Business grants?
Author
Hey. I've been trying to find ways to get some capital to I can start up my business for a while, but so far haven't found any means of doing so. A good paying job is hard to come by around here and jobs don't really pay much enough for you to save any money. I've been looking around the net to look for other solutions to this. Are there any grant/loan programs that are willing to support a game business? Lately, I've been trying to avoid scams and illegetimate sites and I'm still not sure what to do to approach this. The reason why 90% of business fail is due to lack of funding. Are there any solutions?
> I've been trying to find ways to get some capital
http://www.obscure.co.uk/articles-2/funding-for-game-projects
http://www.sba.gov/mi
http://www.sbam.org/
> The reason why 90% of business fail is due to lack of funding.
No. That's only a symptom of the real problem. Investors bail out or don't inject new funds when management goes awry, or the company doesn't deliver on its promises, or the target market goes sour, or the product(s) ends up being a dud(s), or simply because there are better returns somewhere else. Just to name a few.
-cb
http://www.obscure.co.uk/articles-2/funding-for-game-projects
http://www.sba.gov/mi
http://www.sbam.org/
> The reason why 90% of business fail is due to lack of funding.
No. That's only a symptom of the real problem. Investors bail out or don't inject new funds when management goes awry, or the company doesn't deliver on its promises, or the target market goes sour, or the product(s) ends up being a dud(s), or simply because there are better returns somewhere else. Just to name a few.
-cb
That's funny, the US Small Business Administration lists a combination of these factors:
* Lack of experience
* Insufficient capital
* Poor location
* Poor inventory management (not a problem for homebrew)
* Over-investment in fixed assets
* Poor credit arrangements (not a problem for homebrew)
* Personal use of business funds (not a problem for homebrew)
* Unexpected growth
* Competition
* Low sales
Taking them in order:
* Lack of experience. Do you have the experience required? How many games have you worked with from inception to market? How much marketing have you done? How many units of product have you sold and distributed in your life?
* Insufficient capital. Can you afford a (free) compiler? Can you afford (free) art and sound tools? Can you afford (royalty free) art, models, music, and sound from the sites listed in the forum faqs? Can you afford a (free) hosting company? Can you afford (free) paypal merchant services? Can you afford to work in your parent's basement or during evenings? Once you've made and polished a game it is much easier to find the marketing capital. Homebrew software development requires only the investment capital of a computer and electricity.
* Poor location. Are you sticking your game at YouWillNeverGuessMyWebAddress.com? Or are you on the front page of Yahoo Games? If you don't have your name in lights, what you are doing (besides paying to be the featured product) to get it at the top of the list?
* Over-investment in fixed assets. Did you REALLY need to buy a new computer and pay a few thousand bucks for Visual Studio Team Edition?
* Unexpected growth. Closely related to the one above. When your hosting company allows so many gigabytes per month and you suddenly get slashdotted, you missed a lot of visits. Are you planning on succeeding?
* Competition. Fifty bajillion other games is a lot of competition. Why should I buy your game when I can play the free web edition somewhere else?
* Low sales. This is due in part to the other issues above, like poor location, lack of experience, and competition. In addition it is due to bad marketing and bad product, and requires you to act like a business. How are you combating this?
Both me personally and several of my friends have all developed profitable software businesses with no significant assets other than our brains, sweat, and home PCs. It takes a ton of work over the course of multiple years. I believe the work factor is the biggest reason that homebrew development fails.
* Lack of experience
* Insufficient capital
* Poor location
* Poor inventory management (not a problem for homebrew)
* Over-investment in fixed assets
* Poor credit arrangements (not a problem for homebrew)
* Personal use of business funds (not a problem for homebrew)
* Unexpected growth
* Competition
* Low sales
Taking them in order:
* Lack of experience. Do you have the experience required? How many games have you worked with from inception to market? How much marketing have you done? How many units of product have you sold and distributed in your life?
* Insufficient capital. Can you afford a (free) compiler? Can you afford (free) art and sound tools? Can you afford (royalty free) art, models, music, and sound from the sites listed in the forum faqs? Can you afford a (free) hosting company? Can you afford (free) paypal merchant services? Can you afford to work in your parent's basement or during evenings? Once you've made and polished a game it is much easier to find the marketing capital. Homebrew software development requires only the investment capital of a computer and electricity.
