This post is in partnership with Entrepreneur. The article below was originally published at entrepreneur.com.
By Drew Hendricks, Entrepreneur
You’ve identified the platform for your crowdfunding project and can’t wait to get your business, idea, products or services out there — but not so fast. There’s a great benefit to having patience with crowdfunding and way too many entrepreneurs fall on their face because they’re in a hurry. A lot needs to get done before your Kickstarter project goes live.
Make sure all your proverbial ducks are in a row before you hit that launch button. Here are six things you should tick off your to-do list leading up to this important moment.
1. Read the Kickstarter rules over and over again
There’s no such thing as looking at the fine print too many times. If necessary, write down all the requirements in a spreadsheet and check them off as you go. Continually compare the website to your spreadsheet and make sure every items is truly fulfilled. You don’t want your Kickstarter removed just because you overlooked a task.
2. Draft a business plan.
Make sure you have your business plan written prior to launch. In fact, your Kickstarter campaign should be in your business plan. This is where you set goals, identify strengths and weakness, identify potential investors (in addition to crowdfunding) and set budgets. Your mission statement can go in here, job descriptions and what you’ll do in various scenarios.
3. Get an editor
Hire a professional editor to go over your final content before it’s launched. There’s guaranteed to be improvements to grammar, a spelling error or two and developmental editing can really relay your information in the best way possible.
4. Get a writer
What exactly is that editor editing? Hopefully professionally resourced writing from an expert who has experience in Kickstarter campaigns. Unless someone on your team is truly a writer (which means they’ve been paid for this skill more than once), then by all means have them create the first draft. That passion will shine through, much like with bloggers. However, the finishing touch should be done by a professional.
5. Create a video
Assuming your platform allows for video uploads (nearly all do), a short video can really punch it up a notch. People love videos and that’s what makes them fall in love with ideas and products. Aim for less than three minutes and splurge on a more professional touch, such as getting some film school students to take care of it. Choose the most charismatic of your crew to “star” in it and make sure you practice, create a script and edit the final version.
6. Have a plan B
There’s no guarantee that your Kickstarter project will get funded. Don’t rely solely on this approach to get your business started so have a solid plan B in place. Know your next step before you have to take it.
Kickstarter can be a fantastic way to drum up hype even if you don’t end up with the funding you need. It’s free (save for manpower) networking, so take advantage of it.
More from Entrepreneur:
Crowdfunding Nearly Tripled Last Year, Becoming a $16 Billion Industry
3 Things to Do Before Kickstarting Your Hardware Startup
4 Reasons to Crowdfund vs. Self-Fund a Product Idea
