Archive for the 'LimeExchange' Category

Update: New Features Announcement

Published
by
Product Team
on September 22, 2008
in LimeExchange and Product Update
. 3 Comments

New Features LaunchedAs always we promise to provide our users with new and enhanced features to continually improve & support the smooth functioning of a business deal.

LimeExchange now presents to all its users an enhanced platform as a key enabler to create new business relationships and execute more & more projects.

-  Users now benefit from Online Skill Tests and get their skill certified from ExpertRating Solutions (Leaders in Online skill certifications).  Take the first test for FREE from LimeExchange.

-  You can now get your English fluency certified by LimeExchange by taking a FREE English proficiency test.

-  Buyers can now hide any confidential, important requirements from search engines by opting for ‘Hide my requirements from Search engines‘, while posting a project.

-  Users can now get automated receipts/invoices from LimeExchange for all the financial transactions within LimeExchange.

-  Providers and Buyers, both can get benefits from the enhanced bidding system to get more information on bids on projects and having better communication and collaboration for getting projects executed from LimeExchange.

Wait no longer to experience these new features, as we are working towards making this marketplace an intelligent and the easiest way to outsource and conduct business.

We expect our readers to come forward and give us their views on our new feature. Write to us, Post your comments on our Blog, send feedback, suggestions to feedback@LimeExchange.com or support@LimeExchange.com

LimeExchange partners with ExpertRating to offer Online Skill Tests

Published
by
Product Team
on September 22, 2008
in Business, Freelance, Freelancing, LimeExchange, Person to Person Outsourcing, Product Update, SMB, Service Providers, Skill test, Small and Medium Business and outsourcing
. 1 Comment

Online Skill Tests, Skill VerificationWant more business, earning opportunities from LimeExchange?

Want more credibility for your LimeExchange profile?

Want to establish your expertise for your skillset?

Want to award projects to certified experts?

ExpertRating SolutionsLimeExchange answers these questions, with the launch of Online Skill Tests, in association with ExpertRating. ExpertRating is a trusted name in pre-employment testing and training services and has long been a leader in Online Certification and Employment Testing, offering over 200 widely accepted online certifications.

LimeExchange in partnership with ExpertRating now brings an array of online skill tests for users; providing an affordable and efficient way to prove skill expertise online and to get a Certified LimeExchange profile from Expert Rating Solutions.

LimeExchange introduces an extensive range of technical skills and proficiency tests for providers in all categories ranging from technical skills, software programming, web programming, designing, technical writing, blogging to even accounting and language proficiency.

As part of our Online Skill Test Launch, LimeExchange is happy to offer the first test FREE to all users, in any of their chosen category.  This offer is valid till end of December 2008.

Online Skill Tests, Skill VerificationWhy should you take skill test(s)?

•         To exhibit your skill proficiency to the world
•         To add credibility to your profile
•         To increase your ranking and rating on LimeExchange
All of this and more to get more and more business opportunities from LimeExchange.

Let’s get started …. Or how it works?

View categories and choose test syllabus - More than 100 tests available across various categories. You can select from variety of tests in a particular category, read the test syllabus and get prepared for the test.

Take a test – After going through the test syllabus, if you feel confident enough to take the test just go for it at your own convenience. All our LimeExchange users can take one Technical Test of their choice for free along with free LimeExchange English Proficiency Test.

Check score – After completing the test you can view your scores. On passing the test, your scores can be viewed on your profile. You can also retake the test after 24 hours, if needed.

Promote profile - Your Profile immediately reflects your scores obtained which gets a preference on search results for the tests you have taken and helps you increase your business. You also have an option to hide your test scores by marking them as Private.

We recommend all our users to take all the tests related to their area of expertise and prove your skills to the world.  Leave your feedback and comments for us to improve further.

English Fluency Test for LimeExchange users

Published
by
Product Team
on September 22, 2008
in Business, Freelance, Freelancing, LimeExchange, Person to Person Outsourcing, Product Update, SMB, Service Providers, Skill test, Small and Medium Business and outsourcing
. 0 Comments

English Proficiency, Communication, CollaborationAt LimeExchange all communication and collaboration happens in English.  Till now all users had the option of rating themselves on their English fluency, by rating themselves from between 1 to 5, which was displayed as such on the profile.  We have now made the assessment on English fluency intelligent by introducing an English Fluency test, which is available for FREE for all LimeExchange users.

The English test contains expert questions taken from worldwide databases.  All our existing users are requested to take the English fluency test, so that their English fluency rating can be firmly established.  Going forward these ratings would be replacing the self rating by Mid October while all new users would be required to take this test to establish their prowess on English language to be able to conduct business via LimeExchange.  This would only help users to know first hand on expectations from each other in terms of English communication.

