FAQ
What is Farming Leverage?
Farming Leverage is an online investment platform that provides an alternative channel for agro-entrepreneurs to solicit many small investments to grow their businesses from the maximum public audience with a piece of the company in exchange.
We bring venture opportunities pertaining to crops and livestocks farming directly to you through the platform.
What is Securities Crowdfunding ?
Crowdfunding is a process through which an individual or a business can raise small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via Internet. The objective is to raise sufficient funds in order to carry out a specific project.
Securities crowdfunding is when a business raises funds by issuing debt securities (such as bonds) or securities giving the right to participate in future profits (such as shares).
In Canada, issuing securities is subject to legal obligations. For example, a business seeking to raise capital by issuing securities must file a prospectus or obtain a prospectus exemption. These obligations, however, can be costly for start-ups, small businesses and other issuers.
In some provinces « Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan », businesses are allowed to raise funds using securities crowdfunding without filing a prospectus.
How does Farming Leverage work ?
For Investors,
You can subscribe online for free and view opening investing opportunities.
The funding portal will require the investor to confirm that he has read and understood the offering document and the risk warnings (the investor must understand that the value of his investment can fluctuate and that he may be unable to sell his securities).
Sign your online subscription agreement and invest up to CAD1500 in a project through one of the secure payment gateway. You have 48 hours to cancel your subscription and get your investment back within five business days of receiving your withdrawal notification.
The funding portal provides you with a contractual right to withdraw a subscription for eligible securities that may be exercised by you, delivering a notice to the funding portal within 48 hours of either your subscription or notification by the funding portal to you that the offering document has been amended.
During the 90 days period of the fundraising campaign, your money will be held in a trust account.
For Agro-entrepreneurs,
You must prepare an offering document and post it on the funding portal. The offering document contains basic information about:
- your business;
- its activities;
- its officers;
- its financial position;
- the minimum amount you need to raise and what the money will be used for;
- the securities you are offering to investors;
- the potential risks facing your business and projects.
As soon as your offering document is available on the funding portal, you have 90 days to raise the minimum funds. Farming Leverage will hold the funds until you have raised the minimum amount. If you are unable to raise the minimum funds, you will not receive the money and the portal will reimburse investors.
If your crowdfunding campaign is successful, you must file your offering document with the AMF, along with a Report of Exempt Distribution (filing fees apply).
What should I do before investing ?
- Read the business’s offering document posted on the funding portal. It contains basic information about its activities, management, financial condition, the amount it wants to raise, how the money raised will be used and the risks. The securities regulators have not reviewed or approved the offering document. It is up to you to understand the information in the offering document.
- Search the Internet for information on the business, its industry and the people responsible for its operation. Be skeptical of company documents claiming that these people held certain positions elsewhere if specific details are not included. Conduct a background check to see if they were ever disciplined for improper business practices. You can contact the business and the funding portal for further information.
- You can ask the business about any previous successes or failures it may have had trying to raise funds in the past. The offering document must disclose whether the business has tried to raise funds through securities crowdfunding in the past five years and whether it was successful or not. However, a business is not required to report any failed attempts to raise funds other than through crowdfunding.
- If financial statements are available, you can ask the business whether they have been audited and which accounting standards were used to prepare them. Do the financial statements include a balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in financial position and detailed supporting notes?
- Read the business plan. How is the business expecting to grow? How will it make money and within what period? Watch for unsubstantiated claims about the future success of the business.
- Consider how you will receive a return on your investment. What type of securities is the business offering to give you in exchange for your investment? The securities must be described in the offering document. If the business is offering debt securities, consider when the business intends to pay you back. If the business is offering shares, check if they are common or preferred shares as well as the related rights and terms and conditions.
- Think carefully about your risk tolerance and what you can afford to lose if the investment doesn’t turn out as expected. Consider the cons before you consider the pros.
- Ask the business any other questions you may have. The offering document will provide contact information for someone who is able to answer your questions.
Do you understand the risks related to an investment?
To make an informed decision, you must have a good understanding of the risks related to the crowdfunding offering. These include:
- Securities of early-stage issuers are risky. Statistics show that a high percentage of early-stage businesses fail. You could lose the entire amount you paid for your investment.
- What do you know about the individuals operating the business? Do they have the knowledge and experience required to manage it? Businesses are sometimes managed by inexperienced individuals. Find out more about the individuals operating the business before investing.
- Do you have the resources to be patient? If you think you will have to resell your securities in the short term, this type of investment may not be suitable for you. You may have to wait indefinitely before reselling the securities or you may not be able to resell them at all.
- A great deal of information and analysis is available about large corporations. This is not the case for smaller businesses. You may receive much less information before or after you invest.
- Smaller businesses do not usually attract much media coverage. If you are willing to take risks and invest in a crowdfunding project, you may want to consider investing in a business that operates in a sector you know well. You may be in a bette position to assess its likelihood of success.
Are there any fees to invest in Farming Leverage?
There are no fees charged to the investor; However, to achieve funding using the platform, the issuer will be charged a registration fee of CAD 500 payable before the posting of the Offering Document on Farming Leverage portal and a 7% fee of the total amount raised from investors.
No fees will be taken by Farming Leverage on the return belonging to the investors.
What will happen if I invest in a campaign that does not reach the minimum required amount?
If the minimum amount is not reached at the end of the 90-day period, the investors are reimbursed entirely without any fees.
The funding portal returns all funds to a purchaser within five business days of receiving a withdrawal notification from the purchaser.
What will I get in return for investing in crowdfunding offering?
With securities crowdfunding, investors receive securities in exchange for their investment. This is different than other types of crowdfunding, where you may get a product. Securities crowdfunding is restricted to particular types of securities: debt securities, such as bonds; equity securities, such as common shares or preference shares; limited partnership units; and convertible securities, such as warrants, that are convertible into either common shares or preference shares.
The offering document must describe the type of security you will receive in exchange for your investment.
What if I change my mind ?
Once you have committed to purchasing securities, you may withdraw your investment within 48 hours of subscription. Subsequently to the withdrawal notification, the funding portal returns all funds within five business days.
You will also have the right to withdraw your subscription within 48 hours of the funding portal notifying you that the offering document has been amended.
In either case, you must notify the funding portal that you wish to withdraw prior to the end of this 48 hour period by following the instructions provided by the funding portal. The business will be unable to complete the crowdfunding campaign prior to the expiry of the 48 hour period.
How long does a campaign last?
A fundraising campaign lasts a maximum of 90 days. Therefore, the agro-entrepreneur has 90 days to reach the minimum target amount to make the fundraising campaign a success. During the campaign, the money of the investors is secured in a trust account.
Who can invest in a campaign on Farming Leverage ?
Everyone can invest, as long as they are at least 18 years old and reside in one of the participating jurisdictions: Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan.
How much can I invest?
The securities regulatory authorities restrain the investment limit to CAD 1500 per project. However, there is no limit on the number of project you can invest in.
How much can the business raise in a 12-month period?
Up to CAD 250,000 twice a year
Where can I invest in securities crowdfunding?
Funding portals that are operated by registered dealers. Unregistered funding portals (but must appear on your regulator’s list of registrants)
Does the business need to publish financial statements?
Optional
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