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White House Celebrates Crowdfunding “Champions of Change”

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Evelyn Cashen

Today, selected members of the two major crowdfunding professional associations were invited to attend a “Champions of Change” event honoring innovative individuals utilizing crowdfunding to better their communities. The Champions of Change program shares the stories of everyday people that have strengthened their communities through hard work and innovation. Every week, they are invited by the White House to share their insights and stories.

Members of the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA) and the Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates (CfIRA) participated in the event and were encouraged by the recognition by the Administration of the importance of social enterprise.

“We are pleased that the White House has chosen to honor crowdfunding industry participants as ‘Champions of Change,’” said Chris Tyrrell, Chairman of CfIRA and Managing Director of Nehemiah Investments in a news release. “CfIRA’s members have dedicated themselves to advocate for the regulatory change and industry preparations necessary to bring about a new revolution in securities-based crowdfunding. We are thankful for the White House’s engagement on these issues.”

Joy Schoffler, principal of Leverage PR and a board member at the Crowdfunding Professional Association, was also in attendance. “I was delighted to attend new funding Tuesday’s event at the White House to hear the encouraging stories of communities and entrepreneurs taking advantage of this relatively mechanism,” she said.

Read the CFPA’s official news release here and CFIRA’s here.

How Enterprise-Level Business Will Use Crowdfunding

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Jillian Pedersen

How Enterprise-Level Business Will Use Crowdfunding by Joy Schoffler of Leverage PR

The buzz around Crowdfunding has been significant since the passing of the JOBS Act a little over a year ago. The majority of this media attention has gathered around the potential for startups and small businesses to finally gain the funding they need to grow. Joy Schoffler brings up an area that has not been focused on but deserves our attention for publication Bankless Times: Enterprise-Level businesses.

“Many big businesses are notoriously slow adopters of new technology, including social media.

One of the reasons for this is the regulatory minefield that inevitably forms around anything new, particularly with the capital markets and financial services.

However, with social media being as ubiquitous as it is, companies large and small have acquiesced to the times and are aware of the importance of fostering a sense of community and engagement with their members. Banks, for example, are attempting to build a sense of community around their brand through social media in the face of bailouts, increased fees and the resulting public backlash that unavoidably ensued. Crowdfunding will take this dynamic one step further.

The communications field underwent a shift a few years ago; customers and fans drove out portions of the conversation that used to be set by Madison Avenue advertising firms. Crowdfunding and crowdsourcing are the latest result of this phenomenon.

Companies are now able to support charitable and community initiatives, conduct massive market testing and even pre-sell new products and service lines directly to their customers through crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platforms. All the while they are generating goodwill toward their brand.

Soon they will be able to sell securities to fund their companies via equity-based crowdfunding thanks to certain provisions in the JOBS Act.”

House Committees Hold Hearings on Crowdfunding Regulatory Delays One Year After JOBS Act Passes

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Carol Oscarson

House Committee Holds Hearings on Crowdfunding Regulatory Delays Just over a year ago, President Obama signed the JOBS Act into law which legalized equity-based crowdfunding and other entrepreneur-friendly provisions. The bill contained congressionally mandated deadlines for the Securities and Exchange Commission to complete the rule making process after which equity crowdfunding would take effect. However, these deadlines were missed much to the dismay of crowdfunding platforms and business owners everywhere.

The SEC continues to delay the implementation deadlines on sections of the bill that will not only legalize equity-based crowdfunding, but also allow hedge funds to advertise for investors. Late last week, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Small Business met to discuss the SEC’s current state of affairs and how it affects the JOBS Act.

The meeting consisted of two panels, including representatives from the SEC on one panel and entrepreneurs, venture capital leaders and economic academic advisors, on the second.

The hearing opened with Committee Chairman Rep. David Schweikert briefly stating the benefits the JOBS Act would provide for Americans, labeling it as one of the greatest bipartisan accomplishments. Setting the tone, he made it clear that the discussion would remain respectful saying, “today’s goal is not to beat up on the SEC.”

