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Summary
Summary
IPSs are expensive, and venture capital nearly impossible to attract. Crowdfunding is changing the game for private companies. Are you taking full advantage
Think Kickstarter® is just for artists and people who don't really want to work for their success Think again! In 2012 President Obama signed the JOBS act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups), empowering privately owned companies to raise capital from investors without going through the rigorous IPO and private placement processes. Your private company can now crowdfund your way to success!
Now that the SEC has handed down the last regulations, the floodgates will open and companies will be free to compete for funding. Thankfully for you, small business and legal expert Cliff Ennico has followed the equity crowdfunding story since its inception and has translated the regulations into a clear set of dos and don'ts for entrepreneurs and small business others looking to get in early.
In The Crowdfunding Handbook, burgeoning crowdfunders can learn how to:
Decipher whether crowdfunding is their best bet Choose between funding platforms Pitch a project to the public Reach the most promising investors Figure out disclosure documents and report requirementsThe Crowdfunding Handbook reveals the tips and tools to helo you raise money for your small business or startup with equity funding portals.
Author Notes
Cliff Ennico, a former Wall Street lawyer, is a leading expert on the legal and financial issues of entrepreneurial companies. Previously the host of PBS's MoneyHunt, he now writes the nationally syndicated "Succeeding in Your Business" column as well as a legal QA column for Entrepreneur. He is the author of several books, including The eBay Seller's Tax and Legal Answer Book, and lives in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Reviews (1)
Library Journal Review
Ennico, a former Wall Street lawyer and expert in ecommerce, covers the ins and outs of raising small business capital using crowdfunding. He begins with an explanation of crowdfunding and traces its evolution. The 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which made it possible to crowdfund an offering of securities such as stocks or bonds, is discussed. The author's step-by-step instruction on how to take advantage of the JOBS Act is appropriately detailed with tips on choosing the right security, managing investors, determining the terms of the offering, and understanding legal responsibilities. Because it's so important for entrepreneurs to understand their responsibilities under the law and regulations, the author takes time to specifically enumerate and explain the concepts in plain English without oversimplification. Appendixes provide numerous sample forms and a list of resources for further reading. VERDICT Much more than an overview, this is a solid, nuts-and-bolts handbook that will be valuable to serious small-business entrepreneurs.-Joan Pedzich, formerly with Harris Beach PLLC, Pittsford, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
Introduction | p. xv |
The Road Map: "Where to Find Detailed Discussion of Regulation Crowdfunding | p. xix |
Part 1 The Basics of Crowdfunding | |
Chapter 1 What is Crowdfunding? | p. 3 |
Taking the Friends-and-Family Offering to the Next Level | p. 4 |
The Different Types of Crowdfunding | p. 5 |
Who Should Be Reading This Book? | p. 10 |
Where This Book Will Take You | p. 11 |
Chapter 2 The Evolution of Crowdfunding | p. 13 |
The Friends-and-Family Offering | p. 13 |
Intermediate Steps: Microlending and Peer-to-Peer Lending | p. 14 |
The Social Media Revolution | p. 15 |
Kickstarter.com and Project Crowdfunding | p. 16 |
Angel Investor Social Media Websites | p. 17 |
Intrastate Crowdfunding Under State Law | p. 17 |
Social Media Crowdfunding (Title III Crowdfunding) | p. 18 |
A Brief Overview of Crowdfunding Under Title III of the JOBS Act Regulation Crowdfunding | p. 21 |
Part 2 Launching A Successful Title III Crowdfunded Offering, Step By Step | |
Chapter 3 Is Crowdfunding Right far Your Company? | p. 29 |
Crowdfunding Is Not for Everyone | p. 29 |
Is Your Company Right for Crowdfunding? | p. 30 |
Qualifying Under the JOBS Act and Regulation Crowdfunding | p. 32 |
Handling Your Crowd of Investors If the Offering Is Successful | p. 33 |
Chapter 4 Preparing Your Company for a Crowdfunded Offering | p. 36 |
Choose the Right Legal Entity | p. 36 |
Decide Where to Incorporate, or Consider Reincorporating Somewhere Else | p. 44 |
What Type of Security- Witt Yon Be Offering? | p. 48 |
Amend Your Articles of Incorporation to Create a Separate Class of Shares for Your Crowdfunded Offering | p. 50 |
Set Your Offering Amount and Determine the Dilution for Existing Investors | p. 53 |
Prepare a Term Sheet for the Offering | p. 56 |
Get Your Management Team and Initial Investors On Board | p. 57 |
Chapter 5 Launching Your Crowdfunded Offering | p. 58 |
Finding the Help You Need | p. 58 |
Preparing Your Disclosure Documents | p. 60 |
Finding the Right Funding Portal for Your Offering | p. 69 |
Setting the Offering Schedule and the Minimum/Maximum Amounts | p. 73 |
Chapter 6 Managing and Marketing Your Crowdfunded Offering | p. 75 |
Your Offering Announcement: Where It Should Go, Where It Can't Go | p. 75 |
Advertising and Promoting Your Offering on the Funding Portal | p. 77 |
