Our story – FunLab just celebrated its 4 year anniversary!
Donatella and I (the FunLab team) got to know each other after our daughters met at preschool. We were both on maternity leave from our “real” jobs but each had a dream in our pocket about opening a company of our own. What started out as a conversation over a cup of coffee after dropping the kids off at school has turned into a four year FUN adventure, which we named FunLab.
Four years later, our little company is finally starting to take form:
FunLab is stores: where we sell creative toys featuring famous American quality brands such as Alex toys and Melissa and Doug which are guaranteed to stimulate your kids in an over technological society. FunLab even exists online with an e-store serving clients all over Italy.
FunLab is events: we organize creative birthday parties, workshops, summer camps and lots more!
FunLab is a blog: our team of Mom bloggers continually proposes original ideas for crafters at home. Quilling, recycling and polyshrink are just a couple examples of our extensive creative archive.
Our entrepenueral adventure has taken place in Italy during an economic slowdown which has made “small companies” such as our own extremely vulnerable to downswings in commerse. Notwithstanding this fact, we continue to dream about the future of our “mini” company. Our next project is the branded FunLab craft line. Our motive behind this project is to create a high quality craft line that unites the American crafting tradition with the quality associated with Italian products.
In order to accomplish our dream we have turned to the nonconvential method of funding called crowdfunding. Why crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is a phenomena which has exploded in the USA. This concept of funding has allowed small business owners and startups to turn their dreams into reality – ALL OVER THE WORLD. The idea is quite simple: a small investment from many donors. Furthermore, the donations are linked to great rewards, otherwise known as perks! In Italy, crowdfunding is only now starting to gain popularity. Three of our favorite blogs (Fattore Mamma, Mammafelice e Machedavvero?) have thrown their support behind the Italian crowdfuning platform, Eppela.
We ask all our supporters to join in the achievement of our next project: the branded FunLab craft line. Come take a look at our campaign at: (link) – even smaller contributions are greatly appreciated. If you can’t particepate at this time, thanks anyway and remember to share with your friends our attempt.
Let’s make crowfunding in Italy a new “anti-crisis” funding approach for the small companies.
Thanks for your time
Alison Smith
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