Crowdfunding
A campaign is decided before the money is raised, and what decides it is a working prototype and a photograph of something real. This page is about getting to that point, and about what happens after the campaign closes.
Before the campaign: getting to a real prototype
Campaigns that fund successfully usually show a working product rather than a render, and that means the sample rounds have to happen before launch.
- Two or three directions. Custom sampling takes about 10 days per round, so exploring more than one design before the campaign is practical.
- Manufacturability review. We review a design for what can be produced safely at the age grade you have chosen, which is better learned before the campaign than after it.
- Photography. The approved sample is what you photograph, and the packaging artwork can be produced at the same time so the campaign shows the finished pack.
- Cost certainty. A costed sample gives you a real unit price and a real production timeline, which is what a campaign budget needs to be built on.
How a campaign order runs
| Prototype | Custom sampling takes about 10 days per round, which is what makes it possible to test two or three design directions before the campaign rather than after it. |
|---|---|
| Design changes | Changes are expected during a campaign. We hold the sample on file so a change can be quoted against a known starting point. |
| Pilot run | A first run can be planned below a normal production minimum for a validated item, so backer orders can be fulfilled before a full-scale commitment. |
| Packaging | Retail-ready packaging printed to your artwork, which doubles as the prop for campaign photography and the pack that ships to backers. |
| Compliance | Test reports and the documentation your destination markets require, arranged before the units are shipped rather than after the campaign. |
| Delivery | Around 30 days after order confirmation for the run itself, planned backwards from the delivery date you have promised backers. |
After the campaign: the pilot run
- Plan to a delivery date. Tell us the date you have promised backers and we plan the production and shipment backwards from it. Production takes around 30 days after order confirmation.
- Start with a validated item. A first run can be planned below a normal production minimum for an item that has already been sampled and approved.
- Lock the design early. Changes to a panel, a mechanism or a coating after the run starts are what push a delivery date, so the sample should be final before production is committed.
- Keep the backer list out of production. Units are produced to a single approved specification and shipped in bulk; individual backer fulfilment is handled at your end.
What we supply to a campaign project
- Costed samples and the material and paint specifications behind them.
- Third-party test reports for the item and material combination once the design is fixed, against the standards of your destination markets.
- Packaging printed to your artwork, in the languages your backers are shipping to.
- FSC chain of custody where FSC stock is specified (certificate ESTS-COC-240650), and BSCI social audit documentation if your backers ask about the factory.
Campaigns commonly ship to several markets, so the compliance pages are worth reading before the design is fixed: CE marking, ASTM F963, UKCA and Canada.
Related: OEM wooden toys · Wooden toy safety standards · Solutions by buyer type · OEM wooden toys · Private label wooden toys · Wooden toy manufacturer · Request a quotation
Frequently asked questions
Can you produce a prototype before our campaign launches?
Yes. Custom sampling takes about 10 days per round, so two or three design directions can be tested before a launch rather than after it.
Can we order less than a normal production minimum?
For an item that has already been sampled and approved, a first run can be planned below a normal production minimum. The in-stock range starts at 50 pieces per item.
What happens if the design changes during the campaign?
We hold the approved sample on file, so a change can be quoted against a known starting point. Changes after production starts are what push a delivery date, so the sample should be final before the run is committed.
Can you hit a delivery date we have promised backers?
Tell us the date at the start. Production takes around 30 days after order confirmation, and we plan the run and the shipment backwards from the date you have promised.
Do you handle shipping to individual backers?
Units are produced to a single approved specification and shipped in bulk. Individual backer fulfilment is handled at your end, and we prepare the cartons and commercial documents for your forwarder.
Will backers be able to see certification for the product?
Yes. Once the design is fixed we arrange third-party test reports for the item and material combination, and FSC and BSCI documentation can be shared if backers ask about the factory.
Send us your product list
Tell us the items, quantities and the market you sell in. We will come back with a quotation, the documentation we can supply, and the next step.
Request a quotation