BLACK COCKTALE

"In the funding days of old (think three-four years ago), venture capitalists were throwing their money at companies with large user-bases without stopping to consider the plan (or lack thereof) for monetization. Businesses like Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram were lauded for their growing numbers and flashy design, but all eventually reached huge struggles with the need for profit. While they eventually did prove successful and figured out a way to monetize, startups copying their business model will not be given the same chances these days. Monetization has to be given higher priority nowadays.

Another contributing factor to this crunch is the ratio of seed stage funding and Series A investments. While they used to be leveled, there is now a staggering difference. Series A rounds have flat lined, while earlier funding rounds have flooded the market, leaving thousands of startups floundering for follow-up funding." 

"The supporters of your crowdfunding campaign are your customers. Crowdfunding is basically a way to pre-order products before they are produced -- this is invaluable for a startup.  Too often, people produce products before knowing the depth of their customer base. Utilize crowdfunding so you have customers before your product is produced."

"To all the skeptics, I’d like to introduce a phenomenon that we at OurCrowd have named, crowdbuilding. Through our equity crowdfunding of over 30 startups in 2013, we’ve identified an interesting phenomenon: that the risk involved in startup investing incentivizes equity crowdfunding investors to get involved and assist their investments in any way they can. Ultimately, this personal involvement exposes these fledgling companies to a lot more then just 'dumb money.'"

"Our Kickstarter campaign got a great response. In addition to covering the production costs of making an app, there were additional benefits we didn’t see coming. First, Kickstarter provided effective market research and publicity for us. We developed an audience that cares about our product, who can get others around them to be excited about it too."

"Crowdfunding is quickly becoming the world's incubation platform, changing the role of gatekeeper and finally giving the world true choice in determining which ideas come to life. Such meritocracy has never existed in the world of finance before. Thus, crowdfunding is changing finance for the better." 

"By enabling crowdfund investing, governments in the region can harness the power of the social Web to provide more equal access to capital, reduce friction in the process of investment, and improve communication between investors and entrepreneurs. Because crowdfund investing platforms promise efficiency, transparency, and market validation, they can also be an appealing vehicle for individual and institutional investors, as well as public sector investment funds that focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)."

"Crowdfunding is particularly attractive to younger donors who are looking for a more direct connection to the causes and people they’re supporting,” said Katherina M. Rosqueta, executive director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania. “I think of it as a tool, one which might bring stories and issues to particular donors who wouldn’t otherwise be aware and prompt them to give." 

"According to the BBC, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has set up a way for people to donate small amounts of money via text message; in theory, the funds will go towards equipping Ukrainian troops. “The campaign has also been hijacked by Internet mischief-makers trying to trick Russians into messaging the same number,” reported the news service.

The Ukrainians aren’t alone in attempting to crowdfund public security services. In October 2013, citizens in Oakland, California started three campaigns to raise money for security patrols. Each of those campaigns, started on crowdfunding Website Crowdtilt, wanted between $20,000 and $25,000; dozens of people contributed. While upscale neighborhoods regularly pay for private security patrols, the Oakland scenario sparked a debate over whether crowdfunding could be used to pay for a broad range of municipal projects."

"Equity crowdfunding is helping entrepreneurs market their companies and fundraising efforts in a new way and not just raise capital, but in many cases attract the attention of mentors, advisors and partners.

If you're an entrepreneur, investor or someone who wants to support local entrepreneurs then now is the time to get involved online by joining an equity crowdfunding platform and connect to your local community online."

"Peer-to-peer lending is growing fast in many countries. In Britain, loan volumes are doubling every six months. They have just passed the £1 billion mark ($1.7 billion), though this is tiny against the country’s £1.2 trillion in retail deposits. In America, the two largest P2P lenders, Lending Club and Prosper, have 98% of the market. They issued $2.4 billion in loans in 2013, up from $871m in 2012. The minnows are doing even better, though they are growing from a much lower base.

Neil Bindoff of PwC, a professional-services firm, speaks of a “perfect storm” supporting P2P’s growth. Interest rates are close to zero, the public is fed up with banks, costs are low (one third of a typical bank’s, according to Renaud Laplanche of Lending Club), and e-commerce is becoming part of daily life. People use the internet for peer-to-peer telephony (Skype) and shopping (eBay), so why not loans?"

So Nigerians, lets get funding and funded. check out finofund projects and find the one you would like to support.