Honeycomb Credit’s Post

This is amazing news. Very dramatic few weeks in our industry's subsector focusing on small businesses. The Synapse bankruptcy uncovered a very real problem: vendor-related risk management. Mainvest closing down is a tragedy. And shortly after, Honeycomb Credit raised a very healthy seed round - I'm rooting for their success because they are an incredibly important impact company in the industry. One great impact company is growing, as another shuts down. Honeycomb, please use this opportunity to provide the Mainvest team with employment. This would be a really cool. _____________ We have been building Raiseway with the intention to work with Honeycomb Credit, SMBX, Wefunder, Climatize, Raise Green, DealMaker, SmallChange.co, Republic, and Silicon Prairie. These are ESG-good companies, in my personal absolutely subjective opinion. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fines for Wefunder and Dalmore Capital Limited notwithstanding - though of course following the rules ultimately increases the flow of capital into the industry. More on this last point: We need more collaboration with FINRA and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - we want to become a comfortable asset class for LPs. To become that, we need wild west hsit to not happen. What our industry needs is a working public policy development process with US Congress, FINRA, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Investment Crowdfunding policy needs maintainence, open lines of communication with the SEC, with ongoing, constant communication. Some rules indeed feel detached from the professional reality. Some need to be hashed out. Often enforcement simply needs to actually do stuff, and treat serious crimes seriously. We need partnerships with public LPs. U.S. Small Business Administration's help would be great. _____________ We believe that our industry is "impact". Still, the fundamental risk remains. Napoleon said that "quantity has a quality of its own". We need the industry to be sustainable for the simple capitalistic reason that being ESG-positive can make a шitload of money for us, our teams, our investors in income and for our communities and country in taxes. However, if you put enough capital into any asset fast enough, you are gonna get a bubble. Our industry is no exception. In fact, the reason we haven't been able to market securities of private companies is exactly because there was so much fraud with stuff like this in the late 1920s. When the Great Depression came, it turned out that a lot of investments, which were marketed in newspapers were fake. Sometimes fraudsters even bought entire newspaper companies to publish investment ads. So, to protect the investors, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission quickly outlawed marketing of securities (equity or debt) of private small & medium-sized businesses to people with regular income. Hence, accredited and unaccredited investors. end of rant

Every investor you meet is going to ask you this question at some point: So… how much money have you raised so far? Your answer better not be “umm, nothing yet.” Before you ask someone to invest their hard-earned money… …you better first run down the “free” money. There’s a lot of it. Here you go: https://lnkd.in/e8dckbMu Like & Comment “this is awesome” before you go.

Ever get the question: what’s a project you are most proud of? I’ve been lucky to be part of many exciting and meaningful efforts in my career. But launching the Open for Business Fund with Jenny Flores (and her whole team!) is at the top of my list. This roughly $420 million small business recovery effort from Wells Fargo started four years ago this month. It worked with more than 200 #nonprofits and #cdfis nationwide ultimately reaching over 336,000 small businesses with capital and expertise. Here’s a few things we learned from this philanthropic investment - one we had not ever made at this scale so fast before: 1. It paid off to ask nonprofits what they needed vs assume: they needed flexible capital so they could pivot the money as needed to serve changing small business owner needs. 2. Small business owners of all sizes create jobs! Through Open for Business Fund, grantees report the small businesses served were able to keep or create more than 461,000 jobs. That’s meaningful impact in local communities. And, 72% identify as lower income entrepreneurs - who also created jobs! 3. Grant capital is powerful - grantees reported leveraging our grants on their balance sheets roughly 7:1 to attract more capital to do more good in communities. 4. The program strenghtened the small business ecosystem long term with #tech upgrades, more staffing, new products and more personalized coaching available to help today’s #entrepreneur Many more learnings…take a look. As Darlene Goins, who leads the company’s overall philanthropy likes to say, “philanthropy really can be a catalyst for lasting change.” #smallbiz #smallbusiness #socialimpact #innovation #philanthropy Amber Gomez Mace Ginny Hodges McLendon Gustavo Perez Eugui Nicole Adler Mas Melissa Murray Christine Shaw Grace Lee Eric Best Gabriela Lambertus William Gallego

