membership and entry are free.

Bootstrap Babes Blog Turns 1!

Happy Birthday Bootstrap Babes!

           

One year ago this week, we launched this Bootstrap Babes blog as an outlet to share our combined expertise and passion for helping current and aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, to build their businesses... without breaking the bank.

And what a year it's been! The feedback has been tremendous and our readership has grown. And in the process we even got featured in Entrepreneur magazine.

We both thank you, our loyal readers, from the bottom of our hearts for reading, commenting, suggesting stories, and for spreading the word. Thank you!

Donna Maria and Jamila

Free Grant Money for Wisconsin Entrepreneurs

Deadline: January 31, 2009

Having won $4,000 in grant money three years ago to start a new business venture, I've become a huge fan of free business grants.

Here's some good news for Bootstrappers in Wisconsin: the Wisconsin Technology Council is sponsoring the Governor's Business Plan Contest with a grand prize of $50,000 in cash and services.

This is a unique contest with a six-month process that includes business mentoring. There's no entry fee -- it's completely free!

For their initial entries, contestants will submit 250-word idea abstracts online. Those who advance to subsequent contest rounds will have the opportunity to expand their idea into a full business plan and get mentoring and training along the way.

The contest is open to Wisconsin residents age 18 years old or older and who have a business in or plan to locate a business in the state of Wisconsin. (Entrepreneurs outside of Wisconsin are eligible if they plan to locate a business in the state.) The business must employ or leverage technology in some way.

The deadline to enter your 250-word abstract is Jan. 31. To enter or for more information, visit:
http://www.govsbizplancontest.com.

Related Posts:

• Free Money: 6 Business Grants for Women Entrepreneurs
• Forbes.com $100K Biz Plan Contest
• Winning Cash: Business Contests for Entrepreneurs
• Win the Money for Your Biz!

The Monday Morning Blues

The Problem... or the Symptom?

Medical researchers have found that Monday is the most common day to have a heart attack. The main reason? Folks dread going back to work on Monday, and the stress of it leads to increases in blood pressure, which leads to more heart attacks. Go figure.

Do YOU dread Monday mornings?

If you do, it's usually because of one of these culprits:

1. You aren't doing the work you love to do, OR
 
2. You aren't working with and for people who appreciate and value your contribution.

Or maybe it's both.

The problem isn't Monday. The problem is that you aren't living a life you love, and that fact is less hard to ignore on Monday when it's staring you smack in the face. When you do the work that you love and were put on this earth to do, you're actually excited to go to work. Imagine that!

So... what are you willing to change to bring about more happiness, peace, and fulfillment into your life? What steps are you willing to take to make Monday morning – and every other morning – a joy to greet?

What are you willing to risk to be happy?

Six Questions to Ask Before Starting a Group

Asking (and Answering!) the Right Questions Can Get Your Group Off to a Great Start

As the founder and CEO of the Indie Beauty Network, I get a lot of emails and phone calls from people who are considering starting a business based on a dues based membership business model. When I started IBN in 2000, the only kind of dues-based organizations I knew about were non-profit trade associations. Today, it's different thanks in large part to the proliferation of the Internet and the technological tools that go along with it. If you are considering starting a business based on a dues based membership business model, here are a few questions you'll want to ask and answer before you get started.

Be a Lean, Mean and Focused Machine!

4 Ways to Use Your Bootstrap to Your Advantage

Like you, I hear all the woeful economic news. But you know what? Bootstrap Babes need not be in the same economic boat as everyone else. Unlike most small businesses, many of which are not "small" at all, Bootstrap Babes are different because we don't take out tons of loans or stretch ourselves too much financially in order to grow. We take things one organic step at a time. We expand slowly so we can make a steady, reliable profit and still have time to enjoy our lives and our families.

This means we are nimble and quick. Thanks to the Internet and our own instincts and innovative spirit, we can turn around on a dime, change plans quickly, launch a new website in a matter of minutes and create new revenue streams at the drop of a hat. Here are a few Acton Items you can incorporate into your business to use your small size to your advantage.

Happy New Year From the Bootstrap Babes!

May Your Bootstrap Be Blessed in 2009!!

From our bootstraps to yours, Happy New Year! We wish you continued success and look forward to keeping the bootstraps strong in 2009!