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n 2012, President Obama signed a law that he called a “potential game changer” for entrepreneurs seeking financing to start or expand a business: Small companies looking for financial backers could advertise their offerings online, and average people — not just wealthy accredited investors — would be allowed to buy stakes in businesses they found promising.
Image: Andrew Gierczak, left, and Henry Schwartz, two of the founders of MobCraft, a brewery based in Madison, Wis., took advantage of a new state law to raise $67,000 from 52 state residents. Credit Lauren Justice for The New York Times