* Poor location. Are you sticking your game at YouWillNeverGuessMyWebAddress.com? Or are you on the front page of Yahoo Games? If you don't have your name in lights, what you are doing (besides paying to be the featured product) to get it at the top of the list?
* Over-investment in fixed assets. Did you REALLY need to buy a new computer and pay a few thousand bucks for Visual Studio Team Edition?
* Unexpected growth. Closely related to the one above. When your hosting company allows so many gigabytes per month and you suddenly get slashdotted, you missed a lot of visits. Are you planning on succeeding?
* Competition. Fifty bajillion other games is a lot of competition. Why should I buy your game when I can play the free web edition somewhere else?
* Low sales. This is due in part to the other issues above, like poor location, lack of experience, and competition. In addition it is due to bad marketing and bad product, and requires you to act like a business. How are you combating this?
Both me personally and several of my friends have all developed profitable software businesses with no significant assets other than our brains, sweat, and home PCs. It takes a ton of work over the course of multiple years. I believe the work factor is the biggest reason that homebrew development fails.
"A good paying job is hard to come by around here and jobs don't really pay much enough for you to save any money."
So move. Move to where the game jobs are, live in a Studio apartment, don't go out, eat in, save your money, program on the bus on the way to work or ride a bike, etc. Save your money, get experience. If you want to start a game business, you have to make sacrafices. Its somewhat telling that you consider starting your own game development business would be easier or less committing than moving to get a job where you can save money, acquire real experience, and make contacts.
So move. Move to where the game jobs are, live in a Studio apartment, don't go out, eat in, save your money, program on the bus on the way to work or ride a bike, etc. Save your money, get experience. If you want to start a game business, you have to make sacrafices. Its somewhat telling that you consider starting your own game development business would be easier or less committing than moving to get a job where you can save money, acquire real experience, and make contacts.
Quote:Original post by frob
Both me personally and several of my friends have all developed profitable software businesses with no significant assets other than our brains, sweat, and home PCs. It takes a ton of work over the course of multiple years. I believe the work factor is the biggest reason that homebrew development fails.
QFT. All ya need is a cardboard box, an extension cord and a PC to do your thang. Then it comes down to how badly you want it, and how much you will put into it...and that is totally in your own control.
Author
Thanks for all of your input on this. It really means alot to me. I'm trying to move, but that requires money too. I'm trying to move back to sweet home Seattle, WA and start there because a game business just can't thrive anywhere in Indiana. I'm doing my best to get myself together. Thanks again, I'll look at the linx.
Blu IN from Michigan City wrote:
>I'm trying to move, but that requires money too.
We know that! We're just telling you how it is.
>Thanks again,
yw
>I'll look at the linx.
Yes! PLEASE!!!
>I'm trying to move, but that requires money too.
We know that! We're just telling you how it is.
>Thanks again,
yw
>I'll look at the linx.
Yes! PLEASE!!!
Just to add to the discussion don't fall for the "government has billions of dollars for you to start any type of business" crap, its only for specialized businesses that the government believes worthy of grants.
blueshogun96, if you have any interest in game video design, I think the most important thing is to achieve a reliable demo or project that would seduce any commercial editor.
If any third party likes your project and see any benefit they won't hesitate to afford some financial investment.
If any third party likes your project and see any benefit they won't hesitate to afford some financial investment.
Quote:Original post by HolyGrailI'm afraid that this is far from true. Game publishers and investors will not invest just on the basis of a nice demo. They require several things (see this article for a list http://www.obscure.co.uk/articles-2/preparing-a-product-pitch/) - with the most important being item 7, the development team. publishers want your concept to be backed up by a development team with a proven track record otherwise they are unlikely to invest.
blueshogun96, if you have any interest in game video design, I think the most important thing is to achieve a reliable demo or project that would seduce any commercial editor.
If any third party likes your project and see any benefit they won't hesitate to afford some financial investment.
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