Interactive Business Navigator & Step-by-Step Advisor
Where knowledge turns into sustainable enterprise.
Ask any question about starting a business, Alabama permits, food truck licensing, securing USDA grants, or building your business credit score to 750+.
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Official Knowledge Framework • WWW WASHME TV • Enterprise, ALPress Enter to ask
Meet Prosper
Prosper — operational handle BEACON (Business Education, Access & Community
Opportunity Navigator) — is the assistant of WWW WASHME TV, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
in Enterprise, Alabama serving the Wiregrass–Black Belt Economic Corridor.
The Mission
Bridge the gap between economic hardship and lasting opportunity through expert-led, hands-on programming that builds the
skills behind long-term self-sufficiency and generational wealth.
“I am worthy of wealth. I am capable of building. I will not stop until my family is free.”
— The Promise to Prosper
How every answer is built
Requirements are tied to the office that enforces them (ADPH, Alabama Secretary of State, IRS, FinCEN, USDA Rural
Development, SBA). Guidance is written with warmth and dignity for people moving out of financial hardship. Plans come with
numbers — owners, costs, timelines, and line-item budgets.
The programs behind the guidance
Food Truck Entrepreneurship Training — ServSafe/CFPM, health inspections, mobile kitchen operations.
My Precious Lawns — a live training laboratory with $292k+ operating income and $568k+ economic volume.
Financial Wellness — budgeting, debt elimination, savings, and credit toward the prime 750+ tier.
Small Business Incubation & Mentorship — entity formation through branding and market launch.
Digital Media & Broadcast Education — reaching underserved rural communities.
Prosper provides business education, not licensed legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm fees, deadlines, and forms with the
office named in each answer, and bring your specific circumstances to a CPA, an attorney, the Alabama SBDC, or a WASHME TV
mentor at 334-625-0463.
Funding Resources for Entrepreneurs
Where the Money Comes From
Growing a small business — especially a food truck — rarely happens with one check. It usually takes a mix of federal,
state, regional, local, and nonprofit lending resources working together. Here’s where Enterprise Rising
looks for funding, and how each piece fits into supporting our entrepreneurs.
USDA Rural Development
Our core partnership is with the USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program. These funds don’t go directly to individual businesses — instead, they’re awarded to nonprofits like WWW WASHME TV, Inc., who then turn that support into hands-on training, technical assistance, equipment access, and startup resources for emerging entrepreneurs in our community.
Communities Unlimited — Direct Lending for Food Truck Entrepreneurs
For prospective food truck entrepreneurs ready to take the next step toward capital, Communities Unlimited is a 50-year-old nonprofit, U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) serving Alabama and six other southern states. Unlike many grant programs, CU lends directly to small businesses — including startups with no revenue yet — with loans ranging from $1,000 to $200,000 covering startup costs, working capital, equipment, inventory, and business acquisition. There’s no minimum credit score requirement, and their Entrepreneurship Team pairs one-on-one coaching with the lending process to get food truck owners loan-ready.
Requirements include collateral, a personal guaranty, two years of personal tax documents, and (for startups) an alternative source of income during the startup phase.
Get Started with Communities Unlimited
Entrepreneurship team: Dr. Marnell Love, Area Director, (901) 412-0168. He works with Alabama entrepreneurs and can help you get loan-ready.
Accessibility line:1-800-877-0996 (English and Spanish, for speech or hearing impairment)
Since Communities Unlimited assigns loan officers by state, Alabama entrepreneurs should start with the main number or email above and ask to be connected with their Alabama-area loan officer.
Several lenders work like Communities Unlimited: nonprofit or CDFI lenders that pair loans with coaching. We haven’t confirmed that any of them lends to food trucks or serves Enterprise, AL, so ask each one directly.
Sabre Finance (Birmingham)· CDFI Runs the 10-week NxLevel Entrepreneurship course and lends to small businesses.
LiftFund· CDFI microlender Named as an Alabama CDFI option for startup and early-stage loans.
TruFund Financial Services· CDFI Named as an Alabama CDFI option. It also received a loan-loss-reserve grant to expand lending to underserved businesses.
Alabama Small Business Development Initiative (nonprofit arm of the Black Business Resource Center) · Nonprofit lender Received a grant to set up a revolving loan fund with lower rates and longer repayment terms.
Camino Loan Fund (Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama) · Community lender Serves disadvantaged owners, especially Latinx and immigrant business owners.
SBA Microloan intermediaries· Nonprofit lenders funded by the SBA Loans up to $50,000, averaging about $13,000. Funds can go to equipment, inventory, supplies, and working capital. They can’t be used to buy real estate.
Free Help That Isn’t Lending
Alabama SBDC: free advising and help preparing loan applications. It doesn’t make loans itself.
Community Action Agencies: can connect business owners with CDFI partners.
Next Step: Check the SBA List
The SBA microlender list can be filtered by state. Microloan borrowers must operate within the lender’s service area, so check coverage for Coffee County first.
Regional Bank and Foundation Support
Regions Foundation offers periodic small-business and community-development grant cycles across Alabama, with a focus on underserved and minority-owned businesses. We stay connected to these funding rounds to help bridge gaps for our program participants.
