It's about time
Our markets allow “Slivers-of-Time” of local people to be booked much more effectively. A “Sliver” may be an hour, a day, a week or more.
Evolving markets
There has been a revolution in marketplaces for some parts of the economy in the last 15 years. But there’s been little change in the way we sell our time. Our markets bring new efficiencies to this crucial activity in sectors such as general employment, homecare, workforces and volunteering.
To understand how some marketplaces have changed, look at a sector like air travel. There was a time when a flight from London to New York required calls to a travel agency or multiple airlines. Now we have marketplaces such as www.skyscanner.net.
Skyscanner allows anyone to input their intended journey and a range of acceptable travel dates. It immediately shows all the available seats and their cost from hundreds of competing airlines. Booking your choice takes only a few more seconds.
What a market can do
Skyscanner is very convenient, but its impact goes much deeper. The same is true of our markets.
Types of markets
Don’t confuse a true marketplace for time with services such as job-boards, catalogues or websites offering lists of providers.
Imagine a travel site that asked for your destination but then simply provided a list of the airlines flying there. You would then have to phone or email each provider to work out if they can meet your specific needs and at what price. Skyscanner does all that legwork for you. So do our markets.
A true market for the time of individuals is even more complex than a forum for trading seats on aircraft. Issues like reliability, contactability, personal preferences, travel distances, periods of notice and maximum weekly hours have to be factored into each search for options. Compliance with Minimum Wage, Employer’s N.I. and Working Time Directive rules are a must. Bookings may be extended on the day. Incidental expenses may be incurred. All these issues, and others, are handled within each transaction by our markets.
