eBay Services Promotion Winner

Today we drew our eBay Services Promotion and are happy to announce Angela of Fawkner, Victoria as the winner of the $5000. Congratulations to her and thanks to all of you who entered.

AM to PM: Everyone’s blogging

It seems even the Prime Minister is jumping on the blogging bandwagon – this article in SMH tells how the PM has expanded his technological links with the public from Twitter to the blogosphere.  But concerns have been raised about the restrictions put on the comments of readers and the infrequency with which Kevin Rudd will be using this new medium. Will it fizzle out? Will he be too busy to keep his blog up to date? Will Malcolm Turnbull’s neglected blog finally give Rudd’s a run for its money?

If you’re looking to start up a personal blog or one for your business, we’d recommend giving WordPress a go. We set up our blog in a flash, it’s got just about the easiest user interface and gives users a tonne of ways to personalise their site with photos, backgrounds and more.

Website Update: Project Alert Settings

You may have noticed that your Project Alert Settings have moved over the weekend. If you want to change the categories you service or the areas you cover, you can now find the settings in your regular New Leads folder.

The change means you can now view and tweak the projects you receive from the one place.

Paper Weight

Saving money, time & the environment by cutting printer usage isn’t a new concept – but what I liked about this article is that it offers some real and tangible methods for reducing small business’ reliance on paper. But if it’s still all jargon to you, considering posting a project for an office assistant, IT or marketing guru to assess your business’ printing needs and help you cut your costs.

Spotting Fake Mail

Here’s an interesting little article on spotting fake or fraudulent emails. In response to the OzCar email affair that erupted in parliament last week, digital forensics consultant Graham Thompson reveals the main 4 ways email scams work. The good news is, spotting a fake isn’t all that difficult. It’s all about being on the lookout for things that just don’t look right – weird headings & “from” addresses, and strange requests like wiring money to Nigeria!

Email fraud is a big issue, and we take your privacy seriously – so remember that ServiceSeeking.com.au emails will never ask for your password, credit card or bank details.

New Project Form to Increase Project Listings

We’re hoping to increase the number of project listings with improvements we released yesterday to our post a project form based on some detailed analysis of visitor behaviour using Clicktale. Here’s some more information about the specific changes.

1. Auto-Categorisation

Dan built this nifty feature that shows category suggestions based on keywords in the project description. This should be much easier to use than the old industry and category drop-down menus.

2. A 3 Step Structure

We’ve broken the form into 3 clear sub-headed areas, which make it more logical and hopefully less daunting to a new visitor. Almost half of all visitors were leaving this page without interacting with the form at all, so the clean structure should help increase engagement.

3. Set your own budget

More people were having trouble with selecting from one of our pre-defined budget ranges than with anything else when posting a project. Now a visitor can simply type in their budget or check the “Not Sure” radio button.

4. Default Advanced Settings

When looking at months of data, we found that about 9 in 10 people chose a 7 day quoting period over the 14 or 30 day options. The same was true of customer intent, public vs confidential quoting, and task frequency in that most people were picking only one of the options. To make decision making easier when filling out these types of questions, we’ve switched from drop down menus to radio buttons with the most popular selections set as the default.

We’re hopeful that these changes will significantly increase the number of projects listed on the site over the coming months.

Wireframe of our new project form design

New Search Functionality

We’ve finally released functionality which allows you to refine search results and find relevant project or business listings more easily. The old category based navigation was a clumsy way of navigating through the site and we are proud to release a better version.

Try out the new site search and let us know what you think!

Listen to our Podcast for Startups

Over the past 2 years, we’ve learned a huge amount about how to launch a new online business. Over the past few weeks, we’ve started recording a series of short video segments, articles and podcasts in which we share advice about what we’ve learned.

If you are thinking of starting up a new online business, or want to expand your business to include a greater online presence, then we think there may be a few interesting insights we can share with you that could save a lot of wasted time and effort!

There’s several ways you can access our podcast:

• Subscribe via iTunes
• Visit the start-up online blog
• Subscribe to the podcast RSS feed
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel

We hope that our advice and experiences are useful for you when running your business online.

Unique Selling Point

I read a great post  the other day about how freelancers can differentiate themselves from their competitors and win more work.

In summary, the article suggests that being honest, genuine, passionate and personable are the most important characteristics when approaching new clients. If you want some tips on how to submit better quotes, then it makes for good reading.

New “How It Works” Presentation

We have discovered a great new presentation tool called “Prezi.com”.

In Prezi.com’s words,”it is a presentation tool that allows you to perform stunning non-linear presentations”. We reckon its mindblowing!

Here is the ServiceSeeking.com.au Presentation on “How It Works”. Pretty cool, huh?

http://prezi.com/43328/

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog for ServiceSeeking.com.au – the online marketplace where people bid to do work for others. Whether you need a plumber, personal trainer, accountant or website designer, ServiceSeeking.com.au gets businesses competing head to head for your work.

Stay tuned to our blog for regular posts about how ServiceSeeking.com.au works, tips for seekers, great deals for businesses and ideas about how to use the the revolutionary bidding platform to cross jobs off your To Do list.

For more info, head to ServiceSeeking.com.au today!

Around the Home: Living Room

Does your family space need a makeover? There are a million and one things you can do to give your living room a boost. Here are just a few ideas:

Entertainment: why go to the cinema when you can experience theatre-quality entertainment facilities at home? Replace your old TV and VCR with a new Plasma or LCD television and DVD player, get a set top box to view all your favourite shows in High Definition and upgrade to surround sound with new speakers. An electrician can quickly and easily install your new home entertainment system.

Lighting: get an electrician in to replace your faulty light globes with long-lasting energy efficient ones.

Climate control: summer is on its way, so consider installing ceiling fans to keep the family cool. Unlike air-conditioning units which can be bulky and expensive, each fan costs around $15 to run per year – saving you hundreds on your electrical bill and helping the environment at the same time. Ceiling fans are also much cheaper to install and repair than air conditioners and heaters.

Floors: give your living room a brand new look by getting a carpenter in to lay floorboards in just about any colour timber you can imagine. Alternatively, a floor professional can create a Mediterranean feel with sandstone or tiles or advise you on the best colour and texture carpet to suit your taste.

Furniture: don’t break your back trying to move old couches and tables around or loading them into a car for a trip to the tip or to your new home. Furniture removal specialists can get the job done in a fraction of the time and without damaging any delicate items.

Cleaning: hire a cleaner for a once-off spring clean or on a regular basis to vacuum and mop, dust and scrub to have your living areas looking like brand new.

To post a job for your living room, click here and follow the easy 2-step process.

Around the home: Bedroom

Scratching your head for ways to improve the your bedroom? Here are some handy tips.

Painting: Giving your bedroom a new coat of paint can really change the whole look and feel of the room. You can also co-ordinate the colour of the walls with fresh and interesting bedspreads, linen and towels.

Floors: if your carpet is causing you too much hassle to vacuum and keep free of stains, consider ripping it up altogether and getting a carpenter to lay floorboards. Not only will they be easy to keep clean, floorboards can also help cool your room in the summer months.

Storage: if your bedroom is getting cluttered and you need new and interesting storage solutions, there are a number of businesses out there to help. Interior designers can assess the kind of storage that would suit your room, advise you on the merits of shelving versus drawers versus cabinets, and source all the products for you. Alternatively, if you’re looking for unique ways to store your clothes, books, manchester and more, an experience carpenter can build it from scratch for less than you might first think.

To post a job for your bedroom, click here.

Around the Home: Nursery

If you’re welcoming a new baby into the home, the last thing you want to spend time on is planning and redecorating the new room or nursery.

Forget DIY painting that turns into a costly disaster or trying to assemble a cot or change table – get a tradesperson in to do it for you.

Painters can give the room a soothing new colour, electricians can install nightlights or fans to regulate the temperature, and a handyman can take care of all the odd jobs like putting up furniture or installing safety features to keep doors and catches out of the way of little fingers.

To post a job for your baby’s new room, click here and use ServiceSeeking.com.au’s easy 2 stage process.

Around the Home: Kitchen

There are a tonne of jobs around the kitchen that may need doing, and if you don’t have the time or energy to do them yourself, why not get someone with the know-how to do it for you?

Cleaning: every kitchen needs a good, regular clean, but if you need more than the usual maintenance work, consider hiring a professional cleaner. Not only will they have an eye for detail, they’ll even go above and beyond the normal tasks, and can clean out your fridge to get rid of any old food or out-of-date products, clean and organise your pantry, do the dishes and even cook meals for you and the family!

Plumbing: if you have a running tap, a leaky dishwasher or want to install a fancy new sink, a local plumber is the way to go.

Appliances: next time your toaster breaks down, don’t go sticking a knife in there and think it’ll make it better – get a qualified professional in to sort out the problem. Most electricians repair household appliances, but for specialist equipment it’s a good idea to seek advice from the manufacturer.

To post a job for your kitchen, click here and follow the easy 2 step process.

Around the Home: Laundry

Sick of washing, drying, ironing and folding the family’s clothes every day?

Residential cleaners do more than just dusting and mopping – they can also provide you with a simple and easy solution to your laundry hassles. An experienced household cleaner can come to your home on a regular basis and take care of your laundry, or they can pick it up from you, take it to a Laundromat and deliver it fresh and clean the same day. It’s a great solution for professionals and workers who just don’t have the time to take care of all the day-to-day chores around the house.

To post a job for your laundry, click here and follow the easy 2 step process.

Around the Home: Bathroom

A good bathroom can really make or break a house.

Next time your shower starts leaking, or when that 20 year old basin is on its last legs, consider doing more than a quick patch up job. Plumbers, tilers and bathroom specialists can help you give your bathroom a makeover. They can also supply you with energy efficient showerheads, water saving mixer taps and the best new bath designs that the whole family will love.

To post a job for your bathroom, click here and follow the easy 2 step process.

Around the Home: Garden

Need a landscaper? Someone to install your pool or spa? Whether you just want the lawn mowed or you want to install new garden beds and plants, replace old pavers or create a great outdoor living space, now is the right time to get it done.

Garden gurus can also help you save on your water bills, by installing a rainwater tank and pump to store water for the garden or for your washing machine and toilet facilities. They’ll also help you take advantage of the great government rebates available for water recycling and management.

To post a project for your garden, click here and follow the easy 2 step process.

Around the Home: Garage

Is your street low on parking spaces? Need a place to store all that garden equipment or house your latest hobby?

Builders and garage specialists can help you set up and maintain anything from a small shed to a four car carport in a fraction of the time it would take to do it yourself.

 To post a job for your garage, click here and follow the easy 2 step process.

Around the Office

Does your business need a makeover?  Are you looking to save time and money by outsourcing your business tasks? Here are some examples of tasks you can get done:

* Bookkeeping and accounting

* Website design

* Marketing

* Logo, business cards and stationery design

* Business finance and insurance

* Legal and intellectual property services

* Office administration

To get service providers bidding for your office work, click here and post a job.

Around the Office: Accounting & Bookkeeping

Whether you’re a solo business trader or you run a small business with numerous employees, tax time can send a shiver down your spine. Instead of spending hours tallying up receipts and filling out confusing forms, why not get a professional to do it for you? Accountants & bookkeepers can take the hassle out of the end of the financial year,  as well as help you with the day-to-day running of your business, including:

* record keeping

* profit and loss statements

* accounts payable and receivable

* financial planning

* business structure advice

* cash flow management services

* eligibility for government grants like R&D

* reforms to government legislation

* superannuation

To post a job and get accountants & bookkeepers bidding against each other for your work, click here.

Around the Office: Website Design

There’s no doubting that a web presence is fast becoming a necessity for businesses of all sizes. Whether you run a local smash repair shop, a bookkeeping service, are a graphic designer, a plumber or a cleaner, having your own website can boost your profile and give new customers a place to learn all about who you are and what you do.

These days, a website can be much more than just a few pages of information.

Website design professionals can build you a website that includes:

* flash animation

* photos and videos to educate your customers about your services

* a database of customer information

* an online sales section with shopping trolley functionality and a secure payment facility

To get web designers bidding against each other to build your site, click here.

Around the Office: Marketing

Marketing is an essential part of every business’ strategy, and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) spend between $12,000 and $50,000 a year on pulling in new customers (as well as keeping the existing ones). Rather than playing a time consuming guessing game when it comes to deciding how to market your business, consider getting a professional to put the pieces of the puzzle together for you.

Marketing gurus don’t have to cost the world, and can help you:

* research and define your target market

* decide the most effective marketing mix (direct mail marketing, directory listings, online marketing, radio, print, TV and outdoor advertising options)

*harness the power of the internet with SEO and SEM

* plan how to allocate your marketing budget

* help you set short term and marketing goals to keep you on track

To get competitive quotes from marketing gurus, click here.

