Definition
What is a B2B time exchange?
Hours (hours.network) is a multilateral B2B time exchange: verified companies contribute the unused hours of their teams and receive Hours — a time credit they later spend on specialists from other companies in the network. No cash changes hands, no hourly rates are published, and no person is listed for hire. Companies exchange service hours, settled through a shared ledger, hour for hour.
How it works
A time exchange runs as a six-step loop between verified companies:
- Offer Hours. A company publishes available capacity — competence, availability, terms. No names, no rates, no CVs.
- Request Hours. Another company publishes a need. The system shows matches.
- Agree. The companies confirm scope and the specific person on a short intro call; an exchange order is created.
- Work & log. The specialist performs the service and logs time against the order.
- Approve. The receiving company approves the logged hours, with a 72-hour dispute window.
- Settle. Only after approval does the ledger move: the provider earns Hours, the receiver spends them.
The 1 hour = 1 Hour rule
One hour worked is always one Hour credited. There are no seniority multipliers, no rate cards, and no profession pricing — the platform never values professions or publishes rates. Whether a senior hour is "worth" a junior hour is each company's own call.
How it differs from barter and from staffing
Direct barter needs a coincidence of wants: A must want exactly what B offers, at the same time. A time exchange removes that constraint because it is multilateral and deferred — company A can provide hours to B and later spend them on services from C. A shared ledger holds each member's balance, so no closed barter loop is ever required.
It also differs from a staffing marketplace. Nobody is listed for hire, no money moves between members, and the platform organizes the exchange of services between companies — not people's work. The specialist stays employed by their own company throughout.
Who uses one
Verified service SMEs with uneven utilization: software houses, marketing agencies, design studios, consultancies, sales agencies, and accounting firms. Members turn idle payroll into the skills they need, without spending cash.
Frequently asked questions
Is a time exchange the same as barter?
No. Direct barter needs a coincidence of wants — two companies each wanting exactly what the other has spare, at the same time. A time exchange is multilateral and deferred: company A provides hours to B and later spends the earned credit on services from C. A shared ledger holds each member's balance, so no closed barter loop is ever required.
Do Hours credits expire or convert to money?
Hours are a time credit, not currency. No money moves between members and the platform never prices them. A credit simply records that a member gave an hour of service and may later receive an hour back — settled through the shared ledger, hour for hour.
Is one hour of any profession really equal?
Yes — 1 hour worked is always 1 Hour credited, with no seniority multipliers, no rate cards, and no profession pricing. Quality is handled by mechanisms instead of rates: the receiver accepts the specific person on an intro call, first engagements start small, either side can stop between blocks, and credits mint only after the receiver approves the logged hours.
Who can join a B2B time exchange?
Verified service companies only. Individuals cannot buy or sell on their own behalf; every member is a verified company, and credits are created only after the receiving company approves the work.