A new online marketplace is inviting registrations from professional and creative service providers interested in taking a different approach to doing business and generating revenue.

The new approach will see professionals using their skills and experience to get some ‘skin in the game’ and maximise downtime.

The Pitch Portal is an online investment platform that connects business ideas and opportunities with those looking to trade professional services for equity or a negotiated payment arrangement.

It is scheduled to launch this year, with a range of measures and systems designed to protect the service provider and ensure time invested is adequately remunerated.

Founder and seasoned communications consultant, Amanda Fay, believes the platform will be welcomed by a range of service providers wanting to jump on the innovation bandwagon while at the same time maximise downtime.

“Crowd funding and angel investments are mobilising some fantastic opportunities, but ironically the funds are often used to source service providers engaged to build website, create prototypes, develop marketing plans and overseeing legal documentation,” she said.

“While there is unquestionably short-term gain to this model for service providers, we saw an opportunity to cut out the middle man for increased or long-term return.”

The Pitch Portal is an initiative of a group of professional service providers and entrepreneurs who subscribe to the belief that the business landscape is changing.

Co-Founder Nicolle Jenkins, who also runs a successful marketing firm in Perth and is on the Board of a number of business organisations including Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said business opportunities are in abundance, but businesses of all dimensions need to look outside the square if we are to drive innovation into the future.

“Research has shown that a large amount of great ideas and opportunities don’t get off the ground due to funding and/or expertise gap.

“At the same time there are extremely talented service providers caught in the fee for service time trap, or price crunching to compete with global competition,” she said.

“The Pitch Portal is an opportunity for collaborations to be formed and agreements to be developed with transparency and security.

“It means that service providers might ultimately receive double their input or ongoing revenue through dividend payments.

“This is not about donating time, it is a business negotiation and time is collateral.”

Negotiations can be made in person or online, locally or globally with arrangements being navigated on the basis of part payment, staggered payment, profit share, equity or a mix of the above.

Service providers are being sought with a range of skills, including digital marketers, website developers, lawyers, writer to business, industrial design and export consultants.