Around the Office: Creating a Brand

Whether you’ve just started up your business and need a logo, or you want to revamp your existing brand and image, graphic designers are ready to help you get it done.

Every business needs a fresh, unique and eye-catching logo. To promote your services outside the office, it’s a great idea to have a matching set of business cards, letterheads, envelopes and other stationery.

Graphic designers can:

* show you examples of their previous work

* create a variety of logo options for you to choose from

* send you all their work via email and work remotely

* make revisions quickly and easily according to your needs

* make your logo compatible with your website or existing stationery

To get graphic designers bidding head to head for your work, click here.

Around the Office: Finance & Insurance

Need a new finance strategy for your business? Don’t have the time or experience to assess your business’ financial prospects yourself?

Financial advisors who specialise in small business can assist you in evaluating your business’ finance needs, developing a better strategy for the future and sourcing new funds.

You can get expert advice on how to:

* expand your finance as your business grows

* develop and market new products

* enter new markets

* finance any changes of premises or acquisitions

* choose the right source of finance

* assess the risks involved in different financial models

Insurance is also a vital part of running a small business. Insurance consultants can advise you on the right type of cover for your business (whether you’re a tradesperson, run a retail business, work in the hospitality industry or run a business from home) and tailor a package to suit your needs and budget.

To post competitive quotes for your financial or insurance needs, click here.

Around the Office: Legal Services

For most SMEs, having an in-house legal expert is unneccessary, but from time to time you may require legal advice about banking and finance, funds management, mergers, superannuation, workplace relations or intellectual property. Instead of stumbling around in the dark trying to sort out legal issues yourself, get a professional to shed some light on how to:

* register a trademark or patent a product

* deal with competition in your industry

* register your opposition to another business’ trademark application

* manage workplace disputes over pay, employment conditions or contracts

* keep up to date with relevant government regulations and reform

To post a job for your business’ needs, click here.

Around the Office: Admin Services

Is your home office or workplace a pigsty? Are you losing important receipts and documents because your filing system is faulty or unreliable? Sometimes the easiest, cheapest and best way to boost your business’ efficiency is to get an admin makeover.

Whether you need a new record keeping strategy, office furniture, customer database, customer service system or you’re looking to upgrade your computer hardware and software, there are plenty of people out there with the know-how to make it happen.

To get businesses bidding head to head to do the work for you, click here.

Build a Better Profile

ServiceSeeking.com.au is not just a business marketplace – it’s also a new and dynamic form of directory listing. Forget paying huge amounts for a tiny ad in a bulky paper book. You can create a full and comprehensive business profile online for customers all around Australia to view. It’s like a bigger, better business card.

When you register as a provider with ServiceSeeking.com.au, you’ll be prompted to fill out your business information, contact details and more. At any time, you can edit your profile by clicking on the link on the left hand menu of your account page.

Information You Need to Include

Your provider profile is what customers can see once you’ve placed a bid on their job or sent them a message. The absolute essentials of a profile are your business name, location, email address, business phone number and a description of your company and the work you do.

If you haven’t included enough information, your account will be labeled ‘incomplete’.

Extra Details to Make You Stand Out

For businesses that really want to impress new customers, there is room to include details about:

* your experience (your position in the company, other companies you’ve worked for and past roles)

* your qualifications (relevant licences and certificates)

* education details (tertiary qualifications, diplomas)

* and even examples of previous work and referees’ contact details

Logos

If you’ve participated in a special business offer with ServiceSeeking.com.au, you’ll receive a logo in your profile to let seekers know about it.

Creating and editing your provider profile is easy – just log in to ServiceSeeking.com.au and click “Profile” from the left hand menu.

How to Manage Your Job Leads

ServiceSeeking.com.au providers recieve job alerts via email when jobs matching their industry are posted on the site.

 

Getting Job Alerts

Finding customers who need your services is easy with ServiceSeeking.com.au. Once you’ve registered as a provider and filled out your profile (see above), you’ll need to set your job filter so that you only get the job leads you want. You can narrow your filter by industry category and sub-categories, and change the location of your leads.

Changing Your Job Filter & Coverage

To change your job filter, click in Settings from the left hand menu in your account page. Then select Job Filter.

To change your coverage, click Edit and then select Country for Australia-wide leads, or State to receive job leads from one state only. If you want to narrow your coverage further, select Post Code.

 

Changing Alert Settings

ServiceSeeking.com.au alerts you via email whenever certain actions are performed on the website, including when jobs are posted in your category and area, and when a seeker sends you a message. You can switch these alerts on or off to better suit your needs.

As a provider, you can choose to receive job alerts every time a job is posted, once daily or not at all. If you turn all your alerts off, make sure you continue to return to the site so that you’re up to date with job leads and bidding to win work.

 

Deleting Jobs

If you don’t want to follow up with a job lead, just go to Provider Activity in your account page, select New Job Leads and tick the box next to any unwanted jobs. Select Discard to move these jobs to the Discarded Jobs folder. If you’ve made a mistake and want to bid on the job, click on the job name in the Discarded Jobs folder and select Reinstate from the Actions menu.

Tips for Top Tenders

ServiceSeeking.com.au is an interactive online marketplace, where businesses, individuals and freelancers quote on the projects, tasks and chores of customers from all over Australia. Here are some tips for businesses when it comes to quoting on open projects.

Information to Provide

The crucial information to provide in a quote is how much you plan to charge for the project. If the customer has provided plenty of information, you should be able to give a total price for the project as well as an hourly rate. But remember – this information alone won’t win you the project. The best quotes are those which specifically reference the projects details, give the customer lots of information and are easy for the customer to read.

Make sure you explain who you are, what your business does and why you’re the right person for the job. While your Business Profile should contain all your business details and qualifications, it’s always a good idea to let the customer know about your level of experience and any similar projects you have completed in the past. You can even give a reference number so the customer can speak to your past clients. Also, if the customer asks any specific questions, be sure to answer them in your quote.

Questions to Ask

Sometimes customers are a little sketchy on the details. If you need more information before submitting an accurate quote, start by giving the customer a rough quote with an hourly rate. Mention that you need more information before you can give a proper quote, and ask any relevant questions.

Add an Attachment

Adding an attachment to your quote is a great way to help you stand out from the crowd. You can attach a photo of a previous job, your resume, examples of previous work or anything else that you think might help the customer make up their mind.

The DOs and DON’Ts of Quoting

Follow these simple rules to improve your quotes and increase your success rate with ServiceSeeking.com.au customers:

* Be friendly and courteous (“Hi there, my name’s Darren and I’m a residential cleaner…”)

* Offer advice if the customer seems unsure of what kind of work they need done

* Check your spelling and punctuation before submitting your quote

* Always use full sentences

* Let the customer know when you’re available to do the work, and how long you think it may take

* DON’T WRITE IN ALL CAPITALS. IT’S AN EASY WAY TO PUT PEOPLE OFF AND MAKE YOU SEEM AGGRESSIVE OR UNFRIENDLY

* Don’t leave a blank quote – at least give the customer a rough idea of what you charge

Marketing for Less

Valerie Khoo’s article in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday has some handy tips for those looking to market their business on a small budget. If you’re looking for low-cost, effective ways to get your business out there and reach a greater number and variety of customers, consider using email newsletters, creating podcasts and even speaking at relevant functions and industry events.

A blog, like this one, is a great way to keep customers coming back for more information on your services and products. But, as Valerie warns, be prepared to keep it up to date or your subscribers will quickly lose interest!

If you want advice from marketing experts on the best ways to reach your audience while reducing excess costs, post a project today. Experts in our Marketing, Advertising & Sales category are hungry for your work and are ready to fight for it with ServiceSeeking.com.au.

Business Tips from a Cricket Coach?

So, you’ve got an office full of staff. Things are going well, no staplers and hole punchers are being thrown across the room in fits of rage – and yet, you know everyone isn’t working to their full potential, and your business is lacking that atmosphere of teamwork and co-operation that pushes up productivity and makes you jump out of bed in the morning to head off to work.

Former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan might not be the first person you’d turn to – international one day matches and the intricacies of wicket-keeping hardly seem of interest to a business in need of staff management solutions. But he’s exactly the man Dynamic Business Magazine spoke to in this article on how to manage a winning team of staff. Buchanan provides a number of tips on inspiring your employees and creating a friendlier and more productive working environment.

If you like what you read and want to know more, find your own business guru with ServiceSeeking.com.au  today. Who knows, you could be getting advice from a waterpolo coach or the captain of the Hockeyroos in no time!

Big Kids from Big Families Make Big Business

The Sensis Business Index has found that those running Small to Medium Enterprises are more likely to come from big families (ones with an average of 3.54 kids), and they’re more likely to be the eldest child. The results of the Index, published in SmartCompany, show that 41% of the 1800 SME operators surveyed are the eldest in their family, with just 5% being only children.

So, keep and eye on the next generation – while the youngest child is being spoiled and pampered, and the much maligned middle child is rebelling against authority, the eldest will probably be forging their way as an entrepreneur extraordinaire.

Getting the most out of your job

Recently, some seekers have been asking us why they haven’t received any bids. But after analysing their project listings it’s generally no surprise. 

Typically, customers who put the minimum amount of effort into their project description get an underwhelming response. On the other hand, customers who spend the time to specify exactly what they need tend to get more responses of much better quality.

One benefit of putting work out to tender is that you have control of the process, especially when setting the scope of works. If you are not demanding from the first instance, you are simply handing control back to bidders. So a quick word of advice, if you need something done, please be demanding and specify everything you need in detail. It will help you get a better response and unlock better value!

How to win more jobs!

Lately, we have noticed that many providers are bidding without committing to a bid amount and asking for the customer to call them for more information – eg “Call joe for a quote on 999 33 628″ or something like that.

Sometimes this is because the seeker has not provided enough detail for anyone to place a quote, which is understandable. But at other times, this is simply lazy bidding.

For you lazy bidders, I bring bad news! We have discovered that bids like this are largely being ignored. We have found that bidders who take the time to construct a project brief have much greater chances of success. A better bid would be as follows:

“Similar jobs to yours have taken me up to 20 hours. My quote of $1000 is for 20 hours of labour at $50 per hour (excluding taxes). I will charge any materials required at cost back to you and any additional labour at $50 per hour. I am licensed (#123456), qualified and fully insured. To give a more accurate quote on the whole job including materials, I will need to make a site inspection, I am free to do this next Wednesday or Thursday morning. Please call Joe on 999 33 628 to arrange this.”

High praise for one of our service providers

It has come to our attention that one of our Computers & IT service providers, Naveen Gorky, is showing consumers exactly how good ServiceSeeking.com.au is for finding great quality providers. He is constantly bidding on new work and delivering that work to a very high standard.

Congratulations Naveen – thank you for being a part of our community.

One Million Burgers Sold!

….I mean, one million pages served. You see, today we clocked up our ONE MILLIONTH page view at ServiceSeeking.com.au since launch! We thought you might like to know.

Is it time to revisit your budgets?

Peter Crocker commented in a recent article “Is your business leaking money?” that “budgeting and cost management is often overlooked. Because it is boring… at least for me”.

I’m sure a lot of entrepreneurs feel the same way. The mindset you need to start or grow a business is not always compatible with a good management ethos. Executing ideas requires a focus on the bigger picture and some calculated risk-taking, which is often at odds with a good operational mindset, where focus on the fine print and detail of a situation is crucial.

Recent reports suggest that families and businesses are going to be under pressure from the RBA for a while before things get better. Rate cuts probably will not come in til 2009 and things are to get worse before they get better. It may be a good time to bite the bullet and either have a look at costs and budgets yourself, or get someone to do it for you.

We are seeing great competition at ServiceSeeking.com.au for accounting, financal planning and bookkeeping advice, and also have dozens of business consultants who may be able to provide more strategic long-term cost management and budgeting advice. If you do choose to Post a Job looking for budgeting assistance, please be specific with what you need! Detail which areas you are strong in and where your business weaknesses lie, that way, professionals can tailor a package which complements your skills.

Is haggling set for a come-back?

This SmartCompany article reports that US retailers are starting to allow customers to haggle on price with sales staff.

True markets are wonderful places to visit. They are full of excitement, tension and fun for both customers and vendors. Much better than the rigid sterility of most retailers these days. There is nothing quite like the thrill of a good negotiation; the theatrics, the poker-faces, the walkout, sealing the deal.

I can’t wait for this trend to catch on here in Australia!

ServiceSeeking.com.au launches new design

If you’re a regular, you might have noticed our new look. We have spent a fair bit of time re-designing the whole of ServiceSeeking.com.au to make it easier for customers to list the work they need done, and for Service Providers to Bid.

The biggest change with the new application is the consolidation of ALL project and account related information into a single area callled “Your Account”.

But we’re just gettin’ warmed up! The new design is just one of many functional and design changes scheduled for release between now and the middle of the year. So have a look at the new site and let us know what you think, especially if you find anything that needs to be fixed or doesn’t quite seem right to you. If you suggest something, we’ll consider including it in the very near future.

