Have you heard about HubForce.com? I was introduced to it a few months ago when owner, entrepreneur and head of web development Martin Gaik contacted me to tell me about the site developed by Aeronstudio, a Dublin-based web design studio of Polish origins.
HubForce is a free social network for business people in Ireland and it features online videos, articles and podcasts (I am delighted that one of my podcast series has been shared on Hubforce.com).
I invited Martin to tell us a little about HubForce.com, his vision for the site and the plans he has for the future. Thank you Martin for being so detailed in your interview.
Q. What is your professional background and what gave you the idea and inspiration to develop HubForce.com
A. I came to Ireland in 2004 to chase the dream of achieving financial freedom. Life in Poland was very limiting and I couldn’t do things there, that are possible here. I am a self-taught web developer, although I’ve spent some time at different universities in Poland learning programming and computer graphics.
In March this year I managed to start my own web design business in Ireland called Aeronstudio. The beginning was difficult – limited resources and constant rush – it felt lonely and very stressful at the start.
I attended several networking events and as a Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn user I realised that it wasn’t easy to find all the people I met on any of the social networks. There was something missing.
Facebook seemed too private, LinkedIn felt lonely if you did not have any connections from the very start and Twitter is still not so popular in the Irish business world. I came with an idea to develop something much more focused, yet very accessible. Something I would like to use if it was available.
I decided to give to the community something more than another social network. I thought of all the things I found useful conducting my own business, and started implementing it into HubForce.com – podcasts, videos, articles, upcoming business events – everything hand picked. It started to grow and the more time I spent developing new features, the more I liked the whole idea.
Q. Where does the name originate from?
A. The name originates from two words, ‘hub’ – effective centre of an activity, region or network; and ‘force’ – strength or energy. It’s not a new philosophy – if you group creative and ambitious people together in one place, you can be certain that something great will come out of this. I believe that best networks are those built face to face. The technology can be used to develop such connections further.
Q. Why develop another social network – aren’t there enough places already for us to connect online from Facebook to LinkedIn, from Twitter to IGOpeople, or even the proliferation of stand alone networks that are being developed in Ireland and across the globe?
A. As I mentioned before, these networks are very important to all of us… each has it’s own purpose.
Facebook doesn’t seem to be a very good platform for business use though, and LinkedIn is great if you have plenty of connections but it is very global and diluted. Every network has it’s pros and cons and none of them was developed with Ireland in mind.
What differentiates HubForce from all of them is the content – it’s not just a network, it’s a knowledge base for business owners. It’s not only a tool, it is a valuable resource that is rapidly growing.
Additionally, HubForce puts an emphasis on service exchange (barter) – it seems to be a great way to get things done on a small budget. Most start-ups have limited resources but plenty of skills and time. It’s only a matter of finding a good partner to establish a mutual gain. We are doing our best to facilitate this activity. It comes handy in the current state of global economy.
Q. How have you funded the initial development of HubForce and what is your plan for revenue generation in the next 12-36 months?
A. I’ve put a lot of time into the project and many sleepless nights. The money came from my own pocket, but I already had all the skills to develop the service in it’s entirety, so it was just a domain name and server space… and loads of coffee. The project is free for users. Future will show, how it’s going to generate money – there are couple of ways to do it – sponsorship, targeted advertising, government support – I will go with the best option for our members. For now, it is non-profit.
Q. Where is the site developed – in Ireland or with overseas developers?
A. The site is developed in Ireland and it’s designed entirely by me.
Q. What makes you different to other business social networks such as LinkedIn or IGOpeople?
A. Daily updated, business oriented content. HubForce is focused on it’s members and their growth.
Q. Who are you hoping will join you (types of business, geography etc)?
A. All ambitious individuals starting or running their business are welcome, as long as they are based in Ireland.
Q. Is the social network a closed network as you find with LinkedIn or is all the content you post visible in the search engines?
