Crowdfunding Guide
What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is similar to pre-ordering a product, but with an added element of community involvement. When someone contributes to a crowdfunding campaign, they are essentially providing financial support to help bring an idea to life. In return, they receive the product or further rewards. Brickery further offers an all-in-one manufacturing service meaning creators' only need to seek enough funding and Brickery takes care of the remaining operational tasks such as manufacturing, packaging and shipping.
1. Submission Phase
After a project is submitted to Brickery, the team carefully reviews the product and determines the appropriate price and crowdfunding goal. This ensures that the campaign is structured in a way that allows the creator to successfully bring their idea to life, while also providing fair value to backers. The Brickery team works closely with creators to establish a plan that aligns with the needs and expectations of all parties involved.
2. Follower Phase
Before starting the crowdfunding campaign, every project enters the so-called “Follower Phase”. In this phase the community can support the project bei simply submitting their email address. In case the project receives 500 supporters the campaign immediately launches. Every project with more then 100 supporters will land on the waiting list and will be launched as soon as possible.
3. Crowdfunding Phase
Once a crowdfunding campaign is launched, it becomes available for backers to pledge their support. By visiting the project page, individuals can view the product that is offered for specific pledge amounts. While the campaign is active, backers have the option to adjust their pledge, add additional items, or cancel it altogether. Payment is not processed until the campaign has successfully reached its end. The campaign will be activated if the Creator receives at least 100 Followers during the Follower Phase.
4. Success Phase
After successful funding, Brickery will connect with the creator to discuss final details before going into production including packaging design, further add-ons and instructions. Also the remaining project timeline will be discussed during this stage.
Further Definitions
Crowdfunding Goals
When a project is launched on Brickery, the team sets the funding goal, which is the amount of money necessary to bring the project to fruition. Once this goal is reached, backers will be charged for their pledges. However, reaching the campaign's initial funding goal is not the end of the crowdfunding process.
Pledge
If you want to support a project on a crowdfunding platform, you can do so by making a pledge. This is a promise to pay the specified amount at the end of the campaign, provided that it is successful. To make a pledge, you can browse the available products on the campaign's main page and select the one that interests you. After declaring the amount you want to contribute, you will be asked to provide payment information, such as debit or credit card details. Your payment will only be processed if the campaign meets its funding goal.
Pledge Manager
The pledge manager is a tool that is used after a crowdfunding campaign has been successfully funded. It allows backers to manage the content of their pledge and make any necessary changes, such as adding additional items. It is also where you will provide your shipping details, choose a shipping method, and pay for the associated costs. The pledge manager serves as a central hub for organizing and completing all of the necessary steps before the product is shipped to you.
Shipping
If you pledged to a project but were not asked to provide your shipping address at that time, there is a reason for this. After a campaign is successful, there is still a lengthy process that must be completed before the product can be shipped to backers. This includes things like manufacturing, fulfillment, and handling logistics. To streamline this process, backers are typically asked to provide their shipping information through the pledge manager at a later stage. This allows us to accurately calculate shipping costs and gather all necessary details in one place.