2oceansvibe News | South African and international news

Sponsored by RSAWeb rss
2ov Radio
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Seth Rotherham
  • du Cap Collection
  • Café du Cap
  • Cabine du Cap
  • Media Packs / Advertising
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Anonymous Tips
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
Seth Rotherham
  • The Consultancy Model Is Dead

    21 Nov 2018 by Seth Rotherham in Business, Partners, South Africa, Tech/Sci, Timon
    Related Posts
    • Party’s Over: App Sensation 'Houseparty' Is Done And Dusted
    • How Much Robinhood’s Co-Founders (In Their 30s) Are About To Earn
    • Top Three Sports Apps For Android Selected By Users
    • Top 10 Most Downloaded iPhone Apps For 2020
    • Pay Carole Baskin Five Grand And She'll Sing You Happy Birthday [Video]

    I attended Harvard Business School a couple of years ago with the express plan of establishing myself as a ‘consultant.’ I felt there were too many people trying to ‘pick my brain’ and, because I wasn’t an established business consultant (or a doctor or a lawyer), I was unable to charge by the hour.

    I wasted hours and hours having ‘quick coffees’ with people, sharing my expertise and connecting them to my network for zero reward. I considered invoicing for my time but, because I’m not a doctor or a lawyer, that would be deemed rude. Oh, but they insisted on paying for the coffee. Great. But what about the value of my time?

    IP theft masquerading as a friendly coffee

    So I went off to Harvard Business School and, on the flight home, I started to work on the new website I was building – to present myself as a business consultant. The Harvard badge would be the cherry on top and would set me apart from the other local business consultants. Half way through that little episode, I realised I was trying to shoehorn a modern day offering into an archaic and dying system.

    That’s when I realised the consultancy model is completely flawed in today’s fast-paced environment.

    Take a lawyer, for example. In the old days a one-off client might need a contract or lease drawn up, but these days those templates are available online. What if you just want to change the wording of a clause, or need to know what a particular clause actually means, or just want a legal opinion on something you’re dealing with?

    If you call a lawyer for their opinion on something, they’ll insist you come in “for a consultation” and “might have a slot on Wednesday”. Wednesday comes and, once the obligatory tea and rusks have been consumed, you’ll be stung for one hour’s billing.

    What you need is a quick answer – via phone or text. But you need (and are more than happy) to pay accordingly. That’s exactly what the new TIMON app does. Finally, I have an app that people can contact me on whenever they want, ‘on-demand’, as they say. It’s basically WhatsApp for the gig economy.

    Lawyers on TIMON handle quick legal questions, on the move

    I set my own rate, which is charged per three minutes of voice or six minutes of text chat. I have chosen a rate that I think is fair for my time and offsets the inconvenience of a random phone call. My phone number is not stored in the app and users only have to enter their credit card details once – stored securely with a third party, like they do at Uber.

    If I can’t take a TIMON call because I’m busy, then I can request a delay. A countdown timer starts and, once it hits zero, the call starts.

    At the end of the call, the user rates me and I rate the user. So if someone needs a lawyer, they can compare the ratings and rate charged for the various available lawyers on the system.

    Everyone should be charging by the hour. You could give a promo code to your friends – they obviously get ‘mates rates’ if they want to speak to you.

    That was a joke.

    But I’m slightly serious.

    Although I probably wouldn’t charge my wife.

    Check out the list of experts available on TIMON – they’ve got doctors, lawyers, scientists, business leaders, tech investors, household names like Jack Parow, Ard Matthews, Simon Dingle, Thando Thabethe, John Smit, Euphonik, Tracy McGregor and more.

    • ← Remember The Bottle-Flip Internet Challenge? These Robots Are Next Level [Video]
    • NFL Fans Were Treated To An All-Time Classic On Monday Night [Video] →
    • Tweet
    • Tags:
    • app design
    • apps
    • consultancy
    • consultants
    • The Consultancy Model Is Dead
    • Timon
    • timon app

    Latest News

    • Allegations Of Sexual Harassment (And Worse) At Popular Cape Town CBD Restaurant

      [imagesource: Instagram / Discover Cape Town] Societi Bistro has been a fixture on the ...

    • SA’s Finest Mixers Have An Exciting New Brand Ambassador

      [imagesource: Instagram / @theblondeninja] What is the number one thing that a good dri...

    • These Fools On Top Of A Durban Bus Need To Be Punished [Video]

      [imagesource: Twitter / @Abramjee] South Africa's roads are dangerous for a multitude o...

    • Astonishing: Perfectly Preserved Baby Woolly Mammoth Found [Images]

      [imagesource: el-cabrito / DeviantArt] June 21 this year turned out to be a rather sign...

    • Tom Cruise Mayhem At Silverstone F1

      [imagesource: Reuters] On the track, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone will be most...


    • 2oceansvibe Partners

    • CONTACT US
    • GOT A HOT STORY?
    • 2oceansvibe Radio
    • 2oceansvibe Media
    • Media Pack
    • Seth Rotherham
    • Café du Cap
    • Cabine du Cap
    • Cape Town City Accommodation
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Business
    • Media
    • Entertainment
    • Tech/Sci
    • World
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Sport
    • Politics
  • Follow

    2oceansvibe.com is part of the 2oceansVibe Media Group

    DMMA Logo