ServiceSeeking.com.au sponsors Speak Up Sydney

We are a proud to announce our sponsorship of Speak Up Sydney, an initiative of RAYV – Australia’s coolest business review website. Speak Up Sydney is a competition where Sydney residents can write an online review of Sydney businesses and win cash and prizes for their efforts.

At ServiceSeeking.com.au we want more people to get in the habit of reviewing businesses online and sharing their experiences with the community. Too few great businesses have been given the recognition they deserve from happy customers, and too many poor performers have never been held accountable for shoddy work!

If you have had a great experience with a Sydney based business, through ServiceSeeking.com.au or otherwise, then Speak Up today!

The Cancer Council’s POSH Ball

On Saturday night, ServiceSeeking.com.au hosted a table at the NSW Cancer Council POSH Ball in Sydney. All those at our table had a great time and we congratulate the Cancer Council, the POSH committee and all other sponsors for combining to create such a great event (and the good people at Panadol for their assistance on Sunday morning!).

It was particularly interesting to hear the keynote address from leading Australian neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo. He spoke of how funds raised by charity events directly impact upon cancer sufferers. He gave Leukaemia as an example. 20 years ago, the survival rate of those suffering from this disease was just 15%. Today, the statistic is reversed with 85% of sufferers surviving, largely on the back of dedicated funding and research. He claimed that with similar levels of funding and research committed to other less common cancers, like brain, liver or bowel cancer, we could see similar statistical reversals over time in these diseases.

There are plenty of ways to get involved in Cancer research. Some of these are listed on the Cancer Council Website.

The Variety of the Market

One thrill of running ServiceSeeking.com.au is discovering niches within the economy. The great thing about the internet is that it gives people relatively easy access to a Long Tail of niches, and it is great to be part of a thriving marketplace which is quickly expanding into all kinds of economic nooks and crannies.

For instance, today I received an email from a member who doesn’t just do Furniture Removal, but specialises in difficult access furniture removals. Yesterday, we received an email from a Cleaning company who clean nothing else but BBQs. It is great to know that businesses who provide services to such defined niches are supporting us with their patronage.

It is also interesting to see the variety in the types of people who are signing up. Some or our members are huge corporations with national coverage. Some are students just looking for casual odd jobs to do. Some are mother’s looking to work from home, some are professionals looking for extra cash on the weekends, others are corporates who are looking to break free of the rat-race and start their own business.

This variety will ultimately set our marketplace apart from others. Our strength is that we have variety both in the breadth of industries we cover, and the depth within each industry down to the niches like barbecue cleaning or difficult access removals.

No Stats, No Sales

Since the launch of ServiceSeeking.com.au, we have been approached by several online publications selling ad space. The first thing I always ask the sales rep is “what are your visitor numbers like like?” Surprisingly, the reply on several occassions has been “I’m not sure what the latest numbers are. I will send you a PDF.” When this document arrives, often the terms of unique browsers, visits, hits and page views tend to be presented in favour of the advertiser eg page views are called “hits” or some other generic term which makes the site look like it’s getting loads of traffic.

Here’s a tip – unless the sales rep can present accurate data, don’t buy their advertising. Accurate analystics tools are so easy to install, that any sales rep should be able to provide a complete break-down of unique browsers, visits, and page views on the spot. Don’t trust those that can’t.

What does Green mean for business profits?

“Green”, “Eco-sustainable”, “Environmentally Friendly” are all going to be big buzzwords in 2008, but what do they mean to consumers? We are conducting a worldwide poll on how “green” business practices could effect business profits.

We are asking whether consumers are prepared to pay more for environmentally friendly goods and services. Currently, opinion is split down the middle.

Results are in

The results are in for our online poll. From a sample of 255 people worldwide, 52% responded that they would be prepared to pay more for environmentally friendly goods and services, 25% were undecided and 23% were against paying more for evironmentally friendly. Would you pay more to go green?

Experience ceBIT on us

CeBIT is Australasia’s #1 business technology event. In Sydney from 20-22 May this year, more than 700 businesses paving the way in areas like marketing & SEO, software, VoIP and clean technology will exhibit their wares.

ServiceSeeking.com.au is exhibiting at the event and has a limited number of free passes to give away. At the show, you will be able to speak to us about the website and find out a bit more about our development plans. If you’d like a free ticket, email support@serviceseeking.com.au with your name and address before May 5.

See us at ceBIT

We are busy putting the final touches to our CeBIT stand next week.  For the stand, most of the things we needed, we sourced from within our own marketplace.

We has businesses fighting for our Polo shirt printing, Banner design and print, flyer artwork and print all through ServiceSeeking.com.au. For each job, we had several quotes, got the right person at the right price.

We’ll be showing you how you can get stuff done in person at the CeBIT show at Darling Harbour next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Come down and say hello.

ServiceSeeking.com.au’s Burma Appeal – $2 per new job listed

For the next month, ServiceSeeking.com.au will be donating $2 for every new job posted on the site to the Red Cross Burma Appeal to help people affected by cyclone Nargis.

It’s an easy way for people to be charitable and get something done at the same time. Since the initial email distribution went out to members last night, we have received several touching replies of support and hope our contribution can make a difference. We would also like to correct our email (if you received it) which claimed “hundreds of thousands had died” which is, as it turns out, an overestimation.

Business Centre Launches!

Last week we quitely turned on our “Business Centre” which is an area of the website where our members can get information and special deals which help them run their own businesses better.

In the long-run, we want ServiceSeeking.com.au to be a comprehensive marketplace for services where businesses can find new customers, outsource  tasks to suppliers, get market-leading rates on goods and services they need to run their own businesses as well as access to educational and administrative information and assistance.

Currently, ServiceSeeking.com.au members can take out an NRMA Business Insurance Policy and get a free 3 month ServiceSeeking.com.au subscription worth $225. Go to “Business Centre” in Your Account page for more information on our current deals.

77% of consumers prefer to deal with insured businesses

We have been running a survey in the last weeks asking every new service seeker the following question, “When looking to hire a contractor/small busines for a job would you show preference to a business which is completely insured?”

77% of the 298 respondents so far indicated that they would prefer to hire a contractor who is fully insured. Whilst it may seem a no-brainer to most of us, if you run a business and do not have the appropriate insurance cover in place, you are not only running the risk of suffering damages if something goes wrong, but you are missing out on potential customers.

ICT Careers at TAFE NSW

Last night, I made a short presentation to an enthusiastic group of prospective TAFE students as part of the South West Sydney IT & C careers week. We are currently developing a pilot program with TAFE SWSI to give special assistance and site access for students whilst they study.

We want to develop an inclusive community of well educated and qualified service providers, and feel that the best way to do this is through providing incentives and access to educational resources. If you can think of some ways we can improve the standard of our member base, please let us know!

Cleaners: improve the 15% conversion rate

PRQ Property Services reports that the average conversion rate from quote to new client in the cleaning industry is just 15%. At this rate, the average cleaning business would have to submit 7 or 8 quotes before winning a new client.

If you want to know how to increase this rate, PRQ conduct regular seminars with information and advice for cleaning businesses to win more clients. Their next seminar is on August 30th in North Sydney and they are currently offering an early bird special of $395 for people who register before August 20.

Click here to find out more about PRQ and their next seminar.

Collaborate Online for Start-Up Equity

I’m interested in a new start-up called Webequity which launched last week. Basically, the site allows entrepreneurs to collaborate on start up business projects. For instance, a web designer might create the web application for a new business and take 20%, an accountant might do the corporate structure, bookkeeping and taxes for 10%, and a publicist will do the PR for 10% leaving the orginiator with the rest.

It will be an interesting model to watch. For cash-strapped entrepreneurs, this could be a great way to get a business off the ground with little in the way of start-up capital. For skilled service providers, an early stage commitment to a good business idea could be a great way maxmise the value of labour.

Could be worth checking out…

Dot Com Branding Change

You may have noticed that we have started referring to ourselves as ServiceSeeking.com.au rather than plain old Service Seeking in the past few months.

We have intentionally made this change to re-inforce the fact that we are an online brand and to differentiate our offer from other agency type services which may have an online booking system, but where the bulk of customer interaction happens offline.

As part of this change, we have had our logo re-designed which will soon be released and is shown below. Thanks to one of our long-standing service provider members, Jamie from Insight Graphic Design and Illustration for his work.

New Logo

Adsense Trial

As you can probably tell, we have been trialling Google Adsense advertisements on this blog for the last few weeks. We are playing around to see whether it would be worthwhile to introduce some display advertising into our main site. Whilst display ads could help generate a secondary source of revenue, we don’t want to cannibase or detract from the main purpose of our site by leading people to external sites. 

We are going to try banner ads on the blog instead of text ads and I’ll report back on which version generated the most revenue per page impresssion in a few weeks!

Business on the Move

Do you conduct your business from your car, home or brief case? Are you a tradesman, franchisee or mobile operator? If so, you might be interested in checking out the Business on the Move event being held on 23 Sept in Sydney.

The event is part of Small Business Month which the NSW Dept of State and Regional development is hosting to help small business owners across the state run their businesses better.

There are some fantastic events on the program across the entire month of September that all small business owners may be interested in. One of our Business Centre partners NRMA Insurance is a major sponsor of the event.

The Gender Politics of Household Chores

Most of us would like to think that the days of the 1950s housewife are gone, but time and time again surveys have shown us that women are still responsible for most of the household tasks, including cleaning, washing, ironing, walking the dog and looking after the kids. Now, ServiceSeeking.com.au can reveal that while that still may be the case, Australian women are cottoning on to the online service revolution. Thousands of women all around the country are posting their household jobs on the internet and letting tech-savvy businesses bid to do the work for them.

A recent study of ServiceSeeking.com.au’s 16,000 customers has come up with some interesting (if not entirely surprising) finds. Over 70% of customers looking to outsource their tasks in the categories of domestic cleaning, home handiwork, childcare and pet minding are women. Women just like Amanda Wallace, who went to ServiceSeeking.com.au looking for a household cleaner. Within minutes, Amanda had posted her job on the site, and just a day later she had cleaners in her local area bidding against each other to do the work. “It was just so easy,” says Amanda, “and for hardly any money at all I’ve now freed up my day to do more important things than mopping the floors or washing my kids’ dirty clothes.”

So, while it seems women are still in control when it comes to domestic duties, with the advent of websites like ServiceSeeking.com.au, they’re now getting others to do the hard yakka for them.

Bathrooms – it’s a woman’s world

When it comes to calling the shots over bathroom renovations, it seems women are behind the trigger. According to our recent survey, 4 out of every 5 bathroom makeover jobs are initiated by women. So what’s behind the statistic? Are women just fussier when it comes to the colour of the floor tiles or the height of the towel rack? Or have men been booted out of the bathroom to make way for women who know what they want and how to get it?

Beyond the speculation over bathroom gender politics, the prevalence of women as decision makers in this category can give bathroom businesses some handy hints. If more and more women are seeking out tilers, plumbers and shower manufacturers, the way interior design and bathroom fittings are advertised should mould to fit the new target market – cashed up Kates with an eye for detail and a passion for finding the right loo or wash basin. Perhaps tradespeople and bathroom builders should be re-evaluating everything from their showrooms to their ads and websites so that they appeal to every Tina, Deb and Harriet on the prowl for a good deal.

Bathrooms are big business, and understanding just who’s buying and what they’re looking for is crucial if the industry wants to keep a hold of nearly 80% of its customers. If you’re looking to revamp your bathroom, post a new job today.

Getting fit – it’s personal

More than 70% of people searching for a personal trainer are female.

The rise of the personal trainer (complete with boxing gloves, barbells and body shaping techniques) has been meteoric over the last ten years. More and more Australians are dragging the fitness professionals out of the gyms and into local parks or even their own backyard in order to slim down and tone up. But while men are still more likely to head to the gym and work out with other fitness fanatics looking on, women are more comfortable with a personalised training routine, a friendly face and a fitness expert by their side.

There’s no doubt that gyms can be a scary place – especially if you’re already feeling self conscious about that gut or the weight you’ve put on over winter. And the big body builders shaping their triceps in front of the wall-to-wall mirrors don’t make the experience any more pleasant. The gym business has pumped a lot of money recently into creating more comfortable and welcoming spaces for women, including dedicated women-only facilities like Fernwood or Curves. But women like Tracey Grimes still prefer to train out in the open air and benefit from one-on-one tutoring. “Personal training means that I can get fit and healthy by spending just an hour a day with my trainer. I don’t have to waste time driving to the gym and back and the flexibility means I can work out in the early morning or on my lunch break…sometimes even late at night! And I also get tips from my trainer about better eating habits and how to make the most of my exercise time.”

If you want to find out all the benefits of a personal trainer, post a job today.

