Willi’s Kitchen
Age of company:
3 years
Sector:
Hospitality
Country:
New Zealand
Background (why they decided to crowdfund)
In 2020, Covid-19 came to the shores of New Zealand, causing havoc for businesses. Even before Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered a four-week nationwide lockdown (including closure of hospitality establishments) to prevent the spread of the virus, small businesses were feeling the heat.
Willi’s Kitchen was just one of these small businesses. They wanted to be able to keep their hospitality dream alive as well as secure jobs for their staff and their family (which relied heavily on the business as their main source of income). Instead of cutting costs by laying off staff, or other less-than-optimal measures they could have taken, they decided to turn to their crowd for help. They launched a crowdfunding campaign and offered vegan hot cross buns, food and coffee vouchers, and cake as rewards.
“As one of my favourite places for vegan treats, I hope you guys make it through this with the community behind you.”
Timeline
“I love your food, I will support you in any and every way I can!”
What worked well
They were honest
The team at Willi’s Kitchen were not afraid to be vulnerable and reach out to their crowd for help.
They have a dedicated crowd
Crowdfunding worked so well for Willi’s Kitchen because their customers love their products and don’t want them to close. They were willing to put their money where their mouth is and show their support.
Good rewards
From vegan hot cross buns to vouchers for in-store credit, the team at Willi’s Kitchen made sure their pledgers would get their money’s worth.
They kept promoting to their crowd
Every couple of days, they would remind their crowd about their crowdfunding campaign on their social media. They’d post the link along with a photo of their goodies (reminding their crowd of what was at stake!).
Conclusion
Willi’s Kitchen raised $4151 through 88 pledgers.
Willi’s Kitchen hit hard times when Covid-19 reached New Zealand, just like hundreds of other hospitality establishments across the country. Despite being a popular and well-known cafe in Wellington, they weren’t sure if they’d be able to keep going. They decided to turn to their crowd of friends, family and customers for help, and in return they would offer their products and food vouchers as rewards, Through their crowdfunding campaign, they raised the money they needed to cover immediate costs, keep staff on, and (most importantly) ensure they could keep their cafe open and maintain an income for their family.
Your action plan
Putting it into practice
Reach out to your crowd
Are you struggling as a business because of the current climate? Do you have a strong customer base who would want you to stay open and keep doing what you’re doing? Reach out to them!
Have a clear action plan beforehand
Make sure you talk to your crowd about your campaign before you go live. Tell them about the rewards you’re offering and why you need their help. Ask them for reward ideas. Keep them updated once you’ve launched too.
Offer great rewards
Many people will pledge to a campaign just because they want to help. However, if you offer some great rewards for higher amounts, there will be more incentive for people to pledge more.
How can PledgeMe help?
If you’re considering an equity crowdfunding campaign, we’re ready to help. Contact us for a chat.
You can also learn more about creating crowdfunding campaigns in New Zealand or in Australia on our main website.
