MindSauce
MindSauce are developing an innovative new platform that enables industry leading Digital specialists to engage in short-term, micro-consulting assignments with clients around the world via audio and video. These typically last for 1-2 hours on a one-off or repeat basis, enabling clients to increase their access to knowledge through the use of highly credible consultants, and allowing consultants to generate a new revenue stream and work on exciting/interesting projects that fit around their busy schedules. The total time of the engagement can include both online and offline sessions.
Our platform will connect clients and consultants, and take the administrative hassle out of managing projects online, including; search and selection; pitching/applying for assignments; automatic billing and payments; financial management; generation of engagement contracts; and building teams of specialist advisors.
The way people work is changing. Consider the following by The UK Commission for Employment & Skills (UKCES) in their ‘Future of Work’ report;
• “Ongoing development of technology will lead to ‘virtual’ work presences becoming the norm”.
• “Businesses will scale down their core workforces and rely more on networks of project-based workers”.
• “Growth of the ‘micropreneur’ – owners who want to keep their enterprise small to ensure they have control over their work and can maintain a balanced lifestyle”.
The start-up team foresaw these developments and believe there is an easier solution to managing assignments online.
The costs of using third parties (recruitment consultants and headhunters) to find and engage talent, is only worth the investment if that person is able to add value over an extended period of time. What if the CEO/Digital Director/Head of Marketing, just wanted to ask a few questions or engage someone for an hour or so on an ongoing basis to input virtually into board meetings or team discussions? This would prove very costly and time consuming – unless of course they relied upon their own, usually very limited, black book of contacts.
Clients can;
• Validate ideas
• Justify business decisions
• Receive answers to any question
• Test any concept
• Manage the process seamlessly online
Consultants can;
• Monetise their knowledge
• Engage in exciting micro-assignments
• Promote themselves and their ‘personal brand’
• Build high quality professional networks
Having instant access to industry leading, relevant and credible experts enables businesses to instantly tap into a vast pool of knowledge and experience. Imagine all of those minds connected, sharing ideas, and being rewarded for it in the process! The MindSauce…
Given our access to the digital sector, we believe we are in an unique position to ensure that awareness of the MindSauce platform will be maximized through clever PR, marketing and direct sales.
MindSauce have access to a list of digital experts from Director to Board and NED level ready to join the platform as our first consultants ready for launch.
We have formed a partnership with Bryan Cave, a leading international Law firm with specialist experience working with digital start-ups to put together an affordable and flexible arrangement to produce our user agreements and engagement contracts, and ongoing legal support.
Proceeds will be used for: Development, marketing & PR, legal, operating costs and salaries.
Our strategy is to prioritise seed investment into the development of the MindSauce platform as this will be essential in order to ensure a smooth and seamless user experience. It is not necessary to spend a significant amount of our budget on marketing in the pilot stage, as we already have direct access to our customer segments – certainly enough to gain traction and test/validate the concept.
As MindSauce is a ‘revenue generating’ business model, we anticipate that we will be able to supplement our cash reserves with revenue generated through our site to enable further investment in the areas above, without the need for additional financing. We will look to raise further funds once the business model has been proven, in order to scale the business quickly.