Crowdfunding allows a large number of people to finance an idea through small individual contributions. By harnessing the power of collective energy, crowdfunding can get a project off the ground and in the public eye with astounding speed and success if its done the right way. In this easy-to-use guide, you'll learn: * Learn how to structure your campaign for maximum funding with the least amount of your time and energy * Become a magnet to potential funders so they are finding you before you have to go out and find them * Access the insiders secrets that helped author, Patty Lennon reach her goal in 14 days and be featured by Indiegogo! * Springboard your campaign into social media buzz to create an eager following of campaign evangelists * Avoid the mistakes most crowdfunders make so you are part of the elite group of crowdfunders who fund above their goal amount Drawing from her years of experience in marketing, project planning and communications, as well as, her real-life experience in crowdfunding Patty Lennon provides an easy-to-follow guide to launching a crowdfunding project.

Crowdfunding: Fundamental Cases, Facts, and Insights presents fundamental knowledge about a maturing economic field. Assembling and arranging datasets, case analyses, and other foundational materials on subjects associated with crowdfunding, it systematically, comprehensively, and authoritatively provides access to a consistent body of crowdfunding research. With the crowdfunding industry now consolidated, this core reference can serve as the basis for research projects and applied work. Acclaim for Crowdfunding "This book provides insightful cases and statistics from around the world on how rewards and equity crowdfunding markets work. It also includes useful information on marketplace lending. It is a great resource for entrepreneurs and investors, as well as for policymakers, academics, and students." - Craig Asano, Founder and CEO, National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association "Crowdfunding offers detailed analyses of rewards and equity crowdfunding markets using statistical methods and case studies. I recommend it for academics, practitioners, and policymakers who seek a rigorous look at crowdfunding markets around the world." - Jay Ritter, Joseph B. Cordell Eminent Scholar Chair, Warrington College of Business, University of Florida

THE GROUNDBREAKING NEW METHOD FOR RAISING VENTURE CAPITAL THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS “The declaration of independence for our industry!” —MAT DELLORSO, WealthForge Inc. “The Crowdfunding Revolution should be on the mandatory reading list for everybody active in the industry or for everyone who’s planning to be.” —CROWDFUND NEWS “Kevin Lawton and Dan Marom have done a great job. . . . A must-read for everybody entering the field of crowdfunding!”—GIJSBERT KOREN, Smarter Money “We recommend this book highly to anyone who is fascinated by this new methodology for funding projects and endeavors. . . . A wonderful read.” —BRIAN MEECE, RocketHub “Read this book if you want to catch the next wave!” —FRED BRYANT, WealthForge Inc. “A must-read for anyone interested in the early stage funding process.” —MANDAR KULKARNI, pluggd.in “The Crowdfunding Revolution offers fundraising inspiration for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.” —BUSINESS2COMMUNITY “The Crowdfunding Revolution offers fundraising inspiration for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.” —SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS YOUR POOL OF INVESTORS JUST INCREASED BY 2 BILLION . . . Since the day the first human being approached a prospective investor, the province of capital allocation has been controlled by a small and entrenched minority. All this has changed. Now, the power of the Internet—particularly social media—enables anyone to connect with more investors in less time than it used to take to connect with one. The investing pool is open, everyone is in—and The Crowdfunding Revolution shows how to get to the forefront of the new world of venture financing. This groundbreaking guide explains how the explosive growth of connectivity is obviating human-to-human networks and centralized planning of capital allocation—and describes how crowdfunding can be used to tap into a “collective intelligence” for far superior results. Providing a wealth of information that will make your crowdfunding efforts more efficient and productive, the book is organized into three thematic sections: THE ROAD HERE: A thorough overview of what crowdfunding is—and how and why this radical new approach is replacing traditional means of venture financing THE CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN: Proven methods for marketing to the crowd, setting clear objectives, building a crowdfunding team, and communicating in a way that inspires action THE ROAD AHEAD: The crowdfunding ecosystem, intellectual property issues, mining collective IQ, new investment models, and regulations More than 2 billion people globally are now active online—and that number is guaranteed to grow at an extraordinary rate. The Crowdfunding Revolution explains all the ins and outs of raising investment capital by using social media and new technologies to draw small sums of money from an almost countless number of sources. Organic. Transparent. Decentralized. This is crowdfunding. This is the future. Read The Crowdfunding Revolution and become the first expert in your crowd on this radical new approach poised to supplant age-old venture financing methods.

