Want to make some extra cash? Become an Evisor!

This year, I made nearly $1,000 in extra spending money through www.evisors.com - an online marketplace where you get paid to share your expertise. That’s $1,000 I earned for talking about stuff that is second nature to me.

Started by four Ivy League business school graduates and former management consultants, the site went live last September and launched officially this summer with over 800 experts across 50 countries. You can check out their recent features in Thrillist and Mashable.

So, how does it work? Like most online networks today, you start by creating a profile of yourself and the expertise you’re willing to offer (and if you want to save some time, you can just import your LinkedIn profile!). In my case, I offer business school admissions advice, management consulting interview preparation and resume review, travel advice (I’ve been to over 50 countries), and family business succession planning. I also offer my services in English and French. You can check out my profile.

Once someone has found my profile and decided that they want to seek my advice, they schedule a session with me. In addition to setting my calendar preferences for when I’m available (usually only weekends or in the evenings) and my rate (currently $120 / hour), I have the option of accepting or declining each request that comes my way (although at school I am usually happy to earn the extra cash!). I receive a reminder the day before the call and Evisors has built a really great consultation platform that allows me to transfer files and live chat with my client directly on the site. The system only shares the first name of the expert or client which ensures both that you don’t get pestered afterwards and that Evisors keeps people connected through their site. (Taking conversations offline via Skype might save you a few bucks but will also get you kicked off the system!)

Spend some time on the site and you’ll see people with all types of expertise: business plans, real estate, taxes, auto financing, language translation and more. Rates on the site vary between $30 and $500, a good indication of the wide variety of people using the site: from students looking to make an extra buck, to independent consultants using as a new marketing channel. For the most part, though, people seem to be discovering, like I did, that they could get paid for the advice they have often given away for free in the past. The beauty of this site is that you can be found by people you would never otherwise have in your network – expanding their ability to get advice and your ability to give it (and get paid)!

So what are you waiting for? Go here, complete a profile and start getting paid for your expertise!

About Evisors
Evisors is an online marketplace for expertise and advice that puts consumers in command of an extraordinary professional network by connecting them to nearly a thousand highly-qualified and knowledgeable advisors. For an affordable hourly rate, anyone from students and executives to job seekers and entrepreneurs can reach beyond their personal and professional networks and gain access to expert advice related to a variety of topics including admissions, career counseling, entrepreneurship and industry expertise. Evisors’ carefully screened experts hail from prestigious schools and organizations, representing over a thousand companies across a wide range of industries and offer previously unavailable guidance and insights. To find an expert or to become one, visit the site here.

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