A. All content on the HubForce site is available for free without registration, even the members database. After all, the main aim is to promote members. Some functionality is restricted only to members – service exchange details, contact details, voting on articles and videos etc.
You also have to be a member to collect ForcePoints™ – you get them for every vote on an article or video and for different activities performed on the site. This functionality is in beta right now. Members will be able to exchange earned ForcePoints™ for advertising within the site or for products provided by future sponsors. That’s an extra incentive for giving back to the community.
Q. How have you promoted HubForce.com?
A. HubForce was available from the beginning of April in it’s core version. It was very experimental back then. It is developed on a small budget and there are no money for huge advertising campaigns. Of course I am pitching the project to newspapers and use different channels to promote the website on-line e.g. AdWords, Twitter, Facebook.
I believe, that the value presented by HubForce will defend it’s position on the market and the community will grow gradually. There is several people involved in promotional efforts. We will promote HubForce face-to-face on different events in Ireland and we have plans to organise our own networking events under HubForce flagship.
Q. You have a competition running to win an iPod – how does that work?
A. Yes, there is fourteen business categories and fourteen iPods. Each registered business is assigned to one or more categories. We will take the names of first five registrants for each category and one person from each lot will win an iPod shuffle (2nd Gen). Winners will be announced for each category separately, as soon as the number of members reaches five within that category.
Q. How many members do you have at the moment and what has been your pace of growth?
HubForce has officially launched on 6th July 2009, so the number of members is quite small. I am going to focus on the promotion now, so I am hoping that this and the iPod competition will bring some good traffic to the site and new registrations. It is too early to estimate the growth rate at this stage.
Q. Given the huge popularity of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter you seem to be integrating of your network with theirs?
A. HubForce is not competing with other social networks. The goal is to help all members to promote their services and products. HubForce members can specify links to their third party profiles (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and more to come) and have them displayed to other members and external visitors. HubForce is about maximising the potential of networking, not limiting it.
Q. Your content at the moment in terms of podcasts and articles are primarily from US content providers – why is that and what are you looking for if people want to submit podcasts and articles?
A. I don’t give much consideration to the origin of the content; the value it gives to the community is far more important. I also hope that members will provide some valuable content in exchange for ForcePoints™. I am happy to publish every submitted material, as long as it matches HubForce’s standards.
Q. What are some of the benefits businesses are finding from joining you?
A. HubForce gives it’s members an extra exposure and I am determined to continue the development of the project in that spirit. On top of that, members can communicate, exchange services, get information about upcoming business events and find great content from top authors from around the world in the subjects of business management, marketing and self help.
I plan to put some emphasis on the personal aspect of the site, organise HubForce branded events and invent ways for HubForce members to get the recognition they deserve in the world of Irish business.
Q. What are your top 5 tips for creating an engaging profile on HubForce and making the most out of membership of the site?
1. Register as soon as you can but take plenty of time and use your best writing skills to describe yourself and your interests
2. Keep in mind that the profile is not only about your business but also about you. Give other people a feeling that you are approachable and easy to talk to
3. Write only true and accurate information – HubForce is a business network, so keep to the facts
4. Upload your photo – people want to see who they are dealing with. Your logo is not your photo – people want to network with you, not your company. Networking is a personal matter
5. People are more likely to buy from the people they trust – do everything in your power to gain that trust and you will have plenty of valuable connections that will bring you plenty of business
Q. Can you give us a few insider tips for what is planned for the future development of the site?
A. Of course. Most importantly – HubForce will grow substantially in content, features and members. Check out ‘upcoming features’ section to see what is coming next.
Additionally, I am going to work on the ForcePoints™ feature and try to establish some dialog with sponsors. ForcePoints™ are already being tracked for HubForce members, so it is a good idea to register now and fill in as much information as possible. Everything counts towards points – not only what members do, but also how well they do it. Finally, I am going to interview members from time to time, and publish their stories on the front page.
Leave a Reply