The Crowd Funding Services Handbook: Raising the Money You Need to Fund Your Business, Project, or Invention

The Crowd Funding Services Handbook: Raising the Money You Need to Fund Your Business, Project, or Invention

by Jason R. Rich
Released September 2014
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781118853009

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Book description

Crowdsource funding is the new way to finance start-ups in a networked world

Entrepreneurs, small business owners, investors, artisans, or those who merely have a good idea for a business venture have a new and attainable means of securing capital to grow their dreams. Gone are the days when the only options to raise funds for a new business were venture capitalists, angel investors, or Wall Street. Web-based crowdfunding services are now plentiful and offer a variety of options for the aspiring entrepreneur. However, these services are not typically as well-understood as the more traditional means of raising capital.

In The Crowdsource Funding Services Handbook, author Jason R. Rich offers a step-by-step overview of the various crowdsource funding services available on the Web, as well as the necessary documentation required to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign.

  • Contains details on how to evaluate and select the best online platform for crowdfunding efforts

  • Provides details on creating a business plan to the specifications require to raise capital via crowdfunding

  • Provides an overview of the financial projections that will be required for a crowdfunding initiative

  • Proposes a specific approach to creating a "pitch video" to succeed with a crowdsource funding campaign

    • The Crowdsource Funding Services Handbook is a thorough, well-developed resource for those seeking to raise capital to start a business or fund the development of an innovative idea. Author and crowdfunding expert Jason R. Rich provides this definitive, hands-on guide to raising capital in the new economy.

