Frequently Asked Questions
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Is there a cost for joining Startaholics?
We hope so! Our fee is a one off payment of $250 but this does not become payable until your startup start making some money. We are in the same boat as you and realise that paying fees for services like this is sometimes not an option when there is no cash coming in. So what we do is use 'future invoicing' so you don't need to pay until you can afford it (it's a bit like a student loan for all you UK based people). If your startup never makes any money then we won't chase you for the fee, thats the risk we are taking and is the essence of Startaholics, it is in our interests to help make your startup a success!
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What is future invoicing?
When you agree to do some work for one of our startups you agree a fee which will be paid as soon as any money is made by the startup. We encourage startups and workers to be transparent with their deals and make the details available for other members to see, this will help in the future if there are any disputes.
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Are there other ways of getting paid?
Of course, if the startup has some capital then they can agree whichever method of payment they choose. It could be regular contracting rates for hourly work, full time salary or an offer of equity. We simply bring the parties together, we leave the negotiating to you.
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What if I don't want to work for free?
Hey, no-one is forcing you to register here, this site is for people who want to risk a little for potentially great returns, if you need an hourly rate you can try to negotiate with the project owners, or why not try oDesk.
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Why are you deferring your fee?
Well, we know from personal experience that money is tight in startups and if we had to pay now then we would probably move on to another free site. We also love startups and the thrill of seeing them succeed, this way we have a personal interest in the success of all the startups on our site and will constantly be striving to make it more useful to you. The idea for this site was driven by our need to have a vehicle to get our own ideas ot there, we personally have 7 proposals on the site at the moment so we are in exactly the same boat as you.
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What if someone doesn't pay?
Ok, so here's the deal, everyone who signs up knows that we are deferring the payment until you have enough money to pay it, if a startup is successful then we should all know about it. So if a successful startup refuses to pay then we WILL name and shame, all members will know who they are which is not great for publicity is it?
The same goes for members who commission work and don't pay, or for members who promise work and don't deliver. We encourage all parties to document their transactions in the members area so we keep transparency. Of course you don't have to do this but there will be very little the community can do to help if there is a dispute.
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Do you vet members?
We wil do what we can to make sure that members are trustworthy but ultimately it is up to you to decide. We require that every member has a link to a Linkedin profile which wil make it easier for you to check out potential partners, do your research!
We are trying to build a network of professionals who really want to make ideas succeed but we all know that there are some unsavoury characters out there who are just out for what they can get. We will provide you with tools in the members area to try and weed out the bad apples but it is really down to you to keep this community clean, if someone does something you consider to be bad practice then please report it. We are not judge and jury but if something is clearly out of order and the community agrees then we will name and shame!
