Reply to: Ltd Co. Growth Grant ~ 25K ~ Open Until Feb 2022 ~ Cheshire and Other Areas

[NotAllThere]

While some have mentioned a moral angle, others have suggested that managing to pull the wool over an official's eyes and getting the grant, given the reality of the vast majority of contractors business model is skirting on fraud. Since the OP hasn't given any real details of the application he made and what he'll be doing with the money, it's hard to reach any other conclusion.

So if you want to try this route, be aware that it might pose a risk to yourself and your business if you misrepresent what you do. Getting the grant does not indicate that it was all correct and above board.

Thread locked.

[northernladuk]

I hardly think my posting of some criteria, whether right or wrong took this thread off at a tangent. Normally I'd go back and check it but I really can't be bothered. The critieria in that one post might have been completely the wrong grant but the core of the matter is how a 1 man bum on seat contract can write a business case to show growth and sustain employment etc without a dose of artisitic merit as has been pointed out to you many and times and you've skirted around the answer the same number of times.

But.. as you all say. This one is done so I'll also withdraw.

[jamesbrown]

But you're right in one sense: this thread probably has run its course...

[jamesbrown]

Let's be honest, if you know how to run a business, then you don't need to apply for grants from the state. You should have a robust warchest for unexpected scenarios like, say, a pandemic and if you can build a warchest, then you can accrue funds for business growth or put together a viable case for a loan or investment from the private sector. No need to use taxpayer's money. It has been inherent to much of the support provided by the state throughout the pandemic that loopholes were accepted in order to ensure the right people received the money required, even if many of the wrong people received it too. I cannot be sure, of course, because you've been very coy about what you do (it would be quite simple to clarify), but I'd bet your house that you are the "wrong people".

[killingtime]

Evening All,

Thought I'd let the thread run for a bit, then review the comments. Looking through the responses, I'd say they fall into two categories.

1) Posts from people that genuinely don't know how to write a good business plan & grant application. By extension, it's then incorrectly assumed that I must have done something fraudulent to succeed in mine. You can succeed by being honest with a bit of experience. The only constructive advice I can offer here is that there are plenty of free business courses for SMEs that will help. Some councils offer these courses.

2) Posts from people that have some sort of moral interdiction with state handouts, and invent all sorts of imaginary obstacles to claim it's wrong/dodgy/laughable/fraudulent etc. even if the printed eligibility criteria claim otherwise. I think jamesbrown summed it up in post 16 quite well when he compared it to company directors claiming JSA while between contracts. Most job centres will allow this even if you're transparent about your business, so it's legal, but that doesn't stop many from inventing all sorts of imaginary reasons why it shouldn't be done.

Special mention must go to northerladuk who managed to post completely incorrect and irrelevant grant restrictions in post 2. Despite me calling him out on this twice, the post still stands uncorrected, sending the thread off on a tangent. Some people won't let the truth get in the way of a good yarn or post count, but I've come to expect that from open forums.

It's clear that many of the replies on here fall into the second category, and there's not much I want to do to change that. It would be a fool's errand to try. Everyone's free to choose their own moral guidelines. Each to his or her own.

The purpose of the thread was to alert SMEs that are interested and aren't encumbered by any moral befuddlements to look further, with guidance that worked for me. To that end, there's nothing else that I can add that will help, so I'm done with this thread.

If any of you do apply, best of luck. It's been slightly entertaining if nothing else.

Regards.

[malvolio]

He’s probably a 1st line support body who rents out his dad’s slot machines on the side, thus making him an entrepreneur.

No, no no...

It depends on what you do for a living. If you only need a laptop to do your job (a bum on seat) then asking for funding is a bit OTT. The equipment I use for my job costs anywhere from 5K to 50K. anything above 10K I rent.

That's the price range for a usable car that would satisfy the local council that it is fit for use as a cab without spending out on a new one. QED...

[WTFH]

Apparently if you want answers to these questions you need to go on a business course, because killingtime is being all coy about it.

He’s probably a 1st line support body who rents out his dad’s slot machines on the side, thus making him an entrepreneur.

[NotAllThere]

What drop in income did your business suffer due to the pandemic?
What is your plan to bring the company back to growth?

Apparently if you want answers to these questions you need to go on a business course, because killingtime is being all coy about it.

[WTFH]

What drop in income did your business suffer due to the pandemic?
What is your plan to bring the company back to growth?

if you’re spending the grant on BAU, then that’s not generating growth.

[SussexSeagull]

Didn't you have to pay Business Rates to be eligible or was that just local to me?

More broadly speaking, although this doesn't sound suitable for a majority of contractors, if you are eligible for a scheme then by all means apply for it. If you tell the truth while applying there is no such thing as a scheme not intended for you if you are eligible for it.

Some on here seem to think we should all be acting like real businesses. Real businesses get money from wherever they can legitimately get it.

[ensignia]

We are one man bums on seats.

Some self awareness, at last.

[TestMangler]

This part:



You just made that up didn't you... go on, be honest. If you didn't, please link to the govt. publication that clarifies this. I'll bet you can't.

This is the problem with judging an application on moral grounds. People just make it up as they go along, and then act as though it's gospel.

As an opinion yes, but a factual obstacle, no, and it shouldn't stop people from applying if they do qualify. If they can get over the moral interdiction that is. I'm not judging either. Each to his or her own.





I'll translate that for you if I may...The council decided to offer up a grant to businesses that were already giving them a 'cut' via business rates, given they'd likely get it back again via the same rates at some point.

The only difference with the growth grant is that central govt. gets it back via corporation tax, and not the local council.

LOL.

I'm glad to hear you actually got something though. Makes a change.

Wrong again, my potential poor quality con artist You really know nothing, do you ?

[jamesbrown]

You just made that up didn't you... go on, be honest.

When you said you weren't a BoS permietractor, you just made it up, didn't you? Go on, be honest.

[killingtime]

This part:

.... it is for them to determine whether you have a reasonable case, but these funds were not intended for the typical one-person business that we see around here.

You just made that up didn't you... go on, be honest. If you didn't, please link to the govt. publication that clarifies this. I'll bet you can't.

This is the problem with judging an application on moral grounds. People just make it up as they go along, and then act as though it's gospel.

As an opinion yes, but a factual obstacle, no, and it shouldn't stop people from applying if they do qualify. If they can get over the moral interdiction that is. I'm not judging either. Each to his or her own.

Being a proper biznizz innit, and not one of you disguised employee, bum on seat contractor types, I got the Council distributed grants, for the periods that non-essential retail was closed, both in 2020 and 2021. Very nice they were too, thanks tax payers

The qualifying criteria were based on NDR valuations though, which cuts out bulltulip shyster types like the OP.

I'll translate that for you if I may...The council decided to offer up a grant to businesses that were already giving them a 'cut' via business rates, given they'd likely get it back again via the same rates at some point.

The only difference with the growth grant is that central govt. gets it back via corporation tax, and not the local council.

LOL.

I'm glad to hear you actually got something though. Makes a change.

[TestMangler]

Being a proper biznizz innit, and not one of you disguised employee, bum on seat contractor types, I got the Council distributed grants, for the periods that non-essential retail was closed, both in 2020 and 2021. Very nice they were too, thanks tax payers

The qualifying criteria were based on NDR valuations though, which cuts out bulltulip shyster types like the OP.