Crowdfunding

Write a Business Plan, Get $5000

CREED, a nonprofit corporation, is launching a crowdfunding initiative to help kick-start small business in the U.S. Here’s the quick overview of the contest:

Part I

o Pledge a donation, minimum $50

o Each donor receives one vote for every $50; and may buy additional votes optionally for $10 each (these donations will help fund CREED’s mission)

o Encourage friends and family to become donors by sending this to everyone you know.

Part II

o Write a very concise business plan/proposal on one page – see The One-Page Proposal book as a guide

o Submit the one-page proposal via our secure web portal under the Members Only tab (Submission of One-Page Proposals will start after the $5,000 is raised)

Part III

o Cast your vote(s) to select the best plan

o Winner receives $5,000 in start-up funding, no strings attached, if your plan gets the most votes

Why Crowdsourcing

This recession has been the worst since the Great Depression and many individuals are feeling insecure about the future of their jobs or the lasting power of their small businesses. We at CREED believe that, in spite of the current economic climate, we still live in the greatest, most creative country in the world—a place where good ideas deserve a chance. That is why we are launching our own crowdsourcing initiative.

Crowdsourcing programs have been run successfully by two organizations in Ireland, Outvesting and iQ Prize. Outvesting has raised 5,000 euros to give to an entrepreneur who has the most compelling business plan among those entered. iQ Prize has already given away 10,000 euros to fund a start-up. Both efforts were funded by many small donations, raised via word-of-mouth and grassroots marketing. Both were intended to jumpstart the economy and put some fire back into Ireland’s small business segment. CREED wants to bring this energy and excitement for small business to the U.S.

How to participate

You can participate as a donor, or as a contest entrant and donor. CREED is currently accepting pledges of $50 or more. Once the cumulative pledge amount reaches $5000, we will publish the rules for submitting your business plan and begin accepting business plan entries.

Pledge funds now? Click below. Remember, your pledge earns you votes on who should win the start-up capital. You get one vote for the first $50 pledged and one additional vote for every additional $10 donation. An $80 pledge, for example, earns you four votes.

Ready to write your business plan? We are looking for very concise business plans that communicate the essence of your business idea in one page. The plan should be in the format of the standard one-page proposal—it will contain the crucial details, but not every detail. Specifically, your plan should address these primary details:

o The Title of your proposal – the headline

o The Target – who are you addressing or has this problem – clarify your goal of how your product/service will solve the problem - include the "pitch"

o The Financial specifics – spell out the numbers

o The Status – where the deal stands now

o Action – what do you want someone to do – what are you asking for?

If you’ve got a great idea and you can write a compelling business proposal, you could be the recipient of CREED’s $5,000 crowdfunding contest! Make your pledge today and start writing your plan.