Can you fund your business with grants?

Funding your business with grants sounds too good to be true, and for many businesses in San Marcos, it was. However, not for the reason you may think. There are grant funds available in many instances, but businesses don’t always know how to apply for it or aren’t equipped to accept grant funding. That is what happened in to many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were many funding options available, but there was also enough required red-tape to cause problems.

That is where the R.I.P.P.L.E. Project, powered by the Greater San Marcos Partnership and the Riparius Foundation through the support of the city of San Marcos.

'These programs are in response to the financial opportunities the pandemic brought forward that local businesses were challenged by when it came to navigating the process involved in obtaining support,” a member of the Riparius Team said.

On April 10-12, the Riparius Foundation is hosting a no-cost, three-day workshop, at Splash Coworking located at 326 North LBJ Dr., San Marcos from 6 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. This is the second of four learning opportunities in the 'Fund Your Business with Grants: Workshop Series.'

Event attendees will be well equipped to prepare, apply, receive, and manage grant funds available at the local, state and federal level. All entities are welcome to attend, including NPOs and for-profit startups.This series introduces funding opportunities for minority and veteran owned businesses alongside non-profits. The program offers case-by-case support and management with one-on-one training.

The April 10-12 Master the Art of Grant Compliance workshop, focuses on comprehensive support in securing funding. Office hours are available for one-on-one support after the workshop and leading up to the third workshop in May. Attendees are encouraged to attend as many days of the three-day workshop as their schedule permits.

Under the R.I.P.P.L.E Project, the Riparius Team is able to bring San Marcos residents and local business owners these programs. The Riparius Team includes business grant experts, Claudea Blythe, Elizabeth Mack and Sara Kellner who believe the access to knowledge and processes should be available to everyone, regardless of age or background. Register for the event at: bit.ly/MSTRCOMPLIANCE.

Now and into the summer the Riparius Foundation and community partners are bringing other local San Marcos businesses, nonprofits, start-ups and entrepreneurs, no-cost programs, training and workshops. First, you can sign up for Quick-Books support with a personal ProAdvisor. Secondly, if you are a local minority or veteran wanting to learn about grants and apply for them to fund your business needs, sign up for the Fund Your Business with Grants: Workshop Series. Those who are a startup or an entrepreneur looking for a creative outlet, the Future Makers Studio Accelerator is where you can learn how to use the Alkek One makerspace. Additionally, you can attend the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp funded by the Burdine Johnson Foundation. The boot camp focuses on helping local, minorities, and veterans grow their knowledge of business and launch their idea. Light refreshments will be provided at all events. Virtual options and Spanish translation services are available. To register for any or all opportunities visit www.ripariusfoundation.org.

QUICKBOOKS PROADVISOR BUSINESS SUPPORT

Local small businesses of San Marcos can receive necessary support services and one-on-one training who are looking to incorporate QuickBooks into their business.

Business owners will be matched with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor to set up, learn, and manage Quick-Books for their business purposes. This class matches QuickBooks ProAdvisors who will work directly with business owners for one year to set up a QuickBooks account or work with their existing account. This program includes monthly or quarterly data checks and 1 year of QuickBooks online.

There is a 3-hour end-of-year consultation with the ProAdvisor to help businesses transition out of the program and into using Quick-Books confidently on their own. If you are a business owner in San Marcos, this is a great opportunity to learn and access tools for seamless business accounting. There are 25 spots available for San Marcos small business owners or established startups. Held at Splash Coworking 326 North LBJ Drive San Marcos, Texas 78666. The events will be held on April 9, 16, 18, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and April 20 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

FUTURE MAKER STUDIOS ACCELERATOR

This no-cost business accelerator invites participants in the Future Maker Accelerator to learn about and gain scheduled access to Alkek One, which includes the Podcast Room, Green Room, A/V Recording Studio, 3-D Printers, and more. With scheduled access, participants can use these resources to create and develop their business ideas. This program hosts Saturday workshops focused on Creating or Refining Your Value Proposition, Developing Your Business Model, Building Your Team, and Perfecting Your Pitch. Sign up and gain access to the tools and resources to bring your business ideas to life. The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first event, Creating or Refining Your Value Proposition, will be held on April 6. The next is Developing Your Business Model on April 13. That will be followed by Building Your Team on April 20 and Perfecting Your Pitch on April 27.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP

Focused on helping local women, minorities, and veterans grow their knowledge of business and entrepreneurship as well as building their network with other driven professionals.

Attendees of the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp will participate in a six-day workshop where they will expand their business and entrepreneurial knowledge, build their network with other professionals, and engage in interactive presentations and exercises. The event will be held at Splash Coworking on May 15 to 17 and 22 to 24 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.