Smallknot is a way for you to fund independent businesses in your neighborhood looking to expand, grow or open up shop. When you fund a business on Smallknot, you get paid back in kind -- and at a premium. That means you get real value in the form of goods, services, discounts, and unique experiences - while investing directly in your community.
We work exclusively with small, independently-owned businesses. No franchises. No big box stores. We're a funding platform for the businesses that make up the fabric of our communities and contribute to their individuality, character and diversity. The ones that make your neighborhood your neighborhood.
Smallknot is not a way to prop up failing businesses. All the businesses that list with us are thriving, successful and growing. They’re on Smallknot because all businesses need access to affordable credit to prosper.
Fair and reasonable financing options simply aren't available for most of the small businesses that make up your neighborhood. Rather than relying on cash advances and high-interest credit cards, we help businesses raise funds directly from the communities that love them in exchange for real value that is paid back in kind rather than in cash. Just as important, Smallknot builds the connection between a business and its actual customers and actual community, not just a massive email list -- a connection that will be rewarding for all parties for years to come.
There are a lot of reasons, but here are a few of our favorites:
Get real value for your investment. All businesses that list on Smallknot offer meaningful returns that should provide more value than you put in.
Take control of your community's economy. If you desire a neighborhood full of diverse and independent businesses, you have the power to step up and ensure your neighborhood stays that way.
You benefit from keeping money local. When you fund a project on Smallknot, you can see it come to life in the form of that new back patio you helped build and directly enjoy the benefits. Plus, your money is far more likely to circulate within the community when you invest it locally.
Smallknot receives a 3% commission on any successful campaign. In addition, our third party payment processor, Stripe, takes an additional 2.9%. There are no upfront fees of any kind - we only make money when a campaign succeeds.
Yes! All payments are transmitted through a secure third party payment processor (Stripe) and are protected by SSL security. We don’t store your credit card information anywhere, and the businesses that list with us do not have access to your personal credit card information.
You can view available businesses in your neighborhood on Smallknot. When you find one that interests you, you can invest in their campaign by choosing one of the offered returns. You’ll only be charged if the business hits its stated goal, after which you’ll be contacted about how to claim your return.
For “All or Nothing” campaigns, the business needs to hit their funding goal before time expires in order to receive funds. If a business hits the funding goal before time expires, the campaign stays open until the end -- so keep investing!
For “Every Bit Counts” campaigns, the business will receive funds (and investors will receive their returns) regardless of whether the goal is reached.
We only charge your credit card if the campaign succeeds. When you invest, we require you to enter your credit card information so that we can run a simple “preauthorization” that checks to see if enough credit is available -- but we only run the card when the campaign succeeds. If the campaign does not succeed, nothing happens and the preauthorization is simply released.
When a campaign is successful, the business you supported will contact you directly to arrange delivery. Depending on the type of reward offered, some rewards may not be immediately available or may not be scheduled for some time after the completion of the campaign. If you encounter any problems with the delivery of your reward, please let us know by contacting us at info@smallknot.com.
Nope, sorry. You can't earn interest on Smallknot, nor do you get any kind of ownership stake in the businesses that you choose to support.
Yes, totally. Just be aware that certain rewards might not be available outside of New York.
This has never happened on Smallknot, but if you do encounter any problems obtaining your reward, you should contact us immediately and let us know. You can reach one of us at info@smallknot.com and we’ll respond quickly.
Just fill out this form and one of us will get in touch with you shortly.
There's no set minimum or maximum, but generally we suggest aiming for somewhere between $2,000 and $10,000.
Refer them to us! Or just go ahead and contact us via the link at the bottom of the page and we'll happily reach out to them.
We are primarily in New York but are expanding to cities nationwide. We'd love to hear from you wherever you're based.
Map tiles by Stamen Design, under CC BY 3.0. Data by OpenStreetMap, under CC BY SA.
