UpEffect
UpEffect

Crowdfunding and support for products doing good in the world. We use this blog to champion social entrepreneurs prioritising purpose + profit.

Marketing for Social Enterprise

Social enterprises face unique challenges with regards to marketing.  A social entrepreneur creates a business to fill a gap in the market and serve a neglected community. For this reason, tools for market research for ethical/impact products are underdeveloped. When defining your audience for social enterprises you have to both define your customer and the community you impact – a …

Updates on the Crowdfunding Industry from the UK Alternative Finance Report

Over the past 10 years, the crowdfunding industry has become more than a side project happening on the borders of the established circuit of banking and financing.  This change became more evident as people grew tired of standing on the sidelines of business. Everyday, small entrepreneurs with great ideas bravely decided to put them forth and consumers responded accordingly – …

Why Business Ethics Matter When Backing Crowdfunding Campaigns

Last year, crowdfunding dominated the funding space, over venture capitalists. It is projected to hit the $93 billion mark by 2025. This tremendous growth in the industry is due to people like you, fellow founders and enthusiastic backers who keep startups and great ideas moving forward. Unfortunately, on mainstream crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo there are very few …

Why Ending Net Neutrality in the U.S. Impedes Social Entrepreneurship (And What We Can Do to Help)

Efforts to expand social entrepreneurship in the United States have met yet another roadblock. New Internet regulations proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now threaten the success of small business owners in the U.S. and abroad. The FCC voted 3-2 along party lines Thursday to scrap its 2015 Open Internet Order, which required internet service providers to treat all websites equally, banning them …

Financial Independence for Survivors of Abuse // Interview with Fair Anita Founder, Joy McBrien

Joy McBrien is the founder of Fair Anita. Fair Anita sells fair trade jewelry, accessories, and clothing that provides financial security to 8,000 women in 16 countries. Joy has previously worked for a variety of nonprofit organizations, but always ran entrepreneurial initiatives on the side. She started her first jewelry business when she was 15! We at UpEffect love Fair Anita, because …

Which Sustainable Business Model is Right for Your Startup?

“Economics, as it has emerged, can be made more productive by paying greater and more explicit attention to the ethical considerations that shape human behaviour and judgment.” – Amartya Sen Traditional business models have succeeded in driving technical innovation and creating exponential change in our lives. However, capitalism as we know it today has also caused unprecedented inequality and environmental damage. …