Would UK service providers use this kind of paid-access app?

fisicx said:

Not really. There are already any number of freelancer and portals that are well known to both users and customers for their particular niche.

Google tells me sabee is a hotel app.

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Fair point, and thanks for checking.

The Google result is probably a different Sabee. Mine is newly launched, so the naming/search confusion is useful feedback by itself.

I also agree there are already freelancer portals. I’m not really trying to build another place where freelancers wait to be discovered.

The use case I’m testing is a bit different:

someone already finds the provider through their own website, social pages, referrals, or local network, then needs a clean way to pay, book, call, or message them.

So Sabee is more like a paid-access layer for existing demand, not a freelancer marketplace promising to bring new clients.

That may still not be a strong enough problem, which is what I’m trying to learn here.

fisicx said:

Booking and payments are often integrated into a website.

Hairdressers for example have a dedicated platform. Messaging can be done via a chat or link to WhatsApp.

Adding your app just seems to add complications.

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Yes, that is fair.

If someone already has a proper website with booking, payments, chat, reminders, and a working process, Sabee may not add much for them.

I think the better fit is people whose paid access is still scattered: some interest comes through social pages, some through their website, some through referrals, and then they manually handle payment, booking, call links, and follow-up.

One difference is that Sabee is also iOS/Android, not only web. So the provider can receive instant paid calls on their phone when they are online, manage booked calls, and handle paid messages from the app.

So I agree it is not for every business. I’m trying to understand which providers still have enough manual friction that one paid-access profile would be easier than stitching several tools together.

Paul Kelly ICHYB said:

You will really need to sharpen your proposition.

You can even take appointment payments via Google calendar, so you are really in a busy marketplace.

What was your motivation and research to drive you to develop this?

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That is fair, Paul.

I agree the space is busy, and I probably do need to sharpen the proposition.

The motivation came from seeing a messy flow around paid access to a person’s time. A lot of providers do not just need a calendar. They get questions through DMs, social pages, referrals, websites, or existing clients, then payment, booking, call links, and follow-up all happen in different places.

If someone already has Google Calendar payments, a website booking system, WhatsApp, reminders, and a smooth process, Sabee may not be useful enough for them.

The use case I’m testing is narrower:

providers who already have some inbound interest, but still handle paid calls/messages manually and want one mobile-first profile where a client can pay to book a call, call instantly if the provider is online, or buy a paid message package.

The research so far is mostly qualitative: conversations with coaches, consultants, freelancers, and service providers, plus feedback like this. I’m not claiming the wedge is proven yet. That is exactly what I’m trying to validate.

So I think your point is right: the product only makes sense if the “paid access in one place” proposition is much clearer than “another booking/payment tool.”

Fair question, Paul.

The motivation was not to build another calendar or payment tool.

I was looking at a more specific paid-access flow where interest often starts from DMs, referrals, social pages, websites, or existing clients, and then the provider has to stitch together payment, booking, call links, messages, and follow-up manually.

Sabee is trying to put that into one mobile-first profile: paid booked calls, instant in-app calls when the provider is online, and paid message packages.

The research so far is qualitative: conversations with coaches, consultants, freelancers, and service providers, plus feedback like this. I’m not claiming the market is proven yet. I’m trying to find whether there is a narrow group of providers where this friction is painful enough.

If the answer is that most UK providers are already happy with Google Calendar, Calendly, WhatsApp, and their website setup, that is useful feedback too.

Paul Carmen said:

It's a chicken and egg project. You need loads of users to get businesses & self employed people to use it.

That means ranking in customer searches, or having a marketing process to get customers for the freelancers. consultants, businesses etc. How are you going to do that?

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That would be true if Sabee were starting as a marketplace where providers join because we already have lots of customers searching inside the app.

That is not the first use case I’m testing.

The first use case is more like a tool/profile for providers who already have some demand elsewhere: their own website, social pages, referrals, local network, or existing clients.

So the provider would not be joining because Sabee already has a huge audience. They would use their Sabee profile link as a paid front door for people who already want to reach them.

That still may or may not be compelling enough, but I’m not trying to solve the cold-start marketplace problem first.