I think if you're going to pursue a studio approach, you should assume that you will not be able to raise much in the way of outside equity funding. Most investors do not want to invest in a team that is pursuing multiple projects at the same time for a variety of reasons. To the extent that ...
The best way to raise money is using websites like indiegogo.com or www.kickstarter.com Another approach is to put ads on your website (even though it's not done yet) and add a donation option to your website.
I don't even know how to answer this. Do you know what the difference between McDonalds and the local burger joint that is filing for bankruptcy is? It's marketing. McDonalds is worth billions of dollars not because of the quality of their food, but because of their marketing. Marketing is ...
What's the business model for the freelancing platform? Have you looked at http://equitydirectory.com/? They are a startup concierge matchmaking subscription service for founders looking to share equity or cash/equity splits with contributors. Are you familiar with http://SlicingPie.com? I thin...
Like any sale, it's all about building a funnel and identifying qualified buyers. The best way to do this is to ask, who do we share a similar customer with that would like to sell what they do to our users, or that our product helps improve their product. Companies get bought when there's over...
No, I think outsourcing this is at worst dangerous and at best lazy. Furthermore, unless this is highly focused on a type of user, I wouldn't trust that you could build user panels that were really of my potential customers. And therein lies the rub. Without real customers, it's impact and val...
My suggestion would be to only spend time and energy on PR activity that serves a greater purpose than winning the contest. While this is a great excuse/reminder that PR is important, think beyond the startup battle. Look at this as an opportunity to tell your story. Here are some thoughts that...
Unless you have a need to show a substantial equity, usually starting the corporation (assuming that's the type of entity you want) with $1,000 is ok. Then the remainder ($49k in this case) is entered as a loan. That way, once you have the cash back in the business account, you're not worried a...
Look--there's risk EVERYWHERE. You've already pointed out the hazards of developing a marketing strategy dependent on a single platform. You've also noticed that you need to set your price to buffer against rising short and medium term costs. Startups should test and scale with whatever promot...
Hello. My experience showed me that it is definitely not easy to get money from a bank especially in the early stages. It really depends on what type of business you are starting. Banks would usually look for risk management in the form of assets you own in case the business doesn't progress as...