Obtaining Funding For Your New Business

I was reading in Nov 10ths, 2014 edition of the Globe and Mail, about how Robert Rhinehart, the creator
of the "instant" meal powder named "Soylent"......how he raised up the capital to launch his venture.
One of his sources of capital came from using a site called.Tilt  .
I was amazed that he raised over a million dollars just through that site.

The new age of funding is certainly developing. From sites like Patreon for artists like me, and Tilt for business people, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly ambitious folks are bring their dreams to reality.

Would you consider using a crowdfunding site to launch your next creative venture? Or would you only consider it if the banks turn you down?
Looking forward to your input  in the comment section below.

Peace.

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Supporting Artists

Crowd funding seems to be one of the greater inventions of my generation.
It helped support the campaign that got President Obama elected and has also been the vehicle by which folks raise thousands and sometimes millions of dollars for other humans who have experienced a tragedy.

The whole paradigm shift in securing funding from a multitude of smaller donors at modest sums instead of
seeking out large chunks of cash from a few select and wealthy individuals is turning the industry of fund raising on it's head.

It is a welcome relief. When push comes to shove we really do want personal choices when it comes to who and what we support with our hard earned dollars. We want to support people and causes that we can relate to, and those that touch our hearts.

It's amazing what a click here and a link there can bring about in changing someone's life. Support for
quirky artists via the site Patreon is bringing much needed financial support to struggling artists around the globe.

Then of course, there are the folks who wind up gaining a windfall of cash for epically absurd adventures (such as making a potato salad) but hey a person can do whatever they want with their own money,.

I am thrilled that sites like Patreon exist, because it makes artists like me believe again in our dreams and hopes and ambitions.

Remember when that middle aged lady, Susan Boyle was discovered on Britain's Got Talent in 2009? Her voice turned her world upside down in one brief performance. That is the same concept that brings speedy rescue to struggling artists who post quick blurbs about their creative adventures on the crowd funding site called Patreon. If you are at all curious as what Patreon is all about, it's definitely worth a gander.

Be blessed and say creative.

Peace.

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Marketing Your Products as an Artisan

So truth be told, I'm back on the market selling stuff I have made from earthy materials and up-cycling.

What are earthy materials? What is up-cycling.

Earthy materials are as raw as possible, and preferably not dyed or painted with any kind of toxic substance.
They are raw materials such as jute, cotton yard, soy bean based yarns, hemp string, fabric made from bamboo etc. They are usually bio-degradable. They blend in well with any kind of
"Back to Nature" theme.


So perhaps you are still wondering what up-cycling is.....Well, in my humble opinion, up-cycling is when you take a product that already exists that might be ready for recycling or the landfill, and you fashion it and rework it until it becomes something totally new, more valuable and precious. It is recycling with a moneyed twist.

For example, I have a fondness for gathering those ole wooden skids/pallets and hacking them up and using them for firewood. But I've noticed that some creative folks have taken to making incredible
household furniture out of these very same wooden skids/pallets. I've seen whole walls make out of them, along with every conceivable style of coffee table, bookshelf and even chairs. That is genuine up-cycling.

Have you ever up-cycled something? By the way, if you want to see how I've up-cycled some ole blue jeans
check out my Etsy page at  http://etsy.me/1xDNiWV
Carla's Etsy

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