[TSE 48] How Activyst Used Crowd Funding To Raise $67,926 and Launch Their Business

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If you loved Episode 42  and Episode 45 of the Suitcase Entrepreneur podcast on self-publishing, becoming an Amazon bestselling author in less than 8 weeks and my Kickstarter campaign, then you will love this episode, which is Part 3 on how to rock crowdfunding.

If you’ve ever wanted to start a business but didn’t think you had the money to do it. Or you wanted to get more attention for your startup but had no email list or online platform to speak of, then I have a solution for you.

It’s called Crowdfunding, and it’s the fastest growing craze to get complete strangers to fund your dreams. In today’s podcast episode I’m giving you a prime example of just how effective this tool can be.

How to get fully funded and start a business from scratch

It might seem like Katie Rock, CEO and founder of Activyst, along with her cofounders Leigh Orne and Blair Warner, came out of nowhere and made a huge splash in the crowd funding scene.

But there was a ton of effort that went into their crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo that saw them surpass their fundraising goal by over $42,000 and essentially launch their new business from scratch!

First of all, their Activyst products are awesome with a really strong why and a lot of passion behind the brand.

Their functional, yet fashion-forward and super cute sports bags that meet the needs of active women, also help fund nonprofits in other countries that support girls in sports.

As someone who loves playing Ultimate Frisbee and sports in general, I’m really passionate about this.

As you may have noticed when I biked 6,500km down Africa last year to raise money for Women Win who support young girls in sport.

And to date, they have been able to fund a soccer field in Nicaragua, soccer programs and vocational training in Uganda, and a running coach in Ethiopia.

Incredible, right?

In this podcast episode, we discuss in-depth the realities of running your own campaign and the effective strategies in PR, marketing, copywriting, video production, and number crunching that made it successful.

Here is exactly what you will learn in this podcast:

• One communication tactic Katie used to leverage her networks to spread the word about the campaign
• How far in advance the team prepared for the launch and what aspects of the process they crowdsourced
• The email strategy that changed the game for the campaign
• What the team included in each email that pushed them over the $50,000 mark
• 2 effective PR strategies that got the campaign over 28 write ups
• Why it is critical to have a core team with certain unique strengths and a team of friends
• Why startups should explore the crowd funding space to experience these 3 benefits
• Hard costs of setting up the campaign, including the exact cost of their video

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Listen to this interview with @activyst on How they used crowd funding to launch their business https://bit.ly/1oUC4Mv via @suitcasepreneur

Click on the play button at the top or download this in iTunes or on Stitcher Radio (and do not forget to leave a review as we might feature yours in the next show!).

Even better pick up my completely free book on `How to Start a Podcast that Matters’ at suitcaseentrepreneur.com/free by leaving a short review on my podcast.

Want to start your own Kickstarter right now?

I recommend you grab my new book How To Successfully Crowd Fund Your Dream Idea on Kickstarter for just $9!

Here’s what’s covered:

1. What Exactly Is Crowdfunding? Learn all about this fundraising phenomenon and why you should take advantage of it.

2. Which Crowdfunding Site Should You Choose? Discover the advantages and disadvantages of the top ten crowdfunding sites and see which one is right for you.

3. What Makes a Successful Crowd Funding Campaign? Learn the key components that will ensure your campaign meets and exceeds its goals.

4. Step by Step Campaign Checklist: Take the pain out of setting up your campaign by following this complete guide.

Grab yours here.

Connect with Activyst and Natalie

Twitter:

Tweet Activyst

Say hi to Natalie on @suitcasepreneur

Facebook:

Activyst

Suitcase Entrepreneur

Key sites mentioned in this podcast:

• Activyst
• Activyst Indiegogo page

 

Say hello to my awesome podcast sponsor SKRoss

The one tool I can not live without, as a Suitcase Entrepreneur, aside from my laptop and passport, is a world travel adaptor.

So I am beyond thrilled that the makers of my very adaptor of choice, have stepped up to sponsor my podcast.

SKRoss have designed the sexy, sleek, lightweight World Travel Adaptor Pro + USB, which includes six different country plugs.

You can find the right connection anywhere in the world, and charge two USB devices at the same time, plus you are guaranteed a safe power connection in more than 150 countries on all continents.

Head to my unique link to check out why I love this product: skross.com/suitcase

In the comments below:

Ask me one question that you would love to know the answer to about running your own campaign on Kickstarter or Indiegogo.