We are extremely excited today to open the curtains on a big, shiny new addition to the Zing Network! We call it Flexxity and it’s all about SERVICES–services that will be provided, by and large, by YOU, our affiliates!
Here’s how we arrived at this new development…
Selling physical products will always be a part of what we do (like the fantastic new Mighty101 cleaning product we introduced last Tuesday). But, of course, selling physical products requires shipping…and when you’re an organization like SFI with a presence in over 200 countries, well, let’s just say that, for many products, the combination of shipping, delivery times, Customs, etc. are very complex and very challenging to do in a way that fully satisfies buyers.
So several months ago we began building a new platform that would focus on SERVICES. We realized that, with services, “our affiliates could become the product.” And with tens of thousands of new affiliates joining SFI every week, we are sitting on an opportunity to build one of the largest and most diverse service networks in the world!
Imagine being able to earn all the SVP you need each month by simply hiring your fellow SFI affiliates to inexpensively mow your lawn, groom your dog, do house cleaning, design your business cards, help you run an advertising campaign, and literally thousands of other services.
But that’s only one side of it. The other side is, by becoming a service provider (SP) yourself in the Flexxity network, you’ll be able to potentially add a whole new income stream! That is, you can be earning some great extra income by simply listing one or more skills that you (or someone in your family) already have! And, yes, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure as many of your peers in SFI as possible become your customers (and visa versa)! More on this in a moment.
We also think Flexxity is very timely because of how the world changed in 2020. That is, we are in a new era now due to the COVID19 pandemic. Millions of people worldwide now stress about the stability of their jobs (assuming they still have one). So having a “side hustle,” as it’s called, becomes very prudent to “stay afloat.” Through Flexxity, we will be providing millions with a platform to monetize skills they have (or can develop), while committing as little or as much time to it as desired.
Here’s a basic overview of how Flexxity works…
Interested service providers register by filling out an online application form at Flexxity.com. If we approve their application, we process their subscription payment and we notify them that they now have a live listing and can start accepting orders and making money. We also give them immediate access to all Flexxity SP resources, and they can begin benefiting from the included corporate co-op advertising as well (more on this in a moment).
Persons interested in purchasing services browse the online database. They can make inquiries with individual providers for any project they want done. We make this super-easy by using an online quote system. The customer can submit free bid requests with any provider he/she chooses, which we then forward to the providers. Providers can now choose to reject or accept the project requests received. If the provider chooses to accept, the provider will confirm the price, date, time, etc. for the project (with messaging handled by us to protect each party’s privacy) and the project can commence.
A key element of Flexxity is how we are handling payments. As a broadly global company, we wanted our new services platform to have great flexibility when it came to payments. Thus, providers can choose to accept payments DIRECTLY from customers! This means you can accept your local currency, work for barter, or use whatever terms that are acceptable to your customer. It also means that customers can feel protected because he/she typically won’t submit payment until a project is completed to their satisfaction.
Once a project has been recorded as completed, we will invoice you the provider, and you will remit our share, 20% of the sale, to Carson Services, Inc. (you keep 80%). You can pay us using your SFI affiliate funds, Bitcoin, and/or multiple other forms (exact list of payment methods will be announced later). Once we’ve been paid, we will award the customer his/her due Rewardicals and notify him/her of same via an email alert.
1. Virtually everyone has a skill they could monetize (make money from). Flexxity provides the platform to do it! Becoming a Flexxity “flexpert” is quick, simple, and easy. Just sign up and you can be off and running within hours. Don’t think you have a skill you could monetize? You might be quite surprised by how much value you have in skills and tools that you possess. Get LOTS of ideas from this Knowledge Base article (and in the Q&A section below).
2. We really want to build a vibrant and robust “members buying from each other” culture here at SFI. Coming together as a community is very powerful! When you decide to work with your community members and peers, you move from being an individual to being part of a community where everyone helps each other. Thousands of our affiliates will get new “jobs” and be able to earn more money by providing services to their fellow affiliates, while at the same time rewarding buyers with valuable SVP and Rewardicals! Everybody wins. To this end, we will be making some very cool modifications to the SFI Affiliate Center that will allow everyone to easily connect with fellow providers. For example, look for an addition to the profile panel on all forum posts; if the person is a Flexxity provider, you’ll see it denoted here and you’ll have a link to view their services with a click. We’ll also be introducing a new Flexxity daily tab shortly!
