According to excerpts from the story:
Women open businesses at twice the rate of men and often need services, programs and counseling to help them in their new ventures.
GROW (Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women) has been working for 17 years to make sure these new women-owned businesses do not become casualties.
The chances of failure are very high. As many as 85 percent of new businesses fail in the first two years, according to GROW Executive Director Rita VanderVen.
GROW’s economic impact is far reaching. The 117 businesses served in 2005 generated more than $6 million in sales. Those businesses - including 40 new businesses - created 270 new jobs.
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