Laura completed market research around eco-friendly, non-disposable sanitary pads, which led to her launching her own social enterprise.

During her research, Laura, 26, from Swansea, found the information provided by companies was confusing, overwhelming and full of jargon. In her eyes, this alienated a lot of potential new customers. She also found ways in which the products could be more reliable, comfortable and effective, and decided to launch her own social enterprise, Proud Pads. She says,

I want to tackle poverty and will donate some products to organisations to help people living on the poverty line. Moving forward, I aim to generate employment for others, creating fulfilling and meaningful jobs which provide people with opportunities for progression.

Looking for support for her venture, Laura discovered our Enterprise programme, where she learnt about the different aspects of setting up a business. She was given a small grant to test her idea and assigned a business mentor to guide her on her journey. In March 2017, Laura appeared at our pop-up shop to showcase her business to the public. She adds,

I want to be able to contribute to society and to make a difference to the lives of others. Looking to the future, I hope to partner with other organisations which educate people on eco-friendly products.
The thing I’ve found most valuable from the Enterprise programme is that The Prince’s Trust staff believe in you and are happy to work with you to explore all ideas in a creative way.

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