Crowdfunding is a very viable fund-raising alternative for startups, and recently we helped PledgeMe come up with their brand new Crowdfunding Canvas.
Crowdfunding is a reasonably new alternative to raising money, and like anything new there is a degree of uncertainty which can act as a roadblock for some. It does require a bit of work, like anything, and there are many important variables to work through to help ensure a successful campaign. The canvas can help companies make decisions on a lot of these variables, and works similar to a Lean Canvas. It allows you to see everything you need to do on one page.
Read more here about how you can best utilise the Crowdfunding Canvas.
Here are three reasons why we’re a fan of crowdfunding:
1. Spend Time With Important Stakeholders
When crowdfunding, you often spend a lot of time engaging your customers so they can become your campaign champions. So not only do you raise money for your company, you also create a highly engaged customer base who can help you to grow.
2. Minimal Influence Investors
If you can’t find smart money (investors who add as much value as they add capital), we think it’s better to have money with minimal influence. If you can’t find great people to invest in your company, it’s better to have a diluted investor base (more investors investing less money) with no voting rights, so minimal influence on your company.
3. Useful Marketing Platform
You capitalise on the reach of the crowdfunding platform. It’s a useful marketing platform and creates a bit of hype around your company, which can be very useful.
If you’re curious about crowdfunding, get in touch with the PledgeMe crew. They’re a friendly bunch who understand the realities of a startup. Tell them we sent you 🙂