Lack of a campaign plan to map out the algorithmic path to their goal raise amounts. I've built out a model that I call the "8-Point Plan that I recommend for building out a proper Strategy:

1. Industry Overview

2. Competitor Marketing Audit

3. Target Audience Personas

4. Channels

5. Creative Plan

6. Partnerships

7. Projections

8. Activation Summary

Realistically, issuers need 50k visitors per 1k investments (reflecting a 2% conversion rate) per $1m raised on a Reg CF, based off a $1k avg investment value (following stats/articles on Kingscrowd). It's important to draft our these traffic sources accordingly, and feature as much Social Proof as possible to validate the deal.

Here are links to more info:

Deck

Video Presentation at Equity Crowdfunding Week (full session here)

"Testing the waters" (TTW) in crowdfunding refers to the practice of gauging interest and collecting potential commitments from potential backers BEFORE officially launching a crowdfunding campaign. This pre-launch phase allows creators to assess the viability of their project and gather insights into how well it might be received by the crowdfunding community.

Creators often create a preliminary campaign page or use a specialized "pre-launch" page on a crowdfunding platform to showcase their project idea, outline key details, and, in some cases, offer early incentives or exclusive rewards for those who express interest or make a commitment to back the project once it officially launches.

During this testing the waters phase, creators can collect email addresses or other contact information from interested individuals. This information can be used to build a mailing list and keep potential backers informed about the project's progress, updates, and the official launch date.

Testing the waters serves several purposes:

1. Assessing Interest: Creators can gauge whether there is sufficient interest in their project before investing time and resources into a full-fledged crowdfunding campaign.

2. Building a Community: Gathering a list of interested individuals allows creators to build a community around their project, which can be beneficial when the campaign officially launches.

3. Feedback and Refinement: Creators can receive feedback on their project idea and make necessary adjustments based on the responses they receive during the testing phase.

It's important to note that while testing the waters can be a valuable strategy, creators should be transparent about their intentions and clearly communicate that the project is in the pre-launch phase. Additionally, not all crowdfunding platforms have specific features for testing the waters, so creators may need to use alternative methods to gauge interest, such as social media or a dedicated website.

The SEC has been relatively lenient with crowdfunding issuers (as opposed to crowdfunding intermediaries), possibly so as not to stifle this emerging industry, so as yet there is not really a "most common" way to get in trouble.

They have brought a series of actions against companies raising under Regulation A for failures to comply with the very technical requirements relating to how Reg A offerings are modified, extended or expanded. They have also brought actions against Reg A issuers for misleading statements.

However, I am not aware of Reg CF issuers getting into the same sort of trouble, even though I have seen significant violations of the various ways they can get into trouble (companies not eligible to use Reg CF, companies failing to extend or expand offerings in compliance with Reg CF, companies making misleading statements, companies violating the Reg CF communications rules). I have heard anecdotally of the SEC warning issuers that they should get advice from a securities lawyer, though.

Yes, an issuer can run both a Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) campaign and a Regulation A+ (Reg A+) campaign at the same time, as long as they comply with the requirements of both regulations.

Reg CF and Reg A+ are both securities offerings that allow companies to raise capital from the general public. However, there are some key differences between the two regulations, such as the amount of money that can be raised, the disclosure requirements, and the eligibility criteria for issuers.

Under Reg CF, issuers can raise up to $5 million in a 12-month period, and they must file certain disclosures with the SEC and provide ongoing updates to investors. Reg A+, on the other hand, allows issuers to raise up to $75 million in a 12-month period, and they must file an offering statement with the SEC and provide ongoing reports to investors.

Issuers must ensure that they comply with the requirements of both regulations, which may involve preparing separate disclosures and reports for each offering. They must also consider how the two offerings may impact each other, such as how investors in one offering may perceive the risks and opportunities of the other offering.

Overall, running both a Reg CF campaign and a Reg A+ campaign at the same time requires careful planning and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Yes, Regulation A+ (Reg A+) was introduced as part of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which was signed into law in 2012. The JOBS Act was designed to make it easier for small businesses and startups to access capital and grow their businesses by easing some of the regulatory burdens and costs associated with raising capital.

Reg A+ is an enhanced version of the existing Regulation A offering, which was first introduced in the 1930s. Reg A+ expands the scope of the existing Regulation A by allowing companies to raise up to $75 million in a 12-month period from both accredited and non-accredited investors, as compared to the previous limit of $50 million. It also streamlines the offering process, allows for ongoing reporting requirements, and provides preemption of state securities laws.

Reg A+ was intended to provide a more flexible and accessible fundraising option for small and medium-sized businesses, while also providing investors with greater access to investment opportunities. By allowing companies to raise larger amounts of capital from a wider pool of investors, Reg A+ is seen as a way to foster innovation, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth.

Thanks for the great question. With nearly 90 FINRA regulated funding portals and thousands of broker dealers all eligible to facilitate issuers for their crowdfunding raises, you aren't alone in looking for deals that meet certain characteristics (e.g. impact investments). Luckily, there do exist aggregators that collect data about live offerings and sort them into categories. 

KingsCrowd is one such aggregator and you can find companies with live offerings that they've sorted as having "Social Impact" by clicking on this link: https://kingscrowd.com/companies/search/?social_impact=true&status=Active I believe they have a team of analysts that tag issuers with certain labels to make them easier to sort. 

Another place where you can learn more generally about companies operating at the intersection of impact investing and crowdfunding is at the SuperCrowd conference where companies, including impact companies with live offerings, pitch, present, and discuss case studies. It's a major gathering of leaders in this sector and you can find more info here: https://thesupercrowd.com

#impactinvesting #socialimpact @Devin Thorpe @Brian Belley 

According to our data Q2 tends to have the most funded deals of the year. Since most offerings last around 4 months, launching in Q4 might be smart. Of course, there are other factors that play into account like whether the issuer is a startup or established and what geopolitical or macroeconomic events are pressuring investors. 

Yes, there are websites and companies that aggregate crowdfunding deals that are active (as well as other types of deals).

Some of these primary deal aggregators include:

1. KingsCrowd ("Trusted by over 475,000 investors to vet startup investments from 60+ online investment platforms")

2. so.capital ("Equity Crowdfunding, Donation Crowdfunding, NFTs, Alternative Assets")

3. Vincent ("exempt reporting adviser in the alternative investment space")

4. CrowdLustro ("Reg CF, Collectibles, Real Estate, NFTs, & other alternative assets")

5. Alts.co ("alternative assets" -- more than just crowdfunding)

6. Sharky - ("Discover startups like a pro!")

7. Investibule - ("Investibule opens the door to community investments - aggregating opportunities across 30+ platforms.")

For those looking for deals outside the US, there are other aggregators (e.g. CrowdInvest - "Invest in promising start-ups in India from the UK"). As with any service provider, it's important to verify information listed on these sites with information on the site of the funding portal or provided by the issuer.