Looking to "Kickstart" Your Business?

Because even Bill Gates had to start somewhere, there is an innovative presence on the Internet called Kickstarter.

In a nutshell, Kickstarter helps those who need funding for any type of creative project they’d like to roll out to the public. These can be anything in the music, design, technology, film, gaming and art arenas, just to name a few.

How does it work? The person(s) behind each product are the originators of their product or service. Just as with any other product, they get their company website up and running, until they are ready to list it on Kickstarter’s website, hoping the general public will make a pledge to help them fund their fledgling company.

The project owners decide upon a target date for a funding deadline. Between the initial launch and the deadline, the rest of the world can pledge monies to fund the company. Often, the project owners will offer a little “carrot” to get people to pledge. A small donation of $5 may get the donor a sticker; while a larger, game-changing donation for, say, an electronic device may net them one of the first products off the production line.

But here’s the kicker: if the deadline comes and goes and the amount needed has not been reached, none of the money pledged goes to the company; the donor’s credit cards will not be charged. In short, it’s all or nothing!

Who can set up their Kickstarter accounts? If you are a creators living in the United States, you’ll need, among other things, to:

• be at least 18 years of age,
• have a US bank account,
• be a permanent resident,
• have a state-issued ID card or driver’s license, and
• have a major US credit card.

For the UK, there are similar guidelines. For both, the creators must.

Some of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns to date include Pebble, a “smartwatch;” Ouya, an Android-based gaming console; and Makey Makey, which lets you turn almost anything into a computer controller.