The Ninth Idea Cafe's Small Business Grant is now closed for applications. What's Next?

The application deadline for the Ninth Idea Café Cash Grant is now behind us. The first grant campaign for this year is going very strong. We are proud that Idea Cafe's Small Business Grant Program continues to attract so many creative entrepreneurs who are designing their own worklife on their own terms and approaching business and life with zeal.

During a month-and-a-half registration period, over one thousand small business owners applied for the grant competition. At this point I can share with you that the line-up of applicants is outstanding, and, as always, worthy of note and praise. The range of business ideas is wide and reveals the ingenuity and spirit of small business owners.

Applicants were encouraged to share not only details about their business, but their aspirations for the future and the ways in which winning the Idea Cafe grant would help them to contribute better to their local community.

In order to make sure that only the most inspiring business idea make it to the finale, we will take a couple of weeks to select the 40 semi-finalists. We will closely watch for viability and originality of every business idea, and the willingness to use the grant for a purpose above and beyond the immediate business goals of the entrepreneur.

The semi-finalists will have the opportunity to present themselves and their business on the Idea Cafe blog. In an online battle of viewpoints and business approaches, they will compete for your vote. Five of the semi-finalists who gather the biggest portions of your votes will have the chance to make it to the final round and eventually compete for the cash prize.

Stay tuned and check back regularly for more details about the upcoming competition which is promising to be very exciting; in the true spirit of Idea Cafe: A Fun Approach to Serious Business™.