3. Unlike many kinds of products, services are often consumed over and over and over again (e.g. cutting hair, scooping snow, mowing lawns)…which can generate ample amounts of the best kind of income there is: residual income!
4. Because services are typically rendered locally, there will typically be no shipping or Customs issues to deal with.
5. Not everyone is capable of creating and managing a physical product business with all the challenges of securing quality products, shipping, etc….but almost everyone has some skill or ability (i.e. a service) that they could trade for money!
6. Joining SFI to make money is a great proposition (which is why MILLIONS have become SFI affiliates over the last 20+ years), but the fact is, the “how’s” are confusing to many. 90%+ of our sign-ups eventually walk away or never really get started because they can’t “connect the dots” and/or motivate themselves to “learn a whole new language” (how to sell our products online). Flexxity changes all that because it can be quickly understood, and the Flexxity platform provides virtually everything that’s needed to operate your own service business. Also, many people are intimidated by the concept of leading/training a downline, especially if they’re new to network marketing/e-commerce/internet marketing. With Flexxity, those “scary” things are eliminated; it’s just “make some side money doing something you already know how to do (or can learn to do).” How many more new affiliates will become engaged in SFI when the Flexxity option is available to them? Is Flexxity a game-changer? We certainly think it will be!
7. CV is earned on every service job completed, creating more opportunities for Direct Commissions and Executive Pool override earnings. Soon, there can be hundreds, and then thousands, of new places to buy services and earn Rewardicals and SVP. That means potentially millions of dollars in new CV added to the SFI compensation pool!
8. Flexxity will become a great way to add workers and go-getters to your SFI affiliate team. That is, anyone who gets listed as a Flexxity SP will later be informed about SFI. And it makes total sense since they’ve already demonstrated they want to have their own money-making business. And by becoming a Team Leader in SFI, they can even make their participation in Flexxity FREE! All access fees for SPs are waived if you are an SFI Team Leader! YES, we just added another big incentive for all the affiliates in your group to become Team Leaders (and maintain that status every month)!
9. Rewardicals will play an important role with Flexxity. A standard allotment of Rewardicals will be earned by the customer on each sale (if you’re an Flexxity SP, your customers will automatically receive a set amount of Rewardicals that we will oversee and deliver, with the cost coming out of our margin). However, so that Flexperts can draw additional attention to themselves if they want, we will also allow them to increase the amount of Rewardicals offered with their services–with the cost for this coming out of the SP’s pocket. Note: Offering bonus Rewardicals so you can stand out from the competition is actually very inexpensive (just a few cents more). And with potentially thousands of service providers coming to Flexxity, Rewardical’s stock will be substantially boosted because it means there will be thousands of additional places worldwide to earn Rewardicals!
10. Once an affiliate signs on as a service provider, they’ve got “skin in the game,” something that is very important for keeping people engaged and active in SFI.
11 Flexxity will be synergistically integrated into SFI, and also with Rewardicals, Astro Auctions, Pricebenders, and Localvantia in multiple different ways–making each of these divisions more robust. And each of them will provide additional exposure of Flexxity to create growing numbers of sales for our Flexperts!
12. Recruiting for SFI, especially within your social circle, is often intimidating…but with Flexxity, you can simply be on the lookout for friends, family, and co-workers who have “salable” skills. And all you have to do is provide them with your affiliate link. No pressure, just engaging in “win/wins.” Note: We’ll provide your Flexxity referral link a little later after we’ve got a number of SPs signed up (you don’t want to have your prospective referrals visit Flexxity.com right now and see an empty site).
13. We will be introducing a way for SPs to inexpensively promote themselves within the Flexxity.com search engine (e.g. “sponsored ads”). Targeted ads promoting one’s services may also be made available for placement at the SFI Affiliate Center, within Eager Zebra games, Astro Auctions, and Pricebenders.
A GREAT NEW WAY TO EARN REWARDICALS!
