Since this website was created by a local company, we decided to pilot it in the local community of Southwest Florida.

There are several websites like Yelp, NextDoor, Facebook Marketplace, Craig's List (Ebay), Thumbtack, Angie's List, etc. Each of these sites offers something of value but stops short of providing the next level to seal the deal. We are just starting out so we ask that you be patient as we develop services that will make your experience richer.

For example, Facebook Marketplace is great for buying things but when you list an item, you'll have to field contacts from people asking the same questions over and over again. We can allow you to pushpin an already asked and answered question to an "FAQ" in your listing. That way you don't have to keep answering the same tired questions. Next, there are people who contact you and want you to "hold" the item. If you're the buyer, you schedule time and go all the way to see the item only to find it's been sold. Wasted trip! We can add an escrow service which will indicate the seriousness from the buyer's end on completion of the spot transaction, the buyer can release partial or full payment. FB Marketplace also does not allow service providers to advertise their services. Only items for sale. They do, however, allow for people to create their own FB groups where people can post what they want and others can respond with their number/email. Still a LOT left to be desired. We aim to build a process which I will address further below.

Thumback is a massive money hole for service providers. They charge "credits" from each service provider for even receiving notification on people who want their service, whether they get the contract or not. Most service providers find this unpalatable and don't use that platform. Thumbtack, however, does have a very robust job posting mechanism. For example, if you want moving services, they ask you about the size of the house, how many bedrooms, is packing involved, etc. We can allow for our service providers to set up the questions that people want to ask and make it part of the platform. So where do service providers go next? 

Craig's list listing age, requiring vendors to keep re-posting to come up on top. The rates are obscure and customers quickly become apprehensive about the rates. They have a local area concept which is very good and we will offer something similar.

Ebay has a bidding system which we can also create something not the same but similar. Customer posts a job, multiple service providers express their interest and send them the quote. Rates are fairly transparent on our platform so the process should move fairly quickly. Winning bid is then selected.

Yelp simply lists the businesses and reviews and it provides some billing but it is not robust. We will be adding a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system complete with an invoicing system, proposals, customer management and reports. We will subsequently add a project management module so you don't have to re-enter all that information and even time tracking so you and your workers can log time against the project. That all gets rolled into the invoice for time and material projects and on fixed bid projects, you will have visibility while your customer does not.

Angie's List takes money up front but their share is far too expensive. With our escrow service (soon to come), you will be able to work out the rate and payment with the customer and retain the product of your labor, instead of paying a huge chunk to a website.

Here's how we suggest you list your services. Let's say you're a handyman. You can group your services into "Simple", "Complex" and "Advanced" categories and list a different per hour cost for each. Make it known whether the materials are included or not. If there is a trip fee, if you're willing to show the customer the receipts for materials you purchase, equipment you rent or subcontractor you hire for the job. The more the customer feels confident in your professionalism, the more business you will get. Would you rather spend your time running around marketing your business or just providing the best service and letting the customers rate you higher, bringing you more business with time?

If you have a fixed bid service, then you can state your rate for each service you provide. In the interest of transparency, we do not encourage a lengthy quoting process wasting time all around. Customers generally tend to get frustrated with lengthy processes involving multiple people showing up, the customer having to explain everything again and again and then waiting for estimates and haggling over the prices. Make it simple and you will keep getting return business.