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3...2...Pallet (Pallet23 is launching!)

So as you may have remembered, we profiled one of our amazing neighborhood businesses Pallet23.   After much labor of love, Pallet23 is finally opening its doors to artist, photographers, chefs, and others in the Cincinnati community on Friday, January 18th!

You can fund and support this amazing space here, on it's Socstock offering page! Pallet 23 has already raised $2K, but still needs more help to keep the dream alive.

Check out the sneak peak picture below.  This is going to be very cool.

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Socstock Client Profile: Know Theatre of Cincinnati

Know Theatre of Cincinnati is a theatre company and stage located in Over-the-Rhine that is committed to producing "explosive and evocative entertainment." The theater will be the location for our Community Pitch Night on October 25 and we are excited to utilize a client's space to celebrate our launch!

Can you provide some background on Know Theatre?

We started in 1997 before we initially had a permanent theater. Know was a collection of theater people performing wherever they could find a space, eventually founding a home in Gabriel's Corner, a church basement located on Sycamore Street. We have been at our current location (1120 Jackson Street) for a about 7 years now. 

What makes Know's theater different?

The physical theater allows us to do a number of different things. We can utilize a bar space where many theaters don't even have a "bar space". Essentially we try to maximize the space to the best of our ability. We also try to be a place that the community can use (events, fundraisers for other non-profits, etc.).

What are Know's long-term plans?

We are currently in the process of creating a 5 year strategic plan, and then next season programming. We are trying to finally codify our approach to programming and long-term planning. As of now, planning has mostly been season by season. Now we want to figure out how we can best use our assets to help with not only with our productions, but also with community investment and engagement. 

Why did you decided to work with Socstock?

We saw Socstock as a great opportunity find a way to approach funding for a specific project. We are looking to find a new way to spruce up the space and access capital to further invest in the building. I also see it as a great audience development tool: help us expand our audience, and advertise the importance of this theater for the community.

Come out on October 25 to learn more about Know Theatre's commitment to the community and celebrate the space as with us!

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Socstock Client Profile: Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices

Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices is a specialty spice shop boasting over 500 herbs, spices, and blends. With two locations in Cincinnati, one in Historic Findlay Market and the other in Jungle Jim's International Market in Eastgate, Colonel De has become the premier spice retailer for restaurants, home cooks, and "foodies" alike. Colonel De will have an active live offering on Socstock.com starting on Tuesday, October 23 and will also be one of the eight small businesses featured during our Community Pitch Night on Thursday, October 25. If nothing else, you have to come out to support the mustache.

What is your favorite thing about owning your own business? I have always been an entrepreneur. I have only ever had two corporate jobs - other than that, I have always worked for myself. I think I'm spoiled... I am just ruined. I can't imagine going to someone else "do you think we should do this?". Screw that, I'm going to make that decision, and make it tonight, and do it tomorrow. I love the "now-ness" of the business: there is nobody else responsible. You can't point any fingers. It's all on me, and I like that. I kind of live for that feeling. There are people who are risk adverse, and for those people, owning their own business is not for them.

What are you raising capital for? We are raising money to deploy a whole new website with a whole new e-commerce solution. 

Why did you decide to use Socstock for your financing needs? Socstock sounded like a really unique proposition. Traditional banking has not worked for me throughout this whole entire adventure, from the time I started Colonel De Herbs & Spices until today. Traditional banking has not been there for me in the way that I needed it. So when I heard about Socstock, I thought it was a great proposition. In a way, you are relying on yourself [to raise capital], and that appeals to me. If it fails, it's on me. If it succeeds, it's on me. 

Come out on October 25 to learn more about Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices and support De as he tries to expand his e-commerce presence!

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Socstock Client Profile: Jamble Granola

Jamble Granola, owned by Austin Lutz, is an Ohio-based granola & snack company with a focus on local manufacturing and distribution. Jamble will have an active live offering on Socstock.com starting on Tuesday, October 23. Jamble will also be one of the eight small businesses featured during our Community Pitch Night on Thursday, October 25.

What is the concept and/or mission behind Jamble Granola? "We have a new line on the back of our packaging that pretty much sums up our concept and mission in my opinion: 'At Jamble, our focus is on making quality products from locally sourced, whole ingredients, without additives or artificial flavoring. Jamble Granola is hand-crafted from a family recipe that started 20 years ago in my mother's kitchen and I am proud to share that with you today.'"

