Road Warriors 360; Crowdfunding your way back from a worst case scenario

by Startacus Admin

So, imagine you’re a fresh new startup founder, you’re working hard to try and make sure your idea gets the attention, support and input that it needs to be a success only to have investments and supporters pull out. Now imagine, everything, EVERYTHING – even your van (which you’re now forced to live and work out of), gets taken away. Sounds like the worst case scenario for any business right? How would you recover from that?

Simples, ask for help.

Who has ever successfully asked for crowdfunding help?

Jeff Read of Road Warriors 360 has found himself in just this kind of predicament. Having invested the vast majority of everything he had into business ventures that went south, he then only had his jeep, later turned van, to live, sleep and travel in. Not our     preferred workspace, but you gotta do what you gotta do! To add insult to injury, Jeff kept his goal alive by forming his brand RW360, a brand for people who travel a lot especially on the open road and road trips; Forming an online network and community for people who love road trips and travelling with the goal of supplying a service of information, travel advice and recommendations to the adventurous clientele.

So after beginning the project, and making some headway with marketing and distribution, disaster strikes! The police are instructed to confiscate his vehicle and everything in it, leaving Jeff high and dry in Dana Point, California and RW 360 destitute.

What could Jeff do? For some this simply would spell the end of the entrepreneurial road. However you have to bear in mind that Jeff is a Road Warrior, and like his Hollywood counterpart Mad Max, he wouldn’t give up without a fight, so he turned to the nice people at indiegogo to help him fund the future of his venture, with a goal of $15k to get a van and his brand back on track!

We here at Startacus have always sung the praises of crowdfunding and using it as a means to achieve your goals. So it should come as no surprise that we’re doing it again. Crowdfunding is a versatile way to not only advertise, finance and distribute your product to the world but can also be used as a cheeky little tool to gauge interest in your idea to begin with. Simply put, if it gets funded you either have an amazing support structure around you or, you have a winner on your hands. Why would you offer to help fund something you don’t think is a good idea, or just don’t want?

That isn’t to say crowdfunding isn’t without its downfalls. As the business owner, you run the risk of not receiving the funding you need, even if you were the next Richard Branson, therefore selling your product to potential investors is crucial. That’s why we can only recommend that any crowdfunding you do is marketed well, properly presented and if you’re clever enough, have a hook that will bring in and keep the investors, well, invested.

You never know! Not unlike Jeff, you could end up having your whole livelihood in the balance, dependent on the interest / generosity of strangers on the internet.

To date Jeff has raised over $10k towards his indiegogo and is still going incredibly strong! This means that he’s so close to getting back on track, that we can safely say that the people have spoken and want to see RW 360 happen!

We look forward to seeing how this unfolds, and if you want to know more about Jeff’s journey, why not check out his pitch video 

We wish good luck to Jeff and any other Startups and Self starters out there looking to crowdfund their next big project!

For more info on making the most from your crowdfunding experience, why not check out our guides to:

Working the Crowd. Making the most of Crowdfunding
Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites
Crowdfunding for Startups

And if you're starting your own venture, why not Share and advertise your idea on our Collaboration Page.  Get support from fellow entrepreneurs, be seen by investors and get inspired by successful companies!

If you are planning to launch your own crowdfunding campaign, you should check out our free crowdfunding support package!

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Published on: 28th August 2014