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That's exactly the thinking behind , a new website that lets local entrepreneurs raise money in dribs and drabs from people who like their business plans, or who simply believe in the cause of creating an entrepreneurial culture here.

Founder Brian Cross, who's also a managing partner at downtown marketing firm Elasticity, says he's well aware that ºüÀêÊÓƵ has other funding sources, such as the Arch Angel Network, the BioGenerator and the Startup ºüÀêÊÓƵ Accelerator. Those, however, concentrate on technology startups and can invest in only a small number of companies.

Cross saw a need for something much more accessible.

"Nobody seems to want to help the guy who wants to start a frozen yogurt shop, or a lawn care company that uses organic chemicals," he says.

Fund ºüÀêÊÓƵ operates on a principle called crowdfunding, which means many people will contribute money and decide which entrepreneurs get it. The idea has been used successfully by sites such as and , which direct money to creative projects such as music and movies.

Adapting an arts-world idea to business required some changes.

Companies can't raise money from a large number of investors without going through a cumbersome Securities and Exchange Commission registration process. So an investment in Fund ºüÀêÊÓƵ can't give you any real ownership of the companies you back.

Cross is trying to register Fund ºüÀêÊÓƵ as a charity, so donors would at least get a tax deduction. He's asking companies to consider giving freebies or discounts to their donors, too.

Aside from that, he hopes people will be motivated by altruism. What better way, after all, to change ºüÀêÊÓƵ' reputation as an entrepreneurial dead zone?

"If anybody is trying to showcase ºüÀêÊÓƵ and prove there is entrepreneurial activity, right now it would be hard to prove," Cross says. "I would love for people to be able to say, ‘Look at Fund ºüÀêÊÓƵ. There are 300 entrepreneurs right now trying to raise money.' "

So far, the site features three startup companies.

One of them, Cards2Lists, promises to turn a stack of business cards into a usable database. Another, Zero Conflict, plans to train corporate managers and employees on avoiding conflict in the workplace. The third, eDeli, is a grocery-shopping service.

Daniel Rubenstein of Maryland Heights, founder of Cards2Lists, says he doesn't mind being a guinea pig.

"The exposure is going to be helpful," he said. "I'm honored. This could be a big deal for ºüÀêÊÓƵ."

Jay DeLong, who works on venture capital issues for the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, said he had heard about a few other crowdfunding sites. He said it was an untested idea, but a promising one.

It certainly fills a need in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, DeLong added: "There's room for 20 different strategies to fill the pre-seed-stage gap we have in this community. Our deals are not mature enough to be ready for venture capital funding, and anything we can do to get them there is a positive step."

Will Fund ºüÀêÊÓƵ attract enough $10 or $20 or $100 contributors to launch its crop of new companies? It's too early to tell, but Cross' efforts have already enriched the entrepreneurial culture here.

Contrary to ºüÀêÊÓƵ' reputation, we do have people who are willing to try new things.