Take for example your kids drawing or a photo of your pet, and you in turn want to turn it into a plushie or stuffed animal. You can either do it yourself or employ the likes of Budsies. Launched in 2013 on the back of a napkin, Budsies, a play on personal buddies, takes drawings and photos, and then turns them into stuffed animals. Since that time the company has created more than 43,000 stuffed animals based on things people love or have dreamt up. If the concept sounds familiar, it may be due to their spinoff, Petsies, that allows you to turn your favorite pets into stuffed animals or even those famous ones you follow on Instagram such as Marnie the dog. The company was also featured on Shark Tank. Now after years of successful custom creations, Budsies is stepping into the world of crowdfunding.
Like most crowdfunding platforms a creator pitches the world for why you should back their project be it an indie film, new technology, or in this case a stuffed animal line. The company has chosen characters from real Budsie customers, and if a particular plushie achieves its pre-order goal in the marketplace during the campaign timeline, every backer will receive the item. If the time window passes, orders will be refunded. In a world filled with influencers, Budsies launched the market to tap into them and their audiences. From famous Instagram pets to children’s book characters, the people who create or manage them will be able to offer a likeness of said creation to their fans. The market isn’t just for influencers, but anyone, including your kids, who is interested in trying to sell their own plushies. Just like any crowdfunding campaign, it reduces the risk for all parties while driving down cost if the project is successfully funded. More specifically, creators have 15 days to get 100 or more pre-orders for their creation to be made, and if successful, they will receive 10 percent of the profits (Budsies foots the design and manufacturing). Read more about crowdfunding strategies at TechCo
