Orange County Register

Grants to start a business are the unicorns of the world — existing only as fantasies. But Yahoo Small Business is teaming with the former assistant on “The Apprentice” TV show, Carolyn Kepcher, to give cash grants and other assistance worth $25,000 to three women entrepreneurs.

The three grant recipients will be eligible for a $10,000 bonus depending on how they use the initial grant money, mentoring help and technical assistance.

Click here to apply for the program called Seeds for Success: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Grant Program.

Yahoo Small Business, a Web hosting and e-commerce site with 1.5 million customers, is responding to results from its own poll, conducted by Harris Interactive, that 57% of women said they had thought about starting or had started their own business.

Entrepreneurial interest is highest for women aged 45-54, with nearly three out of four (72%) saying they had thought about starting or started their own business, the survey found.

Currently 10.4 million women own U.S. businesses.

“The ‘Seeds for Success’ grant program will help shine a spotlight on the powerful combination of inspiring women, breakthrough business ideas, and the unlimited reach of the Internet, provided by Yahoo! Small Business,” said Yahoo Vice President Susan Vobejda.

Kepcher added: “Women and men have similar entrepreneurial aspirations, but the motivation for women often is different. As an entrepreneur, I am personally familiar with why today, many women launch businesses as a way of maneuvering around challenges found in a traditional work environment.”

Kepcher co-founded Carolyn and Co. Media LLC after her stint as Donald Trump’s advisor on the NBC TV show.

“Women want success and financial security, but also balance. We don’t mind juggling priorities, especially family, but we’d like to do that more on our own terms,” she said.

Click here to read the press release.

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