The Crowdfunding Handbook

Think Kickstarter® is just for artists and people who don’t really want to work for their success? Think again! In 2012 President Obama signed the JOBS act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups), empowering privately owned companies to raise capital from investors without going through the rigorous IPO and private placement processes. Your private company can now crowdfund your way to success!Now that the SEC has handed down the last regulations, the floodgates will open and companies will be free to compete for funding. Thankfully for you, small business and legal expert Cliff Ennico has followed the equity crowdfunding story since its inception and has translated the regulations into a clear set of dos and don’ts for entrepreneurs and small business others looking to get in early. In The Crowdfunding Handbook, burgeoning crowdfunders can learn how to:• Decipher whether crowdfunding is their best bet• Choose between funding platforms• Pitch a project to the public• Reach the most promising investors• Figure out disclosure documents and report requirements• And more!IPSs are expensive, and venture capital nearly impossible to attract. Crowdfunding is changing the game for private companies. Are you taking full advantage?

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The availability of capital from friends and family has always been extremely limited for entrepreneurs, and in the past this has been the case because people were generally reluctant to lend money to strangers. #2 Social media has changed the way we communicate, and it has also changed the way we raise capital. Social media allows people to expand their social networks, which allows them to expand their business networks as well. This is how crowdfunding works. #3 The most basic definition of crowdfunding is raising money for a project or venture from a group of people who are large and undefined: the crowd. #4 There are three types of crowdfunding: project, accredited investor, and social media.

If you're looking for a step-by-step launch framework for your upcoming Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, this is the handbook for you! I'll teach you how to use crowdfunding to raise money online and bring your project to life. You see, we're at the beginning of a movement as transformative as the industrial revolution. Never before in history have authors, musicians, artists, and film producers been able to connect with massive online audiences and get funding for their creative work. The outdated media gatekeepers are quickly disappearing. You can now get funding directly from your fans and distribute your content online. If you're a creative type, this is the BEST time to be alive. But, it doesn't stop there. This major change has also given rise to six and seven-figure online businesses. As a fellow entrepreneur, I know that one of the most common excuses for not quitting your job and launching that startup company is because you don't have the money. Now, in a few short weeks, you can have all of the capital you need to launch and grow a thriving ecommerce business. It's no longer a crazy idea to pursue your passion. In fact, more and more millennials are doing just that. I should know, I'm one of them! When I first started blogging about Kickstarter in 2012, I had no idea that crowdfunding would become a multi-billion-dollar industry. I was just a Junior in college, writing a mini-thesis on how different variables affected fundraising success on Kickstarter (for you nerds out there, it was a logistic regression). Flash forward several years, and I'm now one of the top experts in the crowdfunding industry. I started the blog, CrowdCrux, which did over one million views in 2015. I set up a forum called KickstarterForum, which has attracted over six thousand members. I even launched a popular podcast called Crowdfunding Demystified, which has racked up more than 100 positive reviews in iTunes. Finally, I also put out training videos on YouTube and I am proud to say that the channel is experiencing rapid growth. That all sounds impressive, but actually, when I first stumbled on the website, Kickstarter, I didn't have a clue how it worked. It seemed super confusing and I had SO MANY questions. Since 2012, I've come to master the platform and discover the ins and outs of how crowdfunding really works. I've published many of my findings online and I've been being linked to by sites like CNN, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and even The Wall Street Journal. In this guide, I'm going to share with you the step-by-step launch strategy for absolutely crushing it on Kickstarter. In no time at all, you'll be raising money for your startup or creative project. I'll make it super easy to copy and implement these tactics and strategies. I'll also share some Jedi Mind Tricks that most marketers don't know about. Before you know it, you'll be a crowdfunding expert! Now, I bet you're thinking... "boy this all sounds like a lot of work. Do I really have to learn all of this? I just want to get funding for my project." Truth be told, it is A LOT to master, which is why having the right teacher can make all of the difference. I'll make sure that you master this material as quickly as possible, so that you can stop fundraising and get back to doing what you love! Either way, whether you decide to run your own Kickstarter campaign, or outsource certain aspects, it pays to know what you're doing. I want to help you smash your Kickstarter goal and then I hope you come on my podcast as a crowdfunding success story. It's time to get serious about making that business you've been dreaming about a reality. It's finally time to get paid for your creative work. Let's get started!

