WIMP’s official Referral Program is a big fat GO as of last Friday [Ed: That would be December 12]. It may not seem like a big deal because it’s more or less what we’ve been positioned to do for quite a while, but formalizing and streamlining the process says a lot about where we are today as an organization.

The Impact of Referrals in the WIMP Community

In recent months WIMP has literally been put on the map with the opening of our physical location, and as we’ve put so many more hours into the running of the organization, we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people coming to us for help with finding just the right freelancer or agency for their project or position. Up until now it’s been a matter of finding the time to send off a few names of people in the WIMP community we happened to know (through them being engaged in the Facebook group or coming to meetups) that specialize in a certain area.

It’s a great way not just for us to start to see some compensation for our effort, but to also more efficiently track the movements, metrics, etc. and better serve our community.

It’s impossible to quantify just how much work people have gotten as a result of being involved and engaged in the community. We’ve tried, and we have an idea, but what we have learned is that the impact of WIMP goes way beyond what is measurable. The bottom line is that the impact on peoples’ careers has been huge.

At lunch with a couple members one day I asked just how much work they get as a result of WIMP - their answer was about 80%. My mouth literally fell open. I couldn’t even fathom that work that we were doing to bring people together and connect clients with contractors and employers with employees was paying off in such a huge way.

That’s just one example. We have heard so many stories of how Wimps, as a result of engaging in the community, have managed to have success and stability. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re even at least partially responsible for someone finding work, but to me there’s no better feeling in the world.

The Reasoning

We started the formal Referral Program for a few reasons. The first is because we have an increasing number of inquiries that come our way and we’ve been sending them in the direction of all the same people, despite WIMP having well over 1,000 members. We wanted to give all Wimps equal footing and an opportunity to benefit from the jobs that come to us all the time.

The second is that we need revenue streams in order to keep WIMP operating, and establishing a commission for work gained from direct referrals seemed a fair step in that direction. After polling the community first, we settled on the decision of a 5% commission for direct referrals, which is well below average for what I’ve experienced and heard of in the web industry. (I myself have paid companies 20% commission for referrals before and that was beyond painful.)

The Referral Process

Our referral process is a bit different from anything we’ve seen before. We don’t just put a link on a page and point potential clients that way – we recognize that we are the first point of contact. When someone comes to us asking for help, we provide them our Referral Questionnaire. We ask as many questions as we can to match them with the right person or company for their particular needs. We want to uphold our reputation of being a valued resource for the broader community to look to for anything related to digital media.

From there we send them a list of referrals based on Wimps who have submitted an application and been approved for the Referral Program. We match people based on type of service needed, technology and platform, industry specialty, budget, timeline, and a few other factors.

Each Wimp keeps track of their inquiries and jobs and then reports back earnings. It’s a great way not just for us to start to see some compensation for our effort, but to also more efficiently track the movements, metrics, etc. and better serve our community.

Join the Program

If you are a Wimp, no matter what skill level you are (student or seasoned professional) there’s a need for what you have to offer. It’s our biggest wish to see you succeed and have professional stability. Don’t hesitate – fill out the form and we’ll start to send your information to potential clients immediately!

If you need a Wimp, don’t worry, we’ve got you! If you are looking for a web designer, back end developer, social media strategist, video content producer, photographer, copy editor - odds are we have just the right fit for you. Better yet, they’re a vetted and reliable member of the WIMP community!

Share Your Story

Have you or your career been impacted by WIMP in some way? Have client referrals, either direct or indirect, helped you get work and maintain a steady income? We want to hear your stories! Please tell us in the comments section below!

Our beloved Job Board is back and better than ever! WIMP now hosts Sonoma County’s best job board for web and interactive media professionals.

WIMP members are now able to:

• Browse and Search job listings by Category, Location and Job Type
• Respond directly to quality Job Listings with an easily customizable application form
• Attach resumes or other files to applications
• Sign up to receive alerts whenever new jobs are posted

Employers are now able to:

• Post Job Ads with an easy-to-use editor
• Post jobs with or without registering for an account
• Create employer profiles which contain company name, location, description and currently open positions
• Automatically pre-fill the Add Job form by pulling data from employer profile
• Pay quickly and easily with PayPal
• Easily edit job posts, accept or reject job applications and view job stats
• Take advantage of one-click job republishing

For a limited time, job postings will be just $25/30 days for standard listing and $50/30 days for a premium listing.

Visit the Job Board now to see what all the fuss is about!

Happy 3rd Birthdaversary to WIMP!

It seems like so long ago that we were all gathered for our inaugural meetup at the New Arts Project in Santa Rosa, CA. The date was Wednesday, April 27th 2011, and we had no idea what we were doing. We didn’t know how many people would come, if any, and we had no clue just how many of us web industry people existed in the North Bay. We definitely had no way of knowing we would go from a couple dozen strangers that night to a close-knit community of 400 (over 500 if you count the Facebook group) Wimps.

For me, it was the first time I would meet my husband-to-be. But, if you can imagine, that night means so much more to me than even that.

At the time, we called ourselves the North Bay Web Pros. It wasn’t long before we ditched the name and found our brand and the beginnings of our culture with the title of WIMP. The name was decided upon based on a culmination of our plans to have an eclectic multidisciplinary community paired with our aspirations to one day break out of Sonoma County and spread elsewhere. Now, we finally have the opportunity to attempt to do that. Hopefully by the end of 2014 we will see our first satellite group spin off and start growing. Time will tell!

The strength and impact of WIMP can’t only just be expressed in our numbers. Our community is a shining example of getting back what you put in. A recent member survey showed that the more involvement our members have had in both real-life meetups and in our Facebook group, the more successful they have been professionally.

What our members say is the best thing they’ve gotten out of WIMP

“We’re better than the sum of our parts ~ Everything is better for everyone when we cooperate rather than compete.”

“Tips and community building”

“The network. Easily the network.”

“The information shared by the experts”

“The community support.”

“A safety net that gives me the confidence to take on work slightly outside of my current skill set.”

“resources and ideas galore”

“New relationships and membership in a vital and diverse community.”

“New business and friendships”

“Making great connections with people that could transpire into long-term relationships.”

“Its a great community and networking opportunity to have in the North Bay”

“It’s really nice to connect and have a local network.”

“Friendships”

“Connection to local peers in our niche”

“Connections.”

“A sense of community.”

“Advice and comradeship.”

“A community of professionals and nerds in one place.”

To boldly go…

We can’t wait to see how far WIMP can go. The Indiegogo Campaign we’ve launched will give us the opportunity to get there, but only if we receive the support from our loyal membership in the form of actual dollars.

If you want to do your part, go here and contribute today!