The buzz around Crowdfunding has been significant since the passing of the JOBS Act a little over a year ago. The majority of this media attention has gathered around the potential for startups and small businesses to finally gain the funding they need to grow. Joy Schoffler brings up an area that has not been focused on but deserves our attention for publication Bankless Times: Enterprise-Level businesses.
“Many big businesses are notoriously slow adopters of new technology, including social media.
One of the reasons for this is the regulatory minefield that inevitably forms around anything new, particularly with the capital markets and financial services.
However, with social media being as ubiquitous as it is, companies large and small have acquiesced to the times and are aware of the importance of fostering a sense of community and engagement with their members. Banks, for example, are attempting to build a sense of community around their brand through social media in the face of bailouts, increased fees and the resulting public backlash that unavoidably ensued. Crowdfunding will take this dynamic one step further.
The communications field underwent a shift a few years ago; customers and fans drove out portions of the conversation that used to be set by Madison Avenue advertising firms. Crowdfunding and crowdsourcing are the latest result of this phenomenon.
Companies are now able to support charitable and community initiatives, conduct massive market testing and even pre-sell new products and service lines directly to their customers through crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platforms. All the while they are generating goodwill toward their brand.
Soon they will be able to sell securities to fund their companies via equity-based crowdfunding thanks to certain provisions in the JOBS Act.”
Just over a year ago, President Obama signed the JOBS Act into law which legalized equity-based crowdfunding and other entrepreneur-friendly provisions. The bill contained congressionally mandated deadlines for the Securities and Exchange Commission to complete the rule making process after which equity crowdfunding would take effect. However, these deadlines were missed much to the dismay of crowdfunding platforms and business owners everywhere.
At the heart of any trade show is networking. What better way to build valuable relationships and gain potential clients than the one thing that keeps SXSW fueled after hours? When the panels are finished and you’ve had a great dinner from Austin’s famous cuisine, it makes perfect since to pop on over to an event, grab a cocktail and pass out business cards until there are no more left to give! Leverage PR understands that one of the best ways to grow your business is through networking. We’ve put together a list of the top parties you should float to during your SXSW stay.
