Create a once-per-lifetime tax-free cash grant of $15,000 structured over 12 months to assist with living expenses, limited to living US citizens over age 18 who successfully file for a state business license. Require completion of a simple online form (like the FAFSA).
19 out of 20 businesses fail in the first five years. Initially, a business may not be large enough to support the living expenses of its owner. But providing a one-time cash grant to the filer of a business license to help with living expenses could foster owners' ability to focus on their business during the critical first 12 months.
It fosters innovation, supports community development, funds states, and removes the requirement of risking a life savings to try a potentially great idea.