Where social networks have dominated in the last 10 years, market networks are expected to dominate for the next 10. However, what is a market network, why are they expected to be so popular and how could a market network affect your business.<\/p>\n
A market network is a cross between a marketplace epitomised by the likes of Uber and Etsy, \u00a0a social network such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and job management software. A marketplace brings multiple buyers and sellers together where as a network lets you promote your identity and communicate.<\/p>\n
A market network such as Okappy<\/a>, is a combination of the two. It allows companies to come together, promote their business and process jobs through an online platform.<\/p>\n Before market networks, managing jobs, especially those with lots of companies involved could be difficult with lots of duplication and very little clarity over what is happening. For instance, imagine you have a flood in your apartment. You would typically:<\/p>\n There are a number of problems with this approach.<\/p>\n Firstly there is a lot of paperwork and a lot of duplication both within and between companies. There is very little transparency over what is happening. If the electrician doesn’t arrive on time, then you will be left to call the insurance company, who will then need to call the electrician who will then need to call his engineer.<\/p>\n The biggest problem we’ve found though is in the last stage of the process when the electrician or plumber wants to raise an invoice to the insurance company.<\/p>\n If the engineer doesn’t bring the job sheet back until the end of the week or even later, then the electrician or plumber cannot raise an invoice. Furthermore, if there is any missing or incorrect information, it is hard to dispute this after the fact. This often leads to the invoice being simply written off.<\/p>\n A market network enhances this process by moving the existing communications and transactions online. This has a number of benefits including:<\/p>\n Ultimately, a market network makes it much easier for companies to work together and can dramatically increase customer service.<\/p>\n There are other examples of market networks such as AngelList and HoneyBook, a 35 person company which has recently announces a $22 million series B fund raise.<\/p>\n AngelList allows startups to complete fundraising online, allowing companies and investors to promote themselves and then complete any investment paperwork online. HoneyBook operates a market network for the events industry.<\/p>\n Market networks target more complex services. Where market places work for standardised, commodities products. Market networks allow much more complex working arrangements to be fulfilled. Companies are very different both in their skills and experience and there is often no such thing as a standard job.<\/p>\n People matter, the last professional that comes to your house to fix your flood is not necessarily interchangeable with any other person. \u00a0Specific skills and ability \u00a0are required and this is often backed up by a long relationship which builds trust and means you know what to expect. \u00a0Market networks help build long-term relationships by bringing the connections online, by recording the history of these connections and by enhancing communication.<\/p>\n Collaboration happens around a project. With a market network companies collaborate together to offer the final service. In the example above, multiple companies would be involved including the insurance company, loss adjustor, electrician and plumbers. Additional layers of complexity are often added, i.e., the plumber might subcontractor to a company that offers industrial drying facilities.<\/p>\n Referrals flow freely. In many industries, referrals are key for each part of the transaction and a platform which supports this is vital.<\/p>\n Market networks can increase each companies capacity. By eradicating duplication and manual processes, time and resource are free up for all parts of the supply chain. By automating processes and linking systems together, a good market network can improve relationships further as less time is spent fixing issues and it can speed up payment as invoices are raised and settled more quickly.<\/p>\n Networks are not new, the railways heralded massive industrial expansion at the turn of the 20th Century followed by telephones, email and instant messaging. With each step, the world shrank and communication become more instantaneous.<\/p>\n However, market networks are a new and growing phenomenon. There could be different networks for markets as diverse as law, travel or media production. Or one or two networks may come to dominate where they have inbuilt flexibility to work in multiple different situations.<\/p>\n Market networks are likely to have a massive positive impact on how millions of companies work, but for now we’re just seeing the beginning.<\/p>\n This article is based on an article by James Currier which first appeared on Techcrunch<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alternatively, connect with us on Twitter<\/a> or check out the Okappy’s features<\/a>.<\/p>\n Would you like to read more useful posts and receive our latest news?Before market networks<\/h3>\n
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Benefits of a market network<\/h3>\n
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What makes a market network successful<\/h3>\n
Market networks are the future<\/h3>\n
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