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Ideas of how to charged commissions for specialized jobs?

I’m building a web page where users like you or me can find easily services from accountants and tax experts freelance. But now, Im a bit confused because I’m not sure of how and when charge a commission for use the service. Tax experts is whom due pay commission. For example:

You send a solicitude of how to pay a tax, a tax expert send you a quote and you agree that quote, and then you and the professional get in contact. But since it’s a specialized job, most of cases both persons need to meet personally, its here where I dont know how to charge for commission for my service of refer a new client to the tax expert, because when they get in contact could make a negotiation by apart.

Any ideas of how to handles this, or maybe create a use policies ?

Answer 8154

www.freelancer.co.uk

Have a look how they do it.

Given the comment I will try to improve my answer. There is already a significant player in the market who is doing things one way at freelancer, if you are going to get entry to this market you are going to have to be very clear how your business is going to do something better or different to what they are doing. I didn’t want to discourage too much…but it seems from the question that you hadn’t seen this major player already or you would have seen their commision scheme. I’m not going to copy their information to here as it is likely to change over time, and my point is that you need to look at what the competitors are doing and look at how you can fit with that. Perhaps a better question could come out of that.

I presume you are looking to offer tax and accountancy to very small business? Are you aware how in most jurisdictions you have to appoint a statutory auditor if you are over a certain size who has to physically visit your business for long periods and go through your records? They have to get to know your business and meet the people who hold power. It is likely that the same firm will be giving you tax advice and writing statutory accounts too. Its not like outsourcing some copy writing or a web page where the people can be remote. Secondly web outsourcing is great for finding a php dev, because php has the same syntax all over the world. Tax is a local specialty and you are not going to get UK tax advice from Bangalore.

My brief answer was because I would have a lot of concerns about the premise of your idea, that go beyond how to charge a referers fee, and I thought a good read of that site would show you that you may have a lot to learn about your market without discouraging you. I hope you have been through all of this and thought of something I haven’t and wish you all the best anyway.

Answer 8586

You have an idea, and you have half an idea on the income stream, and you want others to help clarify it - at least, this is my understanding.

Various methods that I can think off…

  1. Subscription based model where you charge end user Not easy to get money from peoples pockets, especially when you want to charge them prior to helping them. But it’s an option.
  2. Subscription based model where you charge service provider A little easier, but still tricky - perhaps allow them to connect with three or more customers prior to forcing them to join. Allow successful connections to award the service provider points thus reducing the attraction of a service provider constantly opening up free accounts.
  3. Free Free Yes, free - but you make use of the underlying data. Mobile food vendor trucks follow out door concerts for their money - you need take a similar concept where you allow provider and client to connect and you offer something in the middle. Distribution lists for junk mail, car or home insurance to your registered users, stationary to your service providers.
  4. Partner with someone who pays you An ISP might find your service attractive - They might pay a fixed small fee per user or service provider who registers with your website - it allows the ISP to offer ‘free’ services to their customers.

These are three ideas that come to mind - Research the competition (there is lots) and see if you can make their cost model more attractive.

Best of luck!

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