State and Local Partners
Alabama’s ADECA (Department of Economic and Community Affairs) and city-level economic development offices — including dedicated food truck and mobile-vendor lending programs — provide additional layers of support that complement our federal funding.
Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
For entrepreneurs seeking direct guidance on financing and contracting opportunities, the MBDA connects minority-owned businesses to a broader network of capital access and expert advising.
The Enterprise Rising Approach
By combining federal grant funding, direct CDFI lending, and regional, state, and local resources, Enterprise Rising connects food
truck entrepreneurs to every rung of the funding ladder — from grant-funded training all the way to a loan that gets the truck on the road.
Program terms, loan amounts, and requirements are set by each funder and can change. Confirm current details directly with the
organization, or talk it through with a WASHME TV mentor at 334-625-0463.
How to Sign Up for Grants.gov and Apply
Step-by-Step Guide • Learning Workspace Video Series
Grants.gov
is the free federal website where organizations find and apply for federal grants. Signing up and applying never costs anything.
Organizations such as nonprofits, towns, and tribes need to finish a few registrations before they can submit,
so start early. Allow at least 2 to 4 weeks ahead of any deadline. The official
Learning Workspace videos from Grants.gov walk through each step below.
Before You Start, Have These Ready
Your organization’s legal name and physical address, matching IRS records exactly
Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
A work email address you check often (Grants.gov sends every status update by email)
A phone that can receive codes for Login.gov two-step verification
Part 1 — Register Your Organization
Register in SAM.gov and get a Unique Entity ID (UEI).
Go to SAM.gov, sign in with Login.gov, and choose “Register Entity.”
Pick the option to register for federal assistance (grants). Enter your legal name, address, and EIN exactly as the IRS has them.
SAM.gov gives you a 12-character UEI. Approval can take about 10 business days, and sometimes longer if records need checking.
During registration you name an E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC), the person who manages your organization on Grants.gov.
You have to renew your SAM.gov registration every year.
Create a Grants.gov account.
On Grants.gov, select Register.
Grants.gov uses Login.gov to sign in, so you create or link a Login.gov account (email, password, and two-step verification), then fill in your Grants.gov profile.
Every person who works on an application needs their own account.
Add an organization applicant profile.
Signed in to Grants.gov, open My Account → Add Profile. Choose Organization Applicant, enter your organization’s UEI,
and give the profile a name and your job title. This connects your account to the organization.
Get your roles approved.
The E-Biz POC signs in and assigns roles to each person who added a profile. Only someone with the
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role can sign and submit applications. The E-Biz POC can give themselves this role too.
Grants.gov emails you once a role has been assigned.
Part 2 — Apply with Workspace (Video Series)
Workspace is the Grants.gov tool for filling out an application. Your team can work on the forms together, online or offline.
Watch the videos in order. Each one has the key steps written out below it.
1. Application Workflow for Organizations · 1:54
An overview of the whole process, from finding an opportunity to submitting.
Find the opportunity on Grants.gov (or in the Live Grants panel here) and note its Opportunity Number.
Create a workspace, add your team, fill in the forms, then have an AOR sign and submit.
2. User Roles and Workspace Actions · 1:50
E-Biz POC: manages your organization on Grants.gov and assigns roles to everyone else.
AOR: can sign and submit applications for the organization.
Workspace Manager: can create workspaces and manage who takes part.
Other participants can fill in the forms they are given, but only an AOR can submit.
3. How to Create a Grants.gov Workspace · 2:18
Sign in and open the grant opportunity you want.
Select Apply, then Create Workspace.
Choose your organization’s profile (UEI) and give the application a clear name, such as “WASHME TV – RBDG 2027.”
The workspace opens and lists every required and optional form.
4. How to Add Participants to a Grants.gov Workspace · 3:12
Open the Participants tab and select Add Participants.
Choose team members who already have an approved profile with your organization.
Give each person access to the forms they will work on. Grants.gov emails them an invite.
5. Completing Forms in a Grants.gov Workspace · 3:11
On the Forms tab, fill in each form online as a webform, or download the PDF and upload it when you are done.
Attach your narrative, budget justification, and other documents where the forms ask for them.
Select Check for Errors on each form and fix anything flagged.
Mark each form as complete. The application can’t be submitted until every required form is complete.
6. Submitting an Application in Workspace · 3:14
Once all required forms are complete, the AOR selects Sign and Submit.
Save the Grants.gov tracking number that appears on screen.
Watch your email. Grants.gov first confirms it received the application, then sends a second email saying whether it was validated or rejected.
If it was rejected, fix the errors and submit again before the deadline. You can check status any time under Track My Application.
Submit at least 48 hours early. If something goes wrong, you’ll still have time to fix it before the deadline.
Keep your SAM.gov registration active. An expired registration is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected.
Keep attachment file names short and simple, using only letters, numbers, dashes, and underscores.
Read the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for page limits and required attachments.
Individuals and new for-profit businesses usually aren’t eligible for Grants.gov opportunities. Check “Who can apply” first, or see for loans and lenders.
Grants.gov and SAM.gov update their screens and steps from time to time, so confirm details on the official sites. Videos are produced by
Grants.gov. For hands-on help, talk with a WASHME TV mentor at 334-625-0463.
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