Watch NZH Local Focus: Crowdfunding in the Bay of Plenty

Crowdfunding. It's a craze that's gaining popularity for its ability to launch a product or even raise funds to help expand your existing business.

But it's not a sure-fire bet according to Rachel Yeats, co-owner of Grow Food Instead. "You can tell the difference between a campaign where the people organising it have thought it through and put together a really great campaign versus somebody who's just put it out there and gone - great where's my money?"

PledgeMe is currently hosting workshops in the regions explaining tips and tricks for running a successful campaign.

"I think some of the common mistakes are around expecting there to be a crowd in the cloud. People don't realise they're actually activating their own crowd first and then it'll go wider," Anna Guenther, CEO of PledgeMe said.

The workshop focused on the five P's: prepare for your campaign, plan what you want to do, pitch and promote your idea to your crowd and just as important, have a plan ready - post reaching your funding target.

This advice resonated for Kazna Bedford, who wants to launch a roller-skating rink in Tauranga. "I think we need to be very clear about our vision and what we want our rink to look like and how that's going to come about. The kind of environment we're going to be creating and wanting our Tauranga residents to come visit," she said.

Experts say, successful campaigns are always driven by people who have the persistence to see it through to the end.

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