Kickstarter Overview & Last Update!
about 1 year ago
– Sun, Mar 26, 2023 at 11:15:59 PM
Hey Everyone! Grinly Games will be covering several topics with the goal to update our backers on final shipping status while recapping the overall progress of this Kickstarter project. This post is a great way backers to learn more about Grinly Games and how we manage and learn from our kickstarter project. Please read below to learn more...
Shipping Update
Within the last 2 months, Grinly Games has organized the shipment of each backer to receive their pledge! In summary, all pledges have been shipped. According to our logistic records, every pledge has been shipped and received by the backer or local postal office. We ask that if you have yet to receive your pledge, please email "[email protected]" so that Grinly Games can provide a tracking number and help resolve any unresolved issues.
Local Pickup
Grinly Games scheduled a 3rd local pickup for a few of our backers on August 8th between the hours of 1PM through 8PM with our partners at The Silver Key Lounge located in Chandler.
Project Recap
This Kickstarter was launched on July 23rd 2022 and closed on August 21st 2022. The timeline (found on our Kickstarter page and noted below), will be used as a reference while comparing the milestone accomplishments of the project.
Octobe 2022: Original Goal, finalize all game components.
- Product sample received and comments provided to the manufacturer.
- This milestone was accomplished (2) months ahead of schedule.
November 2022: Original Goal, Pre-production complete & Start Creating Sample
- The manufacturer completed mass production.
- This milestone was accomplished (4) months ahead of schedule.
December 2022: Original Goal, Sample Approval and start mass production.
- Grinly Game warehouses received mass production order.
- Though not shown within the Kickstarter timeline, this milestone was estimated (6) months ahead of schedule.
March 2023: Original Goal, Complete production and start shipping.
- Grinly Games completed local pickup and shipping to backers.
- Though not shown within the Kickstarter timeline, this milestone was estimated (7) months ahead of schedule.
In this Kickstarter, Grinly Games was able to complete fulfillment within (6) months after the end of the Kickstarter! How is this possible? What is the secret? We broke down what we believe led to a successful Kickstarter:
1. Grinly Games negotiated and coordinated the project with our manufacturer partners over a year before Kickstarter was launched. This allowed Grinly Games additional time to evaluate the product during game development while considering backup strategies with worse-case production scenarios. COVID continued impacting different aspects of the board game production industry and motivated Grinly Games to get ahead of the ball.
2. Grinly Games partnered with individuals and companies who were experienced including the logistics company that understood the need for board game products. Grinly Games took the time needed to coordinate and collaborate on a plan as we approach the start of the launch of the Kickstarter.
3. Grinly Games did not take on more than they could handle. This is especially important for a company when promoting to potential customers as they learn more about us.
Grinly Game takes pride in providing a good quality product to future customers, we do not promote that us or any company are perfect. With that said, we also want to share what we learned within our first Kickstarter experience. This level of transparency is what helps keep us honest while we grow in the years ahead.
1. Partnering with warehouse/fulfillment companies at international locations. Grinly Games had local warehouses located within the USA. We want to provide convenience while reducing cost with backers located out of the USA by working with fulfillment companies in areas such as Europe and China.
2. Process of collecting VAT. Grinly Games will not be collecting VAT in the future, In an effort of ensuring our international backers outside of the USA received their pledge ahead of schedule, Grinly Games refunded any collected VAT so that it may be paid upon pickup at the designated local post office.
3. Fufillment packaging. Grinly Games discovered a couple of minor errors while pledges were packaged and shipped, in one xample, wooden tokens not packaged in a few orders. This was due to our first hand experience while working with kickstarter and backer kit as data was organized. Grinly Games has taken this time to organize general rules to avoid typos and has better familiarized with the process.
4. Manufacturing product error. Grinly Games discovered at the end of December 2022, with a manufacturing error where the quantity of cards components were off by (7) cards. Grinly Games ordered additional card product as a backup incase a manufacturing error occurred and fixed the issue. Anyone who purchases a first edition copy of the game "Savage: A Game of Survival," will receive (7) additional cards. The quantity of each standard size card type is shown on the first page of the rulebook. The error was discovered and fixed in time for our backers to receive their pledges, a great oppurtunity testing Grinly Games on how to accommodate even with the amount of preparation effort implemented before the inception of the Kickstarter.
LASTLY! WE AT GRINLY GAMES THANK YOU! This marks the first ever Kickstarter of Grinly Games, with the help of our backers, we were able to have a successfully funded Kickstarter! Be on the look out for our next kickstarter in 2024! To learn more, sign up on our email list at www.grinlygames.com.