This is a presentation for a client of mine called Blue Sky RV. They requested information on crowd sourcing funding for their new campground expansion.
2. What Is Crowdfunding?
• The process of raising small amounts of capital from
a large number of individuals and/or investors to
finance a new business venture.
• Crowdfunding expands the pool of investors from
whom funds can be raised beyond the traditional
circle of owners, relatives and venture capitalists.
3. How It Works
• Research and plan campaign goals
• Build a fan base for the business idea
• Launch the actual crowdfunding
campaign to target fans and investors
alike
4. Crowdfunding Options
• Reward-based crowdfunding: entrepreneurs pre-sell
a product or service to launch a business concept
without incurring debt or sacrificing equity/shares.
• Equity-based crowdfunding: the backer receives
unlisted shares of a company, usually in its early
stages, in exchange for the money pledged. The
company's success is determined by how successfully
it can demonstrate its viability.
5. Investor Backed Platforms
• Equitynet.com – I would start here
based on the included business
planning software.
• Fundable.com
• CircleUp.com
• Crowdfunder.com
6. Donation/Reward Based Platforms
• Kickstarter.com – More geared toward selling
products and online services.
• IndieGoGo.com – The best option found for raising
capital with donation based funding for a small
business venture. It may be best to break up the
campaign and fund parts of a project under this
platform.
7. Why build a fan base first?
• Higher crowdfunding success rates due
to credibility. You are real, people can
see more about your project than just a
plea for funding assistance.
• Valuable feedback from future
customers. You can see what they really
want and cater to that.
8. Is it feasible for an RV Park?
• Yes! With planning, research and the right mix of
influencers in social media, participation in the
camping/RV life style niche, and mainstream
coverage.
• Promotion work can be done on a budget to get
started. Web presence, social media, video, forum
participation, guest blogging, and reaching out to
popular bloggers and media can all be done cheaply.
9. To Get Started
While the fan base for the RV park is being
built, it would be wise to start by reaching
out to investors on Equitynet.com and similar
sites to help determine their expectations.
There is no reason not to begin getting
involved in discussion groups for people
interested in the RV/camping lifestyle. I would
avoid any pitch and just work on relationship
building and focus on learning what people
really want.
10. Additional Resources
• Top Three Crowdfunding Models
• The Economic Value of Crowdfunding in 2014
• Getting Funded Online
• Forbes Top 10 Business Crowdfunding Campaigns Of
All Time