Much has been made of and discussed about the JOBS act that was signed into law back in April 2012, and the impact it will have in vitalizing the funding of start-up businesses by allowing regular Americans to directly buy equity or debt in companies that they believe in. Already the passage of the law and the pending regulations that will be released by the Security and Exchange Commission in the coming months have led to a flood of new crowdfunding sites emerging onto the scene.

The question I ask myself everyday is "Why can't I just ask my computer questions and get immediate answers from other people?". When I have a question, like "what kind of tree is that standing outside of my office window?", why can't I just take a picture & upload it to Facebook, and expect to get an answer in under a minute?

Fortune 1,000 companies are obviously doing something right. They have managed to conquer their market, and, somewhere along the line, made a lot of people happy. However, we all know large corporations are certainly not perfect.

Today, as part of Microvolunteering Wednesday, we feature an opportunity found on Help From Home, a microvolunteering opportunity portal. If you’re intrigued by space or just like a fun game whenever one comes along, then have a look.

If you've ever used Kickstarter, you probably did it to make something happen; you needed some $ to launch an album, or you needed help getting your t-shirt business launched. But, the ironic thing is that that is the only thing Kickstarter will let you do. If you really need help with something to improve your life, like some money to pay for a surgery, a laptop for college, or paying for damages to your home after an accident, you're out of luck on the platform.

The use of crowdsourcing by various groups, organizations, and businesses has grown dramatically over the years with many leading names embracing its cost effectiveness and almost limitless utility. The concept of tapping into the wisdom of the crowd, however, has inevitably created off-shoot methods based on the same concept. One increasingly popular variation, “co-creation”, is carving out its own niche in this field.

Microvolunteering Wednesday is excited to bring you a microvolunteering opportunity using fun new ingredients: robotic arms, animal shelter cats, and webcams. With rooms set up for cats to interact with robotic toys, the Oregon Humane Society and AprioriControl are helping bring together internet controlled robotics with online microvolunteering.

Personalization has proven to be a key element of many successful crowdfunding campaigns, especially for creative projects.

Innovation is at the heart of product development.  That is why it's important to make sure your brand is always roasting in a hotbed of ideas.  In the case of the fortune 500 company Kimberly-Clark, that meant building a community of entrepreneurial mommies.

Whether you sell laptops, summer camp enrollment, class tuition, or anything else costing over a few-hundred dollars, there are many things you can do to help your customers pay for your product. You can offer payment plans, credit options, or you can try to rent the product out. But, all of these options put a significant stress on the buyer.