Customer Feedback and New Functionality

From the last week, we have learned so much from customer suggestions. So for those of you who have written in with great hints, tips, constructive criticisms etc, we thank you! We base almost all of our development decisions on what you, our customers want. We can’t assure everyone that their suggestion will be taken on board, but most of them will eventually become live changes to the system.

The biggest changes we are working on involve managing project lists. Over the coming months we will be adding new filters, sort functions, and features to manage projects for casual and regular users. We are not a “build it and they will come” type of company, but build functionality to a needs basis, so keep your great suggestions coming!

Cleaning in the spotlight

This article in SmartCompany predicts moderate growth in the domestic and office cleaning industry over the next few years, and discusses the reasons why more households and businesses are outsourcing their cleaning needs.

Here at ServiceSeeking.com.au, cleaning is big business – and an annual growth rate of 3.5% sounds a bit modest to us. Seekers looking for commercial or residential cleaning services are posting projects with us every day, and the number of cleaning gurus registering is growing steadily to meet demand.

Home owners and renters have long realised the value of weekly, end of lease or once-off cleaning services, giving them peace of mind and reducing the stress of coming home to all the mess and chores of daily life. We believe the next step is for businesses of all sizes to catch on to the trend – and outsource their cleaning services for greater business focus and lower overhead costs. With an abundance of cleaners hungry for your work and willing to fight to do it for less, post a project with ServiceSeeking.com.au today to get your office area looking new again.

Cyber Crime and How to Fight it

Spam emails, malware, viruses, identity theft and online fraud – almost enough to make your business return to the old days of hard copy mail and computer illiteracy!

A recent article in Dynamic Business Magazine discusses the growing worry of cyber crime and what businesses can do to minimise the threat (and annoyance) of spam emails, viruses and scams.

Whether you want to reduce the amount of junk emails you delete every day or secure your business’ IT future with network protection and more frequent backup systems, post a job with ServiceSeeking.com.au today. IT professionals and security experts can advise you on the right strategy and applications to help you breathe a little easier and feel safer doing business on the net.

The Mid-Afternoon Snooze

Think nodding off at work is the ultimate sin? Think again!

Many business people are bringing the European ’siesta’ to Australian companies in the form of a 20 minute ‘power nap’ to refresh, revitalise and rev workers up for increased productivity.

Flying Solo, a website for freelancers and solo business owners, has 10 tips for the perfect nap, to help with memory retention, to lift mood and to lower stress levels.

So when that 3 o’clock urge to drop the eyelids enters your office – consider giving in and dozing off in the name of smart business.

Here’s hoping ServiceSeeking.com.au catches on!

Outsourcing with ServiceSeeking.com.au

I stumbled across a great article in Dynamic Business Magazine today. Insight into Outsourcing provides a comprehensive run-down of what it means to outsource your business tasks, how it can be done, and all the joys and possible pitfalls of letting others do the marketing, accounting or IT legwork for you.

With 1 in 3 small businesses having contracted out some parts of their business last year, and 1 in 3 doing contract work for other companies, outsourcing is no longer the tool of big business. If you want your business to focus on its core functions and have experts do the rest – outsourcing is the answer. And with ServiceSeeking.com.au, getting the accounts done, building a web presence or marketing your brand to a wider audience is cheaper than you’d think.

We look forward to the day when there is a whole community of small businesses outsourcing their functions to each other – accountants helping marketers helping accountants helping caterers helping out with office parties!

And with freelancers and professionals in over 400 industry categories at your fingertips, that day isn’t far away. Start outsourcing on ServiceSeeking.com.au today by posting a project with us!

IT professionals in demand

Last week SmartCompany published the results of a survey of IT confidence –

It seems 72% of IT gurus think their services are in demand, and 78% plan to leave their current employer to move onwards and upwards within 12 months.

Our experience at ServiceSeeking.com.au has shown that IT pros certainly are in demand – seekers are constantly coming to our site in search of the right person to build their website, manage their network or optimise their presence on search engines and online directories.

And supply is definitely meeting demand! An IT project listed just 12 hours ago has already attracted 7 bids, and by the time each IT listing comes to an end one happy seeker has numerous freelancers, web designers and computer gurus to choose from.

To harness the experience and skills of IT professionals ready to battle it our for your work, post a job on ServiceSeeking.com.au now.

Search Engine Optimisation

‘Search Engine Optimisation’ may sound more like a term from Star Trek than the marketing tool of the future, but there’s a booming industry out there to help your small business get noticed in busy cyberspace.

There’s a growing need for businesses to get their websites up the top of search engine results, so users can quickly and efficiently navigate to the site. Welcome SEO – it can provide a number of solutions to your online marketing woes, through tailoring your website to include keywords and make it more ‘searchable’ for your users.

A great way to optimise your search engine presence, and one ServiceSeeking.com.au is all too familiar with, is what I’m doing right now – blogging. Creating and regularly updating a web log or online business diary can keep current users notified of changes to a website, and provide new and old visitors with relevant information about the things that matter to them.

This article in SmartCompany gives small businesses tips on getting to the top of Google and other engine searches – handy hints that have already helped Service Seeking get noticed. For instance, including key phrases like ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ in my blog title, adding links to relevant content and internal links to other areas of our site has just made this little blog easier to read and categorise by Google’s search ‘robots’.

If you want to improve the volume and quality of traffic to your web site, post a project for Search Engine Optimisation today and let IT gurus fight for your work with ServiceSeeking.com.au!

Some great tips for web design

I found some more handy tips published on Flying Solo for mistakes to avoid with website design. For me, the most important thing is promotion. A great site is worthless unless it has traffic and users…

Woman seeks hitman on Craigslist

Today’s Sydney Morning Herald reports that a woman in the US placed an advertisement on Craigslist looking for a hitman, which is the first reported incident of a murder-for-hire request on an online classified site.

At ServiceSeeking.com.au we hope to help our members find service professionals to do almost any kind of job, though we’d be happy for more conventional job listings for the time being.

SmartCompany Tendering Tips

Check out this SmartCompany article with advice about winning project tenders. Could be useful for those considering bidding for jobs on ServiceSeeking.com.au!

City Country Divide

This Smart Company article reports census data on the increase of internet usage in Australia. The main points are that regional and people from poorer demographics are less likely to have internet access, especially broadband access. We too are seeing a lower success rate for projects listed in regional or low income areas. For Australia to remain economically competitive with other countries, it is essential that these disparities between rich and poor and city and metro are broken down.

Display Advertising Platform Goes Live

This afternoon, we quietly opened up our self-service display advertising platform on ServiceSeeking.com.au. There are 3 tiers of advertisement available, Premium, Standard and Budget, and ServiceSeeking.com.au members can simply upload advertisements including images and text and make secure payments through the site with a minimum of fuss. We see the display advertising platform as a great way for business owners to announce their brand, products and services to the ServiceSeeking.com.au community.

Future of the net to go mobile

This article from Smart Company suggests that mobile, hand-held devices will be the future of online interaction. This prediction is nothing new if you have been reading up on tech trends lately and is supported by speculation about the google phone, the growing prevalence of internet and email enabled phones like the Blackberry, and the investment of large online companies like Yahoo in mobile platforms.

So where does that leave SMS messaging? Recently, the SMS has been a great way of sending brief, person to person communications on the go. With the growth in handheld access to web and email, I think SMS will soon become obsolete.

Greater transparency with new functionality

We have started work on opening up ServiceSeeking.com.au so that our visitors can see more of what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’. A feature of Web 2.0 sites is openness and transparency and the sense of community that goes along with that. We have restricted this transparency until now, but have learned our lesson and are making changes to remedy this.

The first few changes that we pushed through this morning are in the Browse Open Projects area of the site, which is one of the most viewed areas since we released it in November last year.

 

If you have been paying attention, you will notice that we are now showing the number of messages attached to each project as well as the bid count (see above image). There is quite a lot of activity happening in the private message area, and we feel it is important to show that, even if casual users can’t view the contents of the messages (they are still private).

On top of this, we are also revealing the content of bids to casual visitors to demonstrate how others are using the site and how the site works.

We have a few other things up our sleeve for quick release shortly, including an area for casual visitors to comment or leave advice for particular projects, and the ability for visitors to tell their friends about a specific project. Stay tuned for more updates!

Freakonomics author Steven Levitt on Marketing

Over the Holiday period, I spent some time listening to some great podcasts on marketing and branding, including an interesting lecture given late last year by Economics Professor and Freakonomics author, Steven Levitt.

It is a “must listen” for anyone with an interest in economics and marketing, with some thoughts on the effectiveness of advertising, and insights into product pricing strategy.

Setting up referral relationships

In the last few weeks many people have listed projects looking to establish referral relationships with complementary businesses. For instance, we had a project where a physiotherapist was looking for personal trainers to refer them business, a project where a financial planner was looking for accountants who could refer clients to them, and then several projects where graphic and web design companies were looking for sub-contractors. We didn’t anticipate that people would use the site in this way, but are pleasantly surprised. As long as our site can add value for both seekers and providers, everybody is happy.

Christmas…bringing back your message

One of the hardest things for businesses to do is to keep their Christmas messages sincere in seasonal PR activities. Sam Leader’s article Why you should send Christmas cards to clients the other day really reminded me of something that prevents the seasonal slide into cynicism as everyone is bombarded with Christmas advertising; the personal message.

Of course, it’s not always practical to hand write to all your clients with a personal message as Sam will be doing this season, especially when this is the busiest time of the year for some.

However, I was reminded of the solution the other day when I was sent a (discreetly) branded compact mirror from a sunglasses company that I’m a regular customer of. It not only keeps their brand and what they do in my mind, but it’s not entirely self serving because I can get use out of it. This strikes me as achieving the perfect balance between promoting yourself and rewarding your customers.

The same logic can be applied to Christmas cards. This is especially effective when you want to differentiate yourself a little from the competition. In addition if you’re strapped for cash and can’t really afford to give a gift to all your clients , then you can print a special offer inside e.g. complimentary products or a discount they can redeem now or in the coming year. That way your card isn’t just going to end up in the scrap heap – it’ll actually be worth something.

Green Tip: 5 Ways to Reduce Paper Usage

It occurred to me the other day that since I started working at ServiceSeeking.com.au I haven’t seen a ream of paper the whole time. The great thing of having your business records on a computer or doing business over the internet is that it not only makes your information accessible and portable but it also saves you money and helps the environment.

So for this week, here are 5 paper saving tips from ServiceSeeking.com.au:

#1 Don’t throw out single sided print-outs. Re-use the reverse side for faxes or other draft printing such as picking slips/order forms/internal memos

#2 Use electronic payment systems. Most banks provide direct transfer facilities online. You can save daily trips to the bank if you get more of your customers to use this facility. You can also use internet sites such as Paypal to transfer funds online.

#3 Get PDF software to create PDF files that are easy to email – Adobe is a commonly used one and a reader can be downloaded for free. You can also find other PDF creation software online. Just search for “Free PDF convertor”. By emailing documents, you will save on postage and couriers, too!

#4 Set up a shared network or find an online storage facility that everyone in the company can access/collaborate and edit documents. You should also set up a wireless network in your offices. Staff can then bring their laptop computer into meeting rooms and refer to soft-copy documents and make notes without needing to print dozens of pages!

#5 Jump on the “Software as a Service” band-wagon and outsource your admin and marketing hosting. You can find some great services to take care of accounting & bookkeeping, email newsletters, or CRM systems to keep track of customers, inventory, orders and sales.

Value of Independent Online Reviews

An article in today’s Smart Company claims that customers are willing to pay up to 99% more for a service if the business has received an independent positive online review!

That is exactly why we are encouraging our users to engage officially through our website – so customers can leave feedback, and businesses can charge a premium based on their good name.

Email Newsletter as a Marketing Tool

Last week we ran our first in our ongoing series of newsletters for members. In the last 2 months, we have focused on drawing new visitors to the website. But now we have a member base of seveal thousand individuals and businesses, we realise that it is equally important to keep talking to members and keep them coming back to the website.

From our first effort last week, we know that about 30% of our members will open and read the newsletter, and about 25% of these will come and visit the site by clicking on the links in the newsletter. This is a great traffic bonus for us and we have had a chance to educate a large number of our customers about how to use ServiceSeeking.com.au more effectively. On top of this, several members sent reply comments with really useful suggestions about improvements we can make.

If you run a business and don’t do something to keep your current and prior customers engaged with your business, you should try setting up an email newsletter. It’s very easy and very, very cheap!

We use Your Mailing List Provider to manage our campaigns. Here, you can create your newsletters, manage your mailing list and track how many people open the email or click through to your website. It is a great product and it’s cheap – our email campaigns will cost us less than $50 over the next 2 months, but will direct 1000’s of visitors back to our site.