Advertising and Promoting Your Offering Elsewhere | p. 77 |
Can the Funding Portal Help You Advertise Your Offering? | p. 78 |
Updating or Changing Your Offering Documents Midoffering | p. 78 |
What If You Made a Mistake in Your Offering Documents? | p. 79 |
Closing Your Offering Early, or Quitting While You're Ahead | p. 81 |
Filing Progress Reports with the SEC: Form C-U | p. 81 |
Chapter 7 After Your Successful Crowdfunded Offering Is Completed | p. 83 |
Getting Your Money from the Funding Portal | p. 83 |
Issuing Your Securities to Investors | p. 84 |
Complying with State Blue-Sky Laws | p. 86 |
Creating a Stock Transfer Ledger | p. 86 |
Updating Your Capitalization Table | p. 87 |
Filing Your Annual Reports and Holding Your Annual Shareholders Meeting | p. 90 |
Making Sure Your Company Doesn't Get Too Big | p. 91 |
Part 3 Communication with Your Crowd | |
Chapter 8 Keeping Your Crowd Under Control | p. 95 |
Coping with Your New Partners | p. 95 |
Developing a Shareholder Communication Program | p. 96 |
Dealing with Time Vampires, Mata Haris, and Know-It-Alls | p. 98 |
When You Have to Change Your Business Plan | p. 99 |
When It's Time to Throw in the Towel | p. 101 |
When the Revolution Has Begun | p. 103 |
Chapter 9 Going Back for Seconds: Launching Multiple Crowdfunded Offerings | p. 106 |
Can You Launch Other Offerings at the Same Time as Your Crowdfunded Offering? | p. 106 |
The "Upstairs-Downstairs" Offering | p. 108 |
Can You Launch Another Crowdfunded Offering Right After You Complete Your First One? | p. 109 |
Some Things to Consider When Launching a Follow-Up Offering | p. 109 |
Part 4 Considerations for Investing in a Crowdfunded Offering or Setting Up a Funding Portal | |
Chapter 10 Should you Invest in a Crowdfunded Offering? | p. 113 |
Why Are You Investing in a Crowdfunded Company? | p. 114 |
Can You Legally Invest in a Title III Crowdfunded Offering? | p. 114 |
Are You an Accredited Investor? | p. 115 |
What Is Your Tolerance for Risk? | p. 116 |
Calculating Your Investment Limit Under Title III | p. 117 |
Can You Lie About Being Legally Able to Invest? | p. 118 |
Participating in a Crowdfunded Offering | p. 119 |
Bringing in Other Investors | p. 125 |
Selling Your Crowdfunded Securities | p. 125 |
Getting Involved in Your Crowdfunded Company | p. 126 |
When Can You Write Off Your Worthless Investment in a Crowdfunded Company on Your Taxes? | p. 128 |
Chapter 11 Should You Set Up a Funding Portal? | p. 130 |
It May Be Too Late for the Early Money | p. 130 |
Picking a Crowdfunding Niche | p. 131 |
Setting Up a Funding Portal | p. 132 |
The Portal's Obligations to Vet Issuers | p. 133 |
The Portal's Obligations to Investors | p. 134 |
The Portal's Obligations to the SEC | p. 135 |
The Portal's Obligations to Market and Grow Its Business | p. 136 |
The Portal's Obligations in Managing Offerings | p. 137 |
The Portal's Liability for Mistakes | p. 138 |
How a Funding Portal Makes Money | p. 139 |
Using Crowdfunding to Raise Money for a Funding Portal | p. 139 |
Part 5 Background Essentials: Crowdfunding History, Law, and Regulations | |
Chapter 12 Federal Regulation of Private Offerings of Securities Prior to the JOBS Act | p. 143 |
Early 1900s: The States Get the Ball Rolling with Blue-Sky Laws | p. 143 |
1933: The Federal Government Wades into the Securities Markets | p. 144 |
1964: The SEC Adopts Regulation A | p. 146 |
1970: The SEC Adopts Rule 146 for Private Placements | p. 147 |
1982: The SEC Adopts Regulation D, Adding More Exemptions | p. 148 |
1996: The National Securities Markets Improvement Act | p. 151 |
2012: The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act | p. 151 |
Chapter 13 The JOBS Act and Regulation Crowdfunding Rules | p. 152 |
Title I The IPO On-Ramp | p. 152 |
Title II Private Placements and New Rule 506(c) | p. 153 |
Title III Crowdfunded Offerings of Securities | p. 158 |
Title IV Expanded Availability of Regulation A | p. 160 |
Title V Changes to Definition of "Public Company" in the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 | p. 161 |
Title VI Special Provisions for Banks and Bank Holding Companies | p. 162 |
Afterword: What the Author Really Thinks of Crowdfunding | p. 163 |
First, the Bad News | p. 163 |
Now for the Good News | p. 166 |
And for Some Even Better News | p. 167 |
The Longer-Term Picture | p. 169 |
Acknowledgments | p. 171 |
Appendix 1 SEC Form C | p. 173 |
Appendix 2 Optional Question-and-Answer Format Version of SEC Form C | p. 178 |
Appendix 3 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation Creating Classes of Voting and Nonvoting Common Stock and Convertible Preferred Stock [Delaware form] | p. 195 |
Appendix 4 Provision of LLC Operating Agreement Creating Classes of Voting and Nonvoting Membership Interest, with Nonvoting Preferred Interests | p. 217 |
Appendix 5 Some Rights of Shareholders Under State Corporation Laws | p. 221 |
Appendix 6 Term Sheet for Crowdfunded Offering of Debt Securities | p. 224 |
Appendix 7 Term Sheet for Crowdfunded Offering of Series B (Nonvoting) Preferred Shares in Corporation | p. 226 |
Appendix 8 Term Sheet for Crowdfunded Offering of Class B (Nonvoting) Membership Interests in a Limited Liability Company | p. 234 |
Appendix 9 Sample Risk-Factors Section of a Crowdfunded Offering Statement | p. 236 |
Appendix 10 Sample Accredited Investor Questionnaire | p. 244 |
Suggestions for Further Reading | p. 253 |
Index | p. 257 |
About the Author | p. 265 |