I would like to know if there is any federal or state funding in Arkansas for convicted felons to start a small business? I would like to open a small pet store and don't know where to start on grants or loans someone please help me. Thank-you.

Hi, JesseJCap!

To my knowledge, there aren't any grants available just because someone has been convicted of a felony and is trying to get on with their life. Once a person has done their time and paid their debt to society, then they are free to apply for whatever grants or loans that they would like to.

If your pet store might be a benefit to a city or county because you might take in strays, then there might be the possibility of funding because of a local organization that would be concerned with stray animals being picked up by officials and then taken to a pound where they might not have a chance of being found by a good owner.

Just like any small or large business for that matter, you are going to need some sort of business plan. The following to places are excellent for providing information about organizing and starting a business as well as finding out about the possibility of loans or grants that might be available as well as any licenses that you might need to have in order to start that kind of business.

SCORE | Counselors to America's Small Business | SCORE (http://www.score.org/index.html) and http://www.sba.gov/

If you need help with ideas about advertising and/or marketing your business, I can really help you there!

Thanks!

What grants are out there for felons?