TryCycle is a platform that aims to match professionals with clients seeking consultancy services online. It focuses on paid services that can be delivered through online interactions like video chat. Unlike other platforms, it does not involve bidding - a first connection is free to allow clients to determine if a provider is a good match. Surveys found demand for freelance help averaging 1 hour per month, indicating potential for 7 million hours hired annually. Respondents were interested in easy search, hiring and secure payment for consulting services priced and delivered in limited time increments. The platform aims to create a marketplace bridging professionals and clients with an easy payment system for on-demand online expertise.

1. TryCycle
Lets freelance „the TryCycle way‟…

2. What is TryCycle?
 A „Super Help Desk‟ that bridges between
professionals and clients with a payment
system.
 Provides a platform to match the supply and
demand of paid professionals

3. How are we different?
 Focus on paid „consultancy‟ services that can
be offered online
 On demand connection
 No bidding process unlike other platforms
 Service is delivered through online face-to-
face interaction

4. How we work?
 A first connection between a potential client
and a service provider is free
 The first try, no strings attached plays an
important role
 A client can find out if a provider (copywriter,
web designer, artist, musician) is a good
match.

5. Hypothesis
 There is no common, easy service to match the supply and demand for paid
professional expertise for services that are a form of cocreating or consulting and
can be performed right away by interaction online during a limited period, by skype or
chat.
 There is a substantial demand for a “Superhelpdesk” that combines crowd and
professional sourcing with a payment system.
 Freelancers as well as patrons are interested in helping others whith their skills and
experience when an hourly rate can be earned by a clear, easy system.
 They are interested in delivering incidental, (very) limited time help.
 Service sellers on this system may be service buyers
 Buyers need a fast service and easy, safe payment system.

6. Experiments
 Team brainstorm on own experiences with
freelancing and the need for hiring freelance
help,
 Face to face interviews,
 Survey

7. Survey results
 There is high demand and interest in freelancing. we deduce a
demand of avg use of 1 hr/month which leads to a total amount of
hours of expertise hired via a market place of 7 million per year.
 Respondents did not use a similar freelancing platform before. They
have heard of several though e.g. vworker, zintro and elance /
peopleperhour.
 The favorite type of interaction is e-mail and document sharing
(other options were: video-conferencing, chat, and telephone). Also,
suggested hourly rate varied from 4 to 200 euros.
 Requested services are in broad domains, IT is most populair 51%,
other makes 38% and marketing communication and graphic design
follow with about 27 and 24%.

8. Post-Survey conclusions
 The survey strengthened our idea that there is a demand for offering
expertise on a easy accessible platform. There‟s no obviously popular
freelancing platform yet.
 Zintro would be the main competitor since they offer similar services but
their business and revenue models are different. More insight is needed on
this matter.
 Through face-to-face interviews, we learnt that the easy searching, hiring
and secure payment is most important features bringing a new type of
supply and demand in consulting like services per time unit.
 it‟s not smart to force freelancers into too narrow pricing. As an example,
prices can vary within the category e.g. 0-25, 26-50, 51-75 etc.
 Also important are non-disclosure, formats etc. making interaction easy,
professional and trustworthy.
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