Despite Slow Money and Slow Food being all the rage these days, startup entrepreneurs in sustainable food still face a daunting task in raising the capital they need to get their business up and running. Available capital is a critical element of our economic recovery, as food and energy not only play a significant role in the sustainable economy, but also will help create a good deal of the middle class jobs we’re looking for.
Crowdfunding is a tool many startups and their entrepreneurs are starting to use. I checked out In.gredients, the nation’s first grocer committed to zero waste, going completely package free. To raise some startup cash, In.gredients has posted a profile on one of the more popular crowdfunding sites.
As many startups are starting to do these days, In.gredients has posted a video to help market itself and explain its reason for asking for capital. According to the company, the U.S. sends 1.4 billion pounds of trash to landfills every day, 40% of which is one-time use packaging. Check out the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYkw7Jx6Xnw
To date, the company has raised more than $10,000 in small contributions to help it start its first store in Austin, TX this year. There are 43 days left and the company’s startup needs are about $15K, so if you want to see this kind of thing happen, you might think about putting your money where your–ahem–mouth is: hopefully on sustainable food.
Scott Cooney is the author of Build a Green Small Business (McGraw-Hill), and teaches sustainable business web classes through GreenBusinessOwner.com, including an upcoming class in raising capital.
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