Glossary

A campaign in the context of crowdfunding is a targeted action to raise financial support for a project via crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe or Indiegogo. collect. These campaigns are carefully structured marketing and communication measures aimed at publicising the project, convincing potential supporters and achieving the set funding target. A successful campaign comprises various elements, including a clear objective, a convincing project description, appealing visual content such as videos or images, as well as regular updates and rewards for supporters. The campaign is also promoted through social media, email marketing and other channels in order to reach as many interested parties as possible. A well thought-out campaign is crucial to the success of a crowdfunding project, as it builds trust and encourages supporter engagement.

Cloud services, or cloud computing services, refer to an infrastructure in which computing resources such as storage, applications and networks are provided over the internet. Instead of Instead of storing files locally on their own computer or running applications locally, companies and private individuals use cloud services to enable location-independent access. These services are flexibly scalable and can usually be used as required, which is particularly advantageous for mobile workstations and virtual offices. Common cloud services include storage solutions such as Google Drive or Dropbox, platforms for shared document processing such as Microsoft 365, as well as infrastructures for software development and data analysis. The use of cloud services offers numerous advantages such as increased data security, cost savings and high availability of resources. Security and data protection remain key issues, as the stored data is stored on centralised servers of a third-party provider via the internet and requires appropriate security measures.

Company formation refers to the process of setting up a company, which includes all the legal and administrative steps involved in bringing a new company into being. This process varies depending on the country and can include both the submission of founding documents and registration with the relevant authorities. Company formation plays a particularly important role in an international context, as companies are often founded in jurisdictions that offer favourable legal and tax conditions. Part of company formation are letterbox companies, which are established in countries with favourable tax regulations or less stringent disclosure requirements. Although these structures are often used for tax optimisation, they are the focus of regulatory authorities to prevent abuse for money laundering or tax evasion. Therefore, many company formation processes today include strict compliance requirements to ensure transparency and legality.

Compliance refers to the adherence to legal requirements, internal guidelines and ethical standards that companies and organisations must follow. The aim of compliance is to act in a legally compliant and ethical manner. correct behaviour and to minimise legal and financial risks. Compliance requirements cover various areas such as data protection, anti-corruption, financial transparency and environmental protection. Compliance is particularly relevant in the context of letterbox companies, as these are often used for tax avoidance or non-transparent financial transactions. In order to prevent abuse, there are extensive regulations for monitoring such companies, such as the obligation to document and disclose ownership structures. Through audits and compliance programmes, companies ensure that they adhere to national and international standards and build trust with customers, partners and authorities.

Corporate governance refers to a set of rules for the responsible management and control of companies. It comprises guidelines and processes that ensure that a company is managed transparently, efficiently and is managed in the interests of all stakeholders - including shareholders, employees, customers and the public. Corporate governance aims to combine ethical principles, economic efficiency and long-term success. Key elements of corporate governance are a clear separation of decision-making and control functions, transparency obligations, risk management and the protection of shareholder rights. A solid corporate governance system strengthens trust in the company and reduces the risk of misconduct and conflicts of interest. Many countries and sectors have developed specific corporate governance codes that companies should observe in order to align their management and supervisory structures with responsible corporate governance.

Coworking is a work concept in which individuals, start-ups or companies use shared workspaces, so-called coworking spaces. These spaces are equipped with modern work infrastructures and enable users to flexibly access workstations, conference rooms, office equipment and often also virtual offices. A major advantage of coworking spaces is their networking potential: they offer an environment in which freelancers, creative professionals and companies can meet and collaborate. This promotes the exchange of ideas and enables synergies that rarely arise in a traditional office. For many companies and freelancers, coworking is a cost-effective alternative to a permanent office and supports location-independent working, which is becoming increasingly important.

Crowdinvesting is a form of financing that enables private individuals to invest in companies or projects and receive shares or participations in return. Unlike traditional Crowdfunding, where supporters often only receive symbolic consideration, investors in crowdinvesting benefit financially - be it through dividends, profit sharing or a share in the value of the company. Specialised crowdinvesting platforms such as Seedmatch or Companisto enable start-ups and growth companies to raise capital from many small investors without having to rely on traditional bank loans. This type of financing offers investors the opportunity to participate in promising projects at an early stage, but it is associated with increased risks, as start-ups often have an uncertain future. Crowdinvesting has established itself as an innovative financing alternative and is increasingly being utilised both in Germany and worldwide.

Crowdsourcing describes the practice of outsourcing tasks, projects or problem solutions to a broad, often internet-based group of people instead of working on them internally. This method enables enables companies and organisations to use the creativity, knowledge and skills of the "crowd" - a large number of volunteers or paid individuals - to obtain innovative ideas, specific expertise or quick solutions. Crowdsourcing is used in many areas, including product development, design, marketing and data analysis. It offers companies flexibility and access to a larger talent pool without having to hire permanent employees. Crowdsourcing is often combined with crowdfunding to not only gain funding, but also valuable feedback, creative input and early market research. Well-known platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk, 99designs and Upwork offer structured crowdsourcing for various industries and projects.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to systems and strategies for managing and improving customer relationships. A CRM system centralises customer data and enables companies to manage interactions and manage and optimise communication processes with existing and potential customers in a targeted manner. Modern CRM solutions are often cloud-based, which enables location-independent access and is particularly beneficial for virtual offices or mobile working environments. With centralised access to customer data and communication histories, teams can work together more efficiently, plan sales processes better and address customer needs in a targeted manner. Well-known cloud-based CRM platforms such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Microsoft Dynamics offer comprehensive tools for sales, marketing and customer service. CRM systems therefore make a significant contribution to improving customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and strengthen customer relationships in the long term.