Every Little Bit

A couple of weeks into the Studio campaign, I got a comment on our IndieGoGo site. The comment was from someone trying to promote their own business to help small businesses grow. They pointed to the hundreds of dollars we'd raised at that point and basically said: "Look how far you are from your goal! Campaigns like this will never work because people don't want to give money to people who are trying to make money." I was taken aback and deleted their comment. I took them time to approach them after I'd had time to calm down. I told them that if they chose to look at it that way, that was their choice, but that to me, our campaign had already made a big difference! As a matter of fact, it was the funds that had already been disbursed to us from our IndieGoGo campaign that allowed us to put an offer in on the studio building. Sure, we hadn't reached our funding goal, but it was enough to helps us take some "last resort" measures and push us over the edge.

What this person may not realize is that campaigns like ours are about more than just building a business that makes money. It's about helping people fulfill their dreams. Helping small businesses is allowing parents to spend more time with their kids, it's providing new services, it's helping small towns to be more vibrant, and creating opportunities not just for business owners but families and community members. In the case of Dancing Lotus Fitness, it's promoting health care in a new and exciting way. It's boosting people's self esteem--helping them to realize not only how beautiful they are but how worthy they are as individuals. Dancing Lotus reminds people not to forget the incredible importance of taking care of themselves--mind and body--as much as they take care of others. This studio is not just about helping a small business get off the ground, it's about helping the magic of Dancing Lotus truly blossom.

When I started the IndieGoGo campaign, I made the minimum perk $25. As a non-profit consultant who has been to fundraising seminars galore, I've hard many times to make that the minimum donation so that people think about giving a higher amount. We've had many generous donations at that $25 mark as well as above and below. Now I'm feeling inspired about the grassroots nature of this campaign, and want to prove that every donation makes a difference. Even if someone can't give $25, they may be able to give $5, and I want folks to understand that that does indeed make an impact. We do need a considerable amount of money to be able to get in the doors of a studio. Even with the opportunity to rent, we will need approximately $4,000-$5,000 just to get floors and equipment into the studio. Every dollar gets us closer to that goal. So even though people have been able to give whatever amount they've wanted from the beginning, I created an "Every Little Bit Club" Perk at the $5 level. Part of what we've learned through the years since Dancing Lotus Fitness had it's first class is that this is something that people need, love, and believe in. The Every Little Bit club is designed to show the heart and the roots of Dancing Lotus Fitness. It only makes sense that the Dancing Lotus Fitness Studio should be built the same way we've built our business thus far--one person at a time. It's the people that make Dancing Lotus what it is. Thanks so much to everyone who is a part of that.

To join the "Every Little Bit" Club or give at any amount to support the Dancing Lotus Fitness studio, please visit our IndieGoGo page. Thank you!