7 Ways Entrepreneurs Will Ride Crowdfunding's Ripple Effect

The new crowdfunding law passed as part of the JOBS Act, which allows companies to sell pieces of their business for cash, won't be finalized until early next year. But many entrepreneurs are already champing at the bit to deliver on the services they think this new marketplace will want.

Here's a look at several industries and jobs being developed as part of the trickle-down effect of crowdfunding, according to David Marlett, Executive Director of the National Crowdfunding Association, an industry trade group that has been involved in discussions shaping this new genre of startup financing.

The Portals. Thus far, crowdfunding has been primarily a way for artists to raise small donations from lots of people (the crowd) in exchange for rewards, such as CDs or other project-related gifts. Now, entrepreneurs are moving in to create similar online platforms for companies wanting to offer pieces of their business (think Kickstarter clone, but for equity). Marlett estimates there will be approximately 100 portals ready once the new crowdfunding rules take effect, although many are likely not to survive the first year of competition.

A New Breed of Analysts. As with any new product, there will be a demand for a ranking of the portals, says Marlett. Investors and entrepreneurs will want to know which portals have had the highest success rates. In the same way that there are analysts of financial data, there will be analysts of the various crowdfunding portals, says Marlett.

Specialized Software. With all the new crowdfunding portals, Marlett expects a slew of new software entrepreneurs to create a variety of applications, that handle everything from allowing you to crowdfund from your mobile phone to allowing investors to research a business.

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