Make a difference today - It's Super Easy! Are you looking to make a tangible difference in the world? Join me in supporting entrepreneurs and communities through Kiva.org. 🌱 Kiva is a nonprofit organization that connects people willing to lend as little as $25 to create opportunities for others. These microloans help individuals start or grow businesses, pursue education, or improve their living conditions. By lending on Kiva, you can: ✅ Support Sustainable Development: Your loan can help lift people out of poverty and promote economic growth in underserved communities. ✅ Empower Entrepreneurs: Enable small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams and become financially independent. ✅ Foster Global Connections: Connect with borrowers from around the world and see the impact of your loan firsthand. ✅ Reinvest in Change: As loans are repaid, you can relend your funds to others, creating a ripple effect of positive change. Here’s how you can get involved: 🌏 Create an account on Kiva.org. 🌏 Choose a Borrower: Browse through the stories of individuals seeking loans. 🌏 Lend: Make a loan and help someone achieve their goals. Together, we can make a significant impact, one loan at a time. 🌟 Let’s empower dreams and transform lives with Kiva! #ImpactInvesting #SocialGood #Entrepreneurship #GlobalDevelopment #Kiva #Microfinance #Empowerment #Sustainability

If you're looking to start a business and don't have the funds yourself, here are two common sources of funding: Business loans ~ You can get a loan from a traditional lender like a bank or credit union, but they may require assets, collateral, or other things if you don't have a history of revenue financials. SBA loans can also be a great option, or looking at Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like Colorado Enterprise Fund if you don't qualify for traditional financing. Grants ~ There are also a lot of great grant options through the government or private and nonprofit organizations. While the application process may be rigorous,you don't have to pay these funds back! Check out this article for some grant ideas https://lnkd.in/dgYJ8fki

If you want to start a new business, you’re likely going to need some money. But how do you go about getting it? ✅ How to Raise Money to Start a Business https://lnkd.in/d_fdt434

Have you seen the latest exciting news from LendForGood? We’ve just launched our next fundraiser with White Box Enterprises, to support the new Beacon Laundry in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Beacon Laundry is a recently-launched example of a Work-Integrated Social Enterprise, creating much-needed job opportunities for disadvantaged locals in the Northern Rivers, where inequality is rapidly growing. Due to a shortfall in their original fundraising however, the laundry currently lacks the features they aspire to have to also be the most environmentally sustainable commercial laundry in Australia. That’s what this campaign is for, investing in solar, a heat exchange and other infrastructure. You can learn more about this campaign at a live Q & A I am hosting TODAY with Oskar from Beacon Laundry and Nico from White Box Enterprises (the impact intermediary for this loan) - details are below. We are thrilled to have this exciting new enterprise on LendForGood and to be working with the award-winning White Box Enterprises to bring this vetted deal to the platform. This is a secured loan and is the biggest we’ve sought to raise to date, so it’s also a great opportunity for someone looking for a chance to make a larger investment but is also accessible to all of us to participate from just $500. Put your money to work doing good while also earning a return. If you have any questions, come along to the Q and A today and you can ask them. Details: Beacon Laundry Live Q&A July 2, 2024 11:30 am - 12:15 pm AEST - TODAY No RSVP necessary - I'll put the link to join the comments below, along with a link to the campaign page. You are welcome to pass this invitation on to others who may be interested, or just tag them below. #socialenterprise #socentau #impinv #impactinvestment #crowdlending #crowdfunding #northernrivers

This week we are spilling it all. Because the second huge taboo (after s.e/x) is money. We are ashamed of having too much, or not enough. We don’t dare ask colleagues how much they are paid. We get red in the face when it’s time to ask for a raise, or request what we think is a just hourly rate…It’s a struggle and I don’t pretend to have the answers but transparency is always a good place to start discussions. The beginnings If you have been around for a while you know that SEX-ED + started with a 5,000$ crowdfunding (Ulule), selling buttons, bandanas and clitoris earrings to buy the first order of silicone. Since its beginnings, the project has received a lot of support from its community (and none from institutions), whether in cash (with no-interests small loans from friends) or in nature (button making and bag sewing, packing, photography, volunteering and all). This has allowed the project to develop without ever being in debt – which was imperative for me. I don’t mind putting in the hours but I can’t bear the idea of being in debts. I needed to know that if it was going South, I could pull the plug anytime, find a job, and still be able to pay my rent. #journey #smallbusiness

We're proud to be part of a sector making a difference and showing that finance can be a force for good. And we're delighted that working with Ethex and its investor community is enabling us to scale up. Read more in Positive News 👇 #SocialEnterprise #FinancialInclusion #FinancialExclusion #AffordableCredit #SocialInvestment

High interest rates, high inflation and tight credit has made it more difficult than ever for small businesses to secure the capital they need. FundingHope, LLC is the only investment crowdfunding platform developed to connect investors with founders committed to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal targets. #smallbusinessfunding #ruraldevelopment #crowdfunding #equitycrowdfunding #investmentcrowdfunding #restaurantfinance #communityinvestment #communityround