Entrepreneurs have great ideas.
You are one of them.
And, you’ve found something your passionate about, but want to bring it to market. However, while your brain is running over with ideas, your bank-account is not exactly full (to put it mildly).
So, you you go back to your thoughts and think “I’ll never get this thing off the ground”. You need money – and fast.
To get cash for your start up business and ideas, you need to take a different turn.
Here’s a different and new approach, including 7 tools to help you.
A recent story about a woman who had studied abroad in Ghana in 2006 may serve to illustrate. She had been looking at textiles, their clothes and culture. She was intrigued, and loved the clothing designs. When she returned to the USA, she was still thinking about how to launch it. But, alas – where do you find the needed cash?
Accidents happen.
Then, she met somebody from the RocketHub company, and was helped to launch the business idea on RocketHub.com.
It’s a crowd-funding site, which was completely new to her. She raised $4,000 in a few weeks and got her first set of dresses made. They sold out online and in local stores. She proved it to herself and the community. It worked.
Crowd funding is an emerging field of finance – and uses the Internet as a middle-man. Money solicitations are made easier by using social media platforms, payment networks (like Paypal) and removes the traditional barriers for raising money. People feel included, and part of the projects – it’s “personal”.
Here are 7 sites to consider before your next venture:
- RocketHub
- Kickstarter
- PledgeMusic
- Funding4Learning
- ArtistShare
- FundRazr
- Kiva (specializes in small loans)
There are several types of crowd-funding:
1. Equity based.
Funders receive an interest in the venture fund
2. Lending based.
Funders often received fixed periodic income and expect repayment of original amount
3. Reward based
Funders gain a non-financial benefit in return for financial contributions
4. Donation based
Funder donates to causes that they want to support (no compensation)
Don’t think this is small potatoes.
In 2011, $1.5 billion dollars was raised by 450 internet crowd-sourcing sites worldwide. (Ref: Crowdsourcing.org).
The trend is not letting up.
Of course, as with anything online, scammers show up. So, make sure you validate everything – on all sides – specially when you give. You don’t want to find out your crowd-funding went to waste.
Let’s kick start some projects!
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Entrepreneur Magazine says Jon Rognerud is one of the most sought-after Digital Marketing Experts. His clients extend from high-end brands and middle-tier businesses in both B2B and B2C. His SEO website optimization book, "The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Website" from Entrepreneur Press is in bookstores now.