The Crowdfunding Reference Guide is written for entrepreneurs, small business owners, investors, and anyone else who has a good idea for a business venture. This practical resource shows how to create and manage a successful crowdfunding campaign that ultimately achieves its goal. Written as an easy-to-understand and comprehensive guide, the book includes the tools and information you need to create and maintain a crowdfunding campaign. This resource shows you step-by-step what needs to be done to raise funds for an idea or project. By following the strategies laid out, aspiring entrepreneurs will learn how to evaluate and select the best online platform for their goals and create a solid business plan tailored to their specific needs. necessary to raise capital through crowdfunding. The author also included information on the financial projections needed to run an effective crowdfunding initiative, and even a guide to creating an effective promotional video that will attract investors. In this chapter, you will:■ Learn about what crowdfunding is and is not,■ Explore the work of crowdfunding,■ Determine whether crowdfunding offers the opportunity to finance your idea, business or project,■ Set realistic expectations. In this chapter, you will:■ Identify a project idea and find out whether it can be crowdfunded.■ Explore projects that have benefited from crowdfunding and determine the criteria for successful campaigns.■ Determine whether popular platforms like Kickstarter, or consider working with a smaller, more specialized platform. In this chapter, you will:■ Learn about several popular rewards-based crowdfunding platforms,■ Explore crowdfunding platforms that serve specific types of projects,■ Gain an understanding of self-funding hosting crowdfunding platforms. In this chapter, you will:■ Learn what you need to do before starting a reward-based crowdfunding campaign,■ Refine your project idea,■ Identify your audience,■ Build your network. In this chapter, you will:■ Develop a budget for your campaign reward-based crowdfunding,■ Calculate a project's financial goal,■ Consider hidden costs. In this chapter, you:■ Learn ways to rally your fellow man circle,■ Identify your target audience,■ Learn how to expand your network. In this chapter, you will:■ Learn the meaning of a promotional video,■ Determine the content of the video clip,■ Include a call to action,■ Film and edit your promotional video. In this chapter we will talk about:■ Attraction methods,■ Using online advertising to boost a campaign,■ Working with the media,■ Establishing contacts with mainstream and electronic media through public relations. In this chapter you will understand:■ The importance of constant updating news about your campaign and project,■ Ways to stay in touch with backers throughout the campaign and beyond,■ Using a crowdfunding platform to post news about the project rather than traditional blog. In this chapter, you will:■ Learn about the help you may need when planning and running a crowdfunding campaign.■ Learn where to look for competent and experienced people to help you.■ Learn how to avoid hassles when hiring freelancers and professionals .In this chapter, you:■ Learn about sending rewards and prizes to your backers,■ Learn how to launch a project that has received funding,■ Learn what to do if a campaign fails to reach its financial goal. In this chapter you:■ Learn about Kickstarter.com and the benefits of working on the platform,■ Learn how to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter,■ Explore strategies for effectively using the Kickstarter platform. In this chapter, you will:■ Meet managers who run crowdfunding platforms,■ Learn expert crowdfunding strategies,■ Learn how to correct crowdfunding mistakes. In this chapter, you will:■ Learn advice from lawyers who specialize in crowdfunding,■ Learn strategies from independent crowdfunding consultants,■ Learn to avoid common mistakes In this chapter, you will:■ Learn the secrets of crowdfunding from entrepreneurs, small business operators, inventors, writers, and other successful creators,■ Learn how to avoid the pitfalls of managing your own crowdfunding campaign.