What is TaskRabbit?

TaskRabbit is an online marketplace where users can be matched with local labour – known as Taskers – in order to receive immediate help with everyday tasks. Users simply log on to the app or the website, select the task they need help with, and are matched with a tasker who will arrive to complete the task.

On the flipside, TaskRabbit is a way for sole traders to quickly and easily find work. The program allows taskers to set their own rates and well as create a flexible schedule that suits their needs. On the surface it seems like a great idea, but how exactly does the whole process work?

The company is on track to potentially sign up over 1.25 million new users this year alone. The company currently offers over 15,000 taskers (also known as Rabbits) in which over 2,000 of these people are well trained individuals in a number of different skill set areas. TaskRabbit is working consistently to try and become the industry leader over such competitors as Exec and Zaarly.

Business Model of Taskrabbit

There’s no doubt that Taskrabbit is one of the major players in the home services sector and has got a huge share of this market. The supply side as well as customer side demand is going up day by day, but they expect a lot more. The way Uber treats its customers with instant gratification has made a huge impact on almost all industry segments. Taskrabbit has been quick enough to notice this shift and hence took a quick decision to make improvements in its business model. Here are some stats as mentioned by Taskrabbit which define the switch to new business model.

• About 85 percent of Taskrabbit customers make requests using mobile platforms.
• More consumers are seeking goods and services, available in real time
• TaskRabbit’s on-demand offerings are diverse and include home repair and deliveries. Sometimes these are required instantly.
• In general, mobile usage has tripled year-over-year.

Prior to Taskrabbit’s new business model rollout which caters to real time tasks, requests were confirmed by experienced taskers the same day, and completed in the near future. Generally it took one to three days to complete most tasks booked on Taskrabbit.

TaskRabbit has launched its new business model with the help of a new app in 19 cities of the US and London in the UK. The new app lets customers book a task in real-time and get it completed within 90 minutes. Under this model, taskers are assigned within 5 minutes.

Benefits at TaskRabbit

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401k Plan
• Vacation & Paid time off
• Pet friendly workplace

Value Proposition

• Saves time
• Easy to get help
• Taskdoers with a clean background
• Insurance (every task is insured upto $1,000,000)
• Cash free payment
• Local jobs in and around the neighbourhood
• No schedule job, work at your own convenient time
• Instant money- wages immediately after the task
• Better return on reputation as the level increases

What kinds of tasks are popular on TaskRabbit?

Below is a list of the different categories we offer through our platform:

• Delivery
• Cleaning
• Event Planning
• Event Staffing
• Personal Assistant
• Entertainment
• Furniture Assembly
• Heavy Lifting
• Minor Home Repairs
• Moving Help
• Organization
• Accounting
• Arts / Crafts
• Automotive
• Carpentry & Construction
• Computer Help
• Cooking / Baking
• Data Entry
• Decoration
• Deep Clean
• Electrician
• Errands
• Graphic Design
• Laundry and Ironing
• Marketing
• Mounting
• Office Administration
• Packing & Shipping
• Painting
• Pet Sitting
• Photography
• Plumbing
• Research
• Selling Online
• Sewing
• Shopping
• Usability Testing
• Videography
• Web Design & Development
• Wait In Line
• Writing & Editing
• Yard Work & Removal

The 3 step model about how TaskRabbit Works:

1. A TaskPoster posts a job and TaskRabbit suggests three contractors, along with their hourly rates, who represent a range of prices and experience level.
2. A Tasker can accept or cancel the job as per his convenience and availability.
3. The job is completer by the Tasker and the payment is processed through the app.

All the taskers in the TaskRabbit’s database are fully talented and verified after a thorough background check. After the task is complete a taskposter can review and rate the service.

How TaskRabbit earns Revenue:

• The only way TaskRabbit earns its revenue is by taking a cut on every transaction that happens over the app.
• Previously when TaskRabbit opened its business portal for local businesses who could hire workforce from TaskRabbit, company would charge about 26% from the local business. However, TaskRabbit very soon shut its business  portal.

How TaskRabbit finds customers:

• Word of Mouth Advertising
• Internet Marketing
• Free First Delivery
• Various Offers

The Process of Recruiting Taskers:

• People who want to be a Tasker have to apply online. They can log in with Facebook or LinkedIn and complete their application.
• The background is thoroughly checked which is followed by an in-person interview.
• After shortlisted, Taskers specify their skills and interests, and are accepted into the database of TaskRabbit.

A Work in Progress

Up until recently, the site operated on a bidding system:

1. You visit the site and post a job.
2. You wait and receive bids from service providers.
3. You choose the one that best fits what you want.

Apparently, that model wasn’t working for the brand, which is on track to bring in 2.5 million new clients this year. After in-depth research and analysis of its London operations — as well as ample feedback from users — TaskRabbit decided to tweak its service  to offer one-click hiring that takes the waiting for bids out of the equation.

Taskers (those taking on the jobs) now post their hourly rate so that Clients can easily see how much a task will cost and how long it will take to complete.

Too Many Projects, Not Enough Time

Additionally, TaskRabbit realized that there were simply too many tasks for its Taskers to handle, so it came up with an innovative algorithm that matches users on both sides of the platform for the best fit. In an email interview Johnny Brackett, PR Lead at TaskRabbit told Small Business Trends:

Other Improvements

Given that there are over 25,000 Taskers using the platform, with 10 percent doing it as a full-time job and 75 percent relying on the brand to pay their bills, it was smart of TaskRabbit to listen to both Taskers and clients in its brand pivot. Taskers now have better communication and scheduling tools, as well as user-friendly mobile apps.

TaskRabbit is also providing peace of mind to both sides of the equation with $1 million in insurance coverage.

While there has been some initial frustration from long-time users with the new system, which launched last week, here’s hoping the new platform is a success

It’s also worth remembering that other workers in the gig economy, like Deliveroo riders and Uber drivers, TaskRabbit’s Taskers are considered to be self-employed contractors, and therefore aren’t entitled to the benefits typically afforded salaried workers, like paid time off and sick days.

“Since TaskRabbit first launched in the United Kingdom, we’ve been honored and impressed by the level of positive response from people using TaskRabbit’s task management network to get help with their everyday household tasks,” said Cornelia Raportaru, UK Country Director of TaskRabbit, in a statement.

“Our expansion across England and Wales means we’re making everyday life easier for even more people and connecting more Taskers to meaningful work opportunities in their own communities,” she added.