Unlock the power of grants with BizGrant: A conversation with founder Stella Adebayo

Stella Adebayo, founder of BizGrant, a financial education technology platform, offers valuable tips and insights for business owners looking to access grant funding and achieve success. Adebayo, who started BizGrant after winning a grant for her own business, has helped thousands of SMEs access funding and achieve their business goals. In this interview, she shares her expertise in the world of grant funding and shares inspiring success stories from business owners who have received grants through BizGrant’s services. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the Grant Guru herself and take your business to the next level with BizGrant.

Can you tell us a little bit about BizGrant and the services that you offer to business owners?
BizGrant Global Limited is a financial education technology platform that provides young startups, entrepreneurs, and small to medium businesses with business registration services and access to information on grants, other funding sources, and business growth opportunities through online courses, training, webinars, masterclasses, newsletters, and a virtual community.

What inspired you to start BizGrant and how has the company evolved since its inception?
I was inspired to start BizGrant after winning a grant for my private nursery, primary, and secondary school business in Lagos. As I experienced firsthand the challenges that small businesses face in accessing finance, I decided to create a WhatsApp community to teach other businesses for free how to leverage grant opportunities for their businesses. Since then, BizGrant has evolved into a team of 9 and has trained over 5,000 SMEs on funding opportunities. We have cumulatively generated more than $450,000 / N330 Million and currently have over 900 paid subscribers and over 500 registered businesses. Many of our customers have opened business bank accounts, separated their personal finance from their business, achieved impressive sales targets, grown their revenue by over 50%, and created more jobs. We now have customers across Nigeria and Ghana.

How do you help business owners navigate the grant application process and increase their chances of success?
At BizGrant, we understand that navigating the grant application process can be challenging, especially for beginners. That’s why we offer a comprehensive online course called the Grant Winning Blueprint. This 6-week course contains 6 modules, 26 video lessons, and 7 worksheets and templates to help business owners learn how to grow their businesses faster with grant opportunities. The course is based on the roadmap that I have used to build and grow my businesses over the past 4 years, leveraging all the benefits and rewards of grant opportunities.

In addition to the core modules, I have also included an extra module that teaches business owners how to earn money consistently by becoming an expert grant writer and providing grant writing services to busy SMEs. I have used this same framework and strategies to help hundreds of ambitious business owners and entrepreneurs achieve success. If you want to leverage free funding and other resources to grow your business, don’t hesitate to register for the Grant Winning Blueprint and learn from someone who knows the road to success.

Can you share some success stories or testimonials from business owners who have received grants through your services?
Etimbuk Imuk of Eti Farms Global shared with us her experience with BizGrant and the impact it has had on her business. She said, “I am grateful to be a part of the BizGrant community because of the valuable resources and support they provide. Recently, I saw a post about a live pitch session with Pastor Tobi of Wealth nxtion and decided to join. It was a fortunate decision as I was given the opportunity to pitch my business and ultimately received a grant. I highly recommend BizGrant to any business owner looking for funding or support.” Israel Smart, a successful entrepreneur, also shared his experience with BizGrant, saying “Your guidance and inspiration have been invaluable to me. Earlier this year, I received a grant prize of 300K from FMN for innovation in sustainable food systems. After receiving the grant, I reached out to FMN to explore a potential partnership and we are now working together. Thank you, BizGrant.” There are many more testimonials from business owners who have benefited from BizGrant’s services, including securing business contracts, increased patronage, visibility, and credibility for their businesses. We have a truckload of testimonies from satisfied customers, and if we started mentioning names and recounting the testimonies here, the stories would take up multiple pages. Visit our website to read more of these success stories and see the impact that BizGrant has had.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the demand for grant funding and the services that BizGrant provides?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the demand for grant funding and the services offered by BizGrant. Demand for our services increased by over 500% as many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had to create an online presence for their brands. We have leveraged social media to educate small businesses, particularly those struggling, on the benefits of grant opportunities for their businesses. One of the key criteria for accessing grants is for the business to be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which can make the business a legal entity. This led to an increase in demand for our business registration services, as well as for those who already had their businesses or companies registered but were unaware that they needed to file their annual returns. In some cases, business owners or their staff were denied visas to attend business growth conferences or events, or missed out on business contracts or other opportunities because their business account on the CAC portal was inactive. We have helped these businesses to file and reactivate their accounts and provided reminders to help them avoid future defaults on filing.

There are over 40 million SMEs in Nigeria, and recent statistics from SMEDAN show that over 2 million SMEs have shut down post-COVID. This highlights the importance of using media and other channels to reach out to these businesses and help them position themselves to leverage the benefits and rewards of grant opportunities.

How do you stay up-to-date on the latest grant opportunities and funding sources available to business owners?
At BizGrant, we have a team of grant research personnel and a network of entrepreneurial, investor, and business owner connections that help us stay informed about the latest funding opportunities available. We share this information with our customers who are subscribed to our email grant alerts, so they can receive direct links to these grants in their active mailbox before the deadline. This helps to save them time and effort that would otherwise be spent searching for grant opportunities, so they can focus on growing their business. Our goal is to help our customers shoot their shots and win by providing them with access to the resources and support they need.

Are there any common mistakes that you see business owners making when applying for grants?
I can tell you this as the industry leader of our field, some common mistakes that business owners make when applying for grants include using emotional appeals rather than focusing on the business itself and not being specific about how the grant funds will be used and the impact they will have. Instead of simply stating that you need the money to grow your business, it’s better to be specific about how the funds will be used and the expected impact on your revenue or other key metrics. You can also link your business to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and explain how your business is contributing to one or more of these goals. It’s important to do your research and prepare thoroughly when applying for grants to increase your chances of success.

Can you offer any advice or tips for business owners who are looking to access grant funding for their businesses?
Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity, so it’s important to prepare ahead of time when applying for grants. There are many grant opportunities available, but it’s important to understand that private organizations want to support businesses that meet certain criteria. This includes having a registered business and a business bank account (as grant funds are usually paid to business accounts, not personal accounts), being able to effectively communicate the value of your products or services, and understanding your business’s financials. By preparing in advance and meeting these criteria, you increase your chances of accessing grant funding for your business.

How can business owners learn more about the services offered by BizGrant and get started with the grant application process?
To get started with grant application as well as learn more about what we do at BIZGRANT, kindly visit our website bizgrantglobal-com. And follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter at bizgrantboss and bizgrantglobal respectively.

Is there anything else that you would like to share about BizGrant or the grant application process for business owners?
Insufficient financial resources and knowledge can make it challenging to grow your business profitably, achieve your personal and professional goals, pay your bills, and hire competent staff. It can also put your business operations at risk on a daily basis. That’s why access to grant funding and resources like those offered by BizGrant can be so valuable for business owners.