As advisors and community economic-development specialists, we are often approached by individuals who are looking to start a business or expand an existing one with one common question: “Are there any grants available for my business”? There is a simple and a complex answer to this question. The simple answer is yes there are some grants available, and the complex answer is that the grants offered may not apply to your business. 

Grants are difficult to obtain and can have a variety of conditions attached. Many are not available to startup businesses. People also have a misconception that funds are available specifically for women and minority owned businesses. Also, the retail industry rarely has any grant opportunities. 

Grants exist to help businesses that will have impact on the community as a whole. Impact on the community may come in the form of job creation, value added (agriculture benefits), or more revenue brought to the area in general — perhaps through a sector such as tourism. Now saying, “Well I will be creating a job for myself” doesn’t count or saying, “I will be bringing revenue in for my family” doesn’t count. Generally, money used for grants are public tax dollars; the state wants to see how your business, with the assistance of a grant, will impact as many residents as possible.

Yes, it is true you can find grant opportunities in some limited circumstances, such as when jobs are created. But you can’t rely on grants as a primary means to start or expand a business. Rather, in limited situations, grants can be pursued to help a business try something new or pursue a specific opportunity.

Business owners should keep in mind that grants are very competitive. Grants have deliverables and reporting requirements; they are not free, easy money. Some grants are reimbursable, which means you pay for everything first then submit receipts to be reimbursed. 

Please, also understand you don’t do a project then apply for the grant. You must apply first, be approved, then do the work (pay for the project), and once the project stipulations are complete, you may receive the money. It’s always advisable to understand exactly what a grant will and will not fund, and confirm whether you are eligible prior to spending time preparing a grant proposal. The best way to do this is to look at what has been funded in the past and reach out directly to the funder. 

The most common opportunities are through the Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs). See regionalcouncils.ny.gov for more information. 

If a business is planning to expand and create jobs, grants can be pursued for up to 20 percent of the startup or expansion costs. It should be noted that these grants are not paid to the awardee until the job creation (as committed in the grant application) is documented. This means you must spend the money first on the project, hire employees, and then get reimbursed. Jobs for family members of the business do not count toward overall job creation.

Small businesses in the agriculture sector may be eligible for a variety of grants related to value-added products, investments in conservation and clean-energy initiatives, and a variety of other programs. The Cornell Small Farms program is a great resource and information is available at smallfarms.cornell.edu/resources/funding/grants. 

Adding energy efficiency measures to your business is another way to potentially access grants. The available programs change frequently and information is available at nyserda.ny.gov.

In general, unless your business includes a unique feature with a public benefit, any additional opportunities for grants will be on a limited and competitive basis. Please remember grants are not just free money for you to pursue your dream. Grants are meant for businesses that will be making a profound impact on the community. Check with your local Small Business Development Center or local economic-development agencies for any opportunities that might be specific to your community or geographic region. Keep in mind that these are rare.                   

Lauren Lines is executive director of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association and Melissa Zomro Davis is an advanced NYS-certified small business advisor at the Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College.

When salespeople can’t do their job 

Thousands of salespeople work in conditions that are stacked against their success. Even though it’s 2019, the belief persists that “nothing happens until someone sells something.” Repeated so often, no one challenges it.

Yet, those six words help explain why salespeople are given “special treatment” by management and barely “tolerated” by others. Salespeople are frequently viewed both as separate and more-than-equal. When co-workers complain about the sales department, someone says, “Hey, they bring us the business, so suck it up and smile.” This dismal view has long passed its expiration date. Even so, it’s disturbing since so much depends on the successful performance of the salesforce.

Closely related is another problem and that’s marketing. Unfortunately, it’s still viewed as the handmaiden of sales in many companies, even though it long ago ran out of gas. In this view, marketing does what it’s told to do. When this happens, marketing is rudderless — all tactics and no strategy. Marketing departments become “do this” dumping grounds, throwing one-thing-after-another against the wall hoping something sticks.