Learn the ins and outs of equity crowdfunding with this informative guide Equity Crowdfunding for Investors is a comprehensive, objective, and authoritative guide to the social and financial rewards of crowdfunding. Before now, angel investing – and the spectacular returns possible in this asset class – has been off-limits to all but the wealthiest Americans. Now equity crowdfunding portals allow the general public to buy shares in startups and fast-growing private companies for the first time in generations. This book provides the guidance individuals need to invest wisely, tempering the excitement of leading-edge technology, innovative business models, and exciting new brands with thorough, practical know-how – including investor limits and requirements, portfolio strategy, deal terms, and much more. Readers will learn the pros and cons of investing in equity crowdfunding so they can make an informed investment decision, as well as best practices for finding, researching, evaluating, and buying into potentially profitable startups. Digital components include tables, graphs, comparison charts, screen captures, checklists, and other tools that further enable readers to make suitable investment choices. Equity crowdfunding is a new, exciting, and evolving way for growing businesses to raise capital and for average investors to buy equity in those businesses. It has been hailed as a "game changer" in the private capital markets, particularly the angel investment asset class, which includes angel investing. This book shows readers how to take full advantage of this new avenue of investment, without being taken advantage of themselves. Make smarter investment decisions Avoid being ripped off Find the best information available Understand the SEC rules and limits Equity crowdfunding can produce huge returns. It also comes with huge risk. Some companies will succeed, but many will fail. Everyday investors can mitigate some risk and increase their chance of profit with the fundamental insight provided in Equity Crowdfunding for Investors.

Crowdfunding is a hot topic and this Handbook provides a service to the research community by codifying, discussing and examining research in this area. It will be a starting point for researchers seeking high quality research in this new and important area.

A groundbreaking book on the growing trend of crowdfunding Crowdfunding has gained considerable traction over the last few years. By combining the Internet/social media with equity-based financing, it is poised to usher in a new asset class that will change how early stage and small business financing transactions are consummated. Author Steven Dresner, Founder and CEO of Dealflow.com, understands the nuances of how crowdfunding can help companies gain much needed access to capital, and now he shares those insights with you. Engaging and informative, this book will serve the needs of a global audience comprising entrepreneurs, financiers, and other professionals. It skillfully addresses the market dynamics that are catapulting crowdfunding into the mainstream and explores essential issues ranging from planning an online campaign, post-transaction management, and business planning to securities law and tax issues. Puts the business of crowdfunding in perspective with a look at the current marketplace, overview of important data, and legitimate concerns Examines effective techniques for communicating with the crowd Details equity-based financing and other sources such as debt instruments Contains contributions from a wide array of individuals involved in the worlds of finance, law and accounting, social media, marketing, as well as DealFlow Media's own staff Crowdfunding affords-start ups and other smaller businesses better access to capital via the Internet/social media. It also allows an investor of any size to back a business of their choosing. This new book will show you what this process entails and how it can benefit everyone involved.

On April 5, 2012, President Barack Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, better known as the JOBS Act. The act is designed to “reopen American capital markets to small companies,” defined in the act as Emerging Growth Companies. This is one of the most significant legislative initiatives in finance since the Securities and Exchange Acts of 1933 and 1934, and it opens up funding to a slew of companies previously shut out of the capital markets. Here’s the good news: Small businesses and startups will be able to raise up to $1 million in equity (or debt) funding online via what are called Crowdfunding Platforms—online communities and websites. Imagine an eBay-like site that allows you to post your idea for a commercial venture online and then allows investors to purchase equity shares or stakes in it. As one journalist put it, it’s “social media meets venture capital.” How can you get in on the new funding opportunities? That’s what The JOBS Act: Crowdfunding for Small Businesses and Startups is all about. Investment expert William Michael Cunningham shows how the new law will enable you to use the internet to raise significant amounts of capital funding for your startup. After discussing briefly the development and implementation of the law, what it means, and how it will impact the business startup marketplace, he delivers the nuts and bolts of how to take advantage of the JOBS Act to access new sources of capital for your small business or startup. As you’ll see, the act has the power to unleash a new wave of innovation, increase employment, and set many more average entrepreneurs and investors on the road to wealth. Not just for entrepreneurs, The JOBS Act: Crowdfunding for Small Businesses and Startups will benefit investors, securities lawyers, community development specialists, educators, venture capitalists, and those offering services in the new crowdfunding arena. It is, simply, the most current and most comprehensive compendium of information on the law and its impact on this new market.

The ultimate guide on how to leverage the power of Kickstarter—the easy-to-use and wildly popular crowdfunding website—to finance your passion projects So you want to produce a short film. Or design a new line of jewelry. Or manufacture a revolutionary solar-powered garden sprinkler. There’s just one catch: You need $100,000 to bankroll your dream, and your checking account has barely enough to cover the rent. Enter Kickstarter.com—the phenomenal “crowdfunding” website launched in 2009 that brings venture capital to the masses. At Kickstarter, it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to raise $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, or more. All you need is a great idea—and The Kickstarter Handbook. Business journalist Don Steinberg has interviewed dozens of artists and inventors who launched their passion projects online. Through their voices, you’ll explore all the strategies of a successful Kickstarter campaign. You’ll learn the elements of a compelling Kickstarter video, innovative ways to market your projects, tips for getting donors onboard, and the secrets of irresistible Kickstarter “rewards.” You’ll also discover what to do in a best-case scenario—when your project goes viral and the cash starts flowing in. On Kickstarter, it happens to a few lucky visionaries every week. Here’s how to be one of them.