BELVIDERE, IL (CelebrityAccess) The owners of the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois, announced the launch of a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the venue after it was severely damaged by a tornado.

The tornado struck the theater on March 31st during a concert featuring the metal bands Revocation, Morbid Angel, and Skeletal Remains.

The storm inflicted serious damage to the building, including the removal of parts of the theaters roof and left one person dead and at least 48 people with injuries.

The Martinez family, which owns the venue, said that the insurance payout will not cover the cost of needed repairs at the theater. They decided to launch the GoFundMe campaign after multiple individuals approached them about making a donation to help the theater recover from the tragedy, the family said in a statement on the GoFundMe page.

They also noted that they were hesitant to launch a crowd funding campaign to support a restoration of the venue over concern that it would detract from support for the families of those who were killed or injured in the tragedy.

Since 2001, the Apollo has brought diversity to the town by being the chosen place for people to celebrate special occasions and watch their favorite bands perform. The Apollo means so much to our family and to our community. We are so humbled by the outpouring of love and support. We are committed to bringing back this beloved historical landmark and any money donated to this fund will go towards the theaters restoration and the staff members while the Apollo is being rebuild, the family said in a statement.

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The Owners Of The Apollo Theatre Launch A Crowdfunding ... - CelebrityAccess ENCORE

The primary objective of any established business is to generate profit which will be used to sustain and develop it. But, before that, for any business idea to translate into an executed venture, it needs capital to start and operate in its early stages before any profit is generated. There are multiple ways a business can raise funds. The first option they consider is bootstrapping, which is using their personal savings or pooling money from friends and family, the second is to get a loan from banks and the third is to get an angel investor or venture capitalist on board by giving them some stake in your business. But the arrival and acceptance of internet has added new avenues for raising funds. You can campaign on the internet for capital, and the users depending on their favorability of you, will provide you with funds.

New Funding Entrant

Crowd funding is a recent idea in the area of investment when taken the history of business as a scale. Not everyone can get access to a venture capitalist who aligns and understands the value of their idea.And asking large sums of money from family/extended family or friends is a hard task which creates a feeling of unease in the long run. The internet can arguably be called the best thing humanity has ever conjured. The internet gives you access to theoretically limitless opportunities for getting resources for your business, it has grown to such an extent that you can conduct a large scale operation without leaving the comforts of your home via the internet. A lot of niche businesses which were not understood by the traditional businessmen or those which flew under the radar for its time, found their golden goose on the internet where they got funded by the interested parties across the internet.

Low Realisation Barrier

The grandeur of crowd funding lies in its limits, no amount is too small, a user if he really wants to see the business thrive he can spend as little as he wants without hurting his own bottom line while simultaneously aiding the product development of the business he likes. Crowd funding is the literal personification of little drops of water make a mighty ocean. Numerous donors donating little amounts to a product they really like goes a long way for the businesses.

Popular crowd funding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have aided innumerable amounts of businesses, not just the traditional ones but even gaming companies. The most famous one in the past decade, Undertale by Toby Fox was also a crowd funded venture. Pebble, an innovative smart watch was also a crowd funded product. Crowd funding is a boon for those who make products which cater to niche audience. The crowd funding tactic allows marketing by word of mouth, fans on the internet will share that with others who are in the same niche by means of social media, there are tons of products which got their desired funding amount virtually overnight.

The Methodologies

There are various ways in which a crowd funding can be done. Firstly, the business can pitch the idea in its early stage and backers (this is the term used for people who fund the project) can invest and the business can take this amount and build their product, and they can deliver the product first to their backers when it is completed. The complex ones operate like standard businesses which are subject to financial authority of the territory it is based in, and every backer is subjected to receive a return on investment proportional to their investment. This results in a hefty shareholder base which is similar to retail investors and venture capitalists.

Alternate Contributions

Crowd funding has also served nonprofit causes too, the internet has a way of rallying people together to help catastrophe-struck areas from any corner of the world to aid the affected area. This method has proven itself as a fast efficient way to provide capital in those cases as there is no national barrier and funds can be distributed directly to the impacted area.

