new contracting direct website

[Support Monkey]

1.Not everyone can be arsed to make their own website.
2.Not every recruiter will use linked in, we are not talking agents here.
3.So what if im wrong, and it doesn't work.
4.Ive had loads of C.Vs sent to me, so I have something to start with.
5.Ive had a few calls about work from this.

The worst thing you can do with an idea that you think has legs is to do nothing, or listen to naysayers.

it 'is' linked in.

Daren...

I am not knocking it, if you have the conviction of your idea you go for it, what have you got to lose just a bit of time and a website, all i was doing was trying to see where this would fit in for me as a contractor (your target market) as with all other things i do i want to know what am i going to get out of it.

The problem i think will be clients go through agencies cos they don't want the hassle, and some have to because of their PSL, its quick, its easy and one phone call makes it someone elses problem, I am all for chucking my details on any website if there is a chance off work i just think the clients will be the ones that will want convincing

[KimberleyChris]

The problem i think will be clients go through agencies cos they don't want the hassle, and some have to because of their PSL, its quick, its easy and one phone call makes it someone elses problem, I am all for chucking my details on any website if there is a chance off work i just think the clients will be the ones that will want convincing

It's a nice idea, but most clients prefer agencies.

Apart from problems with (for example) security clearances, Your website cannot 'pursuade' clients to prefer it.

Also, it will not just happen to bump into Contracts / Purchasing Managers in Tesco's car park on Christmas Eve.

[mcBontempi]

No the worst thing you can do is to launch something so half baked that everyone laughs. Then even if you make it to the point that you have a viable product people will ignore you because of their first impression.

some people may ignore it, but if all of the 100 people that have been to the site today were my only future users, i would have a problem.

like i said, ive got a few leads off it myself, and a bunch of interested people.

most people will go through agencies, i do understand that.

[mudskipper]

No the worst thing you can do is to launch something so half baked that everyone laughs. Then even if you make it to the point that you have a viable product people will ignore you because of their first impression.

WEekS.

Before showing it to us, you should sort out the very basics, like:

1) Search - as a clientCo, how do I find a .net contractor with e-commerce experience who's happy to work in the Oxford area? (I'm assuming your vision involves more than a handful of CVs)
2) Data Protection policy, and hiding email / phone numbers. A 'contact xxx' web page is so simple to knock up, it's just shoddy not to do it. There is no way I'd register for a site that displays these details.
3) 'My account' - after uploading a CV, how do I modify/edit/remove? How will you ensure that only CVs for contractors that really are 'immediately available' are shown? If I was a prospective customer, found a contractor and contacted them, only to find they weren't available, I wouldn't give it a second chance.
4) Attention to detail - the wording needs review.
e.g.
"Your details will be assessed, a personal page will be created in a staging area whereby you can review, when you are happy, the page will go live." - it doesn't create a professional impression.

Also, your post telling us about the site should be professionally worded grammatically correct - it's your one chance to convince us you're serious.

CUK users are generally very supportive of people who have taken an idea and made it happen (thinking of the recent 'calculator' website that was launched - the guy got lots of positive feedback and constructive suggestions), but this one really hasn't gone much beyond the idea stage yet. A few days work on it, and it would have been so much more viable. And as someone else said, the copyright 2006-2012 is ridiculous when you have 1 CV on the site.

What's your vision? Do you imagine 100+ contractors registering? 1000+? What's the business model? Selling advertising? Who's going to review CVs to ensure they meet your 'highest standards' criteria?

[Paddy]

w ww.contractingdirect.com

For those of you sick of working through agents.

ill be honest, its my site, and im the first registered user on the site.

feel free to register, its free.

its early days, and i just needed to get something up. if you have any ideas on what i could add id love to know.
but i dont need it slated, cos i know its not finished.

I need to add something so that emails/phone numbers are not displayed to everyone etc. but ill just see what happens first.

Daren...

Daren......

D.O.B. - <mod snip> Why DOB?

CDirect Ltd © 2006 - 2012

Name & Registered Office:
CDIRECT Ltd

<mod snip>

Accounting Reference Date: 31/03
Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/12/2009 (TOTAL EXEMPTION SMALL)
Next Accounts Due: 31/10/2011 OVERDUE Highest standards!
Last Return Made Up To: 15/10/2011
Next Return Due: 12/11/2012

Last Members List: 15/10/2011

Previous Names:
Date of change Previous Name
08/07/2009 CHEF <mod snip>

Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC):
47220 - Retail sale of meat and meat products in specialised stores
47230 - Retail sale of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in specialised stores

[mudskipper]

47230 - Retail sale of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in specialised stores

Dimprawn - your site has arrived!

[cojak]

I would suggest getting your business and accounts in order first Daren. Paddy just did a simple search of you, anyone with half a brain can do the same.

[kingcook]

I've got a better idea...

www.contractingdirect2.com

Ok, ok, it's not quite complete yet. I just need to register the domain name, do a few web pages, and get some contractors (and clients) on board.

This time by next year, i'll be a millionaire!!!!

[mcBontempi]

thanks for your advice, ill be hopefully putting some sort of search/ filter functionality in when i have enough c.v's in the system.
not sure how i am going to do the user accounts / c.v. maintenance bit. as you have all probably noticed, the site is completely static at the moment. and im going to keep it that way until it becomes a time consuming problem forwarding requests etc (if its a problem, its a good problem) then i will invest the time writing the whole back end.
I do think that my main problem is going to be taking the old cv's down when the candidate is taken off the market.
I do agree with a lot of whats been said about throwing something together, doesnt create a good impression. but there is always the argument of failing fast. I dont want to really invest more than a days energy in something that has no hope. i have had some positive interest, enough to make me think the whole idea isnt a complete waste of time. So im happy with that, and will possibly add some of the c.vs i have (time consuming at the moment)

Also a lot of the feedback ive had from you guys has been taken on board, so thanks for the time and effort.

Ive put my ltd company on now, dont know where the other one came from, think it was auto generated from the wizard.

[russell]

Don't listen to these mugs. they haven't got the balls or brains to attempt something and will forever be employees, even though they have their own ltd companies. Well done for trying to create something.