Steve Fusco, Vice President and GM North American Distribution, PayPal

Please see this post on our new PayPal Stories site.

 

 

Sir Richard Branson once said, “Entrepreneurs make the world a better place” and I couldn’t agree more. At PayPal, we see everyday how small businesses can thrive by having that entrepreneurial spirit and a great idea. That’s why we are proud sponsors of Shopify’s “Build A Business” contest (for the second year) to support entrepreneurs who are looking to get their businesses off the ground. I also couldn’t be happier to share that half of the six winners used PayPal to make their “Entrepreneur Island” experience come true.

 

The Contest

 It’s simple, but not easy – launch an entirely new business using Shopify, compete against other businesses to sell your product and sell the most of your product over a two-month period to win. This year’s winners receive a trip to Necker Island on a private plane and five days with five successful entrepreneurs – Sir Richard Branson, Shark Tank’s Daymond John, Author/TV host Marie Forleo, Investor/Author Tim Ferris and Entrepreneur/Author Seth Godin.

 

The Winners

Three of the six winners used PayPal to drive transactions – by offering a payments solution that they could trust as well as one that customers recognize – to help them win. The businesses and their winning products are:

 

Leesa: Affordable, luxury mattresses that ship direct to the consumer for under $1,000. Little Letter Lights Co.: Child-safe decorative lights made out of letters and objects. Shore Projects: A watch with interchangeable straps so it can be customized to every individual’s personal style.

 

The three other winning businesses:

 Coco White: 100% natural, chemical free teeth whitening product using the concept of oil pulling. Pavlock: A wearable band that uses classical conditioning to break      bad habits like smoking, overeating, drinking and more. Trunkster: Zipper less, roll-top drawer luggage with a built-in GPS, scale and mobile charger.

 

On August 31, Shopify and PayPal will celebrate with the winners in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The entrepreneurs will then depart to Necker Island to experience the trip of a lifetime.

 

Kudos to All The New Businesses

Kudos to the winners and all the entrepreneurs who had a concept and built a business. Because of them, in just eight short months, tens of thousands of new businesses were created which generated over 4 million orders, and resulted in more than $250 million in sales. At PayPal, we believe passionately in the indomitable spirit of great entrepreneurs like these. They are the lifeblood of our business and our global economy, and they are our greatest source of innovation. On behalf of the company, I want to congratulate Shopify, the winners, and entrepreneurs everywhere for keeping the motor of the world turning. 

Original author: PayPal-Forward