Like all investment instruments, crowd funding also has its flaws, but it should not be entirely defined by that, everything serves its purpose. With the saturation of startup and venture capital markets, the competition to accessibility to capital is increasing and aspiring business owners have to resort to new avenues and present themselves to the consumers in innovative ways to provide them with capital.

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The Unconventional Means Of Capital Acquisition: Crowd Funding - Asia Business Outlook

Andy Theaker has been randomly drawn out as the winner of our Crowdfunding campaign which was in place throughout February.

The Crowdfunding campaign was launched ahead of the Irons first signing under new ownership, which ended up being Nottingham Forest loanee Billy Fewster, with the player spending the entirety of February sponsored by the 12th Man.

Following the 19-year-old's return to Forest, United will be contacting Andy to offer an alternative vacant player to sponsor.

A total of 3915 was pledged to the club throughout the campaign which, following deductions due to tax and platform fees, saw just under 3500 raised.

The funds raised have contributed to improved equipment and facilities to the first team environment, with an order placed for new equipment in the gym which will further enhance what players are able to do on-site.

Supporters had the opportunity to maximise their chances of winning, with 5 giving one entry, while 10 gave three entries, 20 gave seven chances and 30 entering the pledgers name on ten occasions.

In total, the Iron had 274 pledgers in the campaign, with a total of 1245 entries created for the draw. The draw took place on a random wheel generator, with one of Andy Theakers ten chances coming out as the winner.

Excerpt from:
Crowd Funding winner announced - News - Scunthorpe United

The most common way to buy and sell shares is by using an online broking service or a full service broker.

When shares are first put on the market, you can buy them via a prospectus. You can also buy through an employee share scheme, or invest indirectly through a managed fund.

Buying shares (stocks, securities or equities) makes you a part-owner of a company. As a shareholder, you can get dividends and other benefits.

You can own shares yourself, or pool your money with others through a managed fund (a collective investment).

If you're new to shares, visit the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) education centre for information and online seminars.

You can choose to use an online broking service or a full service broker.

Use the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) find a stockbroker tool to locate a broker that suits your needs.

Initial public offerings (IPO)toggle accordian row

Companies may offer new shares to the market as a way of raising capital. This is called a 'float' or an 'initial public offering' (IPO).

To decide whether to invest in an IPO, read the prospectus. A prospectus contains details about the company and the float. It tells you:

A prospectus must be lodged with ASIC. To check this, see ASIC's OFFERlist database.

Things to look for in a prospectus:

If there's anything in the prospectus you don't understand or are unsure about, talk to a broker or financial adviser before you invest.

Crowd-sourced funding (CSF) enables start-ups and small to medium-sized companies to raise public money to finance their business. This is also known as 'equity crowd funding' or 'crowd-sourced funding of shares'.

Crowd-sourced funding of shares is not the same as:

Employee share schemestoggle accordian row

You may get shares, or the opportunity to buy shares, via an employee share scheme at your workplace. You could get a discount on the market price, and may not have to pay a brokerage fee. Check if there are restrictions on when you can buy, sell or access the shares.

Managed fundtoggle accordian row

When you invest in a managed fund, you buy fund 'units' and pool your money with other investors. A professional fund manager buys a range of shares and other assets on your behalf, diversifying and reducing risk.

This is a convenient way to buy shares, as someone else makes the buy and sell decisions. Depending on the type of fund you choose, fees may be higher than on other indirect investments.

Exchange traded fund (ETF)toggle accordian row

An exchange traded fund (ETF) invests in a group of shares that make up an index, such as the S&P/ASX 200. An ETF allows you to diversify your portfolio without having a lot of money to invest.

You can buy or sell ETFs just like any other share. ETFs generally have lower ongoing fees than managed funds. But if you want to invest small amounts regularly, youll pay a broking fee on each contribution.

