Ownse

Introduction

Ownse enables users to obtain information and advice from experts and professional businesses in the UK and worldwide under categories such as legal, financial, property, information technology, employment, etc.

Experts reply to enquiries by providing the advice and information required whilst at the same time promoting the services they themselves offer. The user receives replies which enable them to make the right decisions based upon the detailed information received.

Users are provided with the opportunity to compare the services and solutions offered by any number of professionals.

User enquiries are submitted via the Ownse App and are anonymous, so no unwanted follow up calls or emails. The experts do not see the users’ email addresses on the messages received.

Experts and businesses receive targeted enquiries, under the appropriate category and sub-category, to which they can respond, enabling them to convert potential clients into actual clients.

Intended impact

Consumers of professional services are seeking more and more advice and information via the Internet.

Ownse enables consumers to have more power when they seek to find the right solutions to their personal, professional or business concerns. Users of the App would have access to a large number of experts and businesses and obtain a wider range of advice and possible solutions.

Experts will need to provide detailed advice and information at a much earlier stage of any enquiry. Comparisons between the solutions offered by experts and businesses will be made by the consumer.

Currently experts or businesses are generally found using a search engine such as Google from which a list of websites are generated and from which the consumer can choose.

Alternatively, one may look for advice by contacting an expert as a result of a recommendation from a family member, friend or colleague.

‘We want to change the emphasis from one where the consumer randomly chooses an expert or business, to one where the expert actively demonstrates the services and solutions available together with clarity over their charges.’

‘We want to give the consumer a real choice by putting the power of choice back in the hands of the consumer.’

Ownse provides the opportunity to reach experts and businesses and to find the right expert to provide the services required.

The users anonymity at this early stage enables comparisons to be made between experts and businesses without any unnecessary feeling of being committed to any one particular expert.

Experts and businesses are able to promote their specific fields of expertise and suggest solutions to the concerns raised by users.

So the impact is in the way consumers interact with experts and businesses whilst, at the same time, giving experts and businesses the opportunity of demonstrating their expertise and the solutions available.

Substantial accomplishments to date

The Ownse App is now available for smartphones and tablets using IOS and Google play which effectively covers over 90% of the App market. Over 70 million smartphones and tablets are actively used in the UK alone presenting a significant market place.

Website (www.ownse.com) and social media tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter have been established and are actively being used to promote the Ownse App and encourage user and expert participation.

The Ownse app enables users to contact any number of experts and businesses including legal, financial, property, information technology, anonymously.

We have already raised funding under SEIS for initial shareholders and further SEIS relief is now available for current investors through Seedrs.

The Ownse App has been developed by a team that works well together to provide the results required and has built up significant knowhow to enable the Ownse app to be developed still further.

Use of proceeds

Funds will be used to develop the Ownse app further in the following areas :-

1) Localisation – when a user searches for experts we want them to be able to find experts in their locality wherever the user is located.
2) Statistics – we need to be able to identify user and expert usage e.g number of enquiries raised, time spent, categories used, etc.
3) Expert ratings – users should be able to rate experts as a result of their experience and responses obtained.

Funds will also be used in marketing the Ownse app to potential users and experts through
1) Social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.
2) Targeted marketing to professional associations and
3) targeted marketing and business development with companies who can provide synergy in the way Ownse delivers its services to users and experts.

The Ownse app is being developed primarily for the UK market but expansion globally is the ultimate aim with the Ownse App being promoted overseas.

Source: ICNW