Starting a business is a daunting task – but for many it is a desire to follow a dream. To embrace risk…and the possibility of failure. It’s impressive how many people start businesses, follow their dreams and take those risks. And we see it everyday on Prosper – interesting stories about members’ business ideas.
As I glanced through the site I was humbled by the number of members driven by an idea - the possibility of becoming their own master and provide a service or product to others. You can search by Business Use and read about some of the business uses – funding a trade show booth; expanding a store, expanding a driving service, opening a pizza store and so on.
One of our borrowers, Lara Miller, started her business just a few years ago. Lara has had three loans with Prosper, one paid off and two current. She is a successful designer and her business continues to flourish. We love to read about our community members who have successfully launched a business, put themselves through college, gotten out of debt and many other stories.
We featured Lara in one of the Prosper commercials. You can also learn more about Lara by reading her story or watching the behind the scenes video.
Lara is now in the midst of generating more buzz by entering an interesting competition from www.ideablog.com where you can submit your idea and let the community vote. Only eight contestants are selected to be in the monthly competition which lasts about 22 days. The top two winners then go on to enter into the monthly showdown. Every month one winner is selected and wins $10,000. The community decides the winner by voting for their favorite idea.
You can check out Lara’s idea here Lara Miller’s Wear It Your Way Sustainable Women’s Wear which focuses on green issues and reinforces the need to wear sustainable materials.
Acknowledging the impact that we have on our environment, my collection mixes hand-loomed “convertible” knits and tailored wovens made of sustainable materials for a contemporary customer. I have tripled my sales in one year. Please help me manufacture my orders as I continue to grow the business.
You can also check out Lara’s website at http://www.laramiller.net
Good success and planning to all our Prosper members with businesses of their own! If you are looking for a personal loan for your business, apply for one on Prosper.
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