Dec
19
HireAHelper.com
December 19, 2007 |
Hire a Helper is an interesting concept, as it’s an Internet-based staffing service that connects day laborers with people looking to get all sorts of work done. The site was launched in June 2007 and has already amassed nearly 1,000 registered helpers in all 50 states of the US.
The site offers labor in a variety of categories, including moving help, landscaping, cleaning and maid services, and general and day labor services. If you’re looking for moving helpers or someone to clean your home, search the site for help in your area and get an instant online quote for what it will cost.
The helper you have requested will be in contact with you within 24 hours; if for some reason they cannot help you, you can choose another helper or choose to cancel the job. Once you offer a job to a helper and they accept, payment will be made with your credit card and you will receive a authorization code.
After the worker has completed the work, you give them the authorization code you received from the site and HireAHelper will deposit the funds into their bank account when they claim it with the authorization code.
HireAHelper makes their money by charging transaction fees, so it’s a fairly efficient system. For people looking to offer their services to make a little extra money themselves, HireAHelper is a decent alternative, as you simply sign up, set your pay rate and the type of work you’re interested in offering, and they handle the rest, as far as advertising, payment processing, etc.
Like many new sites and services, the real test will be if they can acquire enough traction to make it a truly useful service, as they’ll need a certain amount of both customers and people offering services for hire to make it worthwhile for both groups. But it’s definitely an interesting concept, and there’s no reason to think that it won’t take off, as it does take a lot of the guesswork and hassle out of both sides of the equation.
Comments
2 Comments so far
I’m going to remember this on my next project. Way cheaper than paying contractors to clean their own stuff!
Great concept, although it has been around for several years…as attested to the website — http://www.movinghelp.emove.com — which has been around since 2001.