Online Fundraising Campaign for Quidditch Equipment
Kevin Peterson began making custom quidditch equipment in early 2011 as a member of Texas Quidditch (Austin, TX). Since then, he has created Peterson's Broomsticks and has sold his hoops to teams across the United States and Canada, also providing the hoops at World Cup VI. He wants to produce quidditch equipment for players all over the world and has set up an Indiegogo campaign, hoping to raise $15,000 to pay for expansion into new production.
Photo courtesy of Peterson's Broomsticks.
Creating custom sports equipment is challenging for a small business. Peterson operates out of a personal workshop, with an operating budget of approximately $2,000. He makes 5 or 10 sets of hoops at a time), but the factory-produced parts he wants to use require 150 sets for a minimum order. His designs also require two injection molds, which cost several thousand dollars each and are used to form the structure of the required part. “I'm moving into specialized parts to make the hoops more affordable and cheaper to ship,” explained Peterson. Due to the unique requirements of the hoop designs, he cannot accomplish this without custom-made parts. “I'm not expanding for the sake of expanding. Rather, I'm expanding in order to bring a better product to the market.”
Among the various perks available for those who donate is an equipment grant. “The money donated through that perk is going to go into a fund to help subsidize equipment to starting teams who are low on funds and can't afford a full set of hoops, and it will allow more people to gain access to them,” said Peterson.
As of July 17, the campaign has raised $3,200 of its $15,000 goal. Since it is a flexible campaign, even if it does not reach its goal, Peterson's Broomsticks will receive the money donated.
Readers who want to learn more can visit the campaign website for more details.