What motivated you to start Jamble? "I have studied entrepreneurship and business leaders since I was kid, and after working for other corporations and small businesses, I felt it was time to start my own. I was confident in my abilities after the experience and skills I had acquired while working for other people. Frankly, they paid me to make mistakes so I could become a better person, leader and entrepreneur"

What is your favorite thing about owning your own business? "I love being able to make my own schedule and take a two hour lunch break... if I have time to eat lunch."

What are you raising money for and why did you decide to use Socstock for your financing needs? "I am raising money to fund an expansion of our brand into Granola Bars. We have many customers that  would love to eat our product in a granola bar through the day in addition to currently eating our granola cereal in the morning. Socstock was very appealing to me because of the options they offer me through the different classes of stock.  I also felt this was engaging to our customers and when you can engage your customers through different choices everyone wins."

Come out on October 25 to learn more about Jamble Granola and support Austin as he tries to expand his product line!

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Socstock Client Profile: Pallet23

Pallet23 is an flexible, open event space located in Cincinnati's Northside neighborhood. The event space is owned by Laura Chenault, a video production vet and SpringBoard graduate. Pallet23 will have an active live offering on Socstock.com starting on Tuesday, October 23. Pallet23 will also be one of the eight small businesses featured during our Community Pitch Night on Thursday, October 25. 

What is the vision behind Pallet23?

"My vision of starting an event space with a food component developed over the course of my 4 seasons serving as Chairperson for Second Sunday On Main’s “Celebrity Chef & Wine Pairing” events. Each month I would recruit some of the areas top chefs to volunteer their time on their off day, secure a donated loft space, borrow chairs & tables, purchasing supplies and doing grassroots marketing. The event has grown from a modest attendance to 50+ attendees and standing room only. The chefs and I discussed doing more of these events for profit, but that logistically seemed daunting without a “home” to keep chairs and supplies. That is how Pallet23 was conceived and the original vision that was brought to the SpringBoard Business Program of Fall 2011."

When did this start taking off for you?

"Once I completed SpringBoard and started looking for spaces, everything clicked.I walked into the 3932 Spring Grove Avenue building and had my "aha" moment. A rough, industrial, open 4100 square foot space of possibilities. I immediately knew the kitchen would nestle in the front near the street for visibility but with the potential for larger, exciting events. Instead of feeling like I was embarking as a pure "start up", it is more like I am expanding my volunteer passion and merging it with my professional experience. Pallet23 will be a place where I can combine my logistical, organizational, producing skills with my passion for culinary endeavors and the independent food scene in Cincinnati."

"As I see it, the event possibilities at Pallet23 are endless - from  wedding receptions, special parties, art openings, video/photo shoots and castings, corporate brain storming meetings, etc. The kitchen area will act as platform for chefs, emerging chefs and local food artisans to host small cooking classes, demonstrations and tastings. Chefs can also rent the kitchen to develop recipes & to adapt their recipes for the home chef or cookbook development.  It would also be a great venue for corporations to do team building exercises through the process of food preparation."

Pallet23 Press

Soapbox Cincinnati, July 2012

Come out on October 25 to learn more about Pallet23 and support Laura as she tries to bring her event space to the Cincinnati food scene!

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Jay Finch pitching Socstock at the Brandery's 2012 Demo Day.

Video courtesy of the Miami Institute for Entrepreneurship

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Socstock is Launching on Tuesday, October 23!!

We are pleased to announce that Socstock.com will officially launch on Tuesday, October 23!

Check out the local businesses joining our social financing platform on the 23rd!

Burnell's

Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices

Core Clay

Hyde Park Body Boutique

Know Theatre of Cincinnati

Jamble Granola

Ohio Against the World

Pallet23

Stay tuned to our blog to learn more about each business!

Want to celebrate our launch with us?? Click here to attend our Community Pitch Night on Thursday, October 25 @ Know Theatre of Cincinnati!! Free event, open bar, appetizers by Kitchen 452.

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LPK + Socstock

Of all of the resources we have had through our association with the Brandery, our relationship with LPK has been one of the more rewarding gifts. We were paired up with LPK, a design and brand powerhouse in Cincinnati, to help us refine and strengthen the Socstock brand. Their vision has been invaluable, and they really forced us to apply a critical approach to our branding efforts. 

This video, published on the LPK site, highlights the Socstock + LPK relationship and explains why LPK is so committed to fostering the Cincinnati startup community. It is beautifully directed, produced, and edited. We strongly encourage you to watch. 

Thank you to everyone at LPK that touched the Socstock brand. We owe you. 

(And thanks for the Fresca. Never thirsty during our meetings.)

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Cincinnati has been good to Socstock!

