Despite the fact that 98% of businesses in Canada are small businesses, only 17.5% are majority-owned by women. In a recent effort to further support women in business, Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund has announced it will provide ten women-owned businesses with $10,000 in funding each. The expansion of the fund is a recent effort to continue supporting women-owned businesses and build a community that empowers and supports women. Not only is Mastercard helping through their fund, but there are also newly announced benefits for small business cardholders.

Mastercard & women-owned businesses

According to research from Mastercard, women small business owners across Canada agree that being part of a community provides numerous benefits. From building confidence to providing opportunity and mentorship, community is a true pillar of success. Respondents also named financial metrics (85%), work-life balance (81%), and market presence (73%) among their top markers of success as an entrepreneur.

In a continued effort to help small business owners, Mastercard recently announced the expansion of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund and new benefits for small business cardholders. In its second year, the Small Business Fund has doubled the number of recipients from five to ten businesses that will receive $10,000 in funding each.

The benefits don’t stop there! Small business cardholders can access new benefits to help address key needs and generate significant savings, including:

McAfee: Cardholders receive a 30-day free trial, a first-year 75% discounted subscription to McAfee’s Total Protection for Mastercard 10-Devices plan and a complimentary 1-year subscription to McAfee’s TechMate software with paid purchase. These advanced features will provide small businesses with award-winning antivirus protection, secure VPN, web protection, content controls, and more.
Virtual Gurus: Cardholders receive a 20 per cent discount on the first three months of their subscription to Virtual Gurus, a talent marketplace that leverages proprietary technology to match organizations with highly skilled virtual assistants.
Easy Savings Specials: For easy access to relevant savings, via Mastercard’s global redemption-based offers program, Mastercard BusinessCard and World Elite Mastercard for Business cardholders can access exclusive offers and earn rewards from top global merchants.

You can learn more about Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund here.

Phyllis Scully

Phyllis Scully is a regular contributor to View the VIBE. She's a hard-working young woman and entrepreneur, who's passionate about city life and finding the hottest VIBES.