Whilst the first newsletter was very basic, this week’s email will be much more professional. We found an attractive free email template online (HINT: Google “Free HTML email templates”), which look great and can be upoaded and edited using the Your Mailing List Provider software.

Do you do anything to keep your existing customers engaged with your business? If so, let us know what you do and whether it is working for you.

3 Handy Hints for Project Proposals!

#1 – The Golden Rule: Detail, Detail, Detail

Make sure in your project proposal that you include all the relevant details to your project. Specify exactly what you want and expect from a service provider, and only those who can meet those criteria will place bids. If you fail to specify your full needs, a provider will have trouble submitting a genuine bid.

#2 – Be Honest & Upfront

Make sure that you are completely upfront about your project needs and limits from the start. For example, don’t specify that you need your project completed within a week if it doesn’t have to be completed for a month. Don’t say you have a budget of $500 when you could spend $5000. Or don’t specify that you want only local businesses to bid when you would be happy for an interstate or international provider to do the job. That way, your project will be exposed to the maximum number of providers who can genuinely service your needs.

#3 – Communicate Clearly

When a bidder or prospective bidder asks you a question, answer it. Make your expectations clear and constantly reinforce them through regular communication and you will find the best value provider for your job.

eNewsletter Campaign: predictable open rates

This morning, we sent our first e-newsletter, which will become a weekly note to members with tips on how to use ServiceSeeking.com more effectively.

Our campaign tracking software is predicting that the open-rate (% of recipients who will open the email) will be between 32% and 35%.

In my last job, the company published a weekly newsletter to a customers and I recall the open rate fell between 30% and 35% each week almost without fail. It’s interesting to see how certain marketing initiatives are so predictable.

By the way, if you have any ideas about how we can increase our open rate, we’d love to know!

Customer Centricity: The Market of One

Customer Centricity is a business buzzword that has been floating about for some time now, and most progressive businesses will need to adopt some customer centric principles to remain competitive as customers become less loyal and more demanding.

Basically, customer centric businesses align all their production, supply-chain, marketing activity, customer service and support functions to meet the needs of narrowing customer groups. 

A good example of customer centric business is the recent emergence of “mobile bankers” – bank representatives who come to you and meet you at a convenient time to discuss your financial arrangements. This is obviously in distinct contrast with traditional banking where customers would have to come into the branch.

Another example of a great customer centric business is Zara. This Spanish chain specialises in selling affordable clothing which mimics the latest high-fashion trends. Zara turns around new designs in only two weeks (against an industry average of 9 months). This allows them to respond to customer demand and have the latest designs on their shelves quickly. To turn around new products quickly they don’t use cheap labour in Asia, but spend more on local European production to beat the competition to market and ultimately give their customers what they want; cutting edge fashion. It might cost a little more for them to do this.

ServiceSeeking.com.au  responds to this trend. We cater for demanding service customers who want businesses to respond to them personally and directly. These customers don’t want to be treated as part of the herd, but crave individual service. Businesses who can tailor their services to meet the individuals needs will become increasingly successful. Those who don’t may find it hard to retain and win new customers. 

Tips on Building a Better Website

If you think that a business website is an electronic brochure with information about who you are and what you do, then think again. Technology has passed you by. The “e-brochure” website has been superceded by those which provide a more engaging experience between businesses and their clients.

When designing your business website or updating an existing site, you should look to engage visitors with more than simple information about what you do and how people can get in touch with you. Here are some tips about possible features you might like to include in your business site to increase sales and ehance the customer experience.

BUSINESS BLOGGING

A blog is a great way to keep customers coming back to your website. For example, about 10% of the visitors to our main site also visit this blog, and those that do come back about 3 times every month to read about the latest news and views about our business. Even if they are not registering or not using our site, they will keep coming back and engaging with our business. If you are discplined to keep adding new content on a regular basis (several times each week), then you should consider adding a blog to your existing site or incorporate one into your new site development.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM)

The most valuable resource for an online business is the member database. If your site does not have a way to capture information from customers and follow up on sales leads, then you are missing a huge opportunity. Those customers that have registered as members, or have already made sales enquiries are much easier to sell to. They already know who you are and what you do, and are comfortable enough with you to sign up, so are infinitely more likely to buy your product. Make it easy to manage them, and make them the focus of your marketing efforts by building a CRM in your site.

LET CUSTOMERS TRY & THEN BUY: SHOPPING CARTS

If you sell a product or service, you should allow customers to try your product for free. Consider including an area on your site where visitors can download a free guide or sample of your work, order a catalogue, or a free gift. If you do this, make sure you collect their name and any relevant information which you can then follow up at a later date.

You should also allow customers to purchase products or order services directly through your site. Integrating shopping carts and payment gateways is simple, safe and secure using services like PayPal, and you will also be able to track orders, customer details and sales performance if you have an inventory management system.

MASHUPS & WIDGETS

A great way to enhance your site appearance and improvethe visitor experience is to use Mashups or widgets in the site design. Many businesses now use mappping tools on their site to show how customers can find them in real life, and there are tons of great little widgets and features that can be built in to a site to enhance the experience your customers have. A great place to look for ideas about enhancements is Scriptaculous. Good developers will be able to recommend useful widgets to include.

DISTRIBUTION 

As in any real world business, distribution is critical to success. You can build the best web application in the world, but if nobody knows about it, then you will not get very far. A simple way to increase distribution of your online presence is to include a “Tell a Friend” link on your site which allows current customers to refer others to your site. With the proliferation of 3rd generation mobile phones, it might also be useful to create a “Mobile” version of your site which is easier for those using phones to access. You could consider developing a Facebook application which integrates with your product, posting a video or short animation about what you do on Youtube. There are dozens of other small things that you can do to increase your presence online. If you are building a site, make sure you ask your web developer for more advice on how to increase your online profile.

If you can think of some other tips for enhancing your site design, please feel free to comment on this article!

The Future of Online Advertising

Growth in online advertising is predicted to fall to 39% this year after 3 years of 60% growth according to this report in the Sydney Morning Herald. Online display ads and online classifieds sales are only up 24% and 13% on the same 3 month period last year and are offsetting 53% growth in search advertising.

But before your start thinking that the next dot com crash is on the cards, consider that even a slowed rate of 30%+ growth is extra-ordinary. There are plenty of very profitable businesses in other industries that are recording single-digit growth figures or no growth at all.

Online marketing & advertising will change dramatically in the coming years to allow people to interact with products and services on a deeper, more personal level. The internet is not one-way media, like a newspaper, magazine, TV, or radio commercials, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of businesses (us included) from buying display ads and online hoardings trying to grab the attention of our customers. But it only works to a point. The internet is not even a two-way media where customer and business can communicate freely. It is multi-directional, with customers, businesses and other customers and associated businesses with free and open lines of interaction.

Successful marketing campaigns in the future will be customer-centric as people want more unique, tailored experiences.  People want to feel special and businesses will have to tailor their marketing messages and products to meet the needs of individuals, rather than the general population. When it comes to communicating tailored messages and facilitating multi-directional interaction, the internet beats all other forms of media hands-down.

Small Business is Big Work

According to Dynamic Business Magazine, a recent World Bank report ranked Australia as the 2nd easiest economy in which to start up a business. But getting an idea up and running certainly doesn’t equal long term success in the often daunting, take-no-prisoners world of business.

Managing a small business is a big task, and if you’re not reaching your target market effectively, not making the amount of sales you’d like or are unhappy with performance of your website or e-business, perhaps it’s time you found someone with the answers.

At ServiceSeeking.com.au, we’re starting to see an influx of marketing and advertising jobs from small business owners looking to boost their company’s profile. What’s also great is that it isn’t costing them a fortune - the competitive online market means a number of industry professionals bid against each other for the work, leaving you to just pick and choose the one that suits your needs and your budget.

If you’re a provider on ServiceSeeking.com.au and would like to find solutions to your own business’s marketing, advertising, accountancy or IT needs, head to the homepage and click on ‘Describe what you need done’. Then sit back and let the professionals you need to manage and grow your business come to you.

Fitness by Correspondence

There have been quite a few personal training jobs listed at ServiceSeeking.com.au since launch. Summer is approaching so this is not unusual. What is unusual is the number of people who are looking for trainers to provide training programs & motivation remotely, rather than through face-to-face contact.

Many would think that Personal Training is largely a face-to-face service. But if what we are seeing through our site relects wider trends, this is simply not true. We are noticing more and more customers who are happy if fitness advice is delivered over the phone or the web. If you think about it, there is no reason why the service can’t be offered in this way, which means individual trainers can service a much larger client base at a lower cost. There will always be people who want face-to-face sessions, but for customers looking for more affordable access to fitness advice, fitness by correspondence seems to be a fantastic alternative.

Lots of event planners!

One of the more interesting stats we are seeing is the high proportion of providers who have listed in the “Events, Weddings & Parties” category. 5.8% of our members service the events industry. This might sound like a small number, but it is far greater than the proportion of job listings we have seen in the Events category.

We would love to see some more catering, event planning and wedding job postings listed so these members have some new customers to follow up with!

It might be time to organise the Christmas party catering, or get next year’s Spring wedding planning started… 

Some Statistics

It is interesting and surprising to see how certain industries have reacted to ServiceSeeking.com.au. Because we cover 20 major industries and over 400 industry subcategories, we can get a good feel for what is going on in the general economy by analysing some of our internal reports.

49% of our projects have been Building, construction & trades listings, which suggests that many people are genuinely sick and tired of trying to find reputable tradespeople by traditional means. 14% of our growing member base are tradespeople, so there is a good chance of finding someone good to do your work. Tradespeople are often portrayed as tech-shy, but recruiting new members has not been as difficult as we expected. This is consistent with very recent reports in the media that tradies are embracing new technology to improve their business.

It has been harder for us to recruit tradespeople in regional areas. We can accept that tradespeople in these close-knit communities use word of mouth to win work, but even allowing for this, we have noticed that the proportion of regional businesses that have a contact email address or web address is extra-ordinarily low. This suggests to me that reports on the failings of internet access in regional areas have plenty of credence.

Over 61% of our members work in industries where a service can be delivered remotely. By that, I mean that they don’t necessarily have to meet face-to-face with the client, but can deliver all the work over the phone, email or via the net. Web design, graphic design, accounting & bookkeeping, data entry and writing/proof-reading are good examples of these services. We have had plenty of work listed with our system, but we are disappointed that there hasn’t been as high a proportion of relevant job listings and are changing our marketing focus to tell people more about the benefits of listing jobs that don’t have to be delivered in person.

Tech shy industries embracing new technology

The Financial Review reports today that technology-shy industries like hospitality and trades are increasingly using the internet to transact. Unfortunately, you have to be a paying subscriber to read the article, but the report cites ABS statistics released yesterday on business internet usage.

We are seeing this too at ServiceSeeking.com.au. We knew that professional services & freelance businesses like web and graphic designers would flock to our site, but we were uncertain whether builders and tradesmen would be so quick to embrace it. We have been pleasantly surprised at the response from the building sector.

Those early adopters in building and construction who have come on board early will have the upper hand on later entrants to the market. As more & more consumers turn to the internet to easily find products & services, there will be excess  online demand in some industries. Those suppliers who get involved early will reap the rewards!

Concentrating on the milestones

In the first 6 and a half weeks since we launched ServiceSeeking.com.au, the learning curve has been very steep! One thing we have been very conscious of is the need to maintain momentum and keep our thinking fresh.

When you analyse every tiny detail of a business it is easy to be overwhelmed by the scale of your plans when there is so much to do and relatively few resources to call upon.

In order to maintain momentum, we have been focusing on the “Firsts” and little milestones that we have conquered since launch. We have had our first completed jobs and first happy customers, our first successful marketing campaign, our first print and TV press coverage, our first compliments, and our first complaints (though we could count these on 2 fingers)!

On top of this, we have been increasing site traffic and member numbers daily and have rolled out dozens of little changes to the application and to our administration processes to help our users.

By focusing on these achievements, and not spending too much time thinking about the enormity of the work to be done, it is much easier to keep your head, be pragmatic about future plans and execute your vision efficiently. What other ways can you think of to stay motivated in small business? 

Success for Small Business

After working for a major newsagency supplier for several years, I came to understand just how busy small business people are simply keeping their business afloat. I noticed that the most profitable operators (and the happiest) had a few things in common. They actively participated in the industry community by visiting conferences, training days and supplier events; often taking time to educate others. Rather than keeping their business processes hidden, these leading retailers would share their secrets, and in doing so, tapped into a broader wealth of knowledge and experience to help them grow.

The second trait common to successful operators was their ability to hand over control of certain business functions to people more experienced or qualified than themselves. The most succesful had great managers in place, and would call in experts to help with their marketing, shop-fitting, bookkeeping and other non-core functions. This practise clearly freed up time for the business owner to think about the future rather than simply keeping the business alive.

