BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to a system and method for storing, organizing, generating, and sharing freelance project and business records. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for uploading information such as dates, notes, pay-schedules, professional certifications, statuses, and past project descriptions, compiling this information for the purpose of generating reports and other business records, and sending these same reports to a receiver using a server system accessible to the sender off- or online, thus allowing the sender to maintain and share up-to-date business records and correspondence even in locations with poor network connectivity.

Freelancing often allows individuals with specialized certifications to capitalize on their unique skills. Niche professionals, such as saturation divers who work on underwater heavy construction, take on a high volume of projects through freelancing because they are not tied to a single client or geographic region. But this high volume and variety of projects can lead to inconvenience, inefficiency, and, ultimately, missed opportunities for freelancers given the inherent difficulty in centralizing, streamlining, and communicating project data, especially while in remote locations.

For many freelancers, being able to maintain and share up-to-date and uniform business records and other essential business communications regardless of their location and schedule is crucial to their business. This is especially true for such freelancers as saturation divers, who often must manage various aspects of their business from remote locations with little connectivity to internet infrastructure.

Up-to-date project and records management and sharing secures and enhances a freelancer's business, opening up a sea of possible opportunities. But working in a remote location could leave a freelancer stranded in that sea without a means to communicate with existing collaborators or clients. This has practical consequences for the freelancer since progress on concurrent projects could stall and opportunities with other clients could be missed without timely and up-to-date communication. Additionally, freelancers could become inundated with a backlog of project notes and information without a means to readily upload and manage them in a central business database.

Freelancers also must compile and format all of their business data themselves. This task is cumbersome when a freelancer is dealing with a high volume of projects. Invoices, resume updates, and certification requirements risk being lost under the demands of the freelancer's project workload.

Missed invoices, certification renewals, or even an old resume could mean a loss of time, business, or revenue for a freelancer. But this can be a common result for freelancers with demanding schedules, especially if they are inexperienced or unfamiliar with standard business practices and records.

Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for uploading freelancer project data to a central database and compiling it into uniform business records and documentation capable of being managed and shared with collaborators and clients even in remote locations with poor connectivity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

To meet the needs described above and others, the present disclosure provides a system and method for uploading freelancer project and business data to a centralized database, compiling it into uniform business records and documentation, and managing and sharing the same, even while the user/sender is in locations with poor connectivity.

By allowing freelancers to send this and other information by pinging dedicated servers with a message that is up to 40 MBs in size, the system and method allows users to send larger files and data even while in locations with poor connectivity.

Furthermore, by providing templates that automatically populate and format user-entered project and business data into sharable records and documentation, the system and method allows freelancers to conveniently maintain and share up-to-date records with collaborators and clients alike.

The system includes a controller that facilitates communications between a plurality of users. The controller is in communication with a dedicated server for storage of user data. Specifically, user-entered project/business data is transmitted to the server, which can be accessed, compiled, edited, and, ultimately, shared through a software application. Users access the system through a plurality of user devices, such as computers, laptops, mobile phones, or tablets.

To initiate the system, a user opens the software application. In the “calendar” mode, the user may view project timelines, alerts, and notes in the context of a given month or year. The user may then choose to either view already entered data or add a project, note, alert, or other detail. A user may also choose to generate such business records as resumes, invoices, or client lists in addition to uploading or managing the same. In some embodiments, the system may operate through a mobile phone application incorporating elements of location-based search applications. In other embodiments, the system may function through the use of a website or software application, whereby the user uploads information to the system so that it may be compiled, managed, and shared through the system.

These options present the user with data fields in which they can enter the relevant information. When the user enters the data, they may have the option to generate a business record that is already templated in the software. Once the user decides to generate this record, they may choose to further edit its contents or formatting. The system may provide multiple methods for compiling, formatting, and generating these records.

If the user wishes to share uploaded information or an uploaded or generated record, they may choose to “share” it with an individual through the app. To share, a user may select data or a document within the app, select “share”, and then specify which email address they would like to send their selection.

In some embodiments, the user has the option to send messages using available email providers or the server of the system. The system100provides the user with the option to send a message with an attachment using an available email provider such as Gmail®, Yahoo®, or Hotmail®, or to send the message with an attachment directly to the receiver through the server. In the latter option, a message is sent from the user's device to the server through a network connection such as a cellular service or Wi-Fi network, and the server transmits the message to the receiver. The size of the message that is transmitted through a limited connection may be between about 800 bytes to about 40 KB. Once the server receives this message, it automatically retrieves the attachment or data file from the user device and forwards it to the user's specified recipient. In an alternative embodiment, the system detects the available internet speed and then sends the message and attachment using an available email provider if the speed is above a specific threshold and sends the message and attachment using the server as described above if the speed is below the threshold.

The user may have a variety of options regarding the data they may be able to capture and compile through the system. This may consist of not only text data, but also photographs and audio-visual recordings.

Users may search for professional services, such as training companies that may issue certifications needed in a freelancer's field. The user may use their location to find these services. This search function may also incorporate user contributions in the form of ratings. Additionally, this search function may also incorporate specialty offers from businesses partnering with the system.

The file upload system may be integrated with other document creation, storage, and sharing platforms. For example, some systems enable users to create, store, manage, and share more general documents such as spread sheets or presentations. The system described herein may be integrated with these platforms, allowing users to import these documents.

The system may also have features that allow partners to promote their services by targeted advertising to specific industries. For example, a training school for saturation divers may use the system to send offers to users who identify saturation diving as their industry. This feature may be integrated with user-generated alerts that indicate a certain training or certification will need to be obtained or renewed. If a user has set an alert that they will need to renew a certification, for example, the system may forward an offer to this user from a partner training school that offers a relevant certification program.

Although, by way of example, this specification is primarily directed towards freelance saturation divers, the system described herein may be applied to any industry where a freelancer needs to upload, store, and manage data in a centralized database and compile this data into sharable business records for convenient sharing.

An object of the invention is to provide freelancers with a centralized database for their business data.

Another object of the invention is to allow users the ability to conveniently access and manage their business records.

Another object of the invention is to allow users the ability to conveniently compile their business data into formatted records such as invoices and resumes.

Another object of the invention is to allow users the ability to conveniently keep their business records up to date.

Another object of the invention is to allow users the ability to conveniently communicate with collaborators and clients.

Another object of the invention is to allow freelancers a means of sending business records, data, and other correspondence to collaborators and clients in locations with poor connectivity.

An advantage of the invention is that it gives users the ability to upload, manage, compile, and share their business data and records from a single software application and database. This allows users to centralize their freelancing business, leading to more convenient and efficient operations.

Another advantage of the invention is that it shares records by forwarding them from dedicated servers rather than the user's own device. This may allow the user to send files even from locations with poor connectivity since the user's device only uses byte-size messages to direct a server to forward a larger file. Since these smaller messages can be sent even over poorly connected networks, whereas larger files cannot, a user of the system described herein may have greater flexibility in sending larger-sized business records from locations with minimal or poor connectivity.

A further advantage of the invention is that the use of the server within the system reduces the data roaming charges and other miscellaneous fees that may accrue when working in a remote location.

Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the examples will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following description and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages of the concepts may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies, instrumentalities, and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

