Financing your startup or small business is complicated and there is a million different terms you could be searching.

Whether you're exploring options for startup funding, researching "best business loans," " startup capital" or  "crowdfunding sites," you have come to the right place. Sail will help you cut through the noise and help you determine if your business is a good match for debt or equity crowdfunding. If crowdfunding is not for your business, we will refer you to other sources for raising capital.

Companies may raise up to $5 million through Regulation Crowdfunding per 12-month period. 

If you do not meet your minimum target while your raise is live, funds will be returned to investors.

Yes, crowdfunding can be used within a funding round, provided it is disclosed to all investors. For example, you could use crowdfunding to seed an angel round, or top off an angel round.

Entrepreneurs have one year to meet the goal of their raise, from the date the campaign goes live.

Friends, family, fans, religious organizations, trade associations your whole community. Once your crowdfunding offering is live, Sail will introduce you to our coalition of community investors. Some of whom are angel investors, financial advisors and VCs.

Yes. Once your Form C is filed.

You can use funds used for any business purpose, including starting up, having working capital to fuel expansion, purchasing a business, or raising equity to release a larger bank loan. Reg  CF can also be used to seed or top-off a larger angel round. The beauty of crowdsourced funding is that the crowd decides what is worth funding.

Phase One  - Before your crowdfunding raise goes live

• Sail Community Capital is an expert in preparing companies for raises and can be retained at an hourly rate.
• Have your GAAP financials completed by a CPA. Fees begin at $700 for unreviewed GAAP financials for companies looking to raise up to $107,000. Fees begin at $1,500 for companies who will raise between $107,000 $1,070,000.

Phase Two - Market your raise

• Sail Community Capital will provide technical assistance marketing for your raise at an hourly rate. 
• If your campaign is successful, the crowdfunding portal that hosted your campaign will take a fee, typically 6%-8%.

Phase Three - Post-raise

• If your raise is successful, Sail Community Capital will help you:
  • Thank investors
  • Distribute perks
  • Remind you to file the C-AR Form annually with the SEC
  • Keep your investors updated on progress

Regulation Crowdfunding requires companies to be incorporated before their Form-C is filed and their offering goes live.

Important rules to keep in mind:

• You may not advertise your raise until your Form C is filed.
• You may not discuss the terms of your raise with investors.
• All questions must be posted on your raise's profile, for all investors to see.

Crowdfunding Marketing Overview 

• Generally, half the funds from your raise will come from your crowd, and the other half will come from investors around the world. As you prepare for the raise, create a list of people you think would be interested in investing.
• Start your campaign off with a bang! Ideally, 30% of your goal will be reached in the first week. Expect to spend the first two weeks of the campaign working morning, noon and night to generate interest. You want to create a bandwagon effect.
• Once your goal is reached, you can close your campaign or keep it going.

Sail provides

• "Technical assistance" marketing of your raise to your community and beyond, via social media, partnerships, press outreach and advertising.
• Promotion of your raise to our coalition of community investors, angel groups and partners.

Suggested Marketing Channels

• Social media
• Press
• Personalized emails
• Email marketing
• Website
• Signs at your business

• Campaign management & strategy 
• Campaign design
  • Storytelling 
  • Graphic design 
  • Photography 
  • Videography
• Referrals
  • CPAs - unreviewed & reviewed financials 
  • Lawyers - contract & terms 
• Investor engagement
  • Website landing pages
  • Social media management 
  • Social media advertising 
  • Public relations 
  • Email marketing
  • Search engine marketing 

1. Funds are deposited in your small business's bank account.
2. Distribute your perks.
3. Celebrate! Throw a party and turn your investors into brand evangelists.
4. Update your investors regularly, although it is not required by the SEC.
5. File C-AR form annually with the SEC.
6. Repay investors.

When it is time to repay investors, some platforms have have tools to make repayment a snap. Otherwise, there's always good, old-fashioned spreadsheets and online bill-pay through your bank.

Neither the portal where the raise is posted nor Sail Community Capital will enforce fulfillment of a securities contract. Remember, if you default, it's your community you will have to answer to.