Indiana Joins the Elite List of States that Allow Equity Crowdfunding from Unaccredited Investors

Indiana entrepreneurs can raise up to $2 million and Indiana investors can invest up to $5,000 per opportunity

By Robert Hoskins

Indianapolis, Indiana – Secretary of State Connie Lawson announced the rules for crowdfunding in Indiana which will allow Indiana investors to direct their equity investments to homegrown Hoosier entrepreneurs through the Internet. Indiana entrepreneurs can raise up to $2 million and Indiana investors can invest up to $5,000 per opportunity.

Indiana Joins the Elite List of States that Allow Equity Crowdfunding from Unaccredited Investors

“Crowdfunding creates a new way for Hoosier entrepreneurs and investors to invest in Indiana,” said Secretary Lawson. “Previously, entrepreneurs could only solicit funding from wealthy investors, limiting their ability to grow their business and preventing smaller investors from taking advantage of up and coming opportunities. Now, all Hoosiers will have a chance to invest in Indiana.”

Crowdfunding began as an online fundraising strategy to facilitate the public donating  small amounts of money, often through social networking websites, to help musicians, filmmakers and other artists finance their projects. Indiana moves to the forefront of using the concept of crowdfunding as a tool to help facilitate the equity investment market. Through Indiana’s new crowdfunding rules, small businesses and entrepreneurs will be able to tap into the “crowd” in search of investments to finance their business ventures.

Congress passed the JOBS Act in April of 2012 authorizing the Securities Exchange Commission to write federal rules for crowdfunding. Those rules have not been finalized. The Indiana General Assembly passed crowdfunding legislation for the state during the 2014 legislative session and tasked the Secretary of State’s office with writing the rules. Secretary Lawson, Securities Commissioner Carol Mihalik and their team worked tirelessly to complete the rules by July 1 to give emerging Indiana businesses the tools they needed the day the law went into effect.

“Crowdfunding has potential to be a great capital formation tool for start-up businesses,” said Securities Commissioner Carol Mihalik. “Hoosiers need to be aware of the risks before they invest and they should always do their research before investing. As always, our efforts to fight fraud and impose consequences will continue regardless of the type of investment.”

For more information and to view the rules, entrepreneurs and investors can view Secretary Lawson’s website http://www.in.gov/sos/investinindiana. Investors and entrepreneurs

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LiveLink Mobile Launches $500k Equity Crowdfunding Campaign on LocalStake to Fund Wireless App to Help Sales Reps Close More Deals with Email Marketing and Social Media Campaigns

LiveLink is seeking to raise an additional round of funding via equity investments to further build out its business network and deliver additional enhanced mobile app features and benefits

By Robert Hoskins

Indianapolis, IN – In 2013, LiveLink raised $1 million from local Indiana angel investors through traditional techniques. As a result, Mike Alley, chairman of Patriot Investments, joined the board along with Bob O’Brien from Cambridge Ventures. The capital allowed LiveLink to acquire another software development firm (Cogent Media Group), make several key hires and to build out a mobile solution that helps sales professionals find more opportunities through email marketing, social media, VAR channel marketing programs and enables sales to create the sales & marketing content they need to close deals.

Click here to download the LiveLink Mobile Free Sales App

In 2014, LiveLink has turned to Localstake to raise an additional $500,000 to further prove its model and to make additional technology enhancements to its mobile solution. Localstake works with many types of companies ranging from breweries to software companies like LiveLink.

“We are $100K toward our $500K goal and expect the remaining amount to come in through the next several weeks,” said Jason Zickler, CEO and founder of LiveLink. “Localstake has the functionality for us to more effectively reach out via our online and offline networks to find investors that were previously very difficult to connect with.”

“We are excited to work with LiveLink on their fundraising goal,” said Ryan Flynn, co-founder of Localstake. “Marketing technology is very strong in Indiana, and we are excited to help in this arena. We feel our platform can help LiveLink connect with a wide range of potential investors and do so while managing the demands of using the new securities exemptions that are now available.”

LiveLink™ enables marketing to use mobile to get sales content and messaging directly into the hands of sales reps. Better yet, it’s free to use forever for up to 10 users. At LiveLink we enhance communication between marketing teams and field sales teams using mobile technology.

Marketing and sales know they have to work together to be successful. Everyone knows it’s a team effort, but in the day-to-day activities, differences in how individuals work slow down interaction and collaboration. We help address this problem by giving marketing the ability to get marketing tools and collateral directly into the hands of sales reps using a mobile app.

Not only do we help give on-the-go employees access to the latest marketing content, but we enable you to make it actionable. Every PDF, video and URL can be sent via email, shared via LinkedIn and shared via Twitter all with a few taps on a mobile phone. Marketing now has a direct communication channel with their on-the-go field sales reps.

A major rule change last September allows companies like LiveLink to publicly solicit and market for private investments. The SEC’s change to Rule 506 allows “accredited” investors with a net worth of more than $1 million, or who earn at least $200,000 a year, to participate in equity crowdfunding sites like Localstake.

