Interview with Joe Piekarz, President of timeXchange

    timeXchange is a Chicago-based service that provides free online time tracking.  It's scalability allows for small and large businesses to easily utilize their tools, from independent contractors to entire teams within a corporation.  timeXchange enables you to record and report time and expenses, and collect and improve team reporting.  Their simplistic approach to an ever-present consequence of business involvement  makes for a great feature that could easily be integrated into larger aspects of business, and their focus is really on the building of the networks around the time sheets.  timeXchange just added its 1,000th member to its network yesterday, and Chicago couldn't be more proud.

I caught up with Joe Piekarz, President of timeXchange.

Did the creation of timeXchange come from a personal need for a web-based application for time tracking?
The idea of timeXchange.net is really not about a timesheet application.  It's about a business community of service providers who connect with each other and the people they do business with via a timesheet. If you think about Flickr as networks, you may better understand what we are building.
Instead of connecting with other to share photos, our users share project-based time reporting. The network, not the timesheet, is the application.

What are your main objectives with timeXchange?

Our main objective with timeXchange.net is to grow the network. We do this by involving our members in the process and encouraging them to increase their networks by simply entering an email for each project contact.

Could timeXchange be used for a small team within a large company?

One of the beauties oftimeXchange.net is that there are non limits on the size of a project team or the number of projects anyone can be involved. We have some very large project teams and we have people who teach piano lessons on an hourly basis. It works just as effectively for both.


What are some of the struggles you face as a start-up in the midwest, as opposed to the west coast?

Being Chicago was actually an advantage because there are so many service-based businesses located here. While in development, we met with many firms of all sizes to explore the need. For example, we talked with Accenture who has 140,000 employees and learned they have some of the same issues as SPR, a tech services firm with about 140 employees.

Do you have real time collaboration services?

Yes.

Any plans to partner with other companies, such as web collaboration services or business/networking social communities?

We are always on the look out for compatible partnerships or where there is potential to form "mashups".

What are the next steps for timeXchange, and when do you hope these will be implemented?

Our next steps involve going from Public Beta status to full production in the June timeframe. At that time we will also be making some announcements regarding partnerships and new services.

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joe piekarz
[this is good]
8 June 2009 - TimeXchange.net has improved its commerce and collaboration network for people who work in virtual project teams reporting. Version 3.0 was launched last week and includes a simplified navigation and new features such as a timer for project tasks and a more robust tracking of time submitted for approval. Version 3.0 was launched last week and includes a simplified navigation and new features such as a timer for project tasks and a more robust tracking of time submitted for approval. Additional third-party affiliates with tools such as mobile companion devices were also announced. Additional third-party affiliates with tools such as mobile companion devices were also announced.

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