As the title suggests, this mini guide will assist you with finding funding for small business ventures and individual needs. Please note it does not say “free money” like so much other material circulating on the internet and in print advertising. Unfortunately there are a large number of frauds and scams targeting sincere entrepreneurs and individuals. These persons have a variety of needs and accordingly there are a variety of sources of support. Business Week Online’s advice columnist Karen Klein calls the current spate free money claims as a pernicious scam. “The late-night TV infomercial is so alluring: ‘Come to our seminar and find out how you can get your government grant to start a small business!’" a breathless announcer intones. ‘Just $300.’ A smiling entrepreneur assures in a taped testimonial: ‘I got $40,000 for my small business!’ The bright, red words: ‘Free Money!’ fill the screen. It's an old story, and one that makes small-business consultants, counselors, and advice columnists (this one included) cringe. Whenever such ads run, we brace ourselves for calls and e-mail from entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs who can't wait to get their hands on that free government money — which doesn't exist.” Klein is worried that the hoaxes are so expensive that they really make matters worse for people who are already financially challenged. And yes, often the info they pitch is available for free from such sources as the US Government in its Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Business Week brings in experts to make their case. "I've been working in small-business development for 16 years, and this urban legend never goes away," sighs John Rooney, a professor at the Lloyd Greif Center