Getting started with CSR fundraising
Engagement with corporates is moving beyond conventional funding initiatives By Chaarvi Badani Fundraising is the most important work of a start-up, apart from their actual mission itself. It probably feels like every employee’s full-time job despite their designations! In their quest for funding, most entrepreneurs look at traditional options such as seed funders, incubators, impact investors and venture capital firms. But today, let’s focus on the new kid in the block – corporates and their pool of funding from corporate social responsibility. The new Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility) Rules 2014 mandates that 2% of companies’ net profits should be [...]
Perfecting your investor pitch
By Kavita Rajagopalan When you walk into a room to pitch your idea or enterprise to a room full of funders or investors, you’re expected to deliver a flawless performance. One that evokes a strong emotion, that makes the funder care about the problem you are trying to solve, and most importantly one that convinces them to write you a cheque. If you’ve pitched before, you know that this performance is a nerve-wracking experience. You also know that flawless performances aren’t easy to deliver, and they require time and effort. So the next time you walk into a room [...]
20 tips to better market your event
By Aditi Seshadri Once you’ve organised your event, the next big worry on your plate – how do you get people to attend it? Even if you don’t have celebrity endorsements or a big advertising budget, it is possible to use these simple but well-tested tips to make sure you get those numbers in. 1) Event page – auto response, agenda The very first step to marketing your event is an event page or the event posting on your website. A clear, concise write-up describing the topic, time, venue, agenda, event fee, who should attend and a big ‘register [...]
How social sector employees can become brand ambassadors
By Aditi Seshadri The best brand ambassadors for any organisation, especially social sector organisations, are not always the Aamir Khans or Shabana Azmis or Leonardo DiCaprios of the world, they’re your staff. YOU – the people who work in an organisation – make the most effective brand ambassadors because: * You work there day in and day out and know the organisation the best * You are anyway talking about it all the time to various stakeholders, sharing relevant articles on your social media * You have an interested network of people already such as your family, spouse, friends [...]
Networking 101: Making the most of conferences
By Kavita Rajagopalan Have you ever stood in the corner of a conference hall, wondering how to make your first introduction? Marvelled at folks who move across the room effortlessly, speaking to one person after the other? Have you felt nervous walking up to a donor, speaker or an influencer in your field? The good thing is you are not alone. As a new entrant into a field, you are constantly told that you must network. But no one tells you that networking is a nerve-wracking experience that sometimes puts you well outside your comfort zone. The truth is, [...]
5 must-watch videos for entrepreneurs
Have an idea? Looking to become an entrepreneur? Here are the top 5 great videos you must watch as you set out to test your idea and build your business model. 1) Alexander Ostewalder takes you through the business model canvas, an essential tool to map out all aspects of your business: 2) Steve Blank summarises the Customer Discovery process, identifying your customers and then doing the important task of validating your product-market fit: 3) Chris Yeh gives an energetic talk on go-to-market strategy and great tips on pricing: 4) Guy Kawasaki shares his tips for a great pitch [...]
