Archive for the 'SMB' Category

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

Update: Introducing RSS feature and Enhancements

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

MindShareOver the last few days, we have introduced several enhancements on LimeExchange, starting from RSS feeds, to providing Instant Messaging (IM/Chat) during Proof of Concept (POC), Pilot phase To making it easier for all our users to understand and use Business Agreement (Business Agreement has now got a new name – Terms of Engagement).

Let us first apprise you about RSS feeds that we have introduced. Now you can stay informed of all the updates on LimeExchange. By using RSS feeds, you can know real time about updates on:
• LimeExchange news
• Projects
• Service Providers
• Contests, and
• Questions & Answers

You only have to subscribe to the RSS feeds to remain updated on all fronts. Feed reader will keep updating the feeds so that you do not miss anything important even while you are not logged in to LimeExchange. You can also choose the time frequency for updation of the feeds and the categories and subcategories for which you want feeds. We leave it for you to decide what is most important for you.

Another improvement in our project workflow is the introduction of Instant Messaging (IM, Chat) during Proof of Concept (POC). Now, buyers and service providers can remain in touch through IM during the POC period also. Besides this, PMB (Message Board) which was always available would only help improve communication and collaboration. 

We have also made little changes in the workflow concerning Terms of Engagement (earlier, known as Business Agreement). Now, users have two options while sending Terms of Engagement (TOE). They can either opt for default TOE or they can create their own TOE and send it to the other party. If they choose default TOE, the entire project is converted into a single milestone. If users wish to set several milestones for a project, they can create their own TOE.  Payments are attached with Milestones.

Like always, we await your views on our recent enhancements. Write to us, Post your comments on our Blog, send feedback and suggestions to feedback@LimeExchange.com or support@LimeExchange.com

Update: New Features for all LimeExchange Users

Published
by
Product Team
on July 31, 2008
in Business, Freelancing, Innovation, Knowledge Networking, LimeExchange, Person to Person Outsourcing, Product Update, SMB, Service Providers, Small and Medium Business, Technology and outsourcing
. 0 Comments

We have promised to provide our users with new and enhanced user-friendly features to continually improve & support the smooth functioning of a business deal.

LimeExchange now presents to all its users an enhanced platform to experience the innovative & interactive features to initiate, track & manage business relationships and projects.

Launch• You can now conduct a POC or Pilot Project activity to evaluate the service providers skills in the relevant field.
• Our Q&A feature brings an open forum to express your questions, share answers and give expert advice.
• Now further execute a project seamlessly using Issue tracker and Project Kickoff Checklist, which facilitate the buyer and the service provider to maintain better business relationships simultaneous to progress of the project.

Wait no longer to experience the specially designed features, as we are working towards making this marketplace the simplest and the easiest way to outsource.

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