Crowdfunding is the fundraising technique of soliciting small amounts from many individuals over the Internet. Localstake is an investment crowdfunding platform based in Indianapolis for start-ups and small businesses to raise funding from investors in their community.

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Mainstreet Rehab Centers Offer Accredited Investors Oppportunity to Earn a Targeted 10% Annualized Cash Yield through Equity Crowdfunding Real Estate Investment

CrowdStreet Investors can review the opportunity on CrowdStreet and commit capital directly to the project on-line

By Robert Hoskins

Indiapolis, IN – Mainstreet, one of the nation’s largest and most innovative developer of short-stay rehabilitation facilities, has announced the launch of a direct investment initiative to fund its new Bloomington project.

CrowdStreet Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding Platform in Indianapolis, Indiana

Mainstreet and MS Bloomington, LLC are offering investors an exciting opportunity to participate directly in the MS Bloomingtondevelopment project and earn a targeted 10% annualized cash yield plus potential upside.  In conjunction with CrowdStreet, investors will have the opportunity to review the project and relevant information on a secure web site and commit capital directly to the project on-line.

“Consistent with our mission to think differently, innovate and transform industries, Mainstreet is among the first to offer private real estate investment opportunities directly to the public,” said Zeke Turner, Founder and CEO of Mainstreet. “Direct investment initiatives for real estate have great potential to not only fund worthwhile projects like this, but also to provide individuals interesting and compelling opportunities they historically may not have had access to.  We couldn’t be more excited about unlocking the potential of direct investment funding initiatives for real estate as we believe it will transform the industry.  We are also excited to partner with the CrowdStreet team, a forward thinking, and visionary platform on the leading edge of the industry.”

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the opportunity to work with Mainstreet on this pioneering initiative,” said Darren Powderly, Co-Founder of CrowdStreet.  “Our goal is to connect accredited investors with high-quality, professionally-managed real estate investments.  The Mainstreet team has a proven business model and a track record of success.”

Mainstreet will host an information session for accredited investors on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 10 am in Bloomington. Reservations are required. For more information, visit www.buildmainstreet.com.

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To Celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the 2012 JOBS Act, Front Page PR Offers Low-Cost License Fee to Start Crowdfunding Training Classes throughout the United States

License Agreement offers Chambers of Commerce, SBA Offices, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), SCORE & Startup Incubators and Business Accelerators the Opportunity to Offer Front Page PR’s Content to Launch Their Own Crowdfunding Training Programs

 By Robert Hoskins

AUSTIN, TX – Front Page PR announced a new low-cost licensed crowdfunding training class that will provide non-profits, economic development, Meetup groups and government agencies such as the Small Business Administration (SBA) with the basic training materials needed to begin educating entrepreneurs, veterans, startups, small businesses, high schools, junior colleges, universities and employment agencies on how to use crowdfunding to eradicate unemployment by facilitating new businesses and creating new jobs throughout the United States.

Front Page PR is the #1 Crowdfunding PR firm in America

For only $300 per year, licensees will receive the training materials needed to launch a crowdfunding advocacy training program in their community. The low price point should allow crowdfunding educators and experienced public speakers to break even on the very first class by charging attendees $25 or more to attend the seminar. Click here to buy a one-year license.

“Most Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) charge an average of $49 per class to attend classes on how to write a business plan, how to get a bank loan, how to seek venture capital, or how to seek alternative financing to start up a small business,” said Robert Hoskins, Front Page PR’s Director of Crowdfunding Campaigns. “At this price tag, our Crowdfunding Training Program will only take six paying customers to fund a full year’s subscription. After the initial cost, training 20 people per month at $49 would generate approximately $11,460 per year in revenue.”

Front Page PR will provide free Crowdfunding Training Class Workshops for instructors who want to provide the Crowdfunding Training Class, but have no knowledge of the crowdfunding industry or experience in teaching their communities how to launch successful crowdfunding campaigns. In addition, the workshops will include free press release templates and teach instructors how to utilize cost-effective PR/media relations programs to raise awareness for the classes within the local community.

Front Page PR’s Crowdfunding Seminar materials include:

• How to Plan a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
• How to Conduct a Crowdfunding Competitive Analysis
• How to Shoot a Crowdfunding Pitch Video
• How to Write a Persuasive Crowdfunding Profile
• How to Offer Effective Perks & Rewards
• How to Set Up a Realistic Fundraising Goal

Even Fortune 500 corporations can get involved. Many large companies such as IBM have launched intranet crowdfunding programs to incentivize their employees. Crowdfunding campaigns can be used as an excellent research and development tool. Internal crowdfunding campaigns can be used to fast track great business ideas upward to management based on employee support, which completely bypasses the typical roadblocks that thwart innovation.

Front Page PR’s crowdfunding training class rollout will target Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, D/FW, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Washington, DC and Wichita. Additional markets will be added based on market demand.

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