Is American Solutions Center a scam? I am supposed to pay a 300 dollar fee and receive a grant afterwards.?

I want to start a landscaping company and this would be the best way for me to do this financially. Some things that sound too good to be true usually are. I obviously can't receive a loan for the amount of money I need to start my business. If it is legit and real 300 dollars will be glad to pay, but something just seems fishy. I read somewhere where 97% of online government grant programs are fake and just take your money and I want to be guarenteed that I am not another to be ripped off. Any input on this would help out greatly. Am supposed to pay 300 on 10/12/06 so info. ASAP would be very much appreciated

I would be EXTREMELY WARY of companies that claim you can get grants for whatever purpose you want because that is absolutely false and not how federal grants work. And I would be SCARED all the more that this company wants you to apply for grants through them because there is only ONE site where you can apply for grants legitimately - and that is Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov

It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business. And yes, grants mean PAPERWORK - lots and lots of it, that is why a cottage industry of grant writers was born.

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.

Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business.

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html

"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."

Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE.
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALO...

Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs

I suggest you read the following books to get ideas of how to finance your business:

Financing Your Small Business http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...
Small Business Financing: How and Where To Get It http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...
Financing the Small Business: A Complete Guide to Obtaining Bank Loans and All Other Types of Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...
The SBA Loan Book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1...
Angel Capital : How to Raise Early-Stage Private Equity Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...
Financing Your Small Business (Barron's Business Library Series) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...

For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center's Foundation Grants for Individuals Online. It's a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don't have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.

It's a huge scam - there are no grants to start a business - there are low cost loans that the federal government offers to help get small business owners up and running. Go to the following website for more info on getting a small business going - it's the federal government's small business association:

You would just be paying them for stuff you can do on your own.

You gotta be kiddin.. Have fun with them and tell them that you are happy with their plan and that you will send them the $300 as soon as they send you a cashier's check for $400

Don't do it. Gov't grants are free.!!! Write to ur congressman and he'll tell u how to get one on ur own ....You're about to be scammed....

go to ripeoffreport.com and research the business name to make sure before you send any money to any one. But it does sound like a scam.

SCAM!