However, tension was ever present as SEC representatives Lona Nallengara and John Ramsay were questioned on missing deadlines and expectations for the future of the JOBS Act. Continuous deadline demands by the majority of committee members resulted in vague responses with no firm commitments. The committee’s frustrations were clearly visible when Rep. Blaine Luetkemeye began a lightening round of pointed questions and said, “My concern is that (the JOBS Act) doesn’t seem to have the attention of the SEC.”

The response was a continuous assurance that Chairwoman Mary Jo White was placing the JOBS Act as a first priority. “The commission and staff are moving forward on the various rulemakings,” said Lona Nallengara, the SEC’s Acting Director of Corporation Finance. “We look forward to completing the remaining provisions as soon as practicable.”

The second panel was represented by four influential leaders including Jean Peters, Managing Director of Golden Seeds, testifying on behalf of The Angel Capital Association; William Klehm, President and CEO of Fallbrook Technologies, testifying on behalf of CONNECT; Kevin Rustagi, CEO of Evolutions of Noise, testifying on behalf of SBE Council; and James Angel, Associate Professor of McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University.

The second panel stressed the importance for the SEC to clarify certain clauses in the JOBS Act, such as safe advertising practices and assuring reasonable steps to verify accredited investors.

“This is problematic because the SEC has not provided clarity on what are ‘reasonable steps,’” Peters said. “Many legal experts have advised their clients through alerts not to invest in advertised offerings if there is no safe harbor.”

Momentum has been gaining since the JOBS Act anniversary earlier this month, and members of the House Oversight Subcommittee will be holding another hearing entitled, “Examining the SEC’s Failure to Implement Title II of the JOBS Act and its Impact on Economic Growth” on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 2:00 PM EST in 2128 Rayburn HOB. The purpose of this hearing is to discover why there has been little activity on Title II and no movement on Title III although proposed rules were mandated to be released months ago.

The former Chair of the SEC, Mary Schapiro, reportedly squashed the release of the proposed rule due to lobbying by consumer groups in November of 2012. The purpose of releasing a proposed rule is to allow citizens, businesses, other government officials, and consumer groups to comment on the rule and allow for regulators to make changes based on those comments that would appropriately protect citizens and business owners who may engage in crowdfunding. The hearing will examine why the proposed rule has yet to be released and will hopefully prod the SEC into moving quickly.

As the push for the implementation of the JOBS Act continues, it is necessary now, more than ever, to stay up on the latest developments in the crowdfunding industry. Carol Esposti, CEO of Crowdsourcing.org, recently published the 2013 Massolution Crowdfunding Industry Report, which presents key findings and research including which types of crowdfunding found the most success and even projects that the industry will grow to an astounding $5 billion worldwide in 2013. In addition, the report noted crowdfunding’s impressive growth of 81% worldwide last year and the significant progress made by crowdfunding policy makers and regulators on investor protection and education initiatives over the past year.

Esposti stated that, “Crowdfunding has now emerged as a viable, scalable alternative to public and private finance.”

As the SEC prepares to implement legislation that will legalize equity-based crowdfunding, now is the time to gather the information necessary to protect and grow your crowdfunding efforts. Get a copy of Massolution’s report here!

The Top SXSW Interactive Parties and Lounges Business Professionals Should Attend

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Jillian Pedersen

At the heart of any trade show is networking. What better way to build valuable relationships and gain potential clients than the one thing that keeps SXSW fueled after hours? When the panels are finished and you’ve had a great dinner from Austin’s famous cuisine, it makes perfect since to pop on over to an event, grab a cocktail and pass out business cards until there are no more left to give! Leverage PR understands that one of the best ways to grow your business is through networking. We’ve put together a list of the top parties you should float to during your SXSW stay.

Friday March 8th

TechZulu Trend Lounge 7am- 2pm, Eighteenth Over Austin

The 6th Annual -Samsung Blogger Lounge hosted by TechSet 1- 6pm, Austin Convention Center

SXSW 5 Austin Startups Immune to Series A Crunch 3:30-4:30pm, Hilton Austin Downtown

SXSW Interactive Opening Party 8-11pm, Palmer Events Center

Founder’s Card Signature Event Austin/SXSW6-8pm, W Hotel (Members Only)

