Crowdfunding Site Gives Startups and Small Businesses a Boost A spin on crowdfunding, Smallknot, asks customers to support local businesses.
By Jason Daley
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Allon and Sarah Azulai designed Kos Kaffe in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood to be the type of place that invites lingering. The coffee is roasted in-house, menu items are freshly prepared, and the vintage interior invites patrons to get comfortable--at least until the afternoon. That's when the sun bakes the storefront's plate-glass windows and sends customers scurrying out the door to escape the heat.
The Azulais knew they needed to install a retractable awning. The problem? The $5,000 expense. Allon Azulai says banks weren't interested in loaning money to the 6-month-old business, adding, "We could have gone into debt with a credit card, but we didn't want to."
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