The Busy Bee Play Cafe, founded by Kristina and Kevin Lai, offers an innovative indoor play space designed for children and a relaxing cafe area for parents. Located in Indianapolis, the cafe aims to provide a community haven that promotes play, learning, and social interaction in a safe and welcoming environment. Busy Bee Play Cafe raised $31,000 on Mainvest in late 2022.

Why Mainvest

Kristina was introduced to Mainvest through a community of other play cafes that successfully raised capital on the platform. Seeking a platform that could help raise funds while cultivating a local investor community, Mainvest's unique approach to crowdfunding appealed to her because it not only provided the necessary capital to kickstart the business but also aligned with her vision of community engagement and support. Their local area had seen consistent population growth, but given the lack of fresh and fun family-friendly activity options, she knew that the community would be excited about her concept, and raising on Mainvest would provide that market validation as well as open up additional funding options.

The Fundraising Process

Starting as a pre-revenue venture, The Busy Bee Play Cafe faced the challenge of proving its potential to investors. Kristina crafted a compelling campaign on Mainvest, highlighting the unique aspects of her business model, the market opportunity in her community, and the projected financial returns for investors. Through targeted outreach and leveraging her networks via digital advertising, organic social, and email marketing, she successfully engaged a group of investors passionate about contributing to a family-friendly local business. Despite a small following, the team began garnering support for their social pages, ultimately getting a headstart on marketing that benefitted the business upon opening.

A key technique the team used was holding an investor event and meet-and-greet, allowing potential investors to see the unfinished space and meet the team face-to-face. Investors feel more confident meeting a business owner in person, or at least over Zoom, especially when they’re considering investing in a brand new business with limited traction. Thus, an investor event was a great fit for this business and yielded additional investment.

"It was socially exhausting putting ourselves out there but the reward and payoff was well worth it, in both finances and the experience. In a way, it was a great way to get us in front of our target audience from the beginning of our business. It forced us to get out of our shells and be confident in our business idea. After we pitched the idea to a few people, it became pretty easy and our confidence exploded.”

Tangible Results

The fundraising campaign on Mainvest was a success, enabling The Busy Bee Play Cafe to secure the capital required for launch. The funds were utilized for interior renovations, purchasing play equipment, and marketing efforts to attract its first customers. Within months of opening, the cafe saw a steady increase in foot traffic, membership sign-ups, and event bookings, validating the business concept and demonstrating the viability and impact of community-funded projects.

“We knew we wanted to crowdfund in some way but also wanted to give something back to people who wanted to invest in us. Not only were we able to raise the money we needed for the business but the campaign also served as a fantastic marketing strategy. Plus, between the play structures and the physical space, we could physically show our investors what they invested in! We have a huge loyal fan base that engages in our social media and are our biggest cheerleaders, and we found a lot of them through our Mainvest advertising.”

Conclusion

The journey of The Busy Bee Play Cafe from concept to reality exemplifies the power of community investment and the role of Mainvest in bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and local investors. Kristina's story is a testament to the effectiveness of crowdfunding as a tool for small business growth, emphasizing the potential for mutual success when businesses and communities come together. As The Busy Bee Play Cafe continues to grow, it remains a beacon of the positive outcomes achievable through community capital.

“Mainvest is a fabulous way to not only raise funds for a business idea but also grow your customer base before the business is born. Our early investors are our best customers now that we're open and thriving. The Play Cafe industry is really growing lately and we've been telling them all about Mainvest!”

To learn more and follow along, find Busy Bee Play Cafe online here and on social media at @thebusybeeplaycafe