ProFinder@Work: The Rise of the "Get 'Er Done" Economy
At Merton Way Inc., we work with small businesses to help them correct course, scale, pick the right projects, and get them delivered. This is a fast-growing niche, because sole proprietors generate 60% of jobs in North America and many are over-worked and starved for affordable experts who can run with their ideas to scale their businesses.
This also includes small, venture-backed companies competing for talent on tight timelines and budgets.
Enter: ProFinder
Enter LinkedIn and the launch of its ProFinder platform for talent networking. This end-around leverages the millions upon millions of professionals already using LinkedIn, enabling a global "match.com" for people who need stuff moved off of their desks.
The advantages are so obvious...First, there is the sheer volume of fractional and freelance talent that sits in LinkedIn's database. Second, owners and managers seeking talent can view profiles of the pros submitting proposals. They can read the endorsements of their bosses. Perhaps you are just one or two degrees away from knowing this person through your own network.
Using ProFinder to Scale
Lastly, and for Merton Way, ProFinder has proven to be a fantastic two-way street. While most of our engagements tend to be longer, more involved projects, ProFinder does feed us with great opportunities. And as a small consultancy, who will say no to something right up your alley when you have excess capacity to do good work?
Additionally, scaling your own capacity is greatly simplified. When tactical expertise is required for a certain portion of a project, we can post it on ProFinder and receive three, four or more well-thought responses from potential partners.
It is all about the new "Get 'Er Done" economy we live in. Be it a small business or a global corporation, there are simply too many big and little things that need doing--and while some can be left to slide, others are quite critical.
But these To Do's fly like gnats around your department or your business. You need to update your meta tags. You need to assess the size of a market before investing in entry. You need to introduce e-commerce for a portion of your product line, but there is no in-house expertise--and the quotes from agencies beg the question of ROI. You want help writing that business book you feel bottled up inside of you.
Death of the Long-winded Dog & Pony
We've found ProFinder indispensable in just a brief period of time. It is a lively marketplace and a fantastic way to meet folks and hear about new companies and new technologies. Even if long-term clients do not come of it from Day One, and some of the talent making proposals are off the mark--well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Personally, I know I've wasted just as much or more time interviewing contractors, or listening to long dog-and-pony shows from agencies, just to fill a gap. ProFinder doesn't solve the Get 'Er Done problem 100% of the time, but it certainly improves your odds of getting matched with the right person sooner--with a lot fewer hassles.
You can learn more about this gem at Profinder.