Saturday March 9

TechZulu Trend Lounge 7am- 2pm, Eighteenth Over Austin

The 6th Annual – Samsung Blogger Lounge hosted by TechSet 1- 6pm, Austin Convention Center

ff Massive Party 9am-6pm, Empire Automotive

The Lean Startup SXSW 10:30-7pm, Hilton Austin Downtown

Swedish Interactive House SXSW 3-7pm, Boundless Network

SXSW Gaming Happy Hour 6-7pm, Palmer Events Center

Tech Cocktail’s SXSW Startup Celebration sponsored by CEA and .CO 7pm, The Stage on Sixth

A Celebration of America’s Startups 7pm-11:30pm, ACL Live at Moody Theater

Shop Rock + Roll 8-11pm, The 512

Innovation City: Tomorrows Destination Today 9pm-1am, Meduse Lounge

Sunday March 10

TechZulu Trend Lounge 7am- 2pm, Eighteenth Over Austin

The 6th Annual – Samsung Blogger Lounge hosted by TechSet 1- 6pm, Austin Convention Center

Fast Company Grill 9pm-12am, The Cedar Door

Funded in Austin 3:30-4:30pm, Hilton Austin-Chamber of Commerce

SF Music Tech Happy Hour 5-7pm, Conduit Corner

Monday March 11

The 6th Annual – Samsung Blogger Lounge hosted by TechSet 1- 6pm, Austin Convention Center

Say Media SXSW Party 9pm-2am, Speakeasy

Meatup for Startups 5:40-8:30pm, Old School Bar and Grill

Townsquare Media Happy Hour 7:30-11:00pm, Moonshine Grill

Tuesday March 12

The 6th Annual – Samsung Blogger Lounge hosted by TechSet 1- 6pm, Austin Convention Center

The Interactive Closing Party 9pm-2am, Stubb’s

Following Up After SXSW– 7 Keys to Networking After a Trade Show

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Leverage PR

SXSW will quickly come and go—leaving many of us gasping for air, trying to keep-up with the fire-hose of work that has been waiting for us back at the office. To make matters worse, there is the pile of business cards to attend to – before those connections go stale.

Who needs follow up now? Who can wait? And who needs to go in your recycle bin? Below are a few tips for sorting and schmoozing your new SXSW connections.

Card Triage-You Gotta Do It

It would be wonderful to be able to personally follow up with each and everyone, but you have a business to run and a life to live — making connection prioritization key. The first step is to sort your cards into four piles:

Business leads
Connections for the future
Colleagues
Trash

Business Lead Follow Up

Business leads are the people you want to follow up with now. It may seem like a daunting task with all of the other work you have to do, but make an effort to get through at least ten a day – no matter what. Sort them in order of potential, getting to the highest quality prospects first.

Send them a LinkedIn request, find them on Twitter, subscribe to their blog and send them a quick email. The email should remind them of the conversation and include an action step or question that leads to continued communication.

A word of warning about the follow up email — if they asked for information send it, if not just use this email to build the relationship. No matter what, don’t do a pushy sales letter!

Enter people in your CRM system with alerts to ensure you follow up after a week and do not miss valuable leads. I also think it is helpful to create a private twitter list of these people to ensure that I am aware of what they are up to. Another great way to build relationships and help your new connections build relationships is through Follow Fridays (#FF) on Twitter. It is always nice to help others discover great connections and show your new connections some love.

Once things have died down and you have unburied yourself from all of the emails, you can also start making connections for people you met. It is amazing how much stronger the bond becomes when you make connections first and ask for their business later.

Following Up With Connections for the Future

Connections for the future are people you found interesting but that have little current opportunity for engagement. This group is not as urgent but is still valuable; make sure you follow up within two weeks. Connect on LinkedIn sending a little note about how you met or something you found interesting about their company with your request.

If they have good potential for the future you can also enter them into your CRM system, follow them on Twitter and make a note to introduce them to connections that may help their business.

Following Up with Colleagues

Colleagues are individuals that are often in complementary industries and can be an amazing resource for data, content and relationships. Besides connecting with a personalized note on LinkedIn, I would also follow them on twitter and create a list using Hootsuite or another tool of that nature. These people are also always good to add to your CRM system, as you never know when you will need to make a strategic hire or need a recommendation for a vendor.

