We’ve made the place presentable and all that’s left is to tighten a few nuts and bolts before we start up the machine. Until we add the finishing touches, Ulule has opened the doors to its beta version so you can get an idea of what the service is about, test it and maybe even share your comments and suggestions with us.

Oh! While we’re on the subject, we’re going to spoil your suprise: unlike most services of this type, Ulule takes no commission on the money given to you by your donors. We are Freemium.

Now for more serious matters: what does this beta version hold in store for you?

1) The Project Builder tool

This is the foundation of the Ulule Projects service. Here you’ll create your project showcase, enhance it with images (moving or not), specify the amount of funding you’re seeking and, if applicable, describe the rewards you’ll be offering your donors based on their level of participation.

It’s a sandbox, so none of these pages will be published just yet. You can make changes (over and over and over) till you have a page that’s as great as your idea.

When the Ulule site is officially launched, we’ll ask you to submit your pages for publication on the site. When you are good and ready to do so, that is.

2) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You probably have a lot of questions about how Ulule works (both inside and out). Well, you’re in luck: we’ve already got a lot of answers for you!

The FAQ will be your guide and explain how the site is organized and how it works. The FAQs are organized into seven topic areas, covering things like site basics, how you collect your donations, and how to present and promote your project. If you’re really hungry for information, you can dig into questions about invoicing, payment, accounting and taxes.

We’ve devoted lots of time and brain cells to making our FAQ as comprehensive as possible. However, it’s possible that we might have missed THE question you need answered. If that’s the case, post your question under the SOS category on Ulule Vox or contact us at support(at)ulule.com. Don’t know what Ulule Vox is? We were just about to get to that, in fact…

3) Ulule Vox, the Ulule community

Ulule Vox is a tool designed to assist people with projects, whether or not they are members of the site.

Do you have a question about a technical or administrative issue? Ulule Vox is a place where you can share your question with all the users on the site and get quick help and answers from people who’ve been there and are in the best position to help you.

You want to announce a festival, a movie screening, or post an ad for staff or equipment? You can do that on Vox too. You can easily specify start and end dates, and link your posting to a Google map, which is very useful.

Or maybe you just want to start a discussion on what the members of the French football team are going to be when they grow up, or how to make your own vuvuzela out of cardboard and scotch tape. Vox yet again.

It’s your place to do what you want, however you want to do it.

A bug, a question, a comment, or positive feedback?

There are two topics on Vox that you can use to notify us of any bugs you might run across, or to share your comments and suggestions.

- For comments on Ulule Projects and the fundraising service, go here: Ulule Projects Sandbox, comments and suggestions.

- For comments on Ulule Vox, over there: Ulule Vox Pre-launch, comments and suggestions.

We encourage you to dive in and explore, and we remind you that you can always reach us on Vox, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

One more thing… Welcome to Ulule!