Co-founder Patrick
Donohue, 36, a onetime Twin Cities securities analyst and investment banker,
said the feedback so far has led the fledgling company to conclude that
prospective customers will pay up to $25 for a kit that will include several
patches to stop bleeding, as well as bandages and gauze.
The founders hope to
avoid raising money from venture capitalists who would want majority control.
They also will avoid going to retail shelves, at least initially, because of
the marketing expense and the likelihood of the product getting lost amid
myriad others. Instead, AllaQuix will be marketed primarily through low-cost
social media.
Donohue, who spent
15 years watching private and public companies try to raise money, says there
is a crisis. There’s plenty of capital. But most banks, venture capitalists and
private-equity players have become increasingly conservative and won’t take
chances on start-ups and promising small businesses.
“While most
entrepreneurs think of crowdfunding with dollar signs in their eyes, a smarter
way is to look at the crowd is to envision them as future customers or
investors ready to help in the early stage,” Donohue said in 21-page paper he’s
written on the subject titled “The New Fundraising Reality for Entrepreneurs.”
“Those individuals
who actually spend time on your crowdfunding site are the people who are
interested enough to tell you what they like and dislike about your concept.”
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen