MBO Partners Launches First Private Social Business Platform for Growing Independent Consultant Workforce

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MBO Partners, the leader in the $250-billion and growing independent consulting sector in America, today announced an extension of its service line with the launch of the first private social business community developed exclusively to make it easier for independent professionals and clients to do business together.

“MBO Partners is a great example of today's visionary companies that are innovating through social business. They have harnessed Jive to help establish the first collaborative, connected community of high-end independent consultants enabling them to tap into expertise throughout the company and client base to improve efficiency, innovation and outcomes”

Developed through insights from research into national trends in independent work, and with input from successful independent consultants within the MBO Partners community, the Jive-powered private platform is named MBO Access. This first-of-its-kind virtual meeting place empowers MBO’s large and diverse community of expert consultant practice owners to interact with like-minded professionals, MBO client organizations and strategic service providers. MBO Access enables independent professionals to form valuable business relationships and receive rich online tools, all while leveraging the power of the trusted MBO network.

“MBO Access offers what our network of independent consultants and Fortune 1000 clients tells us they want most – the opportunity to get introduced and begin conversations that lead to projects and business results – all on their own terms,” said Gene Zaino, CEO of MBO Partners. “The MBO Access platform supercharges the productivity of independent consultants and those organizations that wish to engage their services. They can easily expand qualified trusted relationships and utilize resources designed specifically to facilitate this new way to work.”

MBO Access is powered by enterprise-grade technology via Jive Software. “MBO Partners is a great example of today's visionary companies that are innovating through social business. They have harnessed Jive to help establish the first collaborative, connected community of high-end independent consultants enabling them to tap into expertise throughout the company and client base to improve efficiency, innovation and outcomes,” said John F. Rizzo, Chief Marketing Officer for Jive Software. “The result is a highly active and engaged forum where MBO associates and client organizations make meaningful connections, thus enabling them to thrive in their careers. We're very pleased with the adoption MBO has already received and eager for the community to evolve and flourish as their business grows."

Research

Based on more than 25 years of operating experience serving tens of thousands of independent associates and processing billions of dollars of consultant-client payments, MBO Partners has obtained privileged knowledge into the un-met market needs for the growing number of professional consultants in America. The independent worker pool in America is today 16 million strong but is predicted to become a majority by the end of the decade. MBO Access was created as a social platform to provide personalized professional and business growth resources to a concentrated population of professional independent consultants. Data from the first annual MBO Partners Independent Workforce Index also helped inform the development of the private platform, which focuses on filling gaps identified in three key areas: community; education and work acquisition.

Community

As a social platform, MBO Access fosters an interactive sounding board for independent associates to discuss issues, exchange ideas and form connections in a space that is reserved for professionals like themselves. It provides an environment of common ground and customizable tools to reach other consultants within the MBO network with shared expertise or experiences.

For MBO client organizations – which include nearly half of the Fortune 50 – MBO Access offers a means of nimble and cost-effective management of its independent consultants. It is an efficient path to create a community of high-quality, trusted and proven professionals that can be engaged and re-engaged safely and easily without traditional talent intermediaries that increase cost.

Education

MBO Access provides a central hub of valuable education content focused on building success for both the independent professional associate and the associate’s business. Members can take advantage of resources focused on productivity, marketing and cultivating business knowledge and skills. The education section also features expert insights and information about industry events.

Work

More than 90 percent of MBO independent consultants identify the importance of securing consulting opportunities from trusted relationships that have been cultivated over time. MBO Access facilitates the creation and maintenance of those connections in a protected online space. It joins independent professional associates with one another and with the thousands of MBO client organizations that rely on MBO to facilitate smooth and rewarding affiliations with the growing independent consulting workforce.

“I view MBO Access as a business channel as much as I view it as a social and professional community,” said Bret Smith, Managing Principal of High-Impact-Prospecting and a member of the MBO Partners Associate community. “It enables others to discover my business while simultaneously providing my team an opportunity to ‘be heard’ by peers and contribute to sub-communities. MBO Partners is building a community for independent professionals like me.”

Partnership and Exclusive Perks

Designed to serve as a convenient hub for busy professionals running solo practices, MBO Access also provides valuable connections to services and partners that meet their specific needs. A dedicated team is committed to continually expanding these offerings, which currently include discounts on expert business development services, co-working facilities, professional development training partners, travel accommodations and many other services designed to support independent professionals.

“I believe that by the end of the decade, the U.S. labor force will include an independent majority,” concludes Gene Zaino – known as a contract workforce expert in addition to serving as CEO of MBO Partners. “The project-based economy continues to gain traction, and alongside it, the independent workforce grows in both number and influence. In the summer of 2012, we will reveal the results of our second annual Independent Workforce Index and announce new efforts to continue to serve the independent professional business community with fresh services, content and enabling platforms.”

About MBO Partners

For more than 25 years, MBO Partners has led the $250 billion-and-growing independent consulting sector in America. Our services make it easy for independent consultants and their clients to do business. For independent consultants, MBO Partners manages their entire business infrastructure. Our platform includes a proprietary process to handle contract administration, business insurances, health and retirement benefits, expense management, tax withholding, and more. We couple this with the benefits of direct vendor access into enterprises and the “white glove” attention of a dedicated business manager for every consultant. For organizations that use contract talent, the MBO Enterprise Solutions team provides a complete independent contractor aggregation and engagement offering, including compliance and payment solutions for 1099s, sole proprietors and micro-businesses. To learn more, visit: http://www.mbopartners.com.