The so-called crowdfunding term essentially means pooling resources or money together from a group. Under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, small companies will have the ability to raise up to $1 million in equity on an annual basis through crowdfunding, without having to go through the rigorous disclosure process by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
To be sure there are a host of unknown answers regarding crowdfunding, but as more companies take to social media to tell their story and gain a following, the strategy could become a major player in the alternative financing sector.
Right now, crowdfunding is a popular tool for charities, artists, theaters and other organizations that essentially want donations. Through crowdfunding followers can show support, contribute and get behind an idea, but it’s not actually an investment.
“To put that platform in the hand of business owners and allow them to be creative and allow them to tap local friends and family is just incredible news,” says Lendio CEO Brock Blake.
Two often-cited crowdfunding sites are Kickstarter and Indiegogo. But the new law should open the marketplace for many more crowdfunding sites to be launched. It will also open the door to potential risks.
Already early crowdfunding backers are launching a self-regulatory organization to essentially act as a gatekeeper to accredited crowdfunding sites.
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