Labour-Net.com is a unique service that allows people to promote themselves or their professional services with a short, 140-character description and a video. Designed to allow people to shine in a different way from resumes and paperwork, LabourNet is a professional marketplace offering a different take on hiring.
Tell us about Labour-Net and what it does.
Labour-Net.com is a staffing and service promotion portal where individuals promote themselves with a short description of no more than 140 characters and a short video. Gone are the days of boring, old-fashioned CVs or resumes written on a dead piece of paper.
How does your app work?
Registration is super fast and simple: Users enter a profile picture, name, and address (used only for distance calculations). A user can compile one or more posts by selecting an occupation and engagement type (i.e. permanent or temporary), adding a description of herself in no more than 140 characters, and uploading a short video.
A recruiter or customer of these services would search for service providers by occupation, engagement type, or distance. Relevant posts in card format would be listed. Social media-type ratings and comments can be viewed and such posts added to a user's favorite List. Notes specific to a post can be made and stored. The post creator can then be contacted via a pre-populated email introducing the recruiter or customer. Recruiter or customer information such as company name, website, or attached profile can be scrutinized by the post creator before contact is established via return email.
We are about to release a quotation module where the customer can send a request to the post creator based on a simple request for quote—comprising a short description of what is needed as well as a short video—to submit a price for a service to be rendered. This would apply, for example, to plumbers, electricians, or handymen. In addition, we are about to release a video call facility that would enable the customer to obtain online help and advice. This could, for example, apply to creators of posts promoting math tutorials.
Tell us a little about your background and how you discovered no-code tools like Bubble.
I am a chartered accountant by training and hold a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree in information technology. Whilst I am currently the Chief Operations Officer of a large multinational healthcare company, I have always maintained a keen interest in information technology as a hobby. For example, I am very interested in cybersecurity as well as Web3 programming. Due to time pressures in my day-to-day occupation, I have personally tried and tested a few no-code or low-code platforms. Bubble did it for me. I always jokingly say that in my next life I will be a permanent app developer, and Bubble will be my tool of choice.
Why did you build your app on Bubble?
I prefer Bubble to a number of other personally tried and tested no-code or low-code platforms as Bubble is logical, user-friendly and flexible. I specifically like the latest Responsive Engine as well as the many plug-in features, and the API connectivity. Due to time pressure in my day-to-day occupation, Bubble has enabled me to fast-track the development of practical apps. I believe in doing and then fixing from an efficiency point of view. Whilst this methodology goes against most of what is written in textbooks, I found that Bubble accommodates this somewhat unconventional approach.
What have been your milestones for success so far?
I launched the basic version of Labour-Net as soon as it was ready, i.e. after two weeks of part-time development work. I tested the functionality with friends for a few days and then promoted Labour-Net on Facebook and Google. The initial response has been very encouraging. Labour-Net has enjoyed 190 signups within about seven days. I continuously ask these initial users, both post creators and recruiters/customers, why they like the platform and what features they want going forward. They like its ease of use, practicality, and mobile-first design. In addition, recruiters and customers like the filter by geographical distance function and the note-taking and rating features. Recruiters agree that a good short video replaces 1,000 words on a CV or resume, as you get an indication of the subject's soul, something which a dead piece of paper will never be able to provide. In addition, the video feature effectively serves as a pre-screening tool for recruiters and enables customers of, say, plumbers, painters, or tutors to evaluate quality of work or even personal testimonials.
What are your future plans for Labour-Net?
Based on the feedback I’ve gotten, I am encouraged by the practical need for such an app. I will add quoting, payment, and video conferencing features within the next two weeks or so. I plan to specialize the platform for professional services, artisans, and education, for now. I found that the more I specialize the services, the better the user responses. This will be followed by targeted promotions on social media platforms.
Learn more about Labour-Net.com: Facebook | Twitter
About Bubble
Bubble is a leader in the no-code movement. Bubble offers a powerful point-and-click web editor and cloud hosting platform that allows users to build fully customizable web applications and workflows, ranging from simple prototypes to complex marketplaces, SaaS products, and more. Over 500,000 users are currently building and launching businesses on Bubble – many have gone on to participate in top accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, and even raise $365M in venture funding. Bubble is more than just a product. We are a strong community of builders and entrepreneurs that are united by the belief that everyone should be able to create technology.