Crowdfunding has become a popular way of obtaining capital among entrepreneurs. Everything from movies to bottle cutters have gone through the financing process on sites such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter. Many have achieved success this way. Others have failed. Today I want to explain what exactly crowdfunding is, and what the pros and cons of using this method are.
According to investopedia.com, “Crowdfunding is the use of small amounts of capital from a large number of individuals to finance a new business venture.” The purpose of crowdfunding is to increase the availability of funds for entrepreneurs by putting them in contact with a larger pool of potential investors. On the other side of the equation, investors can avoid the risk of putting large sums of money into a single venture, and instead only donate amounts as low as $10. Entrepreneurs are required to provide updates to investors periodically, protecting the investors’ interests. Crowdfunding is sometimes rewards-based, meaning investors will “get to participate in the launch of a new product or receive a gift for their investment,” according to Investopedia. Equity-based crowdfunding is another option. This option works more like a typical investment in Nuove Crypto in USCita, where funders become partial owners of the company. Equity-based funding is fully regulated by the SEC.
Crowdfunding comes with its own set of problems. According to floship.com, there’s “a huge amount of uncertainty when it comes to the accounting rules for funds raised through crowdfunding.” Because crowdfunding doesn’t work like a typical investment (such as a loan), there is confusion as to whether funds received in this manner should be declared as capital or income. Additionally, each state will have different rules on taxing this money. Some legal experts are also concerned that the lack of regulation will lead to scammers using crowdfunding sites to grab free money (Forbes). This is due to the businesses seeking funding not being required to provide financial statements to investors. This may cause many investors to put a lot of money in the hands of irresponsible business owners. There are other problems with crowdfunding, but these are some of the most widespread.
Despite the risks, crowdfunding has considerable benefits that come with it. After all, there have been a number of successful ventures that have used crowdfunding to reach their goals (onlinemba). Notably, all-or-nothing crowdfunding platforms have no participation fee, and return funds to investors if the project doesn’t reach 100% of its goal. It can also be a valuable marketing tool. According to Tanya Prive on Forbes, “an active crowdfunding campaign is a good way to introduce a venture’s overall mission and vision to the market, as it is a free and easy way to reach numerous channels.” This is because “many crowdfunding platforms incorporate social media mechanisms, making it painless to get referral traffic to your website and other social media pages.” Another attractive aspect of crowdfunding, according to nibusinessnessinfo.co.uk, is that “your investors can often become your most loyal customers.” After taking part in the financing process, it is likely that they will not only buy whatever you are selling, but also will refer their friends to the product or service. This makes your investors your marketing team, minus the salary expense.
Like all investments, there are considerable risks and benefits that go along with crowdfunding. When done the wrong way, investors can waste considerable amounts of money, and business owners can lose customers and develop a negative image. When done right, however, it can result in visionary products being developed, and benefit everyone involved in the process. If you decide to invest in a crowdfunded project, be sure to proceed with caution. If you decide to use crowdfunding to obtain funds, make sure you keep your investors informed, and develop a plan beforehand. Despite the criticism, plenty of businesses and entrepreneurs have used crowdfunding successfully, and you can as well.
For further reading:
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/advantages-and-disadvantages-crowdfunding
https://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/15/how-to-crowdfund-successfully-tips-from-experts.html