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Network of Prequalified Service Providers Launches Digital Marketplace

Posted on by Brian Lee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2016

Contact:
Nick Lombardino
608.501.3301
hello@atlasproviders.com

Network of Prequalified Service Providers Launches Digital Marketplace

Madison’s Atlas Providers network aims to connect entrepreneurs with prequalified service providers

 

(MADISON, Wis.) – Entrepreneurs looking to quickly search, review and connect with prequalified service providers can now turn to Atlas Providers, which today announced it has launched a free, digital marketplace at atlasproviders.com to better connect emerging companies and area service providers.

By offering transparency into a service provider’s compensation model, key services and expert insight, Atlas Providers gives entrepreneurs one location to pinpoint, research and connect with local experts in insurance, legal, commercial real estate, wealth management, technology, accounting, digital marketing and human resources.

“As a measure of trust, entrepreneurs want to work with service providers who have experience working with startups,” Atlas Providers Co-Founder Nick Lombardino said. “That’s why we vet providers to make sure they specialize in working with emerging companies and offer services that align with an entrepreneur’s unique needs.”

Service providers affiliated with the Atlas Providers Network are required to go through an initial qualification process that includes, but is not limited to: interviews, reference checks, entrepreneurial givebacks (mentorship, volunteering, free consultations) and evaluation of compensation model (hourly wage, commission-based, etc.).

Lombardino, Ryan Waite and Derek Notman developed the concept in 2014 following feedback from focus groups with area entrepreneurs and service providers.

To best serve Madison’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Atlas Providers is partnering with several local organizations, including the Wisconsin Technology Council, that cater to emerging companies.

“We are thrilled to have a strategic relationship with Atlas Providers,” Tech Council President Tom Still said. “Through our partnership, we are able to offer our members a local ‘one-stop shop’ for highly experienced industry experts.”

For more information, please visit www.atlasproviders.com

 

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Resulting Media Coverage:

How to Use Wikipedia to Boost SEO

Posted on by Brian Lee

WikipediaYou can’t use Wikipedia directly to boost your SEO (search engine optimization), but you can use it indirectly.

Google includes a website’s (quality) inbound links as part of its ranking formula. Thus, it would seem that a link from Wikipedia to your website (either to the homepage or to a story/article) would be helpful.

Unfortunately, if you look at the source code for Wikipedia, you’ll see it uses <rel=”nofollow“> for its links, which means Google won’t count it for the inbound tally.

But there is some shining light. Since your website was considered worthwhile to which to link by the overly strict editing community at Wikipedia–their subjectivity is a major flaw–other websites may eventually link to yours. Assuming they don’t use the “nofollow” code, you’ll get the SEO boost from them.

Of course, you shouldn’t make this tactic the centerpiece of your SEO strategy, but every little bit counts.

Transparency in organizations is important

Posted on by Brian Lee

2016_Summer_Olympics_logoTime and time again, businesses and organizations make decisions without publicly providing the rationale, and that usually riles up their audiences (e.g. stakeholders, customers, shareholders, etc.). This is one reason why transparency is important.

Now let’s look at the upcoming Olympics in Rio.

Seven years ago, the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted for Rio to host the 2016 Olympic Games over Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. I was not alone in being stunned by the decision. Sure, South America has never played host to an Olympics, but the other cities were better suited for such a monumental task.

In the first round of voting, Madrid was first with 28 votes, and Chicago was last with 18 votes. I’ve read speculation that Chicago didn’t get many first-round votes because everyone assumed the city would win, and voters were trying to help the other cities save face.

Now that fateful day could have some major repercussions.

Forget the Zika virus. Rio’s major obstacle to a successful Olympic Games is Rio itself. A recent New York Times op-ed paints a picture of how far behind construction is, the crime near the Olympic arenas, the lack of leadership and the budget shortfall. How worried are you if you are an Olympic athlete or a fan that plans on attending?

To this day, IOC members have not revealed why they voted the way they did. Being transparent removes foul play and corruption from the equation. When you explain how you came to a decision, however difficult, you’ll at least achieve informed consent.

In a time when we’ve seen leaders from FIFA get charged with corruption, transparency in sports–and all industries–is more important than ever.