Using the cloud to broker small-business outsourcing

A new startup is using cloud computing to help broker outsourcing and software development work for small businesses.

8K Miles, which takes its name from the diameter of the Earth, launched three months ago with $1 million and a mission to help small businesses outsource tasks by connecting them with a community of service providers that specialize in everything from software development (expected to be the lion’s share of transactions) to legal and accounting advice.

8K verifies the validity of those service providers and lists them in a categorized, searchable portal, ranking them according to customer feedback and collecting 7.5% of the total cost of the outsourcing project in the process. In a few months, the company hopes to add targeted advertising to the site, and eventually it will offer sponsored rankings – letting service providers pay more for a higher spot on search-result lists.

Today 8K is adding a third entity to the mix: service brokers that will act as matchmakers within the matchmaking site, further simplifying the selection process for a fee (and theoretically making use of their own contacts outside 8K’s community, which they can then bring inside the portal).

The site also includes videoconferencing, provided by Oovoo, to let buyers and sellers see and speak with one another live to get better acquainted.