On the other hand, the least successful newsagents were those who refused to hand over control of any business functions thinking this would save them money. This way of thinking ate up all their time and energy and left them with nothing to give to the big picture.

I suspect that these two traits are common to successful businesses in any industry. A willingness to share ideas and the humility to tap into others’ expertise when required are essential factors in success.

ServiceSeeking.com.au was built to help small businesses be successful. Our platform allows SMEs to tap into the expertise of others and easily outsource non-core functions like web design, bookkeeping, marketing planning or office administration. Smart businesses operators are already taking advantage of our system, saving time, energy and money so they can spend more time growing their businesses.

Can you think of any other useful resources or offer any advice to help small business people?

Design projects get plenty of bids

Customers who listed projects in the “Art & Design”, “Computers & IT” & “Office Admin & Support Categories” are seeing the most incredible results with bidders flocking to compete for their web design, graphic design and office administration tasks!

Projects listed in these three categories receive over 10 bids per project from local and foreign freelancers. It makes sense as most people who do these kinds of jobs are comfortable using the internet to win new clients and are generally logged in to the net all day, where tradesmen tend to have less time to spend reviewing projects and placing bids as they are generally on-site for most of the day.

So if you have a design task, like a logo for your business, new business cards, catalogues, brochures, flyers, a website or email newsletter designed, and don’t know where to begin, list your project today. We can assure that you will not be disappointed with the response from bidders.

Trends to Life Outsourcing

Last week I read an interesting report on CNN World Weekly about the emergence of the trend toward Life Outsourcing. The article talks about the emergence of personal concierge services who are helping time-poor and cash heavy professionals get on top of their personal chores.

We crunched some numbers based on the 2006 Census Data and calculated that just over one third of the employed Australian population work more than 40 hours a week. 73% of managers, 54% of professionals and 58% of technicians and tradesmen fall in this hard-working group.

It is clear from the recent emergence of these innovative personal concierge models and the number of people working long hours that the trend to outsource personal tasks will be a lasting, global phenomenon. However, I suspect that many people will simply free up personal time to spend more time working, rather than to enjoy their leisure time. The real benefit of outsourcing is in cutting back the amount of time spent at work whilst maintaining efficiency. I think this is  especially important for those who run small to medium sized businesses.

Browse Latest Projects

You will also notice that we have added a “Browse Open Projects” function to ServiceSeeking.com.au, where you can view all our open project listings. Suggestion is a powerful tool and we know that people will get ideas about other service projects that they can list with us, or what type of jobs are available to bid for if they can see what others are doing. In a way, we’re trying to tap into the herd mentality…

In the last month, we have had some brilliant project listings and exciting bidding which has showcased how much potential ServiceSeeking.com.au has to connect people in the service market. It’s unfortunate that only the seekers & providers involved in these job auctions have been able to see this. From now on, this will no longer be an issue!

PS have a look at “Computers & IT” or “Art & Design” projects to see how effective ServiceSeeking.com.au can be!

Testimonials

You might have noticed that we have added a “Testimonials” section on the Home Page of ServiceSeeking.com.au. This showcases but a few of the positive comments we have received from customers over the last month or so.

One of the hardest things about a start-up business, particularly an online business, is establishing credibility with potential customers. All the testimonials you read on our site are genuine comments or emails that happy members have sent us over the last few weeks.

Let us know if you can think of other ways of building the credibility of a new businesses.

Climate Clever – Water

Have you looked outside on a rainy day and wondered what you can do to conserve that precious resource? ServiceSeeking.com.au is committed to making the job of ‘going green’ at home easier, by giving you access to providers ready to install a rainwater tank in your home. When posting jobs about water tanks and accessories, here are a few things you might like to think of and include in your posting:

Style: Water tanks come in all shapes and sizes. The size of your tank will vary according to the area of your catchment (your roof) and how much room you have to store the actual tank. For standard sized homes with plenty of roofspace and ample backyard, traditional round water tanks (usually manufactured from steel or polyethylene) can provide up to 8 000 litres of water for use on the backyard, in the bathroom or the laundry. If you live in a townhouse or terrace with limited backyard space, the usual bulky tanks aren’t always practical. But don’t let that stop you from doing the environment (not to mention your water bill) a service – a number of recent innovations have meant that tanks holding from 1 000 to 4 000 litres can be found to suit your home. From tall, thin tanks that sit between your wall and the edge of your property to heavy-duty plastic “sacs” that can fit almost anywhere, including under the house!

Use: If you’re looking for a tank in order to water your garden, you can often rely on gravity to ensure a steady flow. If, however, you want to save water around the house by connecting your tank to a washing machine, shower or toilet, fittings pumping from 40 to 120 litres per minute can make it happen.

Cost: The cost of installing your tank will vary according to its size and use. While larger tanks can seem expensive, government rebates and the immediate savings on your water bill mean they are a wonderful investment. And, when it comes time to sell, a water tank will be an added incentive to the buyer.

When posting a project for the manufacturing and installation of a rainwater tank for your home, we suggest you include information on the size of your home and any available storage space, as well as what you wish you use the water for. A model posting may look like this:

Industry: Building, Construction & Trades

Sub-category: Water Recycling & Management

Description: I am looking for a rainwater tank to be installed on my property. I have a terrace house with a small backyard and approximately 1m of space from the two side walls to the fence. I like the look of steel tanks but do not know exactly what type would be appropriate for my home. I’d like to connect the tank to the downstairs toilet as well as be able to use the water on the garden. Please message to arrange a time to inspect the site.

Online Auction for Hotels: Ubid4Rooms

I read about a new online accomodation service Ubid4rooms in today’s Sydney Morning Herald. The accomodation sector, along with Property, Motor Vehicle Sales & Employment is one of the most competitive online sectors, so it is interesting to see a new player enter a market which is serviced very heavily already. It looks as though hoteliers can list rooms that they have available for customers to bid in a silent auction for – the hotel obviously picks the highest paying customer. New sites like this are good news for us. They will help us educate consumers that the use of tendering or bidding processes to procure goods and services is the future of commerce. We wish these guys good luck!

Bidding Statistics

We thought we’d update you on some interesting statistics from ServiceSeeking.com.au project listings in October. For projects which attracted bids, the average was 3.8 bids per project. The best results were in services like accounting, web design, cleaning, removals and graphic design. We think this is a great result for the first month of operation and demonstrates that not only do customers want an easier way to find people to do their service tasks done, but service businesses are happy competing to win new clients.

There were some projects where the bidding period closed without any bids being placed. By and large, these projects did not include nearly enough information for any business to reasonably place a bid. We are assessing each project listing as it is made and educating our customers on what information to include. Over time, this educational program will improve the quality of listings and increase the number of bids per project.

The Ongoing Education Process

The first month at ServiceSeeking.com has been an interesting journey indeed.  We have had thousands of enquiries, suggestions and comments and these have allowed us to make critical changes to our service.

The biggest hurdle we need to overcome is user education. We have introduced a new concept and it will take people some time to get used to and understand how to use ServiceSeeking.com to its full potential.

Generally, customers tend to list projects which do not include enough detail and wonder why nobody is bidding for the job. To overcome this, we have allowed providers to send messages before placing a bid so they can ask a customer specific questions.

In addition to this, we are creating animated user guides and demonstration videos which will be embedded in the relevant pages of the site.

Finally, we are also working on Industry Specific Project Templates that will prompt seekers to enter certain information relevant to their project category. The ongoing improvement in our product and educational processes is paramount to our success, and we appreciate all comments, ideas and suggestions.

Value Finders

I had an interesting discussion this afternoon with David from a company called Value Finders. His company sources the best prices on products, like electrical appliances, kitchen and bathroom fixtures and fittings, whitegoods etc. Like us, they are a company who take the drudgery out of life so people can spend more time doing things that they enjoy, rather than running around trying to locate goods or services. We discussed the future of commerce, and whilst we both recognised that our business concepts will take most people some time to get used to, the next generation of tech savvy consumers will be more demanding, more price conscious and want more time for themselves. We are hoping to give them back some of that time.

See you at ceBIT 2008

ServiceSeeking.com.au has just reserved a stand in the Web Applications area of the CEBIT convention in May next year. This convention will allow us to meet potential customers face to face and allow us to demonstrate the benefits of ServiceSeeking.com.au to a new group of business customers. So far, most of our projects have been for household services, but the group who will really benefit from ServiceSeeking.com.au are time-poor small business operators who have lots of service needs, but little time to run around chasing quotes. We’d love for more small business operators to start posting projects and seeing how much time and money they can save on their service needs!

New Functionality

We have recently updated our system to allow service providers to send a message to a customer prior to placing a quote. This is in direct response to feedback from customers who felt that customers were not providing enough detail in their project submission for anyone to reasonably place a quote. Now, service providers can ask a customer to clarify the scope of works before making an official commitment. What do you think about this enhancement?

Nigerian Email Scam Continues to Fool

This report in SMH MYSmallbusiness reports that people are still falling for “Nigerian” email scams. One particularly clever scam mentioned in the article is a fraudulent fund which claims to be raising money to help the victims of email scams. We found this amusing. Has anybody heard of other amusing scams?

Prices on Trades Rise by 7.2%

The Housing Industry Association released an interesting report on price rises in the last 12 months for household trades like plumbers, bricklayers and joiners, to name a few. Check out this article published on the smh website.

1.6 Million Overworked

According to the latest census, almost 18% of the Australian work-force work more than 49 hours per week! This is a phenomenal figure. The staggering thing about this is the lack of time these people must have to do anything else with their lives – run their household, spend time with their friends and family etc!

This is one of the reasons why we created ServiceSeeking.com.au – to give people more time to do what they enjoy, rather than chasing up people to do their service tasks.

From a marketer’s perspective, this group of busy people are attractive customers – they obviously have the money to spend. But they are also notoriously hard to engage through traditional marketing methods, given they dedicate so much of their attention to work. This is a challenge for us – they are our target market, but are very hard to reach. Let us know your thoughts or ideas on how to get the attention of this group – the working time poor.

ServiceSeeking.com.au takes its own medicine

As a testament to our belief in the power of the online market, we found our TV ad provider, Channel 7, through the ServiceSeeking.com.au website and engaged them to produce our ads. Once the job is done, we’ll leave feedback and they can use their Service Score to build a reputation on the site. 

As a new business, we want don’t want to waste time chasing after people to get our tasks done. We post our projects, let the bidding begin and then engage with the provider of our choice. And the turn-around time is astonishing – most website jobs have 10 or 12 bids within the first day.

ServiceSeeking.com.au is committed to using the site for our business needs – we’ve already found web designers, freelance IT folk, publicists and now an advertising production company for our projects!

So just like you, when we want something done, we know where to go.

Channel 7 & ServiceSeeking.com.au

ServiceSeeking.com.au is moving to TV! Next month we are launching our first television advertising campaign, starting our test run in Canberra with a view to a national campaign shortly thereafter.

We’ll be airing a number of TV ads on the channel 7 network, the home of Mel & Kochie.

Keep your eyes peeled – we’ll be on the air soon!

Overwhelmed!

Since we quietly announced on Monday through this blog that we’ve dropped our commission, we have been swamped with thousands of new visitors, and had hundreds of new members register each day. It just goes to show that people still love a free service!

Free for All!

After consultation with many of our customers over the last fortnight, we have decided to make ServiceSeeking.com.au FREE for everyone! That’s right, we are dropping our 5% commission for Service Providers, which makes our system even more attractive for users. We’ll be sending out an email newsletter advising all our current members of this change later in the week.

So now there’s absolutely no reason for any professional, contractor or freelancer to not register and start receiving totally FREE job leads!

There is absolutely no catch.  

Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the next week or so…

Evolution or Revolution?

When traditional classifieds moved to the World Wide Web, it seemed a logical and inevitable progression. Is ServiceSeeking.com.au just the next evolution in the search for services, or is it set to revolutionise the online market?

That big book of yellow pages used to be a service seeker’s heaven, but in a fast-paced world where efficiency and ease-of-use dictate our lives, it isn’t necessarily the best option.

Online classifieds, of course, have a number of benefits over those bulky books – not least of all that there’s no need to flip back and forth, wasting time finding the right category or company.

But classifieds – in whatever form – don’t address the real frustration of the busy service seeker: the endless ringing of providers, stating and re-stating what needs to be done, obtaining quotes and stacking them up against each other to work out what’s best. ServiceSeeking.com.au turns the ring-around upside down; the seeker posts their project once and lets the online market go to work. Providers bid against each other to land your project, saving you time, money and effort.

And ServiceSeeking.com.au doesn’t just hold benefits for the seeker, it offers providers of services (website designers, tradies, architects) something classifieds never can: the opportunity to directly access customers without the need for costly marketing strategies.

So watch out Yellow Pages. Seekers and providers are ready for a revolution. And here it comes…

Online Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Valerie Khoo wrote a good piece in the Fairfax MySmallBusiness blog today. Basically she suggests that it isn’t enough for small businesses to simply have a web presence like an online brochure – a web presence must be backed up by more than just information about a business and a phone number or email address.

