Development of a Web-Based Professional Consultation Platform to Connect Entrepreneurs with Experts

Entrepreneurs often face challenges in reaching out to experienced professionals for advice due to social awkwardness and uncertainty about mutual interest, leading to missed opportunities for valuable guidance. Existing methods involve awkward introductions through mutual contacts, which can limit accessibility and willingness to connect. Additionally, potential experts may be willing to monetize their expertise but lack a streamlined platform to do so efficiently, resulting in underutilization of their time and knowledge.

A startup or SME focused on providing an accessible platform for entrepreneurs to connect with seasoned professionals across various fields for advice and mentorship, aiming to streamline the knowledge exchange process.

• Create an intuitive web application enabling entrepreneurs to find and book consultations with verified experts in relevant fields.
• Implement a profile and background display for experts, including their areas of expertise and availability.
• Develop straightforward booking and scheduling functionalities, including approval workflows, payment processing, and calendar integrations.
• Facilitate seamless video conferencing via integrated platforms to support virtual consultations.
• Ensure secure transaction handling and user data privacy throughout the platform.
• Support targeted initial deployment toward startups and small to medium-sized IT businesses in a specified geographic region.

• Expert profile listing with background, area specialization, and symbolic pricing.
• Ability for entrepreneurs to browse expert profiles and submit booking requests.
• Admin panel for managing and approving booking requests.
• Automated notifications with links for payment post-approval.
• Secure payment gateway integration to handle transaction processing.
• Automatic generation of calendar events for scheduled consultations using calendar API integration.
• Embedded video call functionality utilizing popular, install-free video conferencing APIs.
• User authentication and role management for entrepreneurs and experts.
• Data privacy and security measures compliant with applicable standards.

• Payment gateway (Stripe) for handling transactions.
• Calendar API (Google Calendar or similar) for event scheduling and reminders.
• Video conferencing API (Google Hangouts or similar) for real-time video meetings.

• System scalability to support increasing volume of users and consultations.
• High availability and reliability for real-time scheduling and communications.
• Security measures to protect sensitive user data and payment information.
• Responsive UI/UX optimized for desktop and mobile devices.
• Performance metrics ensuring minimal latency in booking, notifications, and video sessions.

The platform aims to streamline the connection process between entrepreneurs and experts, significantly reducing onboarding friction. By enabling pre-qualified, interest-verified consultations, it can increase user engagement and satisfaction. Potentially, the system could facilitate a monetized knowledge exchange, resulting in revenue generation for experts and value addition for entrepreneurs. As a result, the platform is expected to improve startup development efficiency, attract a targeted user base, and facilitate sustainable growth, similar to initial estimates of increased activity and transaction volume observed in prior prototypes.