Sacramento needs more entrepreneurs

Kick is designed to work with a wide variety of startups, so the answer is likely yes. There are just three expectations that should be met before applying:

• You should already have a problem that you are trying to solve via a for-profit, non-profit, or hybrid business
• You must be physically present for the in-person sessions
• You should have some supporters who believe in you and your idea
• You should have the desire to move your idea into reality, to launch or grow your organization

Beyond that, you do not need to be incorporated. You do not need to have a co-founder. You do not need to be solely focused on this business. You do not need to know anything about business planning.

Yes. Kick meets in-person, and thus you need to be in a city where Kick is offered, and physically in-person for the Kick sessions. See here for a list of current cities where Kick operates.

Each Kick program is different. Some meet during the day, some at night, some on weekeneds.

Your choice. Kick is designed for individuals, as well as teams. The tuition is per person.

Yes. We expect all participants to have an idea in hand, many of which will change during the course of the program.

No. We expect most participants to be at the idea-stage or prototype-stage. An idea that is just in your head or just on paper is sufficient. So is a project that has launched a proof-of-concept or a beta test. If you are already earning revenues, please contactFledge instead.

No. There is no need for that step. If you need help with that when the times comes, we can introduce you to a plethora of lawyers to help.

Each local Kick program is different, check your local program. The most common model is to charge a tuition, but to raise these funds via a crowdfunding campaign. Thus you do not pay it yourself, but rather gather supporters or customers to pay it for you.

Everyone who applies to Kick is accepted. We do not choose who can participate. But, we do want to ensure that you are serious about your idea. To do that, as proof of sincerity, and as proof of viability, we ask you to convince at least 10 supporters to donate toward your entrepreneurial efforts. A true “wisdom of the crowd!”

Yes, but to make it as easy as possible, Kick has partnered with StartSomeGood. They can quickly help you get a crowdfunding campaign up and running. Your local Kick director will provide details after you apply.

Yes. You are welcome to raise as much as you can raise. Any funds in excess to the tuition are yours to keep (minus the fees charged by StartSomeGood).

The tuition is per-person. If you have a team of 3 or more, talk to your local director after you apply.

Contact us with details and we’ll work out something.

First, it helps as many entrepreneurs as possible. Without help, more than half of all entrepreneurs fail. They do this for a wide variety of reasons, but with some guidance, they can skip past the most common mistakes, and increase their chances of success. Plus, within a structured program like Kick, entrepreneurs can discover far more quickly that their idea has insufficient value to turn into a company, and move on to other ideas, saving them time and money.
Second, inclusivity provides an ideal due diligence process for other forms of entrepreneurial assistance. There is simply too little information in an application and interview to determine which early-stage entrepreneurs are likely to succeed. Watching entrepreneurs for weeks on end is far more enlightening. Whatever your plans for the Kick graduates, you will know far better which match that need after working along side them for six weeks.

Kick expects to help accelerate each participant’s business or organization. For most of you, that will be taking a rough idea, finding a viable path forward, and with some effort, a first-draft business plan. For some of you, the end result will be a product or service in the market, with actual customers. And for a few of you, that business will have paying customers and actual revenue.
No matter the final result, everyone who participates in Kick will come away with a good understanding of what it takes to create and execute a business plan.

If you are earning revenues, and have a business plan in hand to grow your business, then Kick is probably not the right program for you. If you are still struggling with finding the right customers or the right mix of services for those customers, then Kick might be of help. Contact us and tell us your story before you apply.

If you can not be at Kick for most of the program, especially the first few and last few sessions, then Kick is likely not going to work for you. It takes momentum to get through the process from idea to startup reality, and if you can’t dedicate the time to get that done, then it’s not likely to get done. But if you insist you can pull it off,contact us and tell us how you’ll manage.

If you’ve applied to the many other business incubators and accelerators, and are waiting to get accepted, then yes, please apply and attend Kick, and we’ll help you get the most from those incubator/accelerators when they come calling.

If you do not have a strong team of advisors, keep running into hurdles, or simply want to increase your chances of success, then yes, Kick will help.

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