EP 135: The power of grants for small businesses with Tanisha Elder-Kirk

Sep 25, 2025
The power of grants for small businesses with Tanisha Elder-Kirk

So many product-based business owners wonder: Are grants really worth pursuing? How do I find them? And what actually makes a grant application successful? In this episode, you'll learn from Tanisha, a grant expert with years of experience in higher education, nonprofit administration, and grant management. She helps small business owners understand the grant process so they can access free money to fuel their growth.

What you'll learn in this module:
- What a grant really is (and why it’s different from a loan)
- How to find grants—from federal and state opportunities to private organizations
- Examples of real grants that small business owners have applied for 
- The grant application process—what you’ll need ready and how to build your “grant backpack”
- Why being specific and unique in your business niche makes you stand out in grant applications
- Common mistakes to avoid, especially around budgeting and justifying how funds will be used
- Best practices to increase your chances of success, including how to ask for feedback when you don’t win

Click here to listen to this episode of the Product Biz Podcast!

Tanisha Elder-Kirk is an experienced professional specializing in strategic grant management and proposal development. With a Master’s in Public Administration, she has successfully led initiatives to secure multi-million-dollar grants and coached faculty, staff, and business owners on crafting competitive proposals. Her expertise includes developing actionable strategies for grant success, managing comprehensive budgets, and mentoring teams to ensure compliance and maximize funding opportunities for growth. Tanisha has a passion for empowering organizations with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive while navigating the complex grant landscape.

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE
Email Tanisha at [email protected]

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Website: www.monicalittlecoaching.com
Instagram: @monicalittlecoaching
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Great podcast from Monica Little! She talks about the power of integrity, changing your mind-set to get stuff done and being accountable (both personally & professionally). The podcast is geared towards small business owners, but really so much of what Monica explains can be applied to various parts of anyone's life. She articulates so accurately many of the thoughts I have about the challenges of being a small business owner. It's reassuring & comforting to hear Monica break it all down in a comprehensive way in order to overcome the struggles. My favorite take-aways were how she explained that believing in yourself = FREEDOM and "how you do one thing is how you do everything".

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