©Greg Spalenka

By Jack Kelly, CEO ofAdva Mobile, a mobile marketing and technology firm for Artists, successfully crowdfunded via IndieGoGo.Crowdfunding is this decade’s new tool for helping Artists raise money to reach their goals – and it just got better. Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, RocketHub, and other Crowdfunding service companies are being used successfully by Artists to raise money for projects, but the average Kickstarter campaign raises about $4,500.For the Artist with more serious aspirations – and a need for more serious funds – the new JOBS Act signed by the President has a provision that can help.Kickstarter and other Crowdfunding services require “rewards” for donations, but don’t allow you to offer a share of your profits as a reward for your successful project. That’s called “equity”, and only wealthy people were considered smart enough to invest in businesses – and Artists ARE businesses – where the risk of losing money was high but the potential for making money was significant.That’s what changed in the JOBS Act. Small businesses – again, that’s you – can now incorporate and sell ownership in their business venture, to the general public, exchanging a portion of your subsequent profits for an initial investment of capital. Equity Based Crowdfunding could become a disruptive force in the music industry, providing capital for the kind of marketing, production and touring support previously provided only by major labels to large Acts. This level of capital – up to $1 million (and there are restrictions on individual investment levels) is now available to small businesses, including those small businesses known as “Artists”.Continued...

In July 2010 I met a young artist name Ray Sumser selling a poster of his art in front of the San Diego convention center during Comic Con. I included him in an article I wrote about street artists called Artist As Brand Grassroots. At the end of last year I noticed he had started a Kickstarter funding event that did very well.For those who are not familiar with Kickstarter.com it is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Every week, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields. It is a new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work.It is such hit that sponsors will curate pages. Even colleges like SVA and RISD have gotten into the action supporting their alumni and students.

What's amazing is the amount of money some projects acquire. How about Joshua Harker's, Crania Anatomica Filigre sculpture which pulled in $77,271. Or the comic The Order of the Stick which pulled in a whopping $1,254,120! What?! You heard right, check it out.

Bottom line is if you have a great idea Kickstarter can help you start funding it.