CHARLESTON, SC — After four years in development, photographer George Kajaia has launched a social networking website for people like him.EBuzzSpace.com is “for models, photographers, filmmakers — for creative people,” Kajaia told YNOT. “Members can open four different profiles simultaneously, and we offer escrow services.”
Kajaia said the site is not exclusively for adult or mainstream users. Instead, he hopes to cross boundaries and attract members from across the creative sphere. Membership is free, as is signing up for the escrow service, which allows money to change hands after a job has been completed to everyone’s satisfaction.
Marketing representative Alex “RyuLion” Ocala called EBuzzSpace “a one-stop community website where you can do all of your business and processing.” The site includes categories for models, performers, photographers and other industry professionals, casting and job offers, and merchant services. Ocala said the site functions as a third-party intermediary to smooth the onerous task of finding just the right professional to fill a specific artistic need — sort of like a talent agency, but with a twist. Talent lets EBuzzSpace handle the funds, but they make direct connections with each other to iron out the details of any work.
That’s where the site’s social networking components come in handy, Kajaia said: Members who are the most active at promoting themselves and interacting with other site members will do the most business.
“Two parties agree on the terms and conditions of the photoshoot, they meet each other and the transaction happens, then we release the agreed-upon funds,” he said.
If either party is dissatisfied with the results of their arrangement, they can cancel the financial transaction at any point in the process by visiting EBuzzSpace’s dispute-resolution console.
Before anyone sees a potential loophole in that process, it should be pointed out that members can leave feedback about the other members with whom they’ve done business — sort of an eBay-meets-ModelMayhem.com approach. Most members will want to make sure their feedback ratings remain high, so they’ll be sure to conduct their business dealings professionally, Kajaia predicted.
In addition, those who abuse the system repeatedly will be banned, Kajaia promised.
Although signing up for the site and its escrow service is free, all financial transactions incur a 6.85-percent processing fee on the receiving end.
EBuzzSpace also offers third-party processing for subscription-based websites (but not tangible goods), again without sign-up fees or reserves. The only charge is the 6.85-percent transaction fee. The catch? Both the subscription site and its customers must be members of EBuzzSpace. Kajaia described the system as working a bit like PayPal: Users fund their EBuzzSpace accounts using a credit card, and EBuzzSpace disburses funds by request. Members with balances in their accounts can choose to have the money transferred to their PayPal accounts or sent to them via paper check (in the U.S. only).
Open for only one month, EBuzzSpace actively seeks new members. Questions may be directed to gk@ebuzzspace.com.
