ALL IMAGES: COURTESY SUBJECTS

idea of crowdfunding.“ Kickstarter is an amazing tool for people who are not the typical recipient of a traditional bank loan for whatever reason,” Leah says.“ For us, it was our age, experience level, and gender.” They hired Sabrina Dax, a publicist in Seattle, who told them to build a solid following on Twitter before launching their campaign. The sisters also used some of their savings to hire an illustrator who created a strong, consistent look for their logo lettering and rewards merch, which included tote bags and tops. The Ripped Bodice opened its doors last March and now sponsors a book club, signings, and a monthly stand-up show called Romantic Comedy, hosted by two female comedians.“ Seeing this community start to form is unbelievable,” Leah says.

SUCCESS SECRET Seek out practical advice from successful founders, say the sisters.“ We sent booksellers a list of questions like,‘ What insurance company do you use? Do you like them? How many distributors do you have?’” Leah says.“ Do not send an e-mail that says,‘ Hello, can you give me advice?’ You will get a reply saying,‘ You got this. All your dreams are possible!’” Vague asks get vague answers.

HU AND YAN RAISED MORE THAN $ 2 MILLION IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH— AND EVENTU- ALLY GOT ABOUT 24,000 PREORDERS FOR THEIR PRODUCT.

YAN( LEFT) AND HU SHOW OFF THEIR CAT-EAR HEADPHONES.

Victoria Hu and Wenqing Yan

Cofounders of Axent Wear PLATFORM: Indiegogo RAISED: $ 3,428,746

Victoria Hu and Wenqing Yan were a match made in college. Hu, an econ major, dreamed of working on a start-up, and Yan, an artist, had a loyal fanbase online. After graduating from UC Berkeley, they decided to bring one of Yan’ s popular sketches, a pair of LED cat-ear headphones, to life. A year before their campaign launched, they sent e-mails and social-media blasts to family, friends, and Yan’ s 300,000-plus fans. They

made prototypes on 3-D printing machines at their alma mater, then turned to Indiegogo, also using savings and family loans to get a patent lawyer, build a website, and hire friends as needed. Yan went to China to screen factories( one of their most daunting tasks), but when gadget chain Brookstone offered to become the official manufacturer and distributor of their product, they signed on the dotted line.“ Crowdfunding is a lot of fun but also a lot of responsibility,” Yan says.“ You can’ t do it alone, so pick your partners wisely.”

SUCCESS SECRET Crowdsource advice and crowdfund cash.“ We got feedback about colors and ear-cup types and, more simply, by asking the backers what they wanted,” Yan says.

down exactly what components are needed to manufacture your item and how much all that will cost. Next, find a reputable and affordable manufacturer that can deliver the goods.

6. GET VISUAL A compelling story uses more than words. On average, Indiegogo campaigns that include

videos raise about four times more funds than those without videos, says Mandelbrot.

7. DON’ T BE A SNOB“ Give fun stuff at every price point,” says publicist Sabrina Dax.“ Don’ t make the $ 10 reward totally boring and the $ 100 one fun, because you can get tons of momentum at $ 10 or

$ 25.” The Kickstarter she helped develop for hip-hop group De La Soul raised more than $ 600,000 with mostly $ 15 donations.

8. MAKE IT FEEL EXCLUSIVE Try offering a discount for those who buy right away.“ An entrepreneur might say that the first 200 sold of a product

will be $ 79, the next 200 will be $ 89, the next 200 will be $ 99, and so on, as a way to generate good, early momentum,” Mandelbrot suggests.

9. STAY IN TOUCH Don’ t kick your feet up once your campaign is live. People will have questions, and you need to monitor your page to

address them ASAP. On Indiegogo, entrepreneurs who send at least three updates raise, on average, 531 percent more money than those who don’ t. After you’ ve met your goal, keep the project’ s page active to blog about the process. There’ s still a long way from that cash to your promise, and donors will want to know what’ s up.

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