Personal website of Vincent BrownPhiladelphia, Photography and Commentary

Can a business be funded by 100,000 random internet-browsing angel investors donating just a dollar or two each?

That is what this web-based person or group, based in Philadelphia, wants to know. Their “BackWords” project is self-described as “an experiment in small business,” that promotes local art, local literature, artists and writers alike.

“Backwords will be an independently owned and operated coffee shop and book store and so much more. We will specialize in preowned books of all genres with a large emphasis on literature, art, philosophy and politics. The environment will be relaxed and welcoming allowing customers to just hang out, drink some coffee, do some reading or studying or just relax with like-minded individuals.”

An internet experiment involving the voice of the consumer and private business, BackWords hopes to be the first business to be created by the “loose change” of the community. A dreamer hopes to fulfill his dreams of owning a store.

Now, questions are immediately raised regarding this endeavours legitimacy. Those questions are spurred by the lack of contact details and no indication of who the person or people are behind the website hosted on a free, public web server.

The noble intentions of the ‘experiment’ are enticing enough to want to support, but the lack of reassurance that angel investors in this project will be able to, one day, see the fruit of their charitable goodness.

I am a little skeptical and perhaps rightfully so. I have made an attempt to contact the websites owner through an email address listed on the site, should any correspodence occur, I will update you all through this article.

Read more about this on their website here.

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