#adhdidea

[friendsplushies]

Hot Take on Kickstarter

They put WAYYY too much focus on having backers trust these projects…

I swear, Kickstarter used to be viewed as this awesome site for raising funds for your games or projects, right? But over time it’s been losing that reputation.

Why?

Too many people get scammed! And when someone backs a project that ends up in the toilet for one reason or another, why would they ever come back to the site?

So over time more and more people just leave, and the ones who don’t are told about how scary it is. This is what it looks like now;

So what do you do if you want to crowdfund??

It's a rigged system. Kickstarter was meant for small time artists, as a way to get the funding to make their dreams a reality. But if nobody trusts Kickstarter itself, and a lot of donors are leaving the site, who does that leave?

You guessed it.. big companies with BIG IPs that can afford to operate with the 10% tax Kickstarter takes, and has a loyal following that trusts them regardless of Kickstarter's reputation.

Want to be a part of something crazy?

My girlfriend and I are a bit aneurotypical. And we make little sensory-friendly stuffed animals. But we had some trouble getting people to use Kickstarter.

Which means we can’t compete with the trust of big brands as our lil unemployed audhd selves.

So take your Mango Borb FIRST! I trust you.

Instead of you risking your money on a project that might not deliver, we’re just GIVING you mango borbs as soon as you back us! I sincerely hope that this can be a way to make the playing field a little better. Sending parts of the project before it even finishes. Its a risk, but now that risk is on the creator.

[ithappensblog]

dream vs. reality

I have always loved giving gifts to people. I guess it's in my nature. There is something so satisfying about finding or creating the perfect item that matches someone’s personality, interests, or needs. That’s why I decided to open up my own gift shop, Little Pepper Gift Co., where I could sell crafts, personalized accessories, made by other Canadian makers. I don't have much patience for creating products myself, so I decided that supporting other small businesses by opening a small shop carrying products I loved (and knew other people would, too!) would be a great way to accomplish this. I was so excited to launch my shop online and share it with the world. I had a vision of being an overnight success, or at least a steady source of income and joy. I thought I had what it takes to run a successful business, just like my husband, who owns Labrosse Consulting, a thriving survey equipment supplier combined with Civil Engineering Technology consulting. Something he was passionate about and good at. I thought people would love my products and appreciate the care and creativity that went into them. But reality soon hit me hard. Running a gift shop is not as easy as it seems. It takes a lot of time and effort to create, market, and ship the products. It takes a lot of work to set up shop at craft shows, if you're lucky enough to score a spot. It also takes a lot of patience and resilience to deal with the competition, the customer feedback, and the sales fluctuations. Mostly, it takes a toll on your mental and physical health, especially if you struggle like I do. I started to feel disappointed and discouraged when I saw my friends and family buying similar items from big chain stores instead of supporting my shop. I felt like they didn’t value my work or understand how much it meant to me. I felt like they were choosing convenience over quality and connection. I also started to feel like shit when I went days or weeks without a sale. I felt like no one wanted what I had to offer. I felt like I was wasting my time and energy on something that nobody cared about. I felt like a failure, with another business adventure that didn’t pan out because of my bright ADHD ideas.

I started to lose motivation and interest in my shop. I stopped pursuing new products, updating my website, and posting on social media. I stopped checking my email and responding to inquiries. I stopped caring about my shop and myself. But then I realized something. I realized that I was not alone in this journey. There are many other small business owners out there who face the same challenges and frustrations as me. There are also many customers out there who appreciate and support small businesses like mine. There are also many resources and communities out there that can help me grow and improve my shop. I realized that I still have a passion and a purpose for my shop. I still have a dream and a vision for my shop. And I still have a chance and an opportunity to make it happen.

Now I'm fighting with the idea of selling off the business to some other eager entrepreneur. Or do I stop feeling so fucking sorry for myself, pick back up and not give up on my shop or myself? I know success isn't created overnight. I'd love to rekindle my excitement and determination for my shop. I decided to do something that I love and share it with the world. And you know what? It felt good at first. But here I sit, stuck between a rock and a hard place. My family poured so many hours and so much money into this endeavor that I don't want to let them down and have them feel like this was another stupid idea. Because, when I have the next idea (we all know I will), I don't want them to think that supporting me is a bad idea. That's why I didn't tell anyone about writing these blog entries... I can do without the comments about mistakes I've made in the past.