Any publicity is good publicity? Yes, works in this case.

MinuteBox has got its first press coverage from TechCrunchUK. Unfortunately, Mike Butcher, the editor of TCUK, did not give us an altogether positive review. His points are: 1. Our service categories are too broad. We should have more focus or niches . 2. Online people tend to spend a longer time doing online searches. He is sceptical about the concept of people paying to consult experts. 3. It is too early to launch the site publicly. We do not have enough experts on board.

We really appreciate his comments. He has given me some advices privately and I have definitely learned a lot from him. Because of this coverage, we have also got comments and feedback from other TCUK readers. I am glad that many readers there are actually very supportive and the comments from them are very helpful too.

Actually, some websites in the US offer a similar online interactive advice service and they are doing very well. I am glad that they have proved that a need for online live advice exists. We have also identified the highly feasible service categories as our marketing targets. I do not know if this is too ideal. I think users play an extremely important role in the Web 2.0 era. The interesting part of MinuteBox is that this market is a free market. We are here to serve our users - to give you the best service and a good MinuteBox experience. We will certainly monitor user's behaviour closely to see what service categories are popular. Hence, we can modify our site to satisfy user's needs and enhance their satisfaction of our service. It is easy for us to tick some categories out of the list, but we would rather rely on our users to tell us what they want in this market space we created for them. Maybe users will help us to find some hidden gems?

I agree that we do not have a lot of sellers on board at this moment. Without a live website, it was not easy to promote MinuteBox and attract users. We were thinking it would be easier for us to promote MinuteBox when it is public. I do apologise if the empty website gives you a bad impression. This is where we start the MinuteBox journey and we are definitely growing. Now we are approaching different sources to find experts to join us. We will also have some promotional events to give users a free chance to enjoy our service. We will keep you posted. We are working our fingers to the bone and our passion and enthusiasm to MinuteBox is always the same.

We have have taken Mike's comments into consideration and will be viewing the platform before we make changes and launch it in full public beta

Josh

Minute Box Beta Launch: Create the Magic with Us

We have just launched our first beta version of Minute Box, on 15th of May and we would like to recommend it to you. Minute Box is a market space for online interactive advice and assistance. Users buy or sell advice or assistance on many topics via online chat or e-mail correspondence.

As long as you are willing to offer your spare time or know-how, you can be an online advisor on Minute Box. we have various categories to cover different areas and skills you might have. No matter if you are a professional, a homemaker, retired or a college student, you can easily find something to offer on Minute Box.

With professionals and experts in various areas, Minute Box is also the ideal place for buyers to get advice and assistance to solve any problems in a time and cost efficient way. When you find it difficult or time consuming to get the solutions you need from free online resources (search engine, Q&A websites or forums), a live chat session with an expert on MinuteBox could definitely help you to find guidance or a solution to your problem.

In the Beta trial period, we offer a free service to all users. The website is very easy to use and the whole time and knowledge-sharing experience can be fun and rewarding. I think this is a good opportunity for you to try it out and join this community with me.

If you like it too, tell your friends and invite them to join too. Many thanks.