This open access book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of knowledge on the state of crowdfunding research and practice. It considers crowdfunding models and their different manifestations across a variety of geographies and sectors, and explores the perspectives of fundraisers, backers, platforms, and regulators. Gathering insights from a wide range of influential researchers in the field, the book balances concepts, theory, and case studies. Going beyond previous research on crowdfunding, the contributors also investigate issues of community, sustainability, education, and ethics. A vital resource for anyone researching crowdfunding, this book offers readers a deep understanding of the characteristics, business models, user-relations, and behavioural patterns of crowdfunding.

This book focuses on various types of crowdfunding and the lessons learned from academic research. Crowdfunding, a new and important source of financing for entrepreneurs, fills a funding gap that was traditionally difficult to close. Chapters from expert contributors define and carefully evaluate the various market segments: donation-based and reward-based crowdfunding, crowdinvesting and crowdlending. They further provide an assessment of startups, market structure, as well as backers and investors for each segment. Attention is given to the theoretical and empirical findings from the recent economics and finance literature. Furthermore, the authors evaluate relevant regulatory efforts in several jurisdictions. This book will appeal to finance, entrepreneurship and legal scholars as well as entrepreneurs and platform operators.

An emerging area of study in today’s society is the increasing number of crowdfunding platforms across the world. Crowdfunding plays an integral role in global economic development as they are continuing to multiply throughout various professional disciplines. Empirical research is needed that covers the recent growth of crowdfunding projects and assists researchers and experts in providing knowledge on the economic impact of this trend. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Crowdfunding Platforms is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the emerging programs of crowdfunding in the global digital economy and its numerous applications in professional industries. While highlighting topics such as digital entrepreneurship, business intelligence, and e-commerce, this publication explores the latest findings as well as the risks and limitations of crowdfunding. This book is ideally designed for researchers, managers, practitioners, economists, academicians, instructors, sociologists, developers, consultants, policymakers, and students seeking developing research on crowdfunding platforms and the latest trends in various disciplines.

IPSs are expensive, and venture capital nearly impossible to attract. Crowdfunding is changing the game for private companies. Are you taking full advantage? 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 The Crowdfunding Handbook reveals the tips and tools to helo you raise money for your small business or startup with equity funding portals.

Currently, a new potential paragon of fundraising and financing, in particular crowd funding (CF) attracts a lot of attention. Basically, CF is an open call for capital, mainly via the internet, where the desired campaign can be evaluated and financially supported by a large group of individuals, the crowd. The matchmaking process between campaign creators and potential investors is mainly established by a standardized CF platform (CFP). Scientific discourse on CF is still nascent, since existing studies and papers focus on the potential of CF and its basic principles. Florian Danmayr addresses crowd funding platforms as object of his analysis and contributes to the body of literature by enhancing knowledge on the composition of the CFP market.

More Than Money Jamey Stegmaier knows crowdfunding. He's a veteran of seven successful Kickstarter campaigns (and counting) that have raised over $3.2 million, and he's the proprietor of the widely read Kickstarter Lessons blog. In this book he offers a comprehensive guide to crowdfunding, demonstrating that it can be a powerful way for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by building community and putting their customers first. This book includes over forty stories of inspiring successes and sobering disasters. Stegmaier uses these examples to demonstrate how to (and how not to) prepare for a campaign, grow a fan base, structure a pitch, find new backers, and execute many other crucially important “nuts and bolts” elements of a successful crowdfunding project. But Stegmaier emphasizes that the benefits of crowdfunding are much more about the “crowd” than the “funding.” He shows that if you treat your backers as people, not pocketbooks—communicate regularly and transparently with them, ask their opinions, attend to their needs—they'll become advocates as well as funders, exponentially increasing your project's chances of succeeding.