Those Destined for the Recycle Bin

While it would be wonderful to connect with everyone, the truth is that it is not always effective and can lead to a good deal more clutter in your inbox to respond to everyone. Vendors and business card ninjas that will not add value to your business or life, do not need to be responded to. Don’t hang on to the clutter—file these in the recycle bin now and move on to the important.

Chances are you won’t remember everyone – it was a long week… If you can’t remember a person put them in another pile to look up after pile one is done.

Tradeshow Rules to Live By

SXSW ended a few days ago, meaning a respectable amount of time has passed. But if you happen to be reading this in years to come, or are using these tips for another tradeshow, please take note that it is important to wait a few days after an event has ended to follow up. Everyone who attended is overwhelmed with a long list of unanswered emails – so your email has too much of a chance of getting lost or ignored. Plus, it looks a little like you have nothing better to do……

Share your photos and videos, tagging people you met along the way. Make sure to set up corporate flicker and youtube accounts if you don’t already have them. It increases your brands footprint and shows people your business attends events important to your industry. Just make sure any embarrassing “party” pictures don’t make it into the mix. No matter how “fun” your corporate culture is, you always want to maintain a level of professionalism.

Do I really need to say it?

Please do not spam people you meet at a tradeshow, as it is tacky and will absolutely ruin any goodwill you have built up. If your marketing department auto sends your database newsletters, set a filter or make a note not to include your contacts in this spam attack and change marketing tactics! A better option is to include a link inviting them to receive your email with a line about the value in it for them.

Being organized and knowing what to say should make your pile of business cards seem a little smaller and not so threatening. With these tips, you can make the most out of your time at SXSW. So get to work- the quicker you follow-up, the better.

Crowdfunding Leaders Meet with Policymakers in Washington DC to Push Implementation of JOBS Act

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Leverage PR

This morning (Feb.19), Leverage PR provided media relations services at the State of Equity-Based Crowdfunding press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The members of the Crowdfunding Professional Association who spoke at the event went on to meet with lawmakers and the press at Capitol Hill for an informational luncheon. At this morning’s press conference, leaders of the venture and Crowdfunding community pushed for immediate action on fulfilling the promises made in last year’s Jump Start Our Businesses Startups Act (JOBS Act) to make equity- and debt-based Crowdfunding a reality in the U.S.

Moderated by Karen Kerrigan, President and CEO of The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, speakers at the event included: Sherwood Neiss of Crowdfund Capital Advisors; Vincent Molinari, Chief Executive Officer of GATE Technologies, LLC; Candace Klein, Co-Chair of CFIRA and CEO of Somolend; Douglas Ellenoff, Partner at Ellenoff, Grossman & Schole; Sara Hanks, CEO of Crowd Check; Angel and Venture Capital investor Judy Robinett; Jason Best, CfPA Co-Chair and Principal of Crowdfund Capital Advisors; Kim Wales, Chair of the CfPA and CEO of Wales Capital; Chance Barnett, CEO of Crowdfunder; Chris Tyrell, Principal of Nehemiah Investments; and Ryan Feit, CfPA Chair and CEO of Seed Invest.

During the conference, speakers highlighted success stories and the advancement of equity-based Crowdfunding. They also emphasized the challenges facing entrepreneurs and small businesses in accessing capital, the importance of the SEC finalizing JOBS Act rulemakings and providing investor protections.

Notable quotes from the speakers included:

“We are here because we want to see the proposed rules” – Doug Ellenoff

“Crowdfunding 2.0 is about driving investment from online to offline building relationships” – Chance Barnett

“The investor and entrepreneur should be on the same side. The best protection is information.” – Sara Hanks

“When you look at countries who are already allowing equity-based crowdfunding, the instances of fraud are next to none.” – Candace Klein

“We put a man on the moon, certainly we can learn how to do this and move forward.” – Judy Robinett

“Entrepreneurship is uniquely American…” – Jason Best

Reporters from Bloomberg, Forbes and Investment News were present in the National Press Club and many others joined in on the conference line.

The conference was the first in a series of all-day events in which Crowdfunding and small business leaders will meet with policymakers on Capital Hill and with officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and White House.

We are proud to have been a part of this press conference to help raise awareness and continue our advocacy for the JOBS Act and to demonstrate the power of Crowdfunding in providing capital to small businesses and creating much needed jobs. We will keep you posted on developments resulting from this event.

