Jo’s pointers on key things to do and when were really useful – without her help we could well have got lots wrong as we hadn’t done it before and didn’t have time to learn the hard way. Her documentation and initial support were clear and helpful, and guided us through setting targets and what type of campaign to go with. We hit all our stretch targets and more, and the campaign showed us the clear evidence of customer loyalty we were hoping for.
Alan Bearman, Sidmouth Folk Festival
As a result of our campaign, we supported the work of three female composers and have been able to secure future performances for these works and therefore more work for ourselves. That in turn has led to other composers being able to secure funding to write more music to programme alongside these new pieces. Without Jo’s comprehensive and clear support, we wouldn’t have raised the required amount. Without a shadow of a doubt. I think we’d have had to cancel our project. Which would have been devastating for us and our professional reputation.
Juice Vocal Ensemble, Voices of Venus
When I started thinking about a crowdfunding campaign it seemed incredibly overwhelming. I wasn’t sure where to start, if it really was the best option for me and how much I would need to raise. But when I launched, I smashed it in six days! The budget spreadsheet Jo provided really was eye opening – to be able to play around with it, work out shipping and fees and not get stung. I also used the campaign as market research and a way to test different price points, so now I know exactly what I should be charging in phase 2. Without Jo’s help I would have very likely aimed too low or not run a campaign at all.
Zoe Lacey, The Golden Letter
Professional, quick and efficient, though I think many creatives would struggle to pay for it. I really enjoyed the punchy narrative, fast turnaround and energised pro-active approach. I like that. If anything, she made a slight dither in me bite the bullet and go for it, and now we’re a few thousand ahead in our funding campaign because of it. So thank you Jo! Running the campaign myself was hugely labour-intensive, and draining at times. It does help generate success and create interest, and it will also help with funding applications. I don’t know if I would do ‘all or nothing’ again or if I would set the target much lower. But we do need these funds and more for the production. Theatre is a money pit, at times. But the honesty of the project clearly resonated. I found it incredibly moving to see so much support, and the final day was quite emotional. It felt like a HUGE achievement and a real journey and it has actually informed the future marketing and steer of the play.
Karen Bartholomew, Giving Up Marty
I don’t think I would have had the courage to do it alone, so without Jo I wouldn’t have raised the money and got all the brilliant contacts, press and radio features! I was worried about how to plan it and how to reach the right people, but after raising the money I needed there are also so many people who now know about Lyrical Light, and have got in touch offering help and support for the workshops. I’d definitely recommend Jo to others – she is uniquely knowledgeable, helpful and supportive.
Rachel Mason, Lyrical Light
We couldn’t have achieved the level of success we had without Jo’s input. Without her help we would have missed several very important subjects – we didn’t know how much effort and attention to detail would be required to make it work. Her understanding and creative suggestions were incredibly useful. With her help, experience, good humour and insight, we hit the target and everyone involved was very very pleased with their rewards.
Dub Colossus, Dr Strangedub (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Dub The Bomb)
I don’t think I would have succeeded without Jo’s guidance. When I started out, I was terrified that I would come close to raising the money, but not quite manage it, then lose everything days before the project was due to start. Jo helped me to plan the campaign carefully in advance, scheduling everything carefully to maximise its impact. I hadn’t realised how crucial the timing of the launch is, and how essential it would be to get as many pledges as possible in the first 24 hours. This worked really well for me – the campaign got a lot of exposure on Kickstarter and as a result, lots of pledges came in from people outside of my networks, as well as from my own colleagues, friends, and family. In the end, I not only recorded my CD, but managed to raise enough money to get a better quality recording. Investing in professional guidance was the best decision I made – the campaign success far exceeded my expectations.
Stef Conner, Riddle Songs
“Very good workshop… thoroughly helped me to understand something that I knew very little about… and much more dynamic than most one-day workshops.”
“The tutor was great – very knowledgeable and helpful. I feel more confident in starting my crowdfunding campaign.”
“All the content was useful. The exercises with the other attendees were surprisingly beneficial. A difficult task was presented in a very engaging and well-structured way by the tutor.”
“The course was excellent – very informative, clear with lots of ideas.”
“Absolutely brilliant course – the tutor really enthused me and did a great job of explaining everything.”
“Everything covered was useful! The organisation was fantastic, good use of slides and interesting.”
Course via FEU Training
From our point of view, there’s no point creating something without someone to create it for. Our Kickstarter campaign has not only allowed us to finance our next project but enabled us to create stronger, and more personal relationships with our audience. We couldn’t… and wouldn’t have tried… to do this without Jo’s help. Her ability to explain the often complex process of crowdfunding (well it bewildered us anyway!) in a straightforward manner was vital, her knowledge of the process and timings involved over four intense weeks was central to its success, and we had the constant feeling she was looking over our shoulders ready with advice, encouragement and a friendly push when needed. It’s been a great pleasure working with her and we’d recommend her to anyone thinking about their own crowdfunding campaign.
Tim Whelan, Transglobal Underground
Jo was unfazed by our total lack of experience and very short lead time. She steered us expertly through the Kickstarter process, and was reassuringly unflappable throughout. We really appreciated her efficiency, her encyclopaedic knowledge of crowdfunding and her fair and transparent fee structure.
Lucy Greeves, Turned Red Earth
