Earlier this week, Carlene Saelg and Rita Davis announced a new business venture on Twitter. In addition to new traditional Pearl Cup locations, (the latest is in Richardson) the two are trying to get a coffee truck rolling to take their java on the move.
While the two have funded their previous business expansions traditionally, they're looking for help from the community to fund the food truck project, and have set up a campaign on indiegogo to raise $30,000 to get things rolling.
Participants who pledge money are not investors. The will receive no shares in the business or be able to collect any revenue from sales, but Saleg differentiates the contributions from charitable because supporters get "perks" based on the amount they pledge. "This will be a contribution for folks that want to have a hand in helping grow a business," she said.
A $10 donation entitles a supporter to a thank you published on their website, while a $300 donation is good for a T-shirt. For $5,000 you'll get a private coffee party for up to 30 guests, a drink named after you (it's cheaper than Klyde Warren Park), a coffee subscription, and more.
Unlike Kickstarter, which doesn't collect funds from supporters unless a specified goal has been met, indiegogo allows campaigns to collect money of any amount, so all pledged donations will be collected even if Saelg and Davis don't meet their goal.