Why am I crowdfunding?
I am learning to ask for help and support as I’ve always done things on my own. I have bootstrapped Entice Me from the beginning and not asked for monetary support from others, up until now.
It is time that I do, so that I can make a larger impact, in a timely manner.
I am asking for support from my friends, family, customers, and contacts rather than going out and risking my life driving for DoorDash or Uber at this time. I have done that in the past and the landscape has changed greatly, not for the safety of the drivers. (I tried DoorDash once and made $9.55 in an hour and did a substantial amount of damage to my car. That is a whole story on its own.) Over the years to keep Entice Me up and running, I have done a variety of side hustles besides those above.
I believe that my talents can be used in much better ways for the world than delivering food or people around town.
I am asking for contributions in exchange for some pretty sexy swag and discounts to www.enticeme.com to encourage support. Some of my vendors, like the gals over at Dame Products, have donated some awesome stuff to support Sexy Survivors in this endeavor. If you are interested in investing in my business at a larger level, please reach out to me personally.
We all know that it takes money to make money and I have put everything that I have into Entice Me. Including but not limited to my retirement, incurring debt, and not paying myself. The business has not gone so well the last year or so. I am not abandoning our core business by any means, just shifting my personal focus. Having a cushion in the bank, gives me confidence to not have to worry about covering day-to-day funds for this project.
That is one reason I chose IFundWomen. They deposit they donations weekly into our account, so we don’t have to wait until the end of the campaign to receive the funds. Also, we receive the funds whether or not we hit our targeted goal. Of course, I hope to exceed it, but this insures your contributions will be put to use, not simply be held waiting and wondering! I will ship rewards and supply the gift codes as you place your donations, so be on the lookout!
I am confident that I will secure contracts with cancer treatment centers and hospitals. There are currently highly funded grants awarded to researchers determine the viability of digital support in cancer communities, specifically with intimacy so I know Sexy Survivors is a viable product. I have done case studies and been in this demographic direct to consumer for over a decade. Survivors flock to me, as they have been craving support. They need this support now, not 5 years from now.
Moving to working with treatment and support sites requires a longer sales cycle than working with individuals. I knew there would be red tape, but it is taking longer than anticipated. Hence, why am crowdfunding. I do not have enough of me to do it all. I need help. And I need monetary support.
I would like to bring on a commission only sales person dedicated securing contracts with the facilities. The funds raised will also employee a project manager and virtual assistant. This past year and a half I had to lay off my VA and my bookkeeper due to low sales volume. There are necessary IP (Intellectual Property) protections and contracts that we need to have drafted with an attorney. As well as marketing and outreach materials.
I am applying for grants and working with cancer nonprofits for additional funding to support Sexy Survivors until contracts come in. However, this also takes time. I am looking to cover expenses so that I can travel and speak at conferences. While these used to be paid speaking opportunities the industry is shifted greatly in the past 20 years and many opportunities for speaking for now actually costing money versus bringing in income. Awareness to the detriments of cancer treatment on femininity and sexual function are still overlooked for the most part.
I am proud to announce I was recently awarded SBA Economically Disadvantage Women Owned Small Business certification, which positions us favorably for government run treatment facilities such as VA Hospitals.