Monday, May 5, 2014

Why No One In Their Right Mind would CROWDFUND


NEVER CROWDFUND


1)  Equity Crowdfunding is a Felony.
2)  Donation-based Crowdfunding is for Non-Pofits


It will only get you in trouble unless you are a non-profit.   One of my friends is former SEC Comissioner and happens to teach Law at George Washington.   The SEC & IRS send their attorneys to him for their continuing Ed Credits.     Because they are his students, they tell him what's coming from their agencies.

A for-profit that accepts donations, must pay 50% in taxes to the IRS.  This isn't being done.   They are just letting that pile up and they are going to start levying bank accounts.  They don't have to make any announcements because the laws have been on the books and KNOWN for decades.

KickStarter & IndieGoGo aren't culpable because they state in the agreements that you sign, that you are responsible.... but who reads those things, right?

Next, there is quite a bit of fraud in crowdfunding... people raise money, then never follow through.    You only hear about the big wins but for each dollar that makes it for good, there are $42 that go down the tubes and taken out of the economy.

Would you like access to legal Capital Resources?   Are you seeking the monies for other valuable resources for your business?

Consider CEO Space:
The world's oldest, largest & most successful network for CEOs, Entrepreneurs and Visionary investors.

CEO Space is an entrepreneurial training and world class business networking organization, providing MBA-level training and development and an immersion experience of cooperation that results in income acceleration through exponential business growth.  

Friday, May 2, 2014

How I built one of the strongest reputations on LinkedIn

I often am asked, "How is it that you're so successful in using LinkedIn for Business?"

I get this from people that know me, as well as those that see my profile and the fact that I typically have more than twice the amount of recommendations than those who hail themselves as 'LinkedIn Experts' (Actual Recommendations, not the silly little endorsements.)

My answers are as follows:
1)  Only add people that you've met to your profile. 
Becoming a LION or as often referred to with LI, FB, or other sites as "Social Media Whores" will only dilute your credibility.   Being able to hit  the ADD or LIKE button is not a feat or a contest.   This keeps your contacts more pure and it helps protect your network.  (The latter is likely why LinkedIn states this request in their Terms of Service.)

2)  Offer to help.   I often get approached after my posts in groups and in Forums.   Even though I may not connect with them, I will let them know I'm willing to help.    This is my nature anyway and as it happened, led to me being added to this group, simply because I was willing to help Jimeana when she was struggling.   Granted, I was pointing her to a much faster path and she chose the slower, more expensive route, but eventually, she'll get there!    I'm proud to have connected her to people that she could learn some basics from and is now beginning to learn even more!

3)  Be authentic.  Don't be afraid to tell someone what they need to hear.   Letting someone know that they were committing a Felony when soliciting Capital online, has been a big attention getter as well as business builder for me.   I'm oft surprised that I'm the first to mention it in threads and THEN the attorneys agree.    The attorneys should be the very first to be pointing this out.   Instead of them getting a shot at the business, the prospective person usually ends up talking to me and getting the same services from attorneys, CPAs, Architecs, Financial Planners and Social Media Experts for Free, because of my network.    The prospect wins, the professional wins, and my network wins.  

4) When you learn something, don't act like it's the hottest thing on the block.
I see this all the time with what many call "newbies" to a topic.   We see it all the time with Sales, NLP, Speaking, etc.    While it may be the greatest thing you've ever come across, there are likely people that have been studying, using, or knowledgeable about the topic for decades.

5)  Use an E-Signature.
On Every post, you should have your contact information.  LinkedIn tends to breed laziness and just as you should on every page of your website, you should have your contact information at the bottom of each of your posts.   So what if it's in your profile...  if you go to the tabs above and select "Who's Viewed Your Profile" you already know the numbers aren't what you want them to be!   Why?  Because people are lazy and not all are going to look at your profile, let alone find your contact info!  Give them the opportunity to see it!

6)  Request Direct Contact
This allows you to circumvent reliance on LinkedIn to deliver your communication to you.  You can go direct.   Besides, you've likely already experienced sending messages and people responding weeks later.   Why?  Many won't respond to LinkedIn messages and many more don't check LinkedIN every week, let alone every day.    Additionally, this allows you to build a list.   My suggestion, however is that you segment your list and send only appropriate information to those segments.   Never SPAM.

7)  Be gracious. 
When someone helps you.  Make sure you let them know it....CONSISTENTLY.
My mentors and friends are constantly reminded of how they have helped me get to where I am and what a difference they mean to me and the things I've learned from them.   Sending a 'Thank You' is a nice gesture....but it's weak.    Constantly reminding someone that you appreciate them lets them feel it in their bones and they won't forget you.


If you or someone you know is building a business and seeks:
- Guaranteed Flow of New Business on a Consistent Basis
- Increase in the Knowledge, Skills, or Ability of the CEO or Executive Team
- Access To Capital Resources
- Or anything else
...and would like to have those resources at far less the price and far faster the time than they can get from inside their own network, please feel welcome to connect with me (directly, not via LinkedIn) and let me know what you're working on and what you seek next for your business.

--
Dave Phillipson, Executive State Director & Global Development
CEO Space
http://youtu.be/Z9mPDOBdizQ
The World's Largest, Oldest & Most
Successful Organization for CEOs,
Entrepreneurs & Visionary Investors
http://www.GlobalCEOspace.com
Dave@GlobalCEOspace.com


P.S.  Those that know me, understand that there's not much that excites me more than helping a fellow entrepreneur grow their business!  I am passionate about sharing my resources, knowledge, and elite connections in order to build businesses cooperatively.