The best sites engage customers in a two-way conversation. Great websites allow customers to comment on the business, buy and sell goods and services, make bookings, read news and blog articles, link to complimentary sites and more. The other key point she makes is that online presence must be supported by offline marketing activity and customer support. A website alone is not enough to engage customers and keep them coming back for more.

At ServiceSeeking.com.au, we recognised a deficiency in our site which was turning people off – people couldn’t browse the latest projects. So we have now opened this up to our customers to let them play around & get a feel for how ServiceSeeking.com.au is working for our customers.

A Law Firm’s Best Friend

An interesting article by Clare Buttner in Lawyers Weekly today. To quote: “If you are in your 20s and a talented lawyer and completely comfortable and familiar with social networks, blogs and video sharing, are you going to want to work for an organisation that doesn’t even recognise these tools exist?” We agree: law firms need to start engaging with Web 2.0. That impetus should come from within these firms, but should also be driven by you as a consumer of legal services. 

ServiceSeeking.com.au is an open market where you can post any sort of legal job, and lawyers bid against each other to win your work. Law firms are already tendering for work in small pockets of the legal industry, but usually only for very large matters. We believe that Web 2.0 will change the face of the legal industry, and we hope to lead the way in this exciting revolution.

So how does ServiceSeeking.com.au work in the legal industry? We allow people with all sorts of legal problems to post a legal project and select the best lawyer based on a tailored response to your particular legal issue. Lawyers compete against each other so you know you are receiving the benefit of competition in the market (economists will all agree that this is a good thing!). Over time, lawyers will amass a Service Score that will enable other users to pick a good lawyer from bad. Sounds like a good way to do business, don’t you think?

The Open Market Effect

I received an email today from a service provider who thought ServiceSeeking.com.au would create price wars in his industry and ultimately kill his business. It’s true that our open market could lead to some heavy competition, but not all customers will choose a bidder on price alone. We actually anticipate that bidders who constantly try to undercut their competition will struggle on ServiceSeeking.com.au. People recognise value in different ways – some buy according to price, but many also choose the best based on other criteria. Many customers are less concerned with price and more concerned with personalised service, guarantees, punctuality, or references and certifications.

I think Service Providers who are concerned the open market will kill their business are misguided. Such businesses should demonstrate in their bids to a customer why they are more expensive and how the extra cost will ensure a better quality of service.

Welcome ServiceSeeking.com.au

ServiceSeeking.com.au launched on 2 October 2007 with an ad campaign across the Fairfax network. Over 50 000 people will visit Service Seeking in the next three months, posting jobs and engaging professionals, contractors and freelancers. If you need something done or want to sell your services, we invite you to GET ON BOARD!

Our open marketplace will change the way services are bought and sold in Australia. At ServiceSeeking.com.au bidders chase consumers for work, and consumers rank bidders with feedback when work is complete. This is so future ServiceSeeking.com.au members can judge the quality of a service provider’s work.

We hope you like ServiceSeeking.com. Please let us know your thoughts.

The Lone Rangers

Are you self-employed or a sole trader? Do you manage a micro business with less than 10 employees?

Going it alone in the big world of business isn’t always easy, but more and more solo business owners are experiencing the benefits of the online marketplace. At ServiceSeeking.com.au, over a quarter of all our service providers are self-employed, and it’s not hard to see why.

Finding new customers and building a reputation in your field of expertise is often a task that’s too time consuming and costly for businesses with just a couple of employees, so getting new job leads delivered straight to your inbox is more than a little handy. Another benefit of our unique online community is that you can choose which leads to receive and which jobs to bid on, depending on your workload, availability and the size and type of the work.

And if you’re just starting out, there’s plenty of advice out there for sole traders and entrepreneurs – a great place to look is FlyingSolo.com.au, a site designed specifically with you in mind. It’s got some great info on networking, marketing, new technology and how to stay sane as a lone ranger in the business world.

 

 

 

Baby Boomers Catch On And Cash In

Younger generations tend to give their older counterparts a bit of flack when it comes to computer literacy. But it seems that the Baby Boomers are getting their fair share of the online pie, with recent results showing that nearly half of all ServiceSeeking.com.au members are over 35 years old.

 

Forget typing with one finger, puzzling over wireless “mice” or ringing the kids to find out how to surf the net – mature-aged service seekers and providers are tech savvy and proficient users of the world wide web who are comfortable with submitting jobs online, placing virtual quotes and communicating with each other in Australia’s biggest SME marketplace.

 

If you’d like to get in on all the action, whether you’re a baby boomer or not, click here and you can start posting jobs or bidding for work today.

Getting Even

Just over a year after we let ServiceSeeking.com.au loose on the Australian service sector, we’re seeing a great spread of providers across a huge range of our industry categories.

 

Recent survey results show that, while lots of tradies, IT gurus, cleaners and marketers are bidding for work, an increasing number of members are bidding for jobs in the categories of Manufacturing, Law, Lawyers & Solicitors, Printing, Office Admin & Support, Finance & Business and many more.

 

Not surprisingly, it’s the categories with a steady stream of job listings that attract new providers. As always, it’s a matter of supply increasing demand increasing supply etc.

Flooded with Stories

We’re soon to announce the winner of a recent request for tales of great domestic disasters. Hundreds of our members filled out our online survey and told us their stories of backyard BBQ explosions, runaway cars and cleaning calamities.

By far and away the most common type of domestic disaster, however, involves that harmless little stuff that comes out the kitchen tap – water. Tens of service seekers and providers have experienced flooding first hand, and surprisingly it has nothing to do with rainfall, hurricanes or rising river banks. It seems that a leaky tap, a burst pipe or answering the phone while running a bath can have some pretty serious consequences!

Stay tuned to this blog or our site as we announce which of our members will be rewarded for their tale with a cool $500!

Check it out…

We’ve added a new section to our blog – a place where you can check out some similar (and often kooky!) blogs on wordpress.com. You’ll find the links in the right hand column, under Blogs You Should Visit. Our first recommended blog is from a business & marketing firm called Dornfeld, and it has some good info on web 2.0 technology, start-ups and trends in the business world. Their most recent post is about the increasing popularity of online stores or eCommerce, and its effect on the retail sector.

Stay tuned for more links to interesting blogs.

We have a winner!

ServiceSeeking.com.au would like to congratulate Candice for the best domestic disaster story. Candice completed our recent survey and has won $500 for her hilarious tale of calamity involving an embarrassing (and smelly!) plumbing mishap at a 2 year old’s birthday party. It was the kids’ phrase “chocolate river” that really sealed the deal for us!

Thanks to all the great entries from ServiceSeeking.com.au members. Our staff sure had some fun reading through them all. To give you a snapshot of some of the best, they involved:

* A runaway car which rolled across the street and into a neighbour’s yard after a stray brick hit its handbrake

* A boating mishap which ended in a couple of missing toes and foot fractures

* A cleaner who caught one of her clients cheating

* A BBQ explosion that threatened to torch nearby cars

* A mini indoor tsunami due to a leaky tap

* A botched DIY tree felling which saw a tree squash a VW Beetle

* A drunken housemate who mistook the washing machine for the toilet…

* And a cooking mishap where gravy powder ended up in the self-saucing chocolate pudding!

Growing Your Business: are you heading in the right direction?

Tom McKaskill has just written an interesting article for SmartCompany.com.au about the trickey business of targeting profitable customers.

When you’re in the thick of it though, making sure your key business objectives lign up with marketing strategies isn’t always so clear cut, and all too often small businesses can find themselves knee-deep in unproductive and unprofitable leads. Tom’s best suggestion is to constantly re-evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, goals and strategies of your business. That way, if it all goes pear shaped, at least you’ll be able to see where you went wrong.

Move over, Brits

Forget whinging Poms – it seems Australians are taking the top prize when it comes to pessimism and sulking.

This article in the Sydney Morning Herald’s MySmallBusiness section contains the preliminary findings of an ongoing survey by performance coaching and strategy group Phuel.  But while Aussie business people are more likely to “hang on to negativity” and see setbacks everywhere they turn, those same people are better equipped to get themselves out of sticky situations.

So I guess pessimism isn’t an entirely bad thing – after all, it means you’re never disappointed or shocked when life throws you a curve ball, and you can get back into the swing of things more quickly and efficiently than your optimistic counterparts.

Stress Less

Unfortunately, the Christmas period doesn’t always herald a relaxing getaway from the hustle and bustle of modern living. Work related stress is now threatening to ruin that all-important end of year holiday, with obsessive email checking and our inability to switch off our laptops, business phones or PDAs.

This article in FlyingSolo contains seven tips for reducing holiday stress. And even if you’ve heard it all before, it’s worth taking some time to try and put it into practice. My favourite tip is to keep your circadian rhythms on track by ditching the sleep in – there’s nothing worse than trying to get used to a 6am alarm call after a week of waking up at midday!

White Paper Worries

The Rudd government just released its “white paper” on climate change – the crux of which is a 5-15% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. While parts of the business sector think the target goes too far, and many in the community want to see a minumum reduction of 20%, it’s hard to know what the future holds for SMEs.

This article in SmartCompany contains some brief information about the target, the emissions trading scheme set to commence in a couple of years, and what the Rudd strategy is likely to mean for small business.

New Functionality Released

Over the last 6 months our development team has been working hard on building new functionality for our online services market. The site is now a little bit cleaner and a little easier to navigate through. Below is a basic run-down of changes that we have made. We’ve also got many more enhancements under development, which we are currently testing behind the scenes.

More Detailed Project Listings

We now collect more information in every project listing. Customers must now tell us about their intention to hire, whether the project is recurring (eg weekly cleaning), and when the project is to start. Customers can also indicate a preference for insured businesses, eco-friendly businesses and businesses that accept certain payment types. This means we can better match the right projects with the right businesses!

More Detailed Quotes

We now require businesses to submit more structured and detailed quotes. This will help businesses pitch more effectively, and will make it easier for customers to compare businesses and choose the best quote!

More Relevant Leads

Businesses can now elect to receive new leads based on the project budget value, customer intention to hire and start timing. This will help match businesses with relevant new job leads.

Business Profile

Businesses can choose to have a public profile which casual visitors can search and view. If you are a business member and wish to hide your profile you must login and then click the View Public Profile link.

Better Business Profiles

You can now display your business logo as well as an image gallery in a Portfolio page.  This helps businesses make a better impression on potential customers.

A New Feedback System

Instead of our 5 part rating system, we have now reverted to a simple positive or negative rating system. At the end of each job, we ask the customer whether they would use that business again. If they would, then the business receives positive feedback, if not, then they get negative feedback. (In carrying over past ratings, we assumed that feedback of less than 50% was negative and over 50% was positive)

A New Design

As part of the new site, we have refreshed the design. All the current functionality is still there, but we think it’s better laid out and much easier to navigate! Please tell us what you think about the new site, or let us know about any enhancements you might want.

The Summer Leaves

The long hot Summer is over and a new season has arrived. For most people, Autumn is a welcome change, but when it comes to maintaining the front and back yard it can also signal a whole lot of work to be done.

The leaves are clogging up the gutters, the turf’s gone wild and that pesky neighbour is threatening to ring the council about the liquidamber tree down the back that’s slowly over-powering the fence. You want to pull on those dusty old gardening gloves, grab the weed killer and try out your green thumb – but you don’t really have the time or the expertise to get your garden back in shape.

If you want an expert to take care of your Autumn chores, post a project today and get competitive quotes from local businesses. Whether you need an arborist with a chainsaw or just someone with a lawnmower and whipper snipper, you’ll find the right person for the job.

And let us know what Autumn projects need doing at your place!

Communication Tips: Messages

We’ve received some feedback from customers and businesses who aren’t sure how to use the private messaging facility at ServiceSeeking.com.au. So here’s a run down of how it works, and when you ought to use it.

When should I message rather than quote?

Unless the customer has selected Confidential Quoting, businesses will be able to see the price and content of each other’s quotes. If you want to keep the details of your quote between you and the customer, or if you want to give the customer your private contact number, it’s best to send a message rather than quote. Private messages can only be viewed by you and the relevant customer. NB any files attached to a quote are visible only by you and the customer.

Can a customer select me if I have only sent a message?

Customers can engage you to do their project whether you have submitted a quote or sent a private message.

What do I do when I receive notification of a messgage via email?

Depending on your Settings, ServiceSeeking.com.au may send you an email when someone has sent you a private message. To reply to the person, you must log in to ServiceSeeking.com.au and go the the project page. Do not hit the ‘reply’ button in your email as this email is automatically generated by our notifications service.

How much does it cost to send a message?

