In this episode, Melinda discusses the Fearless Fund lawsuit, systemic inequities faced by black entrepreneurs, and alternative support methods for minority and women business owners. She also shares resources for grants, venture capital, angel investors, and corporate initiatives. Listen to the podcast below: This week on SmallBizChat Podcast: The recent court decision against the […]
Is Crowdfunding killing innovation among small business owners?
Crowdfunding and innovation might seem like they would feed off each other, but new research suggests they may not mesh together as well as people might think. The Research study from INSEAD business school, from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), HEC Paris, and Singapore Management University suggests that truly innovative business ideas struggle to catch on […]
7 Biggest Mistakes People Make in Crowdfunding Campaigns
As the SmallBizLady, I get a few emails a week from eager business owners who have launched a crowdfunding campaign with the hopes that I would write a story about them to boost their campaign. Well, I’m not going to do that. Here’s why: 9 out of 10 of them that I look at have […]
Creating Business Plans that Actually Get Financed
Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my interview with @bizplangirl. Cheree Warrick writes business plans for companies seeking funding from banks and angel investors. Her book, “Creating Business Plans that […]
How to Beat the Mid-Campaign Curse in your Crowdfunding Campaign
If you’ve ever started a crowdfunding or fundraising campaign before, you likely know about the mid-campaign curse. Most crowdfunding and fundraising campaigns start strong only to struggle until the last few days, but that doesn’t have to happen to your campaign. Months of buildup and pre-launch buzz ensure good fundraising over the first couple of […]
How to Market Your Crowdfunding Campaign
It’s no surprise that small business owners are using crowdfunding to raise capital for business ventures or startup projects, especially at a time when bank loans are not easily available to small businesses, and lines of credit are also hard to come by. But if you’re considering crowdfunding, make sure you spend plenty of time […]
10 Ways to Usher Your Small Business Into the New Year
Most businesses don’t realize that success in January starts long before the first of the New Year. It takes plenty of work and planning to set your year up right. Here are several items you should start checking off your list starting today. Don’t miss these 10 Ways to Usher Your Small Business Into the […]
How to Find the Resources to Support Your Small Business
Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Dr. Emad Rahim @CTUBusiness. Emad is an award winning author, educator and entrepreneur. He was named a 2012 Laureate Visiting Scholar and […]
How to Leverage Crowdfunding For Your Small Business
It used to be when you started a business the best source for money was your right or left pocket, closely followed by the 3 F’S – friends, family, and fools. Then, later, angel investing and venture capital became popular. Now there’s a new way to get resources for a small business – crowdfunding. There […]
How to Develop a Marketing Plan for Your Crowdfunding Campaign
I recently received an email from a contact of mine, asking for my support of his film From the Rough, starring Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson. The film is based on the true life story of an African-American woman who created a men’s golf team at Tennessee State University. The movie has already been […]