Starting your journey into crowdfunding: some helpful dos and don’ts


Daniel Rajkumar

If you’re looking to start a crowdfunding or peer-to-peer platform, you’ll probably have hundreds of ideas, lots of offers of help and a strong determination to get everything done as quickly as possible so you can see projects getting funded and your business generating revenue.

Of course, it’s not ever that simple, so here are some helpful tips on getting your platform off the ground and getting noticed from our experience with our clients, including rebuildingsociety:

DO

  • Network. Tell everyone you can that you’re launching a platform and gather a database of contacts to maintain regular contact with pre and post-launch.
  • Simplify your proposition. If people are new to the concept then they need educating. Create marketing literature that explains what you do, why you’re doing it and how people can be involved.
  • Have a plan for scaling your business. When the business starts to get traction, you’ll quickly see a need for extra resources, so consider freelance or part time employees at the beginning that could turn into full-time roles.
  • Get the right kind of legal advice. Conventional lawyers might tell you all the reasons why you can’t create a platform, particularly if no market already exists. Definitely worth shopping around to find open minded legal advice.

DON’T

  • Cut corners with your platform design and development. First impressions count a lot – you need to keep site visitors interested and make their journey easy.
  • Think because you’ve built it that people will come. Probably the single most obvious, yet most committed offence since the birth of the internet.
  • Ever compromise customer data, that’s the one error that will ensure people walk away.
  • Give up. The early days of launching a platform can be trying, but small victories will invigorate your team. Make sure they stay focused by building achievable milestones and rewarding key players with equity in the platform.