Sending a message costs the same amount of credits as quoting on a project. The amount is displayed in the top left hand corner of the project page and ranges from 4 to 16 credits, depending on the project’s budget. Once you’ve sent your first message to the customer, all subsequent messages and replies are entirely free.

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If you’re still unsure of how to contact the customer, feel free to send us an email at support@serviceseeking.com.au. We aim to respond to emails within 1 business day.

A new lick of paint

Here are some more Autumn project ideas:

• get those odd jobs done – fix a leaky laundry tap, re-seal your fridge or get someone to look at your faulty appliances
• redecorate in style – rip up and replace the old carpets, polish the floorboards or give your home a new lick of paint
• pamper yourself – hire a fitness coach and get in shape, join a gym or get family portraits that’ll last a lifetime

Whether you want an electrician, a plumber, painter, personal trainer or photography guru, post your new job here and get businesses competing head to head for the work.

Q & A: Confidential Quoting

You may have noticed that “Confidential Quoting” has replaced the old “Silent Bidding” functionality. Here’s a run-down of what CQ is and how to make the most of it:

• A customer can select Confidential Quoting for their project
• Businesses have no control over whether Confidential Quoting as it is selected by the customer when they post their project
• Only the customer will be able to see the details of all quotes
• Each business can only see their own quote
• Businesses cannot see each other’s quotes

How do I know if the project has Confidential Quoting?

The table on the project page will show whether CQ applies for that project.

What if the project does not have Confidential Quoting but I don’t want other businesses to see my quote?

If you are a business and want to send confidential information to a customer, we recommend you send a private message to the customer alongside your quote.

Got more questions? Send us an email at support@serviceseeking.com.au or check out the FAQ page.

High Profile

Your business profile is the customer’s first port of call when they want to learn more about you. Here are some tips to improve your profile and make a good first impression:

1. Check and double check your contact and business details to make sure they’re correct
2. Describe what you do in as much detail as possible. Don’t just say what categories you service, but also what areas you specialise in and what makes you stand out from the competition
3. If you’ve got a logo, upload it! If not, maybe it’s about time you got a logo
4. Take the time to include any qualifications you have, work experience or education details
5. Upload images of your previous work to your Portfolio

To check out and update your profile, go to ServiceSeeking.com.au and click on View Public Profile in your Business account.

The importance of the Service Score

A good Service Score is your ticket to more customers. You’re rated after every project you complete, and the percentage of feedback that’s positive is displayed next to your name on the site.

This means other customers can get an idea of the quality of your work, how well you stick to budget and time constraints and how you deal with your clients. They can even click through to your profile and read what previous ServiceSeeking.com.au users have said about you.

Our experience with the site has shown that, more than anything, customers are looking for reliability in a business. They want to know that you’re trustworthy and they can count on you to get the work done right the first time. And the vast majority of customers are willing to pay a premium to ensure their project is in safe hands.

If you don’t have a Service Score yet, it’s time you did something about it. Consider reducing your price for the first project, offering customers a special deal, or letting them know you’ll pull out all the stops for this project so that you can start to gain a good reputation on the site.

Want more info? Check out our FAQs or Forums.

Leaving Feedback

Some quick tips about leaving feedback:

• Your feedback contributes to a business’ Service Score – a rating out of 100 that gives other customers and idea of what they can expect from this business
• The Service Score shows up next to all that business’ quotes and in their public profile
• If you’ve accepted a business’ quote, you will be asked to return to the site when the work’s done and leave either positive or negative feedback
• You can also leave a comment describing your experience with the business, the quality of their work, professionalism, ability to stick to budget and more
• Be courteous and polite, even if you’re not happy with the work. It’s important to remember that not only can the business see what you’ve said about them, but so can every customer who clicks through to the feedback page in their profile

Got questions? Check out the FAQ page to find out more. If you’re having trouble awarding feedback, send us an email (support@serviceseeking.com.au) and we’ll guide you through the process.

Ten Simple Steps for Going Green

Our partners at Todae have spurred us on to inspire users with simple tips about how to reduce their carbon footprint. They’re not just easy and enviro-friendly, but they can also help you slash the costs of running an office and gain a repuation as a good corporate citizen.

1. Technology: don’t leave your laptops, computers, scanners and photocopiers running all night – even on Standby they consume a huge amount of energy. Shut down your equipment at the end of the day, and switch off multiple computers at once with a handy one-touch powerboard
2. Climate control: use ceiling and pedestal fans where you can (a ceiling fan costs just $15 a year to run!) or turn the airconditioning up one degree in Summer and down one in Winter to save 15% on your energy costs
3. Lights: get an electrician to switch your lights to more efficient globes, open blinds and curtains to let in as much natural light as possible, and only light areas of the workplace that are in use
4. Water: encourage your staff to turn off taps in the bathroom or lunch room, and to report any leaky facilities so you can get them fixed asap
5. Get emailing: cut down on your paper usage by switching a whole range of functions to email. Internal office communications, invoices, responding to customer enquiries, drafting new business policies, filing reports and more can be done via the net rather than in hard copy form.
6. Recycle: encourage your staff to print on both sides of the paper, and to not throw old papers and files in the bin.  Even sensitive materials can be shredded and then recycled to ensure the paper isn’t wasted
7. Buy recycled: times have changed, and 100% recycled paper is entirely OK for printers, looks and feels just like the fresh stuff and is often a far cheaper alternative
8. Transport: organising employee carpools means your workers can share the fuel costs and cut down on traffic congestion. Or, if your workplace is close to public transport, consider subsidising their train and bus fares as an incentive to ditch the car
9. Read up: subscribe to Todae’s newsletter or read up on climate change to keep up to date with the latest tools and ideas to make your business more sustainable. Also keep ahead of any government-regulated carbon reduction scheme by making changes now to the way you run your business and it’s impact on the environment
10. Get audited: to get a comprehensive carbon audit and see how you could save energy, money and your little piece of the planet, click here. We’ll even display the Todae logo next to your name so our thousands of customers can choose a carbon-conscious business for their next project

That’s Quotable!

Here at ServiceSeeking.com.au, we just can’t stress it enough: you only get out what you put in. When it comes to making the most of the site, the quality and content of your quotes can mean the difference between winning a new customer and missing out on the project.

Here are the absolute essentials to ensure your quotes are taken seriously by potential clients:

1. Be polite: it’s amazing how quickly poor spelling or a quote ALL IN CAPITALS can turn a customer off
2. Show your uniqueness: why are you better than the other businesses? Do you have lower overheads? Better training? Are you passionate about what you do?
3. Address their concerns: if the customer is unsure of what they need, answer their questions or give them some hints to help them along
4. Be specific: quote on the estimated total for the project, but also give an hourly rate in case extra work is needed
5. Keep up: if your price or services change, make sure you return to the site and click Edit next to your quote
6. Fill it in: don’t leave your Profile incomplete – add as much detail as you can

Still stumped on how to improve your quotes? Check out the Help Centre here.

Case Study: ViViDpink and ServiceSeeking.com.au

 

ViViDpink  is a graphic design business based in Queensland that’s won 13 projects with ServiceSeeking.com.au and has an impressive 100% Service Score. Before finding us via a Google search, ViViDpink relied almost solely on word of mouth to bring in new customers. Since joining in August last year they’ve gained a great reputation on the site, and are now doing a lot of recurring jobs for delighted clients.

So how did they do it? Danni from ViViDpink puts it down to attention to detail in her quotes, responding to the customer’s budget constraints & offering customers complete peace of mind, by giving them unlimited revisions of the design work. ViViDpink is also committed to getting rid of the middle man – the designer who quotes on the project does the work, giving the customer personalised and one-on-one service.

Danni’s Profile shows her broad range of design skills – she designs everything from promotional material like brochures and catalogues, cartoons & comics, to corporate logos and web pages. Here’s a couple of examples of her work:

And her advice for businesses new to ServiceSeeking.com.au? “Put it all out there - give the customer as much information about who you are & what you can do for them. Don’t hide anything!” Danni’s also reaped the rewards of an extensive Business Profile – customers can not only see her full contact details and a link to her website, but they can view examples of previous work in her Portfolio and click through to view her previous quotes & projects she’s won. Best of all, potential clients can check out what other ServiceSeeking.com.au customers have said about Danni’s work on her Feedback page.

If you want star businesses like ViViDpink battling it out for your next graphic design project, post a project here.

New Help Centre Released

Today we released our new Help Centre powered by AJAX live search. We found that people were spending too long browsing though our old static FAQ page to find the answer to their question. With the live search, you can type in keywords related to your question, and the relevant topics load instantly. If you don’t see the right topics immediately, you can add or remove keywords from the search and the topic list will reload.

It doesn’t really look that special on the face of it, but with the magic of AJAX under the hood it’s much more usable than our old FAQ page. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Better Browsers

Microsoft’s just announced that it’s launching a re-vamped version of its web browser Internet Explorer. Web users around the world are crossing their fingers that the hype is right and the new IE8 will tackle some of Microsoft’s long running browser issues – speed, security and ease of use.

But while Internet Explorer is still the browser of choice for net goers worldwide, its popularity has been on the decline since its previous version was released in August 2006. Many people, including ServiceSeeking.com.au customers and businesses, have switched to other free browsers like Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s latest effort, Google Chrome. So what’s the difference?

Your choice of browser may not be the most essential part of your internet experience, but there are four key things you should look for:

1. Simplicity: a streamlined browser design with limited clutter is a must. Browsers like Firefox and the new IE8 have clever toolbars that show or hide certain features (like printing tools, search bars) according to how much you use them. Google Chrome follows the tradition of Gmail and Google Search by simplifying the window format and providing a very easy to use design
2. Security: Microsoft has finally caught up with the other big players and upped its security. Spyware, phising scams, viruses and identity theft are always on the rise, and it’s important that browsers have a comprehensive security system to keep you in the clear. This includes easy access to menus allowing you to modify your level of security, turn on pop-up blockers, allow pop-ups only from selected sites and browse privately without storing visited sites or cookies on your computer
3. Compatibility: believe it or not, many of our enquiries to support@serviceseeking.com.au involve issues with browser compatibility, as users try to use the web with outdated and inferior versions of IE and other browsers. Keep in mind when choosing a browser that not all of them process HTML and JavaScript with the same speed and accuracy, and this can cause difficulties loading new sites and following web links
4. Support: even though all of the main browsers are free to download on the web (just do a search for IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera or others), their makers put a lot of effort into compiling comprehensive FAQs and Help Centres to ensure your experience is a smooth one. Mozilla and Google have always been the leaders in creating easy to use, searchable and relevant technical support sections. When you’re having a shouting match with the computer, or you’re struggling to download an important document from the web, it really does help to have assistance at the touch of a button and in easy to understand terms

Let us know what browser you’re using, and whether you think IE8 will help Microsoft win back some of the customers it’s lost to Mozilla, Google and others in recent times.

Site Update: Gauge Your Profile

As part of a number of updates to the site, we’ve included a Profile Completeness Gauge (like the one below) that prompts you to include more information in your Business Profile.

When you log in to the site and go to My Account, a box on the right hand side of the screen will tell you how complete your Profile is. It even lets you know how to improve the score – by adding an ABN, a website address or a portfolio entry.

Having a complete Business Profile is essential to landing new customers – it gives them a one page summary of who you are, what you do and why they should select you for their next project. So next time you’re on the site, see if you can push that little blue bar up to 100%!

Site Update: Type in Rich Text

You can now type your projects and your Business Profiles using bold letters and italics, and underline ’til your heart’s content.

When you go to the Post a Project or Business Profile page, you’ll now see the rich text editor at the top of the description box. You can also include hyperlinks to websites, allowing other users to quickly and easily access information about your business or your project.

Here’s an example of what you can do:

Site Update: Sorting New Leads

Here’s a great new update for businesses in relation to the New Leads folder:

• Sort projects by the date they were posted
• Sort projects by their closing date
• See how far the project is from your location
• Roll your mouse clicker over a project’s name to see all the essential details

As always, you can select leads you don’t want to follow through with and click Delete Selected at the bottom of the page.

These updates will make it easier for you to browse your new leads and keep the folder neat & tidy.

Spend it on services: using your $900 bonus

So much fuss has never been made over a tiny white envelope. All around Australia, people are torn about what to do with their $900 bonus from the Government. The jury’s still out on whether spending or saving your money is best for the economy – many industry experts say you should reduce your personal debt, by paying off credit cards or putting the money towards your next mortgage repayments.

The one thing they all agree on is that spending your money on services is the fastest way to get that cash circulating in the economy. By hiring a tradie for those odd jobs at home, getting an Aussie web designer to build your site or updating your logo with the help of a star graphic designer, you’ll be helping to boost the economy and keep more Aussies in their jobs. 

So to get more for your money, take advantage of ServiceSeeking.com.au’s competitive services market and post your project today. And to find out more about the Government’s bonus initiative and get some tips from finance gurus, check out this article in Ninemsn’s Money section.