Just over a year ago, we covered Ether, which makes it easy for (budding) entrepreneurs to sell spoken advice and support by providing them with a dedicated 1-888 number for customers to call, and taking care of billing and payments. Now, a massive player has joined the arena. Skype's latest software release includes a beta version of Skype Prime. The service is very similar to Ether: sellers set a price, fixed or per minute, find buyers for their service, and Skype handles the rest. Of course, instead of using phone lines, both sellers and buyers use Skype's voice over IP platform.
While Skype charges 'call providers' more than Ether does—30% commission versus 15%—Skype's obvious benefit is its existing global user base. Skype has over 171 million registered users, is available in 28 languages and is used in almost every country around the world. Which means a very large reach for minipreneurs who'd like to sell their services, whether they're offering Spanish lessons, tax advice or something saucier. (Note that Skype's guidelines state that call providers cannot offer any content or service that is adult, sexual, pornographic or paedophiliac.)
Other alternatives include BitWine and Wengo. If you've used one or more of these services to expand your consulting, tax or astrology business, we'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment below!
Website: www.skype.com/share/skypeprime
Contact: www.skype.com/feedback/contact
Spotted by: Andrus
Email to friendPrevious: Pop-up hotels and resorts «
Next: Eco-friendly pack and move solution »
Very interesting site Richard - great rates too!
Thanks Andrus for your article.
I work for Wengo as Marketing Director; I'm not going to "sell my product", but just wanted to tell you and yours readers today more than 22000 people've joined http://www.wengo.com to buy or sell theirs services online (3 months after the official launch).
If Skype benefits from an huge registered users database, our click-to-call system do NOT need to download any software (web based solution), so we can touch everyone... I'm not going to list all the benefits, but feel free to contact me if you need more information or a demo ;-)
Patrick (from Paris,France)
Hello!
I´d like to share this little piece of happiness with all of you.
Last September 2007, I moved my landline Laughter Hotline to Skype Prime and so spread the joy of Laughter all over the world.
We are a young, enthusiastic team and keep on going our way, with sparkling eyes and wide open smile.
Personally think that Skype success can be summed up in two words: attractive and easy.
Now, I´d like to give a warmth hug in honor of the creators of Skype, without you I could not be writting this words of gratitude.
We are happy to open the doors of Laughterland and hope you enjoy Laughter as a heavenly delight.
Let´s flow in Natural Laughter!
-this words are respectfully dedicated to Skype Team: thank you for this tiny cool software :)
My research told me that some people were more comfortable with Instant Messaging so I just launched:
http://www.isellim.com
Richard Ellender | April 11, 2007 2:12 AM