Kickstarter Opens Up To The UK

Creative and entrepreneurial Brits have something more than spooky and freaky costumes to look forward to come October 31, for on that day, the world’s favourite crowdfunding site, Kickstarter, is finally opening up to projects based in the UK. The news was actually announced earlier this year in July, when the guys of Kickstarter tweeted that they would be allowing UK-based projects in fall; and now, the time has arrived.

Kickstarter

In an announcement post in their blog, the Kickstarter team highlighted the fact that October 31 is the day when UK-based projects can be launched on the web site. That does not mean, however, that creatives and entrepreneurs cannot start working on their projects as early as now. In fact, the time between the announcement and the actual launch date gives people time to get some work done and get ready for when they can let the rest of the world know about what they’re building.

How will Kickstarter UK be different from US projects?
The main thing to remember is that there will be no separate site for Kickstarter UK. In fact, the same web site will be used for both US and UK projects. I think this is a good thing as it makes the playing field level for everyone. No matter where you are based, you get exposed to the same audience, with the same chances of getting backing.

There will be some differences, however, one of which is the payment system. If you have ever backed a Kickstarter project, you know that you need to go through Amazon Payments to make a pledge. For UK-based Kickstarter projects, you can make your pledge directly on the site. This applies whether you are sending funds from the UK or anywhere else in the world.

What about Indiegogo and other alternatives?
Even before the Kickstarter announcement, British entrepreneurs have not been out of crowdfunding options. Names such as Indiegogo and Crowdfunder have established themselves in the scene. Could Kickstarter’s move weaken the position of the other sites? It is entirely probable that more people will move over to Kickstarter, thanks to its being the bigger brand and having a wider reach. On the other hand, it could give the British scene a boost, with project creators having more crowdfunding options.

Which way do you think will the tide turn?

[Image via Kickstarter]