Online marketplace for $5 tasks

There’s something appealing about a fixed price of $5. Washington state’s Ferry Farm Stand tapped into that appeal with its grab-and-go bags of produce, and now Israel-based Fiverr is expanding the concept into the world of services. Similar in many ways to both Mechanical Turk and ShortTask, Fiverr lets anyone sell a service of virtually any type for $5. Those “gigs,” as they’re called, of which there are more than 20,000 already listed on the site, span the spectrum in focus and practicality. Many are much like what one might find on ShortTask—writing positive product reviews on a website, for example—but others venture into much less pragmatic territory, such as furnishing “7 hours, 53 minutes of vacuum cleaner sounds.” Categories on the site include “Fun & Bizarre” and “Silly Stuff” along with the more staid classics such as “Graphics” and “Social Marketing.” For each task sold, the seller receives $4; Fiverr keeps the rest. Both buyers and sellers remain anonymous, while a feedback system enables participant ratings. Now in beta, Fiverr gives cash-minded sellsumers and minipreneurs a quick, standardized way to sell their skills, both practical and otherwise. One to emulate on a localized or niche basis… or to test out in *your* next big thing? (Related: Computer tasks for workers in the developing world — Bidding system for domestic outsourcing.) Spotted by: Bryce Hufnal