MeetAdvisors | Business Advice For Entrepreneurs
Every business leader needs solid advice to succeed but a lot of the times the advice one seeks cannot come from the many friends or family. Most of the time the advice you are looking for is from a successful entrepreneurs who might be so busy to be reached.
MeetAdvisors however bridges this gap. The starup offers online entrepreneurial networking opportunities by introducing professionals with expertise (Advisors) to those seeking business advice (Entrepreneurs). The process is simple. Just request advice and, if granted, leave a review on how effective you found the Advisor’s input.
TechZulu caught up with Adam Fridman, founder MeetAdvisors and this is what he said.
What does it do literally?
Entrepreneurs ask Advice, when granted, they leave a review for the Advisor.
Who is the founder and what his background?
Adam Fridman, MSF from DePaul, 4 years investment banking and 10 years in business development consulting and start ups. More: http://www.linkedin.
What inspired them?
Fridman came up with the idea after being approached by an intellectual property attorney at a networking event this past Fall. The man said he was attending to offer startups free IP advice, and Fridman was amazed that there wasn’t a crowd of hungry entrepreneurs picking his brain.
“If other entrepreneurs knew he was here there’d be a line,” said Fridman. “Why would someone as valuable as this gentleman be standing in a corner alone, looking for the right entrepreneur to advise? They should come to him, and that’s how MeetAdvisors started.”
Show us step by step,how it works?
- Advisors apply to join.
- We review the credentials of Advisors via LinkedIn and other social media sources to ensure they’re worth their weight in advice. In some cases, there may also be an interview.
- Once Entrepreneurs join the site, they may request advice from approved Advisors. If granted, they leave a review for the Advisor. Review quality is paramount since Advisors are doing this to build relationships. We suggest using our built-in communication platform which allows us to settle review disputes. We maintain high quality by manually approving every Advisor and Advice.
Which startups or entrepreneurs have signed up?
Full list here www.meetadvisors.com, currently 94 Entrepreneurs.
What is your business model? Any funding yet?
Self funded, looking to start networking events (in the MeetAdvisors spirit with Advisors wearing “A” and their expertise on the shirts). Continue with Google ads and look for sponsorships.
Aren’t there other startups doing the same?
Not that I have been able to find.
How unique are you from them?
No direct competition. I am defining competition as a platform to offer free Advice to Entrepreneurs.
Have you had any challenges?
Yes, getting features out fast enough. We have a number of functionalities on the way to improve our platform.
Any partnerships?
Working on a few, including www.c-e-o.org
Any upcoming news or updates?
Many advisors have asked for a way to publish content in the form of publications and blogs on our site. We are working to offer this as soon as possible.
What have you done apart from MeetAdvisors?
I have another startup, GoBumper.com which offers a way for brands to reward on-vehicle loyalty, “bumper stickers with benefits”. I continue to provide business development consulting services to startups.
