While the funding faucet has been turned off for many small businesses VISA is handing out some real seed money. This week, three start-ups were selected as part of VISA's Start-Up 2000 national program. The program looks to find, fund and grow three small businesses (with 20 employees or less and under two years old). After undergoing a selection process from over 500 entries the following firms were selected Millennium 3 Clinical Consulting Inc. (NC), Ready Notes (Davis, CA), and Original Juan Specialty Foods, Inc. (Kansas City, KS). Each company will receive $25K in start-up funding in the format of a VISA Business card through US Bank, its bank partner; up to $50K in products/services from the program's business partners Bigstep.com, Compaq, E-Stamp, Office Depot, and Symantec; and free training from educational sponsors The Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE). For more information visit www.visa.com.