I want to live in a town with a thriving downtown core, with good restaurants, a great bakery, nice shops, and a comforting grocery store. I want to live in a community which supports these business owners. A community where I don’t have to get in a car, drive a half hour, sit in traffic, and shop in a 100,000 square foot store to buy things made halfway around the world.
The problem is… it’s tough for the small business owners to compete. It’s tougher still when the banks are less often lending to small businesses, which increasing loans to their larger competitors.
But who says we have to wait for banks to change? Who says banks are the answer? One new company, Community Sourced Capital, claims they have the answer.
That answer is simple. Let a store’s customer fund the store. For example, that bakery in town you love to stop by on Sunday. They are so loved, they need a second oven, two more mixers, plus some tables and chairs for the growing crowds to sit outside. $10,000 of investments, with an expectation of far more than $10,000 in additional sales over the coming year or two.
A $10,000 loan is too small for most banks to bother. But with thousands of customers and help from Community Sourced Capital, the bakery can easily raise $100 from just 100 of those customers. Customer like you who already love the store, who want to see it thrive, and who once invested, will no doubt urge their friends to go visit, further boosting sales and ensuring the payback of the loan.
If not your local bakery, imagine your local pizzeria, corner coffee shop, or garden center needs a similar loan. Or your local accountant, photographer, or hair stylist. The common thread is that all businesses at times need a little extra money to grow, and who better than the community itself to help, to create the community (and world) they want to live in. [24×7]
About Michael “Luni” Libes – http://about.me/luni
Luni is a 20+ year serial entrepreneur, founder/co-founder of five companies. His latest startup is Fledge, the “conscious company” incubator. In addition, Luni is Entrepreneur in Residence and Entrepreneurship Instructor at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, and an Entrepreneur in Residence Emeritus at the University of Washington’s Center for Commercialization. Luni is author of The Next Step: Guiding you from idea to startup.
