An introduction to a test case for funding startups on the Steem blockchain.
Welcome to the very first post of a startup venture for the Steem community! This will be the first of many – not only for our particular coffee venture, but hopefully for many new businesses in the future who decide to use the Steem platform!
So, let's get down to business!
Who are we?
The two main forces behind Blogging for Beans coincidentally share the same name: David. We are friends and business associates – one of us living in the United States and the other in Costa Rica. We have been working together over the last few years to build relationships, work on logistics, and establish long-term goals and plans for our coffee venture.
David in the United States – @ats-david – is an entrepreneur who has previously worked in the food and beverage industry and has been building the state-side foundation for this joint venture. David in Costa Rica – @vivopuravida (intro coming soon) – was raised in a coffee farming town in the Tarrazú region (which is one of the best coffee growing regions in the world!) and has been working for one of the premier coffee institutions in the Americas while also starting his own coffee company in his home country.
Since we know both languages, we intend to write English and Spanish-language content for this joint account!
What is Blogging for Beans?
Blogging for Beans is a crowdfunding campaign to fund the creation of a business entity and a marketing campaign for both the business entity and the Steem blockchain.
Blogging for Beans is the first phase of a Steem-centric business venture that will provide a test case for crowdfunding a startup company via the Steem blockchain. The company created through this venture will offer premium and specialty-grade coffee and other premium products for those using the STEEM and STEEM-Backed Dollar currencies. The first phase of this business venture will have two distinct phases itself, with the second phase having an indefinite time frame.
Phase One
The first step is to launch our campaign across various social media platforms in order to attract new users to the Steem community. All of our blog posts will originate on Steemit.com and will be shared on existing social media platforms and apps such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Steemit offers any user the opportunity to earn some STEEM currency by interacting on its social media interface. The opportunity to earn this currency by doing what the average person does on social media on any given day is precisely the reason why we believe that our startup goals can be achieved.
The purpose of this blog will be to document our journey as a business startup, to update our followers and supporters as we accomplish each objective and milestone, to provide as much transparency as possible for all of our projects, and to provide valuable information about coffee, coffee producers and regions, and the premium products that we intend to offer.
Our goal in phase one of this venture is to raise funds for the purpose of establishing a business entity and acquiring the necessary facility and equipment to roast and package premium and specialty-grade coffees. Our plan is to earn these funds through regular blogging on the Steem blockchain and from any donations made to our project. We will ensure that 100% of all blogging rewards and donations made by and to this account will be used only for this venture. All transfers and spending will be highlighted in relevant posts as we move forward.
Additional information, such as funding objectives and timelines, will be provided in a follow-up post.
Phase Two
By attracting more users to the Steem community, offering them an opportunity to grow with us, and providing an outlet for using their earned rewards on products and services offered via the Steem network, we believe that we can create a viable business and add tremendous value to that network.
While phase one of this venture is focused on our ability to raise funds via blogging, phase two will be focused on your ability to earn rewards through the Steem interfaces and providing you with products and services on which you can spend those earnings – namely, coffee! We will also help our followers in the community achieve some of their goals through various initiatives, including promotions and contests.
Why Coffee?
It’s simple: More than half of adults in the United States reportedly drink coffee at least two or three times per week and it’s one of the most traded commodities in the world. It’s a product with widespread appeal and it just happens to be a product in which we have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and access. We want to share with coffee drinkers what we know and what we can produce.
We also want to go far beyond simply offering coffee to coffee drinkers. We plan to incorporate many other products and projects as the business grows, including non-profit programs in the farming communities. More information about these ideas will be presented in future posts.
We need everyone’s help!
This project relies on spreading the message far and wide. We want users on other social media sites and apps to come to Steemit, to invite their friends and families, and to start earning rewards along with us. Please share our posts, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and help spread the word about our Steem coffee venture and this community!
Please follow us so that you can stay updated on our progress! And don’t forget to Re-Steem this post!
Facebook Page: Blogging for Beans
Twitter Profile: Blogging4Beans
If you would like to make any donations, please send transfers only to @bloggingforbeans. Thank you for your support!