One individual wants some help, or service, or wants something doing; the other has the ability to help with it or to do it or provide the wanted service. In contrast with employment, with this enquiry type, no contract of employment is envisaged, though there may be a contract for a particular service. There is no ongoing obligation beyond the completion of the work. This category ranges from, on the one hand, simply doing some work for someone, to, on the other hand, helping the other do something, as in tuition, training, advice, or mentoring. There may not be a clear dividing line. Counselling, therapy and the like are included here.

This is not an enquiry type for corporate offerings, as the point is that the person helped may want to specify characteristics of the person they want as a helper, or vice versa.

The help given could be in the context of a trade or profession, and be paid; but could also potentially be voluntary or free. The currency involved may be alternative/complementary rather than state-backed.

• Features: work, learning; some kind of exchange or money; low commitment
• Parties relate asymmetrically: helper, individual; helped, individual
• Required questions: duration and time window

A simple example is looking for a trades person. While for some, the kind of person is of little importance, for others it may be. You may be looking for a trades person from a particular community, or with a particular outlook. I do not know of any laws that regulate how individuals may choose another individual to work for them.

Some examples may be:

• I want someone to do something for me or help me
• I want a service that someone else can provide
• I want someone to fix something at my home
• I want a volunteer to help me, and I can't pay them
• I want help from someone more experienced or knowledgeable
• I want investment or other resource input
• I want, or I am, a tutor, coach, counsellor, therapist etc.
• I provide a service which other people are prepared to pay for
• I'm offering unpaid or volunteer help to individuals
• I am experienced or knowledgeable, and wish to help others
• I have capital, money or other resources to invest

The characteristic distinguishing this from Sharing is that Sharing is symmetric, while this is asymmetric. What distinguishes this from Employment is that the helper is a private individual, perhaps self-employed, or volunteer, and that any contract is between two people, not between a person and a business.

What does the person wanting help need to know about the one they are asking help from?

• Skills
• Qualifications
• Memberships (e.g. professional bodies; guilds)
  • membership is an attribute that needs to be attested by the membership organisation
• Experience
  • evidence could be provided at the time of confirming contact
• Endorsements / recommendations
  • Lots of people rely on this in the normal world, but I'm not sure how to do it here.
  • Open to suggestions.
  • Maybe list common desirable attributes, and ensure these are not able to be self-awarded. LinkedIn has Skills and Recommendations…

What does the one offering help need to know about the one they are going to help? Again, it's not clear to me, maybe nothing. On the other hand, AirBnB rates guests as well as hosts, so maybe we should do that?

• Memberships — in case the helper wants to preferentially help those belonging to a particular group.
  • membership is an attribute that needs to be attested by the membership organisation
• Deserving categories such as disabled, or members of oppressed minorities. However, this is also not easy to represent.

• Nature of help to be given
  • this needs much more detailed consideration
  • perhaps set up details as each type of help requires it
• Where (if relationship requires physical presence)
• Time: this is potentially a very important and quite complicated thing to implement, ranging from basic start and end dates of availability, down to a detailed availability
  • Duration of help, on the job
  • Duration of help, start and finish dates
  • Time slot