It’s like a barn raising…
Our ancestors were incredibly smart about living together in rural communities, and Americans are well known for their generosity both at home and abroad when it comes to giving—even when times are tough. We all know how quickly neighbors pull together when there’s a need; whether it’s sickness or a new baby or a house fire, we rally around and lend a hand.
It warms the heart and restores faith in humanity when we see people helping each other, doesn’t it? And taking part in it is even better. It’s like going back to our roots—and following in the rather famous footsteps of the Amish when they do a barn-raising:
Barn-raising…accomplishes several things. Most obviously, it quickly creates a barn where one hadn’t stood before. Less obviously — but perhaps more importantly — it leverages community intelligence to produce the best barn design possible, and also creates and reinforces collaborative connections crucial for success in farming communities.
Barn raisings require organization, supplies, and labor…. Supplies and livestock may be donated by fellow church members. All labor is contributed for free as well. Amish know they may be in need of the community’s help themselves one day. (Full story in the Harvard Business Review.)
It’s not just the Amish who have done this for centuries. Our parents and grandparents built community schools, hospitals, recreational parks, and much more by pulling together local labor, talent, and supplies.
This is a wonderful model and one that has inspired crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and more. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t take big money to build something together. At a barn-raising, each person brings whatever they can to help—nails, boards, tools, meals—which spreads the expense around and dilutes it to a manageable level. Even when inflation is through the roof, we can pull together to make things happen—whether you are building a barn or a business. That’s the idea behind crowdfunding, and I’m going to tell you how you can help us with our "virtual barn-raising,” even if you don’t have a dollar to spare.
But, seriously, how can I help? I don’t know how to build!
The most helpful thing you can do for us at this stage is to spread the word. Sharing a link to this website or to our Kickstarter campaign among friends and asking them to share via social media or email is how the word gets around. If you know people who would like to see a coffee shop in the heart of downtown that will serve cappuccinos, espresso, tea, and other hot and cold drinks in a cozy atmosphere, invite them to our barn-raising! Ask them to pledge a dollar and invite ten more friends to pledge a dollar. Some may pledge more, but a dollar is easy, and—most importantly—it boosts our campaign on Kickstarter when more people watch our video, like the page, and comment on the campaign, If they’re inspired to give more—great! If they can’t, they can still help get the word out, which is exactly what we need.
Are you a local? Join our Early Risers Club! If you will be a regular when we open, you can have a dedicated mug we keep washed and ready for you, or you can choose a travel tumbler for takeaways that you bring back and reuse. With either option, you get a 20% discount on your order every time. (And through July 19, we have discounted the Club if you join on our website!)
Are you a downtown business owner? Tell your customers we are coming, and ask them to follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Let them know we will be hosting a free open house with coffee and tea tasting and live music Friday, July 9, from 7-9pm (and we’d love to see you there, too!). We will have bonuses for our fellow business owners once we are open as well. Each customer you send our way using your business card as a "coupon” will get 10% off their drink order, and you will earn free coffee each month, too!
What happens if you don’t reach your crowdfunding goal?
This is a very fair question, and we want to assure you we will still be moving forward, but it will have to be in slow(er) motion. Kickstarter fundraising is all or nothing. We have to reach our goal, or we don’t get anything that has been pledged. Right now, we are 1/7th of our way to the goal of $35k (that’s 14% funded). A lot of crowdfunding campaigns go in bursts as word spreads. We started out strong, but we have to keep it moving to cross the finish line. If we do, Kickstarter takes its cut, the state of Alabama takes its cut, and we get the remainder—and we can immediately get the building underway and all our equipment ordered.
But if we don’t? Well, we will have to build out in careful stages, using the money we have saved to do one thing at a time, then saving for the next step. Without crowdfunding, it will take us months longer to reach the goal. We can build this barn on our own, but it would sure go up faster with many hands giving us their help. Again—you don’t have to make a $500 pledge to see this succeed. If you can bring one “nail” to the barn-raising and bring along ten more friends with nails, we can get moving. Help us build that momentum!