To listen to the event: https://soundcloud.com/leveragepr/the-state-of-equity-based

Video is available on our Youtube account. Please direct media inquiries to Evelyn Cashen at evelyn@leverage-pr.com.

How to Build a Message Map for Your Startup

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Jessica Morrison

So you are ready to plan a public relations campaign and you may be asking the question, “Where do I begin?” Messaging is a step that comes prior to launching a campaign. The messaging process is what develops your organization’s key messages that will be publicized throughout the campaign. Key messages are what the organization will communicate to their audience and are established in messaging sessions.

The most effective way to organize the messaging session is by using a message map. A message map is a public relations tool that helps the company communicate its services to its audience. It outlines the campaign and can also include the company history, story, products and services.

Message maps are created during the messaging session with company executives. Normally the sessions will require at least a three hour time block. Messaging sessions also require a facilitator who will take notes and lead the mapping session. During the session, the team will come together and brainstorm their thoughts on key messages which will differentiate the company from the competition. In order to develop key differentiations, they will define the benefits of the company product and/or services.

To start the messaging session everyone on the team will define the company. They will answer questions such as:

What the company does?
Who are the customers?
When does it provide service/product to them?
How does it provide it to them?
What is their industry?

Most often employees will have different answers.

The facilitator will keep track of all of the answers. Once the answers are taken, the team will discuss which ones best apply to the company. After all of the messages are approved a map will be used to organize them on one page. The messages should be organized into categories.

The Home base category – what the company does
Opportunity category- customer target, such as location, new technology
How We Deliver category- anything from social media to thought leaders
Message category- the need/void that is filled to customers after services are rendered

Overall, the map will help your team define its message and create a path to communicate it. When writing the message you will identify the name of the product/service, determine the benefit it delivers to the customer. Even though the map will include many details, the message should be no more than one to two sentences. It should be concise and easy enough for your audience to understand your benefit.

Once you have the message, the map will help planning the steps in the campaign. Take key messages from the map and collaborate on the most appropriate outlet (delivery category) to communicate each message. Refer to the message map throughout the campaign and it will help guide you along the road to success.

Below are visuals of well thought out message maps for your reference:

Message Maps are just one example of what companies can learn by participating in Leverage PR’s “CrowdBuilder” self-guided PR workshops. Want to learn how to create a message map for your company? Visit http://www.leverage-pr.com/crowdbuilder

________________________________________________________________________

For more insider tips on what works in the world of public relations – visit Leverage PR’s blog at www.leverage-pr.com/blog or sign up for its affordable proprietary publicity execution platform. The CrowdBuilder™ (EMV) platform powered by Leverage PR™ is a step-by-step publicity execution platform that incorporates all of the tools, systems, templates, expert knowledge, reporting and on-call expert public relations talent needed to help companies gain the visibility to skyrocket to success in as little as 6 weeks.

Most of all, remember publicity is about results– one of our tag lines at Leverage PR is, “Publicity should grow your business, not just get your name in the paper.”

How are you planning to grow your business?

About Leverage PR

Leverage PR is a public relations and social media marketing firm with offices in Seattle and Austin that specializes in helping high-growth technology companies, financial services firms, and dynamic thought leaders achieve their business objectives. With backgrounds launching and growing successful startups, the Leverage team understands the challenges and opportunities companies face and how to produce results in an ever-changing environment. In addition to their full service public relations packages, Leverage offers the first-of-its-kind publicity platform, CrowdBuilder™ . More information can be found at leverage-pr.com or by calling (512) 271-9489.

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White House Celebrates Crowdfunding “Champions of Change”

How Enterprise-Level Business Will Use Crowdfunding

House Committees Hold Hearings on Crowdfunding Regulatory Delays One Year After JOBS Act Passes

The Top SXSW Interactive Parties and Lounges Business Professionals Should Attend

Friday March 8th

Saturday March 9

Sunday March 10

Monday March 11

Tuesday March 12

Following Up After SXSW– 7 Keys to Networking After a Trade Show

Crowdfunding Leaders Meet with Policymakers in Washington DC to Push Implementation of JOBS Act

How to Build a Message Map for Your Startup

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