Frequently Asked Questions
- What is startupSQUARE?
- We're a service dedicated to helping entrepreneurs get their businesses started. That includes discovering co-founders, getting feedback on your ideas, finding service providers, and getting funding. You can find more information about us and our vision here.
- Is this a social networking site?
- A social networking site is generally for (re)connecting with people you already know. We offer a service to the entrepreneur community to help you meet people who can help you start your business that you don't already know. Although you can login and find people you already know, that's not what we're going for. We're more like an on-line dating service.
- How much does this cost?
- Our service is free to all alpha users and we plan to never charge entrepreneurs before they’re making money. Instead, we’ll make our money from investors and upselling to the successful businesses which you create.
- Will I have to fill out a huge profile or resume?
- You've already created a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. So you don't have to repeat yourself. Instead, you can begin posting an idea or a pitch for what you'd like to work on so you can find other people interested in starting the business with you. You can also get feedback on the idea you've posted. Lastly, you can also (and we encourage you to) create a page which gives other co-founders genuinely useful information to see if you'd be a good fit to start a business.
- Is startupSQUARE only for on-line or high-tech companies?
- Many of our starting members are high-tech entrepreneurs, but we're for all types of companies and all sizes, from small home businesses to on-line startups to restaurants and so forth.
- What if I'm just starting a small or home business? How can this help me?
- Going it alone is admirable and not everyone needs a co-founder. But getting advice and learning from other people's experiences can offer a huge advantage to starting entrepreneurs. You're far more likely to get from idea to revenue faster with a little bit of help from your friends.
- How do you match entrepreneurs up with co-founders?
- We match entrepreneurs up based on interests, expectations, and some soft factors. But we also let users match themselves up with search and browsing functions.
- What's all this about posting ideas and brainstorming?
- When you login, you'll be able to post your business ideas and pitches to receive feedback and find contributors.
- If I post an idea, how can I be assured no one will steal it?
- You should only post the amount of information you're comfortable with sharing. But we will be offering the option to request NDAs from contributors for your added protection.
- Are you a VC or seed investor? Do you fund startups?
- We're a co-founder community, not a direct investor. We match startups with the best sources of funding based on the needs of their business plan, but do not provide funds directly.
- Are you an incubator?
- We provide some of the same benefits in that you can get feedback on your ideas and seek advice from other entrepreneurs who've been through the process before. We are not a incubator and we do not provide funds directly.
- I signed up but I can't log in. What's going on?
- Thanks for your patience. We're still in development now and we haven't sent your login info yet. We will be sending out accounts as soon as possible.