ProfessionalHour

Beyond Free Advice: The Professional Hour

JoomlaChicago is a great place to learn, but it's also a great place to scout for help on your projects! As soon as you go to your first JoomlaChicago meeting, you'll realize that a couple hours of learning just scratches the surface of the power of Joomla, its many extensions, and the professional services that help bring Joomla! to life.

JoomlaChicago's monthly meetings is a great place to make face-to-face professional contact with fellow members, including many of our presenters. You'll know rather quickly who can help you achieve what you need to get done, and vica-versa.

Transition From Free Advice To Professional Connection

While "free help" is great, and we all need friendly advice, there is a point in time where we all need the help of a paid professional. That's why we created the Professional Hour.

Read more: Beyond Free Advice: The Professional Hour

FAQ

Q: When is Professional Hour?
A: The Professional Hour will be from 1:30-2:30 on the same day and location as the User Group.

Q: Who can sign up to participate in Professional Hour?
A: Any JoomlaChicago Registered member can request a Professional Hour slot.

Q: How do I sign up?
A: To request a one-on-one slot during Professional Hour, you need to fill out the online form and a core team member will send you a confirmation that a slot is available with a professional that meets your criteria. At that point, you can pay by PayPal to secure your slot.

Q: When can I sign up?
A: You can request a Professional Hour slot online up to 48 hours prior to the meeting. You may also sign up at the meeting if slots and/or professionals are still available.

Q: How much is Professional Hour?
A: The Professional Hour fee is $75 payable by PayPal ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Fee must be paid prior to service.

Q: Who gets the Professional Hour fee?
A: $50 of the fee will be paid to the professional conducting the one-on-one session. The other $25 will go to CMS Association to help fund the JoomlaChicago User Group.

Q: Are fees refundable?
A: No. Fees are non-refundable unless a suitable professional cannot be matched to request criteria.

Q: What kind of services are available?
A: All types of services may be available. See Professionals' bios for a listing of services offered. Some common services needed may be: installing Joomla, designing a header or graphic, installing or customizing an extension, a security check, meta tags, SEO consultation, an overview of Joomla basics, etc.

Q: What if I need more time than the one hour?
A: At the end of the Professional Hour, you will have the opportunity to contract with the Professional for more services outside of the Professional Hour. That contract will be between you and the professional. Services, availability and rates would be negotiated between you and the professional. All fees would be collected and retained by the professional.

Q: Can I request a specific professional?
A: Yes, you may request a professional from the list of professionals' bios. If you do not see the professional you are interested in, you may list that person and a core team member will let you know if that professional will be available. All requests are based on availability of the professional.

Q: How can I offer my services for Professional Hour?
A: You may submit your bio online. All bios will be verified by the core team for validity, expertise level, and availability/reliability. Approved bios will be posted on the site.

Once you have experienced a Professional Hour session, please give us feedback so we can continue to offer valuable opportunities to our members.