For Flexxity to become a massive success, we’ll need to attract thousands of quality service providers. And as an SFI affiliate, we’re of course going to reward you for helping us populate Flexxity. So long as you maintain the minimum rank of Executive Affiliate (EA), for each Flexxity SP you personally refer, you’re going to earn one Rewardical for every 10 your referred SPs distribute to their customers!
That’s not all. Maintain the minimum rank of EA and you’ll also earn the 1-to-10 Rewardical matches on any of your PSAs who become SPs, too! Likewise, for all your CSAs, you’ll earn 1-to-25 matches! So be sure you’re working with your team members to get them signed up as SPs, and then also help them establish and build their new service businesses.
PRICING
We will be offering four different payment plans for service providers:
1. The monthly rate (paid monthly) is just $5.97 ($.20/day)
2. The quarterly rate is $14.97 ($4.99 per month). Save 16% off the monthly rate!
3. The bi-annual rate (six months) is $24.97 ($4.16 per month). Save 30% off the monthly rate!
4. The annual rate is $39.97 (just $3.33/month, just $.11/day). Save 44% off the monthly rate!
All four plans provide full access to all Flexxity resources and includes the international co-op advertising perk.
OR BECOME A FLEXPERT FOR FREE…by simply maintaining the minimum rank of Team Leader in SFI! Yes, if you’re a Team Leader, you can plug in to our amazing new program immediately and for zero monthly cost!
We’re also adding Flexxity SP subscriptions to the Rewardical exchange. That is, later today (approximately noon CST), you can purchase quarterly subscriptions with Rewardicals you’ve earned and get started as an SP!
SERVICES FOR THE SERVICESTERS!
One of the areas we’d especially like our affiliates to cover is in providing services for those who’ve become SPs at Flexxity.
What do we mean by that? Yes, Flexxity will make it very easy for almost anyone to start their own profitable service business. But there can be a big difference between just doing something and doing something in the most optimized way possible. Here are some ways that a person can optimize and maximize their Flexxity business:
– By choosing the right category
– By incorporating a professionally-designed logo for their company
– By featuring a concise, well-written, benefit-laden, and error-free description of their services (i.e. great ad copy)
– By using great photos and/or images and/or illustrations
– By advertising their service business in various media
– By employing effective “guerrilla marketing” techniques
But most people may not have the experience or skills to do all these things, right? We know there are many, many of our affiliates that ARE quite skilled in these areas. If you’re one of these affiliates, why not put yourself in the business of helping the hundreds and thousands of coming SPs at Flexxity?!
It’s a great win/win/win; you’ll make sales, you’ll help your fellow SPs make sales, and you’ll be helping make Flexxity a roaring international success! We’re counting on you! And, pssst, if you’re doing really good work and garnering great reviews, we might even include you in a special directory we’ll be creating that every new Flexxity SP will be referred to!
Tip: Maybe YOU don’t have these skills, but maybe you know a great copywriter, or someone who is skilled in advertising or designing logos or proofreading, for example. You can let them know that a great, new opportunity has just opened up at Flexxity and they should get listed. Not only might you be doing them a big favor, but you can also automatically earn 1 Rewardical for every 10 they distribute for referring them to Flexxity (i.e. you earn rewards every time they make a sale)! Note: Must maintain minimum Executive Affiliate (EA) rank to receive matched Rewardicals.
By the way, many of these same services are also needed by tens of thousands of affiliates who could grow their SFI business with better welcome letters, team newsletters, ads, logos, photos, illustrations, and more. And, of course, virtually all of these services can be provided digitally, worldwide. So there’s a huge, new opportunity here for lending your assistance to “SFI Nation.”
DID YOU KNOW?
The “gig economy” is growing rapidly around the world. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are looking for freelance service providers (examples: graphic design, writing, translation, video editing, animation, music production, and much more) instead of permanent hires. One of the ways to get found by companies looking for freelancers? You guessed it–by getting listed on Flexxity! We even plan to add a special section to Flexxity so said companies can quickly and easily find those interested in such gigs.
READY TO GET STARTED?
To apply to become a Flexxity service provider, go to:
www.Flexxity.com/signup
Remember, it’s FREE if you’re an SFI Team Leader!
