I'm looking into trying to start a small business venture breeding select species of herps among other things in the herp trade.  I'm a vet on unemployment, thus have no capitol of my own to invest.  So, I'm in need of some grants.  I searched online and came across Grantsgov.info and filled out an application.  A few days later I got a call from a grant brokerage company called United Economic Agency.  The representative told me I could qualify, when all is said in done for material, the herps themselves, an LLC, etc., for about 200,000 bucks in grants.  This brokerage company, UEA, hires lawyers to find the grants for people thus charges a 375 buck fee for that (directly out of my account...).  If for some reason I get denied for grants, they keep 49.95 of the money and refund the rest.  I get no further info until I pay; I called a few times.  I checked them out with the BBB and they scored a C- due to not enough info, positive or negative.  They haven't had any complaints in the last 36 months, but their address is not valid.  So, I cancelled with them because I can't afford to get ripped off.  I then looked at the Small Business Association of America's site and it sucked.  It spoke of loans and really had nothing on grants (a grant means it's tax free money that I don't have to pay back; I'm enemployed and highly unlikely to get a loan...).  So, I'm back to square one.  I have some great, authtentically original ideas that I know are highly marketable, as are the herps I'd like to breed.  I have the space in my home and, with my partner, am pretty much already set up to do so.  Problem is the capitol...  So, do you know where I might get some grants to fund this?  Ideally, 10-20 grand would do.  That would be plenty of start up.  Oh, I'm working on a business plan as well to work out the details...

R.M.

R.M.