How to Start a Job Board Over the Weekend

Want to start a profitable job board but think it's too complicated? Think again! With Bordful and Airtable, you can launch your niche job board in a weekend. Here's your complete roadmap to going from idea to launch in just two days.

Transform your weekend into a successful job board launch

Saturday Morning: Planning & Setup

First things first, let's get everything ready for a smooth development process.

1. Choose Your Niche

The key to a successful job board is focusing on a specific:

• •Industry: AI, Blockchain, Sustainability
• •Role type: Product Design, DevOps, Sales
• •Location: Remote Europe, Berlin Startups
• •Company type: Startups, Web3, Impact

2. Environment Setup

Before diving into development, ensure you have:

1. •Node.js (v18 or later)
2. •pnpm package manager
3. •GitHub account
4. •Vercel account

3. Initial Configuration

Let's get the basic setup done:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tomaslau/bordful

# Navigate to project directory
cd bordful

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Copy environment variables
cp .env.example .env

Saturday Afternoon: Configuration

Now that we have our foundation, let's configure the core functionality.

Setting Up Airtable

1. •

   Create a new base with these tables:

   // jobs table
   {
     title: string
     company: string
     description: string
     location: string
     type: "full-time" | "part-time" | "contract"
   }
   
   // applications table
   {
     jobId: string
     email: string
     name: string
     resume: attachment
   }
   

2. •

   Configure your environment variables:

   AIRTABLE_API_KEY=your_api_key
   AIRTABLE_BASE_ID=your_base_id
   NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL=http://localhost:3000
   

Pro Tip: Keep your API keys secure and never commit them to version control.

Saturday Evening: Customization

Time to make your job board unique! Here's what to customize:

Branding Updates

1. •

   Update lib/constants.ts:

   export const siteConfig = {
     name: "Your Job Board",
     description: "Your niche job board description",
     // ... other config
   }
   

2. •

   Style customization in tailwind.config.ts:

   export default {
     theme: {
       extend: {
         colors: {
           primary: "your-brand-color",
           // ... other colors
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

Content Modifications

Replace the default content with your niche-specific information:

• •Update homepage hero section
• •Customize pricing plans
• •Add relevant categories
• •Set up your logo (recommended size: 180x40px)

Sunday Morning: Features & Testing

Let's ensure everything works perfectly.

Essential Features

1. •

   Job Search

   // Add search functionality
   const searchJobs = async (query: string) => {
     // Implementation
   }
   

2. •

   Category Filters

   // Add filter functionality
   const filterJobs = (category: string) => {
     // Implementation
   }
   

Testing Checklist

• • Mobile responsiveness
• • Job posting flow
• • Application process
• • Email notifications
• • Payment integration

Sunday Afternoon: Launch Preparation

Almost there! Time to prepare for launch.

Domain Setup

1. •

   Purchase a domain (recommended providers):

   • •Vercel Domains
   • •Namecheap
   • •Google Domains
2. •

   Configure DNS:

   # Example Vercel CLI command
   vercel domains add yourdomain.com
   

Pricing Configuration

Set up your pricing tiers:

Plan	Price	Features
Basic	Free	1 job post
Pro	$99/mo	Unlimited posts
Enterprise	Custom	Custom features

Sunday Evening: Launch & Marketing

Time to go live! 🚀

Launch Checklist

1. •

   Final Testing

   • •Production environment
   • •All features
   • •Payment flow
2. •

   SEO Setup

   <!-- Example meta tags -->
   <meta name="description" content="Your job board description">
   <meta property="og:title" content="Your Job Board">
   

Marketing Quick Wins

1. •

   Social Media

   • •Share on Twitter
   • •Post on LinkedIn
   • •Submit to Product Hunt
2. •

   Content Marketing

   • •Write a launch blog post
   • •Create social media graphics
   • •Prepare email templates

Next Steps

After launch, focus on growth:

1. •

   Content Strategy

   • •Blog posts
   • •Newsletter
   • •Social media
2. •

   Monitoring

   • •Track metrics
   • •Gather feedback
   • •Plan improvements

Pro Tips for Success

Here are some key tips to remember:

• •Start Small: Focus on one niche
• •Quality First: Curate carefully
• •Build Community: Engage actively
• •Iterate Fast: Improve continuously
• •Stay Consistent: Update regularly

Final Thoughts

Starting a job board doesn't have to be complicated. With Bordful, you can focus on what matters - building a valuable platform for your niche. The key is to start small, launch quickly, and improve based on real user feedback.

Ready to start your own job board? Clone Bordful now and follow this guide. You could be live by Sunday night!

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