CTV News  |  Benjamin Shingler  |  October 12, 2013

Stacey Beddington poses for a photo at her family friendly coffee shop Wednesday, October 9, 2013 in Montreal. From cafes to comic books, Canadian businesses are turning to crowdfunding. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

MONTREAL -- It hasn't been an easy ride for April Defalco and Stacey Bebbington since opening their kid-friendly cafe in 2010.

Six months after launching, La Tasse Gamine suffered flooding damage from a broken water main in front of their shop. They were forced to close for six weeks of repairs.

Then, last summer, after the business above their own was the target of an arson attack, the cafe was once again forced to shut its doors. The renovations -- and some insurance wrangling --took eight months.

Now, like a growing number of Canadian entrepreneurs, Defalco and Bebbington are hoping an online fundraising campaign will allow them to keep their business running.

Banks weren't interested in offering up a loan to a business that had closed several times over the past three years, so they decided to turn directly to their customers, Bebbington said.

Related:  NCFA Canada's Crowdfunding Directory

La Tasse Gamine is trying to raise $15,000 on the site Gofundme to help pay the rent and staff. So far, it has raised about $3,000.

"Initially we were just going to close, and then we thought our customers would pretty be mad," said Bebbington, who, like Defalco, holds down another job and has two children of her own.

"So we decided to reach out and give it one last try."

Crowdfunding has gotten attention as a way for entrepreneurs to get a quick influx of cash. In return, investors often get first dibs on a product or other perks.

Last month's Canadian debut of Kickstarter, the world's largest crowdfunding platform, has brought even more attention to crowdfunding. The New York-based site has raised over $816 million US for more than 49,000 projects since it launched in 2009.

It joins other sites, such as Indiegogo, that already have a strong presence in Canada.

Thousands are seeking funding for a wide range of projects, from the quirky to the technologically groundbreaking.

Inventors from Saskatchewan, for instance, raised over half-a-million dollars to make affordable 3D printers, far exceeding their original goal. They got $50,000 in the first 24 hours on Kickstarter.

Related:  Saskatchewan's 3D Peachy Printer $500,000+ on Kickstarter

But it isn't just tech startups and inventors using the model.

More traditional businesses, ones that may have difficulty getting financing from banks or government grants, are also experimenting with crowdfunding.

Earlier this year, customers of a popular Montreal flower shop, not far from Defalco and Bebbington's cafe, banded together to help the owner recover from a devastating fire.

Dragon Flowers, located in the city's trendy Mile End neighbourhood, got $15,000 to help with repairs.

Of course, crowdfunding isn't the answer to all small businesses woes.