Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Crowdfunding Needs YOU
By Ambrose Moses
OhioMBE – June 15, 2014
Like peanut butter and jelly, Batman and Robin, and Harvey Specter and Mike Ross (though this pair might be in question), there are two, interdependent and inseparable sides to crowdfunding.
On the one hand, we have the small business, the nonprofit organization, or the individual who each are in need of funds.
On the other hand, we have “the crowd” of family members, friends, business associates, co-workers, churches, customers, clients, community groups, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and the list goes on.
These two must be linked together and each must do his/her part to make it happen. The crowdfund campaign must be created, promoted, and executed. The crowd must care, engage, and give/donate/purchase/invest.
There are crowdfund campaigns being launched every day. There is some work to be done in the process, but folks are putting it out there. One of the big problems is that many of the crowdfund campaigns are going unfunded or underfunded because the crowd doesn’t know about it, care about it, or support it.
Ohio Business Development Center (OBDC) encourages You to learn about crowdfunding and to support crowdfunding campaigns on a regular basis. If you donate money to charity, you could consider allocating all or some of that money to a series of crowdfund campaigns that are interesting and beneficial to you or to someone/something about which you care.
By contributing to crowdfunding campaigns, you are having a direct impact upon people, issues, and communities that are important to you. When you get that email, text, or telephone call about a crowdfunding campaign, don’t assume that everyone else has already given and that your $5 won’t be missed. It will be missed because “everyone else” assumed that You had already given.
Let’s make crowdfunding the game-changer that it has the potential to be.
Crowdfunding Needs YOU.
For more information on crowdfunding, contact OBDC at www.OhioBDC.com
