# DIREKT Business Model

## Business model summary

DIREKT is a two-sided marketplace with a paid provider-side trust and visibility service. Customers receive core discovery and safety information without paying. Providers pay for ongoing marketplace participation and optional commercial tools, while verification decisions remain independent.

## Customer value

- discover nearby providers;
- inspect current trust checks and service areas;
- avoid unknown middlemen;
- save and compare providers;
- submit tracked enquiries;
- review eligible interactions;
- report inaccurate, unsafe or misleading information.

## Provider value

- searchable local presence;
- structured profile without building a website;
- credible evidence-backed trust claims;
- enquiry and response history;
- expiry reminders and guided remediation;
- performance insights;
- optional enhanced business tools.

## Revenue streams

### 1. Provider subscriptions

Potential tiers:

- **Starter:** profile management, services, service area and basic enquiries;
- **Verified:** category-appropriate verification processing and trust display;
- **Professional:** multi-user management, analytics and enhanced lead tools;
- **Institutional/Supplier:** procurement-facing profile and compliance exports.

Exact price, included verification frequency and grace rules require pilot evidence.

### 2. Verification services

A category-specific initial or renewal verification fee may recover direct operational cost. The fee purchases processing, not approval. Rejection does not become approval because a provider paid.

### 3. Promoted placement

Clearly labelled sponsored placement may be offered later. It must never imitate organic trust ranking, hide verification state or outrank safety exclusions.

### 4. Transaction or booking services

A commission may apply if DIREKT later processes a booking or payment. Version 1 can begin with tracked enquiries and direct handoff.

### 5. Institutional tools

Organizations may pay for:

- verified supplier discovery;
- approved-provider lists;
- compliance expiry monitoring;
- structured procurement enquiries;
- audit-friendly exports.

## Cost structure

- Android, backend and admin development;
- hosting, storage, maps, messaging and notifications;
- verification review staff;
- field agents and transport;
- customer support and dispute handling;
- legal, privacy and compliance review;
- provider acquisition and education;
- fraud prevention;
- payment processing and reconciliation;
- monitoring and incident response.

## Unit economics to measure in pilot

- provider acquisition cost;
- verification cost by category;
- average review time;
- field-visit cost;
- subscription conversion and retention;
- revenue per active provider;
- enquiry value and provider response;
- support cost per provider/customer;
- refund/rework rate;
- map/SMS/storage cost per active account.

## Commercial integrity rules

- paying is never described as being verified;
- subscription state and verification state are stored separately;
- sponsored results are labelled;
- a suspended provider cannot buy immediate reinstatement;
- verification reviewers do not receive approval-based incentives;
- refunds and appeals follow published rules;
- price changes are versioned and communicated.

## Initial go-to-market

Concentrate supply before broad customer marketing:

1. choose one pilot geography;
2. recruit providers in limited high-demand categories;
3. verify the initial provider cohort;
4. partner with relevant associations, communities and property managers;
5. invite customers into a populated marketplace;
6. measure trust, response and repeat-use behaviour;
7. refine price and operations before expansion.
