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Site Lets Contractors Bid for Jobs

Thursday, February 4, 2010

A new online service allows contractors to bid for projects by consumers who have outlined their needs online.

The founders of mycubi.com describe their site as “the new eBay for services.”

Contractors who visit the site create a profile page (known as a Cubi) stating what services they offer and what area they cover. Consumers in need of services fill out a form stating what they want done and when they need it. Their request is then automatically matched to all the relevant service providers in the area, who in turn bid for their business.

And low-bid contractors don’t always get the job, mycubi.com officials say. “Some consumers appear to be more interested in the service provider’s qualifications or previous reviews,” the company said in a release. Or, for an emergency job, the consumer may just want the contractor who can get there fastest.

Establishing a profile and obtaining leads are now free, but that may change, says co-founder Ryan Trunck. “We will always keep it free to create a Cubi, but we may begin to introduce charges for the business leads in the future.

“We are aware of the complaints against our competitors, so will only introduce charges that we feel are fair. We are considering a number of options, including only taking a fee from the person who was awarded the contract, but for the time being, contractors can enjoy free local business leads. ”

Cubis can also be used as a webpage for contractors who still don’t have any web presence.

“It is so important in the modern day to be contactable through the Internet, and as each Cubi gets its own unique address—e.g. www.mycubi.com/tedsplumbing—this can be used a primary website,” said Trunck.

The company plans to introduce text messaging services for tradespeople who are often away from their computer.