To hire a Flexpert for a project you need done, head over to:
www.Flexxity.com
NOTE! We’re launching from scratch today, Tuesday, January 12th. So, when you read this, there may not yet be any service providers yet signed up, or there may only be a small number. That’s to be expected of course; it will likely take at least a few weeks before we will have a significant number of SPs in place. So…consider Flexxity.com to essentially be in a BETA stage for now. That said, we expect to quickly move out of BETA as SFI affiliates across the world sign on to become our pioneers with this exciting new platform!
Q: Are Service Providers and “Flexperts” the same thing?
Yes, “Flexpert” is just a fun name for an SP (Service Provider). Both terms can be used interchangeably. Note: Feel free to refer to yourself as a “Flexpert” when marketing yourself (i.e. “I’m a Flexpert with the international services network, Flexxity.”)
Q: Is Flexxity only for services that can be performed locally?
No, there are hundreds of services that can be rendered worldwide. For example, logo design, caricatures, online tutorial, marketing assistance, consulting, and many, many more. Especially with remote video services like Zoom, there are countless possibilities for services that you can do from almost anywhere.
Q: Is it possible to list more than one service in Flexxity?
Yes. If you have two or more dissimilar services you want to list (e.g. house painting and logo design), we encourage you to take out multiple listings. There is no extra cost and we even allow for different DBAs (“doing business as” names) for each listing.
Q: Becoming a “Flexpert” sounds great, but I already have a job (not to mention SFI) and I may only be able to provide my Flexxity services part of the time. Can Flexxity still work for me?
Yes! As an SP, you can make yourself available ONLY when you want to. You can have a live listing 24/7/365, but you can also “pause” your listing whenever you want. That means that you can be “open” only certain days or hours–whatever you want; it’s your business!
Q: Can you convince me that I have what it takes to become a Flexpert?
Well, the possibilities are virtually endless, but just to get your some ideas rolling…
Do you own a pick up truck? You could offer hauling or moving services.
Do you have a lawn mower? Mow lawns.
Do you have a snow shovel? Shovel sidewalks.
Do you have a chainsaw? Trim trees.
Are you a handyman? Almost everyone has the needs for handyman services.
Do you like to clean? Clean houses or wash cars.
Are you an artist? Draw caricatures or do personalized greeting cards.
Are you good with computers? Fix or set up computers.
Do you know how to play guitar or the piano? Offer lessons.
Do you know how to give massages or cut hair? Do in-home massages or haircuts.
Do you bake? Bake personalized cakes and cookies for birthdays, weddings, etc.
Are you good with interior design? Help people create attractive living quarters.
Are you experienced in Feng Shui? Help people arrange their furniture and decor.
Are you good with taxes? Help people prepare their tax returns.
Do you like dogs? Start a dog-walking or dog-sitting service.
Are you a good photographer? There are endless photo opportunities.
And so on!
As you can see, you probably have tools and/or skills that absolutely warrant getting listed in Flexxity! Get creative, you might have two, three, or even five services you could list and make money from! Tons of additional ideas for you HERE.
Q: I want to look like a professional when I join Flexxity to sell my services. Can SFI help me with this?
Yes, we are developing a variety of items, such as shirts, hats, signage, business cards, flyers, and more. Watch for announcements on the availability of these items.
Q: Since anyone who is attracted to Flexxity is obviously interested in operating their own business, will you be letting them know about SFI?
Yes. We won’t be overly aggressive about it, but they’ll definitely be informed over time about becoming an SFI affiliate and the income opportunities it offers. And, of course, if you referred the person to Flexxity, you’ll be automatically registered as their sponsor should they decide to become an SFI affiliate.
Q: Has the COVID pandemic opened the door wider for a program like Flexxity?
A: We think so, yes. For starters, working from home is now much more widely accepted. So even if you’re a service provider working exclusively out of your home, you’ll find broad acceptance by the public now. And then there’s the other side of it: Because of the pandemic, millions of people worldwide now stress about the stability of their jobs. So having a “side hustle” or a part-time gig has become one of the smartest things you can do! Through Flexxity, you can refer people around you to our new platform for easily turning their spare time into extra money (which can earn you boatloads of matched Rewardicals each month). Best of all, referring new Flexxity service providers is as easy and simple as giving someone a link; they can be signed up within minutes, and making sales within a couple days!