Hide your project from Search Engines!

Published
by
Product Team
on September 22, 2008
in Business, Freelance, Freelancing, LimeExchange, Person to Person Outsourcing, Product Update, SMB, Security, Service Providers, Small and Medium Business and outsourcing
. 0 Comments

Hide from search engine, Privacy, COnfidentialityWanted to hide your requirements, project from search engines?

Wanted to ensure your project requirement remained private but you received competitive bids?

Had some confidential, important requirements, but did not want others to know?

Now users have this flexibility provided within LimeExchange project posting.

At LimeExchange Buyers always had the flexibility of posting a project as either Private, which meant that though the project would not be visible to public view and also not search-able by search engines, buyers still had to invite known providers to bid and execute the project. Or as Public, which meant that the project was visible in public view, to all users and outside world and also search-able by search engines.  Or as Premium, which allowed all premium providers, who have clearly shown their intent of executing projects via LimeExchange by opting for a premium package, to bid on the projects, thus restricting competition on such projects to only definitely interested providers. Private project had the advantage of ensuring that any discrete requirements were maintained as discrete, while Public projects ensured competitive bidding from around the globe and Premium projects ensured that the buyerwith the requirements was assured of quality bids from serious providers.

Realizing that Buyers wanted a middle path available to them as well, where their requirements were maintained as discrete and not visible in general public view but still benefitted from having users participating competitively and vying for this business.

At LimeExchange now Buyers have the flexibility of ensuring that their requirements (Confidential, Private requirements), posted as a project, are visible to all LimeExchange users only, so that while they benefit from active participation from all users, the requirements are hidden from the world and all the search engines, RSS feeds.  Buyers do not need to invite providers to bid and LimeExchange registered providers can bid freely on these projects, while Buyers maintain privacy of their requirements to within LimeExchange.

All LimeExchange users would be able to see these projects after logging into LimeExchange only and not from simple project search and these projects would not be visible to the outside world.

We invite all users to post their comments and provide feedback.

Manage your Receipts!

Published
by
Product Team
on September 22, 2008
in Accounting, Business, Freelance, Freelancing, LimeExchange, Payment methods, Person to Person Outsourcing, Product Update, SMB, Service Providers, Small and Medium Business and outsourcing
. 0 Comments

Financial Accounting, Online Receipts, InvoiceWanted to get an statement of financial transactions for all execution done within LimeExchange?

Wanted to get project invoices, receipts to help with accounting?

To fulfill these needs, LimeExchange brings ‘Receipts’ (Invoicing) feature. It is the easiest and the simplest way of keeping a record of payments made and is being provided for our users’ convenience. Now you have access to an automated system for receiving all receipts for project and financial transactions executed within LimeExchange.

Users can get a statement of financial transaction of the purchases done at LimeExchange. For example, if you purchase a Bid Pack or a premium pack or credits for Question & Answers, you can get a system generated ‘Receipt’ for the same. Buyers can now request their providers to provide them with the receipt/invoice against the project executed. Providers can generate the receipt by simply clicking on ‘My Receipt’ link in their LimeExchange wallet, once the project is completed.

To promote your company’s name and add credibility to the receipts, attach your company’s logo on all the receipts you send to the buyers. You just have to save the logo in ‘My settings’ and upload it by clicking on Upload Receipt Logo” link on your “My Receipts” page.

As always leave a comment, post your feedback.

Enhanced Bidding Workflow

Published
by
Product Team
on September 22, 2008
in Business, Freelance, Freelancing, LimeExchange, Person to Person Outsourcing, Product Update, SMB, Service Providers, Small and Medium Business and outsourcing
. 0 Comments

Automated Intelligent Bidding workflowWe have received a lot of feedback from buyers that they would like to see more details about the providers profile, execution strategy and a tentative plan for the project along with the Bids. It’s important for the providers to understand what’s involved while bidding to win a project.

We’ve implemented an improved & more intelligent bidding workflow for all LimeExchange users.

Now,  providers with incomplete profile would automatically be guided through an intuitive wizard to complete their profile. Bid description has been made mandatory, and we recommend that providers should use this to answer the following questions:

1. How you plan to complete the project? - A basic delivery plan.

2. What tools/strategy you plan to use to complete the project timely? - Any particular technology/tool/methodology that you think would be helpful for this project.

3. Why you are the right provider for this project? - Samples of similar past work

4. How do you justify your bid? - how the amount is derived from effort involved, try to justify the bid amount.

Please feel free to write to us in case of any feedback/suggestions or just leave a comment on this post.

