Tag: innovation

Livetree: Our Values

Posted on by Livetree editor

Want to hear about our Livetree core values? Keep reading…

In the lead up to our app launch, we want to enlighten you all about our values, and the ideas we have stood behind for years, ever since we started out on our Livetree journey, which is very much a passion project.

Our app is going to be a sustainability-focused space where we can all interact freely, and have more nuanced and important conversations about what we care about – climate change, renewable energy, equality, biodiversity and more. In order to ensure it stays a positive and safe space for these conversations, let’s delve into what makes Livetree, Livetree.

Sustainability

Surprise, surprise, the first of our values is sustainability. Our concept of sustainability stems from different sets of ecological thought; from the three pillars of sustainability, not only environmental but economic and social, to the United Nation’s 17 Sustainability Goals. On our app, we want sustainability to be talked about in a way that truly respects its range and complexity, a complexity that is often lost in the expansive void of TikTok and YouTube.

Innovation

Another important value we hold dear is innovation. We believe that without innovation, our planet cannot be saved. Unbelievable sustainable solutions have been birthed out of innovative action taken by experts, scientists, and political thinkers, such as… floating ecosystems, water-less toilets and bricks made from plastic waste. Social media can be used in a positive way to encourage innovative thinking, we can not only all share our tips and tricks but also share more in-depth knowledge about important life-changing steps that will help us all grow into more environmentally-conscious beings.

Community

Finally, community is at the heart of what we do. Our Livetree app will be a safe and positive community where we can all engage with friends, our favourite storytellers, content creators and experts. We can all watch and share content together, and keep telling each other stories everyday… because we believe it is stories that will change the world.

If you’re as excited about our app launch as we are, follow us on our instagram for updates, and keep your eyes peeled…

 

A Decentralised Solution to Climate Change

Posted on by Livetree: Where Creators Earn from Their Craft

In our last post we talked about Facebook’s announcement about Libra and its potential impact on bringing blockchain technology into mainstream tech. While Facebook and Amazon attempt to use blockchain to regain good faith, distracting us from their capitalist (and problematic) policies, let us focus on far more important uses for blockchain, such as in fighting climate change!

Continue reading “A Decentralised Solution to Climate Change”

Tipping the Scales – Facebook’s Libra Cryptocurrency

Posted on by Livetree: Where Creators Earn from Their Craft

Is it a bold new play by the world’s largest social media platform or a last bid attempt for Facebook to regain trust after the loss of faith of millions of users after the past few years of data mismanagement?  Whatever the case, on Tuesday 18 June 2019, Facebook published a whitepaper for its new global digital currency Libra. So what is Libra? And what could be motivating the tech titan to move into cryptocurrency? Moreover do its proposals stack up with traditional notions of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology? And most importantly… do we want private companies having so much access to our data whilst also controlling our finances? Continue reading “Tipping the Scales – Facebook’s Libra Cryptocurrency”

Crowdfunding Regulation and Implications for Project-Creators

Posted on by Livetree: Where Creators Earn from Their Craft

Crowdfunding is a relatively new method of fundraising for business-based and creative projects. The regulation surrounding the industry has been rather piecemeal.

 

In Europe, an attitude of waiting to see how it all turns out is pervading. Whereas in Britain regulators have put their best foot forward and made proactive inroads into regulating the industry.

As with any area of law, crowdfunding regulation is far too expansive to cover on a page. This post is intended as a brief overview of regulation in the area.

 

The UK Crowdfunding Association

The UKCFA is a self-regulating body to which LiveTree voluntarily signs up.

It is useful for fundraisers using LiveTree to know about the UKCFA because it releases a Code of Conduct to which we have to adhere. This is meant to protect you, the project-creator. It requires:

  • processes to be put in place to ensure that user information is kept safe and secure so it can be accessed in the event LiveTree ceases to operate;
  • hiring competent, professional, honest people and making sure we have the appropriate systems and processes in place to run LiveTree safely; and
  • having proper complaints procedures, and treating complaints fairly and in accordance with applicable regulation.

 

The FCA

In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates the equity and debit-based crowdfunding market. It is an independent financial regulatory body given its mandate by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended).

The FCA is only responsible for regulating loan-based/debit crowdfunding, and investment/equity-based crowdfunding. It does not regulate reward-funding or donation-funding, since backers of these projects will usually not be doing so for financial gain.

LiveTree

LiveTree works with project creators to find a funding solution that meets their needs.  This means less complexity and less bureaucracy to get your project funded.

If you want to start making your project come alive, get involved!

 

The Crowdfunding Revolution is Dead: LiveTree vs. Crowdfunder

Posted on by Livetree: Where Creators Earn from Their Craft

Growing plant step with coin money

The crowdfunding revolution was exciting, wasn’t it? Essentially, it began the slow path towards democratising and equalising venture capitalism.

But the crowdfunding revolution is dead. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you. Revolutions are just the means to an end. They’re all bloodshed and upheaval, uncertainty and ‘what ifs?’; they’re the untidy, chaotic mess out of which something new and better rises.

Revolutions are the rubbish bit. It’s the glittering new solution full of promise and improvement that we have them for.

With that in mind, it’s time to talk about LiveTree, a UK crowdfunding platform based in London, Hackney. LiveTree is the concomitant of the crowdfunding revolution. Where the other crowdfunding websites offer what could best be described as an ‘own brand’ service, this one goes one, two, three steps further.

You see, LiveTree is more than just crowdfunding. It is an effort in community empowerment.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYglg_0yJ2c&w=854&h=480]

Branching Out

So you want to raise the funds to carry out a project? Well, with crowdfunder.co.uk, for example, you could click on, set up the page with your description, your target and all the admin, share it on your facebook and your twitter, get your friends to share it, and hope the moolah starts to roll in.

LiveTree wants more from crowdfunding than that. And it wants more for you, for less: crowdfunder takes 5 – 8% of your funds in fees. LiveTree? 1 – 5%.

LiveTree was built not just as a way to get people to make money for their projects like crowdfunder was; it was made with social goals in mind.

Take Branch. It’s one of the unique elements of LiveTree that sets the platform apart from others like crowdfunder. Simply put, Branching is just people sharing your project on their facebook or their twitter or their blog or instagram or wherever else. But what makes it interesting is that LiveTree’s Branch incentivises people to share your project.

Whereas with crowdfunder people share your project because they’re your nan and they want to help, or because you pestered them in the twitter DMs; with LiveTree, if someone shares your project and someone else clicks through the link and pledges, the original sharer will get a commission for having been the Branch that connected that backer to your project.

So no more must you rely on your witty project bio to spur people to spread the word, because now they get money if they do!

Build Your Project; Build a Better World

What’s more, with LiveTree there is so much more scope to entice potential backers than with ordinary crowdfunding platforms like crowdfunder.

LiveTree’s roots are dug into a soil of support and community. Because of the grossly lower fees LiveTree takes in commission from the funds raised for your project, as a project-creator you have more leeway in deciding the amount of your funds to donate to charities that LiveTree has links with, such as Hope for Children, Doctors of the World and Youth Music.

And then, because of LiveTree’s inextricable links with charitable organisations, as a result of your decision to donate a greater percentage of your raised funds to charity than you would have been able to had you been using crowdfunder, your project will reach a wider audience than it would have done with crowdfunder.

Branchers; you know how you earn money from branching? That commission can also be donated to charity.

You know what they say, you’ve got to spend money (on causes that help shape a better world) to make money.

The crowdfunding revolution is dead, because with LiveTree there is no need for it to continue.

And there is so much more. To discover it, just get involved!