    Table of contents

    1. Acknowledgments
    2. About the Author
    3. Introduction
    4. Chapter 1: How Crowd Funding Works: The Basics
      1. What Crowd Funding Is . . . and Isn’t
      2. Let’s Talk Crowd Funding Lingo
      3. Nine Components to a Successful Crowd Funding Campaign
      4. Common Misconceptions about Crowd Funding
      5. It Is Essential to Create an Accurate Time Frame and Budget
      6. Again, There Are No Shortcuts
      7. Crowd Funding Can Be Used to Raise Money for People and Charities, Too
      8. The Future Looks Very Bright for Crowd Funding
    5. Chapter 2: What Types of Businesses, Projects, and Inventions Can Get Funded
      1. Profiles of Project Types That Can Be Successful Using Reward-Based Crowd Funding
      2. Reward-Based Crowd Funding Is Also a Powerful Fund-raising Tool
      3. Become an Experienced Project Backer before Becoming a Project Creator
      4. How to Find Specialty Crowd Funding Platforms
    6. Chapter 3: Introduction to Crowd Funding Platforms and Services
      1. General Reward-Based Crowd Funding Platforms
      2. Specialty Reward-Based Crowd Funding Platforms
      3. A Self-Hosted Reward-Based Crowd Funding Option
    7. Chapter 4: Preplanning Your Crowd Funding Campaign
      1. Define and Fine-Tune Your Project Idea
      2. Pinpointing Your Target Audience
      3. Do Your Research
      4. Choose an Appropriate Crowd Funding Platform to Host Your Campaign
      5. Create Your Campaign’s Rewards
      6. Plan Your Schedule
      7. Building or Expanding Your Network
      8. Create Your Overall Marketing Message
      9. Prepare the Content for Your Crowd Funding Campaign
      10. Preplan the Promotional Efforts for Your Campaign
      11. Gathering the Support Services and Experts You’ll Need
      12. Calculating a Detailed Budget
      13. Now, You’re Ready to Proceed
    8. Chapter 5: Crunching the Numbers
      1. Develop a Budget for Your Reward-Based Crowd Funding Campaign
      2. Elements of Your Crowd Funding Campaign’s Budget
      3. Developing a Prototype
      4. Planning Your Crowd Funding Campaign
      5. Building or Expanding Your Network
      6. Producing Your Promotional Video
      7. Online and Traditional Advertising
      8. Developing and Running Your Public Relations Effort
      9. Set a Realistic and Appropriate Funding Goal for Your Project
    9. Chapter 6: Targeting Your Backers and Supporters
      1. Defining Your Target Audience
    10. Chapter 7: Producing Your Promotional Video
      1. Twelve Elements That Make for a Successful Promotional Video
      2. Conduct More Hands-On Research
      3. Consider Your Production Budget and Goals
      4. Create Your Video’s Script and Storyboard
      5. Production Issues to Consider
      6. Choosing the Best HD Video Camera to Shoot Your Video
      7. Selecting Your Background or Shooting Location
      8. Lighting Considerations
      9. Sound Quality Considerations
      10. Showcase the Right Appearance: Wardrobe, Hair, and Makeup Considerations
      11. Utilizing Background Music, Voice-Overs, and Sound Effects
      12. The Pros and Cons of Adding More Production Elements
      13. Editing Your Video
    11. Chapter 8: Promoting Your Campaign
      1. Take an Organized Approach to Your Marketing Plan
      2. There Are Many Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Campaign’s Web Page
      3. Use Email Marketing to Reach People with a Personal Message in Their Inbox
      4. Take Advantage of Social Media
      5. Drive Traffic to Your Campaign’s Web Page Using Paid Online Advertising
      6. Tap the Power of the Media Using Public Relations Efforts to Expand Your Audience
      7. Consider Meeting Potential Backers in Person
    12. Chapter 9: Interacting with Your Backers Using a Blog
      1. Establish a Stand-Alone Blog
      2. How to Publish Updates to Your Crowd Funding Campaign’s Web Page
      3. Information to Share with Your Backers
      4. Use Updates and Blog Posts to Generate Hype for Stretch Goals and Refuel Backer Support
      5. Keep the Line of Communication Open
    13. Chapter 10: Getting the Help You Need
      1. Eight Quick Tips for Hiring Freelancers
      2. Agree to Terms before Hiring a Freelancer, Consultant, or Expert
      3. Crowd Funding-Related Tasks Where Freelancers and Experts Can Be Useful
      4. Where to Find Experts to Hire
    14. Chapter 11: You’ve Reached Your Funding Goal—Now What?
      1. Shipping Rewards to Backers
      2. Expect to Take on Many More Responsibilities in the Days and Weeks Ahead
      3. What to Do if Your Crowd Funding Campaign Fails
    15. Chapter 12: Get Started Using Kickstarter.com
      1. Kickstarter Is for Funding Creative Projects
      2. Kickstarter Puts Crowd Funding Tools at Your Disposal, but You’re in Charge
      3. Discover What Sets Kickstarter Apart as a Crowd Funding Platform
      4. Kickstarter Backers Always Receive a Tangible Reward
      5. Determine What Results in a Successfully Funded Project on Kickstarter
      6. Acquire the Skills You Need in Advance
      7. When You Should Launch Your Kickstarter Campaign
      8. How to Go Online and Create Your Kickstarter Campaign
      9. Discover How Much Running a Kickstarter Campaign Costs
      10. Avoid the Most Common Mistakes Made by Project Creators
      11. What to Do if Your Kickstarter Campaign Fails
      12. What to Expect from Kickstarter in the Future
      13. There Are Other Crowd Funding Options Available
    16. Chapter 13: Interviews with Crowd Funding Experts
      1. Brian Meece, CEO of RocketHub, Shares His Crowd Funding Advice
      2. Get Crowd Funding Advice from Dave Girouard, Founder of Upstart
      3. Scott N. Miller, CEO of Dragon Innovation, Discusses How to Use Crowd Funding to Launch a Technology-Related Project
      4. Learn More about Crowd Funding from Robert Wolfe, Founder of CrowdRise
      5. Brad Wyman Talks about the FundAnything Platform as a Viable Crowd Funding Option
    17. Chapter 14: Crowd Funding Experts Share Their Secrets
      1. Attorney Joel Fishman Discusses the Potential Legal and Tax Implications Related to Crowd Funding
      2. Attorney Markley Roderick Shares His Advice and Knowledge about Crowd Funding
      3. Discover More Crowd Funding Strategies from Consultant Patty Lennon
      4. Online Marketing Specialist Roy Morejon Explains How a Digital Marketing Agency Can Help with Your Crowd Funding Campaign
    18. Chapter 15: Experienced Crowd Funders Share Their Secrets
      1. Nick Evans Talks about Making His Company’s High-Tech Tile a Best-Selling Gadget
      2. Musician Simon Tam Discusses How He Used Crowd Funding to Pay for His Band’s Tour Bus
      3. Learn from Author Tom Starling How He Successfully Funded His Children’s Book Using Kickstarter
      4. Piet Morgan’s Company, Hammerhead, Used Crowd Funding to Create a Product for Bicycle Enthusiasts
    19. Index
    20. End User License Agreement

    Product information

    • Title: The Crowd Funding Services Handbook: Raising the Money You Need to Fund Your Business, Project, or Invention
    • Author(s): Jason R. Rich
    • Release date: September 2014
    • Publisher(s): Wiley
    • ISBN: 9781118853009