THE COMPANY Creative Beast is a small business that sells realistic, built-to-scale dinosaur action figures made by owner-operator, David Silva. Creative Beast uses the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and the pledge management system BackerKit to launch each new line of action figures. Once launched, the dinosaurs are also available to buy online as...

The Company Level 99 is a board game publishing company owned and operated by Brad Talton. Some of their more popular games include BattleCON, Pixel Tactics, Millennium Blades, Argent: the Consortium, and Empyreal: Spells & Steam. Once launched on Kickstarter, the games are also available to buy online as well as at select retail outlets. The Challenge...

Some people were born to become accountants. Some plumbers, some electricians, some office drones, and some - like your humble narrator - marketers. Then there is David Silva. He was born to create dinosaurs and sell them on the internet. This is not an exaggeration. In 2016, David launched his...

Key Takeaways Decide whether products will be ordered as individual units, packs, or full cases. Use the same SKUs, quantities, and product names across Shopify and your warehouse. Set wholesale prices, quantity rules, order minimums, and payment terms before launch. Confirm how parcel, freight, pickup, and buyer-arranged shipping will work....

Launching a successful Kickstarter campaign requires a ton of different skills.

Let’s say you're a single parent. Your kids just went to bed and now it’s 7 o’clock at night. And now it’s time for you to start your workday—the one that might, eventually, pay you. So you work until midnight. Sometimes even 1 in the morning. And you do this...

Most startups don't make it to year two. Even fewer turn a profit in year one. And almost none survive 25+ years while major competitors like Teavana shut down. Michael Cramer's Adagio Teas did all three. In 1999, during the headiest days of the dot-com boom, Michael left investment banking....

The Mr. Mintz brand sounds like it should be about a dad who creates crafts with his kids. And in a way, it is—but the business brain behind it belongs to Lena Mintz. Lena Mintz spent her career in corporate PR and advertising at companies like Mail.Ru Group, shaping stories...

You've spent months designing your product. You've run the numbers, found your manufacturer, and picked your crowdfunding platform. Everything is ready to go. But even the very best product in the world won’t fund itself. You need a rock solid marketing plan or your campaign will sputter out before it...

Winning the sale might feel like the finish line. But it’s just the start of the next race. What happens in the minutes, hours, and days after someone clicks "buy" determines whether they become a loyal customer or quietly disappear. It shapes whether they leave glowing reviews or file returns....

If you’re dreaming of seeing your product on retail shelves, crowdfunding should be one of your first steps. Launching a product in retail isn’t easy — it requires proof of demand, a compelling story, and data that gives retailers confidence. By running a successful crowdfunding campaign, you can validate your...

Imagine taking over a 40-year-old furniture business in 2020. Not 2019. Not 2021. Right in the middle of the worst retail disruption in modern history. That's exactly what Richie David did when he became president of Totally Home and Totally Kids Furniture. When Richie started in his new role, the...