Weekly Newsletter – November 30, 2025 -

November 30, 2025 – This month’s Capital Compass examines three distinct funding approaches entrepreneurs should consider in today’s landscape. From Kickstarter’s binary funding model that creates urgency and momentum, to Cook County’s targeted growth grants for established small businesses, to the British Business Bank’s ambitious five-year plan to boost scale-ups – these represent a spectrum of capital options depending on your business stage and needs.

Kickstarter’s “All-or-Nothing” Model — What It Means and How to Succeed

Kickstarter campaigns operate on a binary funding principle: if a campaign doesn’t reach its stated goal by the deadline, no funds are collected and backers aren’t charged. This creates both urgency and protection for all parties. Campaign pages prominently display the “All or nothing” message, which creators often leverage in their promotional messaging to generate momentum Source.

For your Kickstarter success, consider these tactical approaches:

• Set a realistic, minimum viable funding goal to increase your chances of success, with stretch goals for additional features.
• Build pre-launch momentum through email lists and press outreach to avoid stalling.
• Create urgency with limited early-bird rewards and tiers that demonstrate social proof.
• Plan a concentrated push during the final 48-72 hours with updates and targeted promotions.
• Communicate transparently about timelines, prototypes, and shipping estimates.
• Prepare contingency plans in case your goal isn’t met.

The all-or-nothing model concentrates backer support while minimizing the risk of underfunded fulfillment. Examples can be seen on various campaign pages Source.

Cook County Small Business Grants — What to Know Now

For established small businesses in Cook County, the Catalyst Grant program offers up to $100,000 in growth capital to help businesses expand, hire, upgrade equipment, or scale their physical space Source.

Basic eligibility requirements include:

• Location within Cook County
• At least one full-time employee besides the owner
• Revenue between approximately $500K-$10M for 2023-2024
• Operation in eligible sectors including construction, finance, IT, manufacturing, professional services, or real estate Source

The most recent application deadline was November 14, 2025, at 5:00 PM CT. For future rounds, confirm current deadlines at the Small Business Source site. Free application support is available through Cook County’s Small Business Source Source.

For those seeking loans rather than grants, Cook County recently approved $2.4 million to expand small-business lending through community financial institutions, with each eligible to receive up to $500,000 Source.

British Business Bank: Five-Year Scale-up Plan and Implications

The British Business Bank has unveiled an ambitious five-year strategy with a decisive shift toward supporting mid- and later-stage scale-ups. The plan increases the Bank’s risk appetite and expands both the size and pace of its interventions Source.

Key commitments include:

• Targeting over 60% of venture and venture-growth investment at scale-ups
• Capacity to write much larger checks (£100m+)
• Taking on earlier and larger risk to back emerging technologies
• Making more direct investments into strategically important firms
• Increasing annual deployment by roughly two-thirds to crowd in private capital Source

For scale-up businesses, this means improved mid-stage capital availability with more domestic options for growth rounds. VC firms and fund managers should anticipate opportunities for larger institutional allocations and co-investment, while regional policymakers can leverage the plan’s emphasis on regional funds and angel networks Source.

Sources

As we approach the end of 2025, these funding mechanisms illustrate how capital access continues to evolve across business stages. For early ventures, crowdfunding models like Kickstarter offer validation and initial capital with built-in urgency. Established small businesses in targeted regions can access grants like Cook County’s program to fuel specific growth initiatives. Meanwhile, high-growth scale-ups now have enhanced prospects for larger institutional investment through national initiatives like the British Business Bank’s plan. Consider where your business sits on this spectrum and prepare accordingly—whether that means crafting compelling crowdfunding campaigns, gathering documentation for grant applications, or preparing your governance and metrics for institutional investment.