Listed investment company (LIC)toggle accordian row

A listed investment company (LIC) uses money from investors to invest in a range of companies and other assets. It pays dividends from earnings.

LICs generally have lower ongoing fees than managed funds. They may not suit you if you want to invest small amounts regularly, as you pay a broking fee on each contribution.

CHESS Depositary Interest (CDI)toggle accordian row

A CHESS Depositary Interest (CDI) allows shares of a foreign company to be traded on Australian markets, such as the ASX.

When you buy a CDI, you get the financial benefit of investing in a foreign company. But the product title is held by a depositary nominee company on your behalf. Generally, you get the same benefits as other shareholders, such as dividends or participation in share offers. Usually, you cannot vote at company meetings, but can direct the depositary nominee to vote on your behalf.

To find out more, see the ASX publication Understanding CHESS Depositary Interests.

Limit ordertoggle accordian row

Used when you want to buy or sell your shares at a specific price, or better. If buying, you set the maximum price youre willing to pay. If selling, you set the minimum price youre willing to accept. A limit order may not execute. It can be placed for the day, or left open until cancelled or expired.

Market ordertoggle accordian row

Used when you want to accept market price for a share at the time you place the order. If buying, you pay the highest asking price. If selling, you accept the highest bid. A market order is more likely to execute. But you effectively pay a transaction cost when you cross the bid-ask spread.

Good til cancelled (GTC) ordertoggle accordian row

Stays open in the market until cancelled, giving you the benefit of order queue priority. The risk is it could expose you to significant price swings, for example due to overnight international news and market moves. So you could experience a loss. The risk is higher during times of greater market volatility, such as COVID-19.

Good til expiry (GTE) ordertoggle accordian row

Stays open in the market until the expiry date, giving you the benefit of order queue priority. Expiry can be a date you nominate, or your brokers default, commonly set at 20 trading days. The risk is it could expose you to significant price swings, for example due to overnight international news and market moves. So you could experience a loss. The risk is higher during times of greater market volatility, such as COVID-19.

Good for day (GFD) ordertoggle accordian row

Stays open in the market for one trading day. The unexecuted portion of the order, if any, is cancelled at end of day. If all or part of your order doesnt execute, you can put it back on the market next trading day. This means your order will avoid exposure to overnight price swings and unexpected loss. But your order will get a new place in the queue, according to price-time priority.

How to sell your sharestoggle accordian row

If you hold shares directly, you can sell them by placing a trade online or contacting your broker. You pay a fee each time you make a trade.

You exchange the legal title of ownership when you sell shares. Settlement for the sale and transfer of ownership happens two business days after the trade (known as T+2). After settlement, the sale proceeds are transferred into your bank account.

If you hold shares indirectly through a managed fund, you can sell them by selling your units in the managed fund. Before you do this, check if there are any withdrawal costs. Keep a copy of the trade confirmation or receipt for tax purposes.

Market volatility and trading haltstoggle accordian row

Be aware that, during times of higher market volatility like COVID-19, share prices may change dramatically. Its very hard to time the market, so stop and think before you trade. If you buy or sell too frequently, youll pay more in transaction costs which may not be worth it.

Sometimes a trading halt is placed on shares. For example, to allow the market to digest new information about a company. In this context, prices could fall and volatility may increase. You may not be able to sell your shares when you want, or at a price you like.

When looking at share performance, look beyond recent events. Markets typically recover over the longer-term.

Share buy-backstoggle accordian row

A company you own shares in may offer to buy back some of its shares. If you receive a buy-back offer, you can choose to accept or decline it. Before you decide, consider:

Unexpected offers to buy your sharestoggle accordian row

You may receive an unexpected letter from someone offering to buy your shares. Before you accept it, check:

It is not illegal to make an unsolicited offer to buy your shares. It is against the law to mislead shareholders into making or accepting an offer. If you get an unexpected offer you believe is misleading, visit the ASIC website or call 1300 300 630 to report it.

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How to buy and sell shares - Moneysmart.gov.au