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Home > Go Time > Ep 18 - Go Time - Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium
Podcast: Go Time
Episode:

Ep 18 - Go Time - Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium
Category: Technology
Duration: 00:38:22
Publish Date: 2016-11-11 11:58:00
Description: “Crowdfunding really added an extra dimension to the startup process. I really felt like everyone was so excited and they’d really invested in me. Some people gave lots of money but others had just given me so much support and enthusiasm and encouragement. I think that really motivated me, kept me going through.” Lauren Pears, the founder and creator of Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, London’s first Cat Cafe. In 2013, Lauren raised £109K pounds from over 1600 backers and was one of the initial catalysts of the cat cafe phenomenon that has spread around the globe. The cafe has continued to find success, and two years after opening their doors, they’re constantly finding themselves fully booked. In this episode, Lauren discusses her decision to use crowdfunding and describes all of the benefits that her campaign added to her project, well after the actual crowdfunding phase of her project was over. After being turned away by banks, she decided to run a campaign on Indiegogo in order to raise funds for her cafe. In addition to raising £109K, the campaign’s other benefits included: Developing a large, engaged fan base. (The cafe was booked for a solid two months prior to its grand opening.) Enabled Lauren to demonstrate the size of her market as well as pre sales which helped her secure a retail space in a competitive market. Made her project publicly known, which resulted in partnering with an outside investor to cover additional costs. Links: Indiegogo Campaign https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/open-a-cat-cafe-in-london Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium http://ladydinahs.com/ Book Recommendation - Kick Start Your Business http://amzn.to/2eo9ntj
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