With the recent Securities and Exchange Commission ruling that companies may now use equity crowdfunding to sell pieces of their company to the general public, crowdfunding -- in all its forms -- is becoming a truly mainstream option for funding new businesses.
Funding a new product or a business startup via the likes of Kickstarter or IndieGoGo can provide an excellent means of market research. When people are willing to put up money to help develop a production prototype or bring to market a finished product, the clear implication is that the need and market exist.