Jay Finch was featured on Soapbox Cincinnati today discussing Socstock, his passion for entrepreneurship, and his commitment to public service.

A big thanks to Chris Graves for putting together a great piece!

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From SpringBoard...

SpringBoard officially announced its partnership with Socstock, a web-based social financing platform that enables local entrepreneurs and small businesses to raise capital through the community as an alternative to traditional business loans. SpringBoard will leverage Socstock to help put sustainability behind creative enterprise and offer additional financing resources to entrepreneurs beyond its eight-week business training program. SpringBoard, which is funded by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation through ArtWorks, will help their graduates raise growth capital with Socstock by subsidizing their access to the company’s platform and directing community demand for particular projects. Socstock will also provide auxiliary resources to SpringBoard graduates through marketing and Cincinnati business contacts.

“Our partnerships with local Cincinnati firms and professional expertise have helped us to successfully train our entrepreneurs. This collaboration with Socstock represents a new opportunity for SpringBoard participants and provides another potential solution for raising capital to grow business,” says Sarah Corlett, SpringBoard Director.

Socstock’s services will be available to all former and future SpringBoard graduates effective immediately. SpringBoarders that choose to utilize the partnership will be able to reach out to their local communities for a zero-interest cash advance, and then repay those customers with a return of goods and services valued at up to two times the original investment. Through the Socstock platform, SpringBoard will also operate a public community funding group, which is intended to harness community support for SpringBoarders and direct that support at particular businesses.  Former and future SpringBoard participants will be able to learn more about Socstock at SpringBoard’s Crowd Funding Round-Table on September 17, 2012.

“We are excited to partner with SpringBoard to help them support Cincinnati’s creative entrepreneurs,” says Jay Finch, CEO & Founder of Socstock. “We are inspired by SpringBoard’s mission and therefore humbled to become a resource for their graduates.”

Action

To join theSpringBoard Funding Group and be notified the minute a SpringBoard entrepreneur launches  a campaign, visit springboard.socstock.com

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On September 25, Jay Finch, Founder & CEO of Socstock, will be presenting at Digital Collaborative's inaugural Cincinnati Crowdfunding and Locavesting Meetup.

Please click to learn more & sign-up (via EnterChange)

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Over the weekend, the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Laura Baverman's EnterChange column) printed a fantastic article about some of the start-ups currently kicking ass at The Brandery. Socstock was fortunate enough to grab a mention AND a nice photo.

Thank you, Laura!

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We are fine tuning our website to bring small businesses and local customers the best experience possible - sign-up to find out when you can start investing in your community!

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Socstock in Cincinnati: Expanding Social Finance

We at Socstock are proud to announce that our company has newly taken up residence in Cincinnati, Ohio. While we are sad to leave our Jersey City home behind, Socstock was invited to join The Brandery, a 14-week start-up accelerator program in Cincinnati focused on turning great business ideas into successful, brand-driven start-ups. The program has provided us with partners, mentors, and resources typically reserved for major corporations with larger budgets. We are truly grateful for this opportunity to strengthen our business so we can expand the scale of our social financing capabilities.

The Brandery is located in Over-the-Rhine (OTR), a community in the midst of some major social and economic transitions. Since we have been here, we have seen many ways in which Socstock can help this community reach its goals. We have spoken to community leaders and advocates, small business owners and their customers, young families and single professionals, and have determined that OTR, and Cincinnati at large, will be very receptive to our mission. 

What is That Mission?

Socstock, short for "social stock", was created as part of a larger vision to solve the challenge that America's small businesses face in accessing capital. We are attacking this problem by harnessing the power of the community to finance neighborhood business. Through a combination of financial innovation and technology, Socstock is revolutionizing the way small businesses get capital and engage their communities. With Socstock, we aim to sustainably finance small business through the collective power of the community. 

How Do We Do That?

Socstock is a web-based platform, connecting small business to community advocates and loyal customers. Brick and mortar stores looking to access capital (to refinance, expand, renovate, etc.) put up a 'Socstock Offering' on the site and patrons buy 'Socstock Shares' to raise that money. In return for their purchase of Socstock Shares, these customers receive goods, services, and access to special events worth more than their initial Share purchase. While we have a deep reverence for the power of the community, Socstock doesn't operate on the hope of good faith or the largesse of a select group of people. This type of funding is not sustainable. Will you be more likely to continually invest in local small business if you are rewarded in kind? We think so. Socstock creates a sustainable system of investments and returns that are socially and economically responsible. 

So here we are, at 1411 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH, looking out over a community that is in the midst of an inspiring renaissance. It is a really sunny day today