Former 'Apprentice' Stars Bill Rancic and Kelly Perdew Coach Competitors in MasterCard Small Business Challenge

Former 'Apprentice' Stars Bill Rancic and Kelly Perdew Coach Competitors in MasterCard Small Business Challenge

Event is one element of the MasterCard 'Get Wired' sweepstakes and campaign

PURCHASE, N.Y., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- . MasterCard International today hosts the first ever "MasterCard Small Business Challenge," a series of competitions pitting three small business owners against each other and the clock. As they rush to complete the "Challenge" course, the contestants will be coached by celebrities Bill Rancic and Kelly Perdew, both of whom are small business owners and former winners of The Apprentice.

The "Challenge" is part of the MasterCard International "Get Wired" campaign for small business which includes a sweepstakes that gives small business owners the opportunity to win one of three $50,000 full technology makeovers for their business, as well as a technology expert to help put it all together. Every time small business cardholders in the U.S. and Canada use their MasterCard BusinessCard or Debit MasterCard BusinessCard between now and November 30, 2005, they are automatically entered to win.

"In this highly competitive marketplace, small business owners understand the critical role that technology can play in the success of their businesses. But sometimes, it can be difficult to determine exactly what tools and solutions will have the biggest impact on their businesses," said Steve Abrams, Senior Vice President, Corporate Payment Solutions, MasterCard International. "Our 'Get Wired' campaign is focused on helping small business owners learn about the technologies they need to succeed to give them more time to concentrate on what they do best. Today, this "Challenge" pays tribute to small business owners as champion multi-taskers, and we at MasterCard are committed to being a valued partner in their success."

The "MasterCard Small Business Challenge," will take place today at 12:00pm in Union Square in New York City, and will include challenges that reflect the wide range of roles and responsibilities that small business owners frequently juggle, including setting up a new computer and printer, arranging office furniture for efficiency, and hustling to change from casual clothes to a business suit. The winner will be awarded a MasterCard Small BusinessCard card worth $5,000.

Bill Rancic and Kelly Perdew will coach the competitors through the five-event course, drawing upon their own experiences as small business entrepreneurs. First season Apprentice winner Bill Rancic is founder of cigarsaroundtheworld.com, an online cigar retailer. Second season Apprentice winner, Kelly Perdew, is the founder of MotorPride, an online auto enthusiast network, and DealPoint, an executive consulting organization. Kelly Perdew also serves as an advisory board member to CoreObjects, a software product development engine.

The featured contestants will be Scott Mikolay, owner of Desires by Mikolay, a jewelry design store, in Chappaqua, NY; Lee Breckner, owner of Lee's Yarns, a crafts retailer, in Bedford Hills, NY; and Marc Bessinger, owner of the marketing firm, Young Executive Spirit in New York, NY.

About MasterCard Incorporated

MasterCard International is a leading global payments solutions company that provides a broad variety of innovative services in support of our global members' credit, deposit access, electronic cash, business-to-business and related payment programs. MasterCard manages a family of well-known, widely accepted payment card brands including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R) and serves financial institutions, consumers and businesses in over 210 countries and territories. The MasterCard award-winning Priceless(R) advertising campaign is now seen in 105 countries and in 48 languages, giving the MasterCard brand a truly global reach and scope. For more information go to http://www.mastercardinternational.com/.

Contact:

Aparna Mohan, MasterCard International, +914-249-6528, aparna_mohan@mastercard.com

Source: MasterCard Incorporated

CONTACT: Aparna Mohan, MasterCard International, +1-914-249-6528, aparna_mohan@mastercard.com

Web site: http://www.mastercardinternational.com/

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