TaskRabbit

Overall Opinion: There are some odd jobs that don't require a certified professional to get done right. Sure, you could hire a landscaping company to mow your lawn, a plumber to fix a leaky pipe, or a courier to deliver your groceries, but chances are that you'll end up paying a great deal of money for work that's beneath their pay grade. For these sort of simple tasks around the house, TaskRabbit is a great alternative to traditional businesses. TaskRabbit is another example of the burgeoning gig economy, serving as a middleman who connects laborers to clients. Finding work outside of professional businesses isn't anything new. Sites like Craigslist long ago made it easy for clients to connect with potential workers, but TaskRabbit provides an added sense of trust between their customers and their "taskers". Since payment is handled directly through the app, taskers can be confident about receiving their rates in full, and clients can rest easy knowing that TaskRabbit will hold their taskers accountable for sloppy or unfinished work. A rating system protects both sides in the transaction process. Browsing profiles allows you to see what sort of reputation your prospective partner has acquired in the community, and TaskRabbit's system ensures that individuals who didn't work well together in the past won't get matched again. For people looking for help, creating a task is easy. All you have to do is enter your task location, the estimated time required to complete the job, and the details of the task in question. From there, you'll be provided with a list of qualified candidates in an interface that resembles a dating app. Their rates are prominently displayed for users to see, and you can also weigh how many tasks they've performed and what their average ratings are. Digging deeper into the profile allows you to read reviews and check out the profile the tasker has created for themselves. From there, you can check availability and send them a message to get in touch. All communications are handled directly through the mobile app, so you don't have to worry about giving away your personal information. Pick a time and date from their available schedule, and just wait for a response. For taskers, TaskRabbit allows a flexible and self-motivated approach to work. Taskers are required to undergo identity verification and a full screening for criminal offenses, but once this process is completed, their success is largely driven by their own capabilities. Users can set their own availability and rates, and all taskers are free to accept or reject contracts based on their own personal preferences. The TaskRabbit interface is cleanly designed, using a tiled interface that makes it easy to narrow down your results. Tasks can be assigned to specific categories, making it easier to match with prospective taskers who are well suited to the variety of work that you need done.

Pros: Rating system protects both parties in any transaction Clean interface makes matching with employees or employers a breeze

Cons: The 20% commission charged by TaskRabbit is steep Lack of verifiable credentials makes it ill suited for more specialized jobs