Fivesquid.com
{{Short description|British marketplace website}}
{{Notability|Web|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Fivesquid
| logo =
| logocaption =
| screenshot =
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| url = {{url|https://fivesquid.uk}}
| commercial = Yes
| type = Online Marketplace
| registration = Required
| area_served = Worldwide
| language = English
| content_license =
| owner =
| author =
| industry = Freelance marketplace, Online outsourcing, Service catalog
| launch_date = 2011
| alexa =
| revenue =
| current_status = Closed
| footnotes =
}}
Fivesquid.uk is a British-based freelance marketplace website where people can trade skills and services.{{cite web|last1=Griffith|first1=Gabriella|title=Ten hot business trends born out of recession|url=http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/londons-best/ten-hot-business-trends-born-out-of-recession/1817.article|publisher=London Loves Business}} First launched in 2011, the website hosts a variety of services, from tech jobs like SEO specialist advice to bizarre things like having a man with a parrot produce a quick clip advertising a business.{{cite web|last1=Lynch|first1=Gerald|title=Five tech fixes for a fiver with fivesquids.co.uk|url=http://www.techdigest.tv/2012/02/five_tech_fixes.html|publisher=Tech Digest|date=February 28, 2012}} Buyers of services are mainly start-up companies looking to save on business costs.{{cite web|last1=Austin|first1=Marcus|title=Start your business with a fiver|url=http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/roundup/start-your-business-with-a-fiver-1078896|publisher=Tech Radar|date=May 4, 2012}}
History
Fivesquid was originally launched in 2011. Following its release, Theo Paphitis selected the company as a start-up company to watch as part of his Small Business Sunday competition.{{cite web|title=Small Business Sunday Winner|url=http://www.theopaphitissbs.com/profile/fivesquids|publisher=Theo Paphitis}}
In March 2012, the website featured in a list of top 10 companies to emerge from the UK recession. Fivesquid featured fifth on the list and was highlighted as the example for selling cheap online services. Throughout the sites history, it has had some strange services offered. In 2012, a entrepreneurial schoolboy from England offered his services as an online gaming bodyguard, at £5 per 30 minutes of gameplay.{{cite web|last1=Bradford|first1=Kelly Rose|title=Entrepreneur schoolboy paid £5 for every 30 minutes as a 'personal online bodyguard'|url=http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2012/01/10/entrepreneur-schoolboy-paid-5-pounds-for-every-30-minutes-as-a-personal-online-protector/|publisher=Parent-dish|date=January 10, 2012}}
After the website had been established a number of years, some began to question the services available on the site. One example used by the London Standard was services that could manipulate social media popularity.{{cite web|last1=Jeffs|first1=Lotte|title=How to outsource your life|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/how-to-outsource-your-life-8638007.html|publisher=London Standard|date=31 May 2013}} Others around the same time stated that many of the service providers are simply out to make extra revenue on top of their main income stream.{{cite web|last1=Commons|first1=Jess|title=Some Easy Ways to Make More Money, When Your Measly Salary Isn't Enough to Live Off|url=http://www.thedebrief.co.uk/2014/08/some-easy-ways-to-make-more-money-when-your-measly-salary-isn-t-enough-to-live-off|publisher=The Debrief|date=12 August 2014}}
The Gadget Show picked the website as one of their top 3 places to buy gifts online.{{cite web|title=Fivesquid on the Gadget Show|url=https://vimeo.com/107461292|publisher=The Gadget Show|format=video}}
Service providers' money is stuck there as the website is not opening anymore.
Site structure
Services sold via the website are referred to as "micro-jobs", due to the low prices and short completion time typically involved. All micro-jobs fall within 4 payment structures of either £5, £10, £20 or £50.{{cite web|title=Micro Jobs, Crowdsourcing & Online Gigs|url=http://workathomemoms.about.com/od/Micro-Jobs-Crowdsourcing/ss/Micro-Jobs.htm|publisher=About.com|access-date=2014-12-18|archive-date=2015-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119204426/http://workathomemoms.about.com/od/Micro-Jobs-Crowdsourcing/ss/Micro-Jobs.htm|url-status=dead}}
Payment for services must be made upfront in order for the work to commence. The money is sent to the sellers account however the buyer's purchase is protected with a service guarantee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fivesquid.com/faq|title=Customer FAQs - fivesquid|website=www.fivesquid.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-25}}
The service providers range from those practicing a hobby to small companies who are attempting to grow their client base.{{cite web|last1=Hughes|first1=Ian|title=Website of the Day: Five Squids|url=http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/113974-offer-your-services-for-fiver|publisher=Pocket-lint|date=24 January 2012|access-date=18 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210063803/http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/113974-offer-your-services-for-fiver|archive-date=10 February 2015|url-status=dead}} At the completion stage of each project, Fivesquid take a 20% commission payment from the total value, before releasing the funds to the service provider.{{cite web|last1=King|first1=Mark|title=What could you do for £5?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2011/aug/05/flogging-finesse-fiver|publisher=The Guardian|date=5 August 2011}}
Service providers' earnings are paid out by Fivesquid using PayPal. {{as of|June 2017}}, no other payment methods are available.{{Cite web |url=https://www.fivesquid.com/faq |title=Fivesquid FAQ |access-date=2017-06-18}}