Q: Will Flexxity use customer reviews so customers can more easily identify top providers?
Flexxity will have a first-class review component, yes! All customers get asked to rate/review all providers and jobs. Providers can earn bronze/silver/gold/platinum provider status based on the ratings they receive.
Q: What would the basic pitch be for becoming an SP with Flexxity?
“Join our global network of service providers and instantly monetize a skill that you have. Becoming a Flexxity service provider is simple and easy. Sign up, list your service, and start making money! There are no products to stock or new skills to learn. We’ll provide everything else you need to develop and build your service business–including promoting you worldwide in the Flexxity.com search engine and to our database of millions of members. You also get full access to our world-class training and marketing resources. All for as little as $3.33 a month (just $.11 per day).”
Q: What about marketing aids for promoting Flexxity (both for its services and referring service providers)?
We need to get at least a few dozen SPs signed up first. Once that’s in place, we’ll begin introducing new Gateways and a variety of marketing aids. Stay tuned!
Here, however, are a couple samples of the types of ads we’re working on:
Q: How does the Flexxity corporate co-op advertising program work?
Beginning in April, all Flexxity SPs will be beneficiaries of an ongoing, worldwide co-op that will be managed and operated by SFI’s parent company, Carson Services, Inc. In short, there will be an ongoing advertising campaign (primarily internet-based, but other media such as print or radio may be utilized as well). Ads will direct customers to Flexxity.com to shop its array of services (they will also reference the service provider opportunity so we can continually attract new providers and grow the provider network). The overall size and scope of the campaigns will be based on a portion of the subscription fees collected by SPs. The more SPs–the more traffic our ads can generate and the more exposure our SPs can receive.
Q: The corporate co-op advertising, the promotions within SFI, etc. for service providers sound great, but if I become a provider, shouldn’t I also directly market my new Flexxity service(s)?
Definitely, yes! And we will be coming out with a variety of materials and resources to help you do it well and inexpensively!
Q: What’s an example of a way I could help my SFI team members get their Flexxity service business off to a good start?
Here’s a super easy one: Good listings require good photos/images, good descriptions, etc. Go over every listing your team members create…and help them refine and optimize their listings. By doing so, you’ll be helping them, you’ll be helping yourself, and you’ll be helping make Flexxity a big, successful new part of SFI!
Q: What if my service creates a physical product? Does that mean I can’t be a part of Flexxity?
Not necessarily. Let’s say you were drawing caricatures from photos provided by email to you by the customer. The customer may want a physical copy (in this case, the original artwork you created). You would simply have to price your service to cover the cost of shipping that artwork. That said, we expect 95%+ of Flexxity to be true services (no physical product, no shipments).
Q: Will there be any new badges for Flexxity?
Yes! All affiliates who become Flexxity SP’s will be receiving a “Flexpert” badge that also displays their current customer rating. The better your rating, the more Badge Quest points you’ll receive! Other badges are also surely to come online as we build out Flexxity.
Q: Will Flexxity require different login credentials?
No. Flexxity.com is another Zing Network property, so you’ll use the same ID and password to log in as you do for SFI and all other Zing Network properties. Flexxity will also get added to the “lightning bolt” menu on the main menu bar at the SFI Affiliate Center for quick, easy, auto-login access.
Q: Why the name Flexxity?
We wanted a name that…1) could fit just about any service or service-related product (i.e. “flexible”), 2) would provide a perfect base for our term for service providers…Flexperts (a combination of the words Flexible and Expert), and 3) would be an excellent internet name/domain (short, fairly easy to spell, easy to remember, and rolls off the tongue nicely).
Q: What is the proper pronunciation for Flexxity?
FLEX-it-tee (not flex-city).
Q: The homepage at Flexxity.com is kind of dull. Will you be improving it?
Of course. Right now, at our launch, there are no listings to showcase. Very soon, however, we’ll have lots of listings coming in daily. We’ll soon be featuring new listings on the homepage, as well as providers in your area, and more.