Unfortunately, marketing’s unique mission is often misunderstood or disregarded. Its critical task of creating customers, those who want to do business with a brand, gets ignored. Or, as Seth Godin, the author of “This is Marketing,” says, “Marketers don’t use consumers to solve their company’s problems; they use marketing to solve other people’s problems.” Unfortunately, marketers don’t have a chance to do it.

If marketing is unable to do its job, salespeople can’t do their job of closing sales. To put it another way, when marketing comes down with the flu, the sales force calls in sick.

Letting marketing and sales do their work 

Here are three principles that can help anyone in marketing and sales do a better job and be more successful.

1. Get over the idea that “nothing happens until somebody sells something.”

Forty years ago, those in sales had a point. Salespeople were the link between companies and their customers. Looking back, it’s no exaggeration to say customers were their captives. They depended on a salesperson for product or services information, troubleshooting, and support. 

The salesperson had a dual role — educating customers and closing sales. This may help explain why customers were often far more welcoming to salespeople than they are today. Salespeople were not only needed — they were essential.

Today, the sales role has been upended. When it comes to accurate sales information, customers are often better informed before they ever see a salesperson. That’s not all. Sales are now so transaction-driven the salesperson’s role continues to erode. On top of this, the task of identifying and accessing prospects is so frustrating, it borders on the impossible.

All this points to a marketing-driven environment quite different from times past. It’s one in which nothing happens until someone decides they want to do business with a company or a brand. Then, the salesperson may arrive to close the deal.

2. Have a clear understanding of why customers should do business with you. Caution: Don’t blurt out the usual trite and self-serving nonsense: “Our people really care,” “We give great service,” “We’ve been in business since 1979.” It’s all hype. End of discussion.

Take it seriously because a lot is at stake. What separates you from the competition that makes a difference to your customers? What is your value statement; what your brand stands for? What do you bring to the customer’s buying experience that creates credibility and confidence? Unless your brand makes sense to customers, there is no sale.

Jeff Short, VP of sales for K&W Tire, a Cooper Tire distributor, tells of a meeting with a Connecticut tire dealer. Participating in the meeting was a counter salesperson who asked Jeff, “What does Cooper Tire stand for?”

Somewhat caught off guard, he replied. “Tier-one quality at a tier-two price … more tread patterns and designs than any other manufacturer … an American-owned company.” Knowing that she liked selling Nokian tires, Jeff asked her what Nokian stood for. She said, “Safety. They are the safest tires you can put on a car.”

As Jeff tells it, “Right then I knew I was done. She won that round hands down. She was more perceptive than all the other dealers I’d run into on this important point.” And then he adds, “Someone needs to wake up as to what resonates with customers. I’m so sick of hearing about rebates, road hazard warranties, and price.” Jeff isn’t alone. He has lots of friends. We call them customers.

Got it? Now, why should customers do business with you?

3. Make a commitment to execute perfectly. 

“We’ve got to get this out tomorrow.” “They need it now.” “I know, but it’s a rush.” Such words do more damage to sales than just about anything else.

Of course, there are exceptions. But, far too often, the exceptions take over and become the rule. “Just get it done” is a mindset, an attitude that permeates too many companies —it’s the new normal.

The number-one enemy in all this is cutting corners. It sabotages the best practices and the best intentions. When everything is rush, rush, rush, cutting corners is inevitable. There is never enough time to execute perfectly. We settle for “good enough” and it isn’t. 

Cutting corners gives someone else a competitive advantage. Here are examples of what happens:

•  A proposal is due tomorrow. “Just repurpose something you used last week.”

• The presentation date gets pushed up. “Don’t worry. Go ahead and wing it.”

• There’s no time for having the needed planning meetings. “Just squeeze it to one meeting.”

• The intel isn’t complete. “Run with what we’ve got.” 

Here’s the point. Cutting corners puts salespeople at a major disadvantage. Tolerating, or permitting it to occur, taints their reputation, impairs performance and, ultimately, costs them sales.

If you want to be increasingly successful, then make a commitment to execute perfectly.

Messing up a company’s sales is easy and it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort. It occurs without thinking.      

John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. He is creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or johnrgraham.com