If there’s an upside to a down economy, it’s that people are more conscious of their finances and make a stronger effort to get out of debt. Prosper has a Finance program to help people do so.

The economy as a whole is big news in the media and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Because of what we do, Prosper is garnering some attention. Miranda Marquit, author of the “Personal Finance Corner” on AllBusiness.com, has posted a quick overview of us.

See it for yourself here.  

Compared to the “average” company, Prosper Inc. is particularly focused on entrepreneurism. Top management exemplifies the concept of developing multiple streams of income, while rank-and-file employees are encouraged to pursue their entrepreneurial interests.

You could say entrepreneurism is in our blood. Since the company was founded in 1999, much of our focus has been on giving people the knowledge and guidance they need to explore their entrepreneurial ideas.

A recent survey conducted in September 2008 reveals some very interesting attitudes about entrepreneurism in light of the current economic conditions. Twenty-seven percent of survey respondents said they plan to start their own business within the next five years. That projection is huge. Out of 100 people you know, 27 will (according to these results) start their own business in the next five year. Personally, I can really only think of one or two who have even thought about it.

Even more revealing is that a staggering 70 percent agreed that “the success and health of [the U.S.] economy depends on the success of entrepreneurs.” In a related question, 80 percent of the respondents also agreed that the U.S. government needs to encourage more entrepreneurship.

With so many being open to the concept of entrepreneurship, Prosper is excited about the opportunity to be a prime contributor in the delivery of one-to-one coaching to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Kendra B. of Springfield, Mass. recently enrolled in our Finance program and is excited about where she is going.

For the past few years I have been doing a lot of reading about personal finance and everyone seems to have their own ideas of what is most important. David Bach’s Automatic Millionaire and Smart Women Finish Rich made a lot of sense to me, but then there was Dave Ramsey, Suze Ormon, Robert Kiyosaki and others.

Because of this I found it very difficult to decide what I should focus on first. Should I build my emergency fund first or pay off debt? Should I fund my 401k or wait until I have paid off my debt and have 3 to 6 months of savings?

One day I received an invitation to learn more about the Finish Rich Coaching Program from Prosper and I immediately wanted to find out more information. I was assigned my coach and together we worked on a financial plan that was right for me and my individual needs and circumstances.

Since joining the coaching program and taking part in the webinars, homework and conference calls, I now have clear direction on what I need to do first. I have been able to think about my dream and goals and give them dates of when I plan to achieve them.

Prior to the program I couldn’t see any further than just my debt. I learned that my net worth was a negative amount and that was really troubling. I also learned that I clearly need to rethink how I spend money and how to prioritize my spending by what is important to me. So far I have consolidated my credit card balances onto a card with 0% for balance transfers and am working on building up an emergency fund. I am also looking at ways of increasing my income.

A few months ago, I went to Borders near my home to browse books and I came across a book entitled The Fred Factor, by Mark Sanborn. I could not put it down! Fred is a postman who delivers exceptional service—so outstanding that it motivated writing a book that has become a national best seller.The story of Fred continues to encourage people all over the nation. Who knew a postman could do that? As I browsed the book, I came across a few important points I’d like to share.

Quoting from the Fred Factor web site (www.fredfactor.com): The Mission: Be a Fred…Continually create new value for those you live and work with through dedication, passion and creativity.

The ideas I took from the book:

• Each of us makes a difference. The only question at the end of the day is “What kind of difference did I make?”
• Everything is built on our relationships. The first principle in building a relationship is to build trustworthiness. Other words for trustworthiness include respect, humility, honesty, patience, faith, virtue.

This principle of trust and respect is based on always assuming honorable of intentions towards our fellow workers, students, customers and those we love. Always remember: “Nobody succeeds on their own. Asking for and sharing information broadens one’s perspective of situations and life. Others help you open doors to opportunity.” (Lessons in life from the mailman, The Times, Munster, Ind.)

The book reminded me that we can train employees to achieve exceptional performance. However, only each individual employee can choose to do a job in an extraordinary way.

I asked myself, “Do I add or take away from the experience of our customers/students and colleagues? Does the Student Care Department move Prosper closer to, or further away from, its goals?” (Read Lee & Nancy’s story.)

I think we do a very good job. We strive to continually learn and grow and create value and success for each our students, one at a time.

Devin Willis
Prosper Student Care

The overall economy in the U.S. is uncertain at best, but Prosper is forging ahead. Our great coaching programs generally help people increase their earning power or eliminate debt. A troubled economy increases demand for both. That’s just one reason why now is an exciting time to work for Prosper.

We have many opportunities for both experienced and inexperienced sales reps to help our customers achieve their financial goals and dreams through our coaching programs.

In that way, Prosper is more than a job; it’s a chance to help people through our distance education programs.

But don’t take just my word for it. Some of our recent hires talk about what they love about Prosper:

• “I love the management and trainers!” – Sandra Carver
• “The potential here at Prosper is fantastic!” – Mike Bunata

• “It’s the leadership!” – Bryan Plante

• “The energy is awesome here!” – Kimberly LeMieux

• “I really like the positive atmosphere!” - Cami Burton
• “I love knowing we’re helping people achieve their goals and dreams!” – Erin Proctor
• “The people are what I like best about Prosper.” – Jessica Johnson

While sales powers the Prosper train, we are a thriving company with all the support functions of a large company including departments in Human Resources, IT, Software Development, Marketing, (most companies don’t view reception as a Department) and many more. To view and apply for open positions, click here.

Prosper has a culture of being a professional, family-focused environment. We also have a track record of hiring and promoting from within and rewarding hard work

Travis Cook, Prosper Human Resources