What is Real Reviews?
A new take on reviews.
Real Reviews is the first review site built for entrepreneurs. Unlike other review sites, Real Reviews takes the perspective of the business into account. This solves common problems in business by holding people accountable.
How it works
Real reviews is 100% free and exclusive to businesses. Businesses will be able to write reviews on people such as employees, interview applicants, and customers. They will also be able to write reviews on other companies they’ve done business with. There are two types of listings, one for businesses and one for people. When the first time business owners login they will either have to claim their already existing business listing or create one to register. To minimize fake reviews they will have to give a few credentials to claim or register their listing. If a listing and review have not already been made about a person the first business to review them will create a listing for that individual. Name, phone number, address and email will be the inputs used to identify people. Name and at least one other of the inputs will be needed to create or find a person.
What is Real Reviews Right Now?
Home service businesses in Colorado is this first market we have chosen to launch Real Reviews in. We are advertising and launching to one narrow market at a time to ensure the users in that market get value from it quickly. This website along with a Kickstarter campaign is how we are promoting the website before it is launched. We want to know if your business would use the site and check for or create reviews on it. If you would please register now and we will email you when the website and Kickstarter are launched.
Some Problems Real Reviews Solves.
Applicants not showing up to their interview.
If a applicant no calls no shows an interview they set up with you. You can let other business know that happened on Real Reviews. Also when you set up people you can check Real Reviews to see if they have a habit of wasting employers time by not showing up. When I first started doing interviews I was shocked at how many people didn’t show up. At first I was convinced it was something I was doing wrong, it wasn’t until I spoke with other entrepreneurs that I realized this is a common problems that many business owners and hiring managers face. I found that the higher the social status and or pay for a position, the higher the show rate. Therefore many businesses that employ trades or “blue collar” workers this is a bigger problem than most people think.
Promoting Accountability within Business
The world of contracting sometimes reminds me of the wild wild west. For my business, I assumed it would be a more professional experience working with businesses rather than homeowners. I was extremely surprised to find this wasn’t the case. I found less than half actually paid on time. I think problems like this continue because without consequence or accountability there is no incentive to fix the issues. I have hired subcontractors and also been a subcontractor. In these relationships I saw many times when the ethical thing to do didn’t happen. I believe both parties knew what the right thing to do was, but without accountability or third party oversight poor decisions were made. Real Reviews makes these business relationships reviewable and therefore accountable.
Step One
Advertise and promote Real Reviews. Validate it’s desired by by building list of entrepreneurs that want it to exist.
Step Two
Launch Kickstarter to further promote and validate while raising the money to build the Real Reviews website.
Step Three
Optimize the website and determine if bootstrapping or raising money is the best marketing strategy.
How Real Reviews Started
Hi my name is Shane. I started Real Reviews to solve problems I have faced as a small business owner. The following is just one example. I have done hiring for door to door canvassers, laborers, sales reps, subcontractors, production managers, and office staff positions. I notice a problem of people not showing up to the interviews. The severity of the problem seems to depend on the position one is hiring for. I realized that interviews are similar to free estimates in home service businesses. In a free estimate the customer interviews different companies to figure out who they want to hire. Sometimes contractors don’t show up to scheduled estimates, wasting peoples time. With the popularity of review sites growing over recent years, customers now have a platform to hold companies accountable and discourage that type of behavior in the form of reviews. Over time review sites have really helped many problems including the problem in this example.
If your business would use Real Reviews please let us know by registering. Once we have enough users we will launch the website and email you so you can start using it.