We sat down with Crowdcube's Senior Equity Fundraising Manager, Daniel Sparkes, to bring you the final instalment in our fundraising webinar series...
🏆 "How to Achieve a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign!" 🏆
Thank you to all those who attended! We hope you enjoyed the session and walked away with an understanding of what it takes to run an effective crowdfunding campaign.
If you couldn't make it this time, don't worry. This blog will provide an overview of our discussion, as well as a full recording of the webinar for you to watch on-demand.
Firstly, if you’re in need of an immediate cash injection, Crowdcube might not be the place for you.
The platform secures funding for its campaigns over the course of 4-6 months, but the benefits that come from its' game-plan are incredibly valuable.
Across this timeline, you’ll be guided through the preparation, funding and completion phases by Crowdcube’s fundraising experts.
Having built a trusting relationship with its’ 1.2M registered investors, Crowdcube have a vested interest in perfecting all aspects of your campaign before it goes live, such as your marketing strategy, brand narrative, landing page, and so on.
The webinar recording provides a whistle-stop tour of Crowdcube’s end-to-end fundraising process, but here are some of the more important stops along the way...
In the run-up to going live, every member of your network should know you’re about to take on a crowd round. Momentum is key, and should be established early-on. Set-up an online countdown, create a data-capture landing page to notify potential investors, and shout it from the rooftops!
In the early stages, it's vital that your funding goal is set appropriately. When moving forward with your business, this will ensure that your round can cover the expenses that it needs to, but also it establishes the maximum dilution that you’re willing to sacrifice.
The private launch stage is key in ramping up the energy needed for a successful public launch. Private launches are designed for a community that's already engaged and left their details, allowing them to be the first to invest. This makes your die-hard fans feel valued, whilst building out your investor count and progress bar before the public sees it.
When it’s time to launch to the wider public, Crowdcube’s marketing reach takes over and distribute your campaign to its’ enormous audience.
Most crowd rounds will feature a cornerstone investment - a large investment, typically coming from an angel or VC. Cornerstone investments validate your campaign for other (perhaps less experienced) investors, and gives your product or service the stamp of approval needed to build trust.
So, when crowdfunding on Crowdcube, your investor pool is made up of:
✅ Cornerstone investment, coming from a VC, or an angel investor.
✅ Your own community, you're professional network, friends and peers.
✅ Crowdcube's community of registered investors (all 1.2 million of them!)
One of the biggest draws of Crowdcube is its' post-funding support. This allows entrepreneurs to receive ongoing support, long after the crowd round is fulfilled. Daniel shared insight into Crowdcube's:
Quarterly investor updates;
Value-add investor program;
Advice regarding further rounds.
Daniel shared a fantastic picture of how crowdfunding with Crowdcube can supercharge a businesses cashflow, which is an aim shared by us, at Claim Capital. That's how our partnership came to be, and that's why Crowdcube have an exclusive offer for Claim Capital clients that want to put their crowdfunding knowledge to the test...
Claim Capital clients can receive 10% off Crowdcube's success fee!
That's right, you can benefit from the financial support of R&D Tax Credits, and keep hold of more money from your crowdfunding pot. Sounds like a win win!
To get started with Crowdcube, and take advantage of this offer, get in touch with our innovation funding specialists today.