Task Rabbit
= A marketplace to find services for the domestic economy, based on a community philosophy
URL = http://www.taskrabbit.com/
Task Rabbit reported seeing about $4 million in economic activity monthly and boasted creating 2,000 jobs in the past six months. [1]
Description
Leah Busque, Founder and CEO of TaskRabbit:
"I believe it’s the right moment for TaskRabbit because … connecting neighbors as a community continues resonating as TaskRabbit grows. Even just five years ago the technology didn’t exist to power what TaskRabbit is today: a technologically innovative company connecting a community in real-time via social, location based, and mobile components, which is what we call a “Service Network.”
The easiest way to explain TaskRabbit is … neighbors helping neighbors. There is always someone out there that needs help and at any give time, there is another person in that community that can help. We make the connections happen.
In the future for TaskRabbit … we believe our idea of Service Networking will resonate around the world. We will see more and more communities empowered to share their free time and special skills with other people in their neighborhoods. TaskRabbit is shifting toward a platform making it easy for people in any community to create their own service network, creating even greater opportunities to leverage the power of communities and fuel the entrepreneurial spirit. It is an exciting time to be building a Service Network!" (http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com/archives/the-movement/leah_busque_co-founder_of_taskrabbit.php)
2. Details
"Users list a variety of errands they need done, from picking up groceries at Whole Foods to photographing special events. Certified TaskRabbits bid to work on the tasks.
How it Makes Money: Fees vary based on the price offer for each task, but TaskRabbit takes an average 15 percent fee of the offer price.
Origin Story: The site launched by tapping a group desperately in need of errand-runners: a mother's association in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Busque put an ad in the moms' newsletter to gauge interest and the response was overwhelmingly positive." (http://www.inc.com/ss/7-start-ups-changing-peer-peer-commerce#7)
More Information
- for a similar site in the UK, see: Your Job Done