Buyers:How to best use LimeExchange?

Published
by
Product Team
on September 15, 2008
in Business, Freelance, Freelancing, LimeExchange, Person to Person Outsourcing, Product Update, SMB, Small and Medium Business and outsourcing
. 1 Comment

With this post we are only trying to bridge the gap for our users on how to best use LimeExchange for their outsourcing needs and offer some guidelines, which they should consider before jump starting a project.

Tips for all Buyers

1.   Who to select, In doubt? Get a sample assignment conducted!
• Use ‘Proof Of Concept’ feature to get a Pilot/sample assignment executed
• Provide details for POC project, at time of project posting, and define your expectation on deliverables
• Shortlist from providers and award POC
• Collaborate and communicate using IM, PMB for getting POC executed
• Evaluate POC submissions based on Quality of sample delivered, communication and collaboration

2.   Minimize my Financial Exposure and risks? Go ahead, Define delivery milestones with payments!
• Provide complete details while posting a project
• Define a comprehensive Terms of Engagement (TOE)
• Divide your requirement into Milestones
• Attach payments with Milestones
• Set expectation in terms of deliverables for each milestone.

3.   Manage my project? Use LimeExchange tools to effectively manage!
• Use Project Kickoff Checklist (PKC) and tell your provider your expectations
• Communicate risks/issues using Issue Tracker (IT)
• Insist on Status reports to get progress update on milestones, project
• Communicate & Collaborate using Private Message Board (PMB), Instant Message (IM)
• Schedule a session to have a dialogue

4.   Utilizing Business Network? Provide feedback and ratings!
• Release final payments from Escrow
• Provide feedback on your experience with provider
• Provide and use published rating, to take help and help your network

5.   Safeguard me against Non-service? Use Mediation and Arbitration services!
• Funds are safeguarded by our Escrow services, they get released only when you want them to be released.
• Escalate issues to provider using Issue Tracker (IT)
• If nothing helps, log the requirement in the Dispute Assistance workflow, use provided services

Just apply these simple guidelines while outsourcing and get a positive experience.

Provide us with your valuable feedback on our enhanced features specially designed to make outsourcing the easiest and simplest job for you.

We are with you at every step of the way, so let us know at any time in case any assistance is required on support@limeexchange.com

We’re 5000!!!

Published
by
Product Team
on September 9, 2008
in Business, Freelance, LimeExchange, Product Update, Small and Medium Business and outsourcing
. 0 Comments

We are 5000, Growing, PositiveLimeExchange believes in the theory that “Sky is the Limit” and has achieved what had been aimed for…

Our next generation online services marketplace has reached its first milestone; we are now 5000+ successful users. Our user database is expanding every day; we are reaching out to different geographies, various languages and variety of businesses across the globe.

Narrating a success story on how have we grown to 5000+ in a span of six months…
Six months back when we took the first step to this marketplace, no one knew about us. We developed a product, a web platform for various businesses around the globe, where the exchange of services and businesses can be done instantly and simply. We strive hard to deliver the best while meeting the standards of our global users. Step by step we achieved the milestones, and over the period of time people have understood that LimeExchange is the most ingenious online services marketplace to outsource work. Be it a core or a non core function of a company, it could be easily outsourced to the experts from their relevant area of business. We have an average of 100 projects executed in a month, with more than 50 getting posted week on week, on various categories such as web programming, graphics arts & design, software programming + mobile and writing & translation etc.

In comparison to our contenders we have attained far more than what they did in decades. They are old and established in the market; but we are moving faster leaving them behind by progressing in our product, quality and delivery standards. We have initiated one- its- kind user-friendly features, and enhanced delivery management tools which help them maximize earnings and minimize risks and issues involved in online outsourcing. Our alluring features are bringing us 1000+ unique visitors every day from various trades and converting them to proud registered members of LimeExchange.

Countries like Russia, Philippines, Ukraine, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India and China which are better known as great hubs for vast resource pool are also rising with the emergence of this global platform. Now it’s easy to have access to their skilled labor to get work done cost-effectively and proficiently. In very less time we have become the most talked about site across the world; our corporate blog section is widely read by people from outsourcing industry. US being the major player in outsourcing, gets more than 100 freelancers reading our blogs on a monthly basis.

We encourage our privileged users to expand their trusted network by using our Affiliation Program by inviting friends, colleagues from various businesses and let them experience the benefits of the marketplace while getting an equal opportunity platform to work and rise together. Your valuable feedback and suggestions are also requested to help us serve you well at all times.