AskforTask

AskforTask is a Toronto-based marketplace[5] where people can outsource tasks like cleaning, handyman, and moving. Similar to Uber but for home services, the service is accessible on Android, iOS, and online.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

AskforTask
TypePrivate
IndustryHome services
Founded2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
FoundersMuneeb M. Mushtaq[1][2][3][4]
Nabeel Mushtaq[1][2][3][4]
Area served
100+ cities in Canada
BrandsAskForTask App (Native clients on: iOS, Android)
Number of employees
50+
Websitewww.askfortask.com

History

AskforTask was founded in 2013 by two Toronto based brothers; Muneeb M. Mushtaq and Nabeel Mushtaq.[1][2][3][4] The brothers formed the idea after they struggled to find a reliable plumber.[3][13] The company was launched when they saw a business opportunity to solve this problem.[13][14]

First functioning as a website where users would post a task and provide their own pricing, it later evolved into a more comprehensive system of set pricing per hour. Through utilizing smart technology and a unique algorithm, they are able to match users with experienced and reliable Taskers.[1][2][13][14]

Scope

AskforTask is used in more than 100 cities across Canada, and has about 20,000 Taskers completing jobs.[15][16] The company has enabled their clients to save around $100 million on day to day tasks including electrical work, plumbing, cleaning etc.[1][13][14][15][17][18]

In 2014, AskforTask received $500,000 in seed funding and announced a dedicated app for its marketplace.[19] By this time the site had received above 50,000 users and processed more than $2.5 million in tasks.[19] The company has also been noted to be the country's largest task based marketplace.[20][21]

The company has been noted for its success in multiple media sources including being featured in Metabridge Top 15[22] and Canada's hottest startups.[23]

Business model and impact

AskforTask's source of income comes from a 15% fee that they take from the Tasker's total earnings on each task. The company runs on a marketplace platform where it connects Askers and Taskers and enables transactions without owning any service providers itself. Unlike traditional service companies (plumbers, movers, cleaners etc.), AskforTask scales by increasing the number of Askers who need help with tasks, and the Taskers who have the skills to provide the needed services. In addition to individuals using the service, businesses have also taken advantage of the platform. They utilize it as an easy access to a large workforce to request a team of Taskers to complete tasks like office clean-outs.[24]

Operations

The AskforTask app acts as the company's online marketplace that matches its users (Askers) with service providers (Taskers)[25] such as handymen, cleaners, movers[26] in the area to carry out jobs. The system allows workers to pick up jobs that fit with their schedule while providing their clients with quick and reliable access to low-cost services.[1][2][3][4][13][14][27]

The review system of the Taskers app is similar to a freelance marketplace in that enables clients to rate Taskers depending on the quality of their service and enables the Taskers to gain and build up a reputation.[13][14]

AskForTask Taskers

The app has increased the availability of employment opportunities for Taskers looking for jobs.[1] Some of the Taskers are students who are looking for part-time jobs for an extra cash as they would by babysitting for neighbors.[11]

As the platform gained popularity, the Taskers earned themselves real world reputations. The Taskers on the platform have been featured in media for events such as Canadian Boxing Day.[6]

Requirements for becoming a Tasker

The requirements of becoming a Tasker include two years of previous experience in the task category, verification and a training process. The company verifies Taskers email addresses, social media accounts, phone numbers and their PayPal accounts to when they sign up so that the clients (Askers) are able to trust them while hiring.[1][3] The company is revamping its website and app to allow for the option to be a "certified" Tasker by implementing online training, government background checks and a video interview.[1]

References
  1. Tucker, Erika. "AskForTask acts as odd-jobs matchmaker for Canadian job-seekers". Global News. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  2. "Startup adds twist to classic Craigslist concept". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  3. "Get to know a Toronto startup: AskForTask". blogTO. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  4. "Welcome to a new $600-billion marketplace: Why the service industry is the new cash cow and how it's helping grow the economy". CNN iReport. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  5. "Ditching the you-snooze-you-lose mentality: Schools, workplaces waking up to benefits of napping". National Post. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  6. "AskForTask Provides Over 1,000 Taskers Ready to Line Up on Boxing Day". tech.co. 2014-12-25. Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  7. "Student Entrepreneurs Say Their Startup Gives 'Every Single Canadian Opportunity for Employment' - Techvibes.com". www.techvibes.com. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  8. "Canadian startup helps your tasks get done | Metro News". metronews.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  9. "Millennials and the rise of 'we-based' culture". Canada AM. Archived from the original on 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  10. "Pattie Lovett-Reid: Are millennials different than the rest of us? - BNN News". www.bnn.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  11. "Sharing economy poses regulation challenges". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  12. "Sharing Economy: Built on Trust, Provides Consumer Empowerment". tech.co. 2015-01-03. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  13. Lu, Vanessa (2015-12-29). "Uber's success spurs other businesses using similar technology from dry cleaning to parking apps". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  14. "What it's like to work for Uber and other on-demand apps | Toronto Life". Toronto Life. 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  15. "About – Blog – Askfortask". www.askfortask.com. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  16. "AskForTask's on-demand help marketplace now serves 150 Canadian cities, launches new iOS app | MobileSyrup.com". Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  17. "AskforTask wants to make sure you never have to mow your own lawn again". IT Business. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  18. "Need cash and a career? Be a 'micro entrepreneur'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  19. "Toronto's AskForTask Gets $500,000 in Seed Funding, Will Launch App | BetaKit". betakit.com. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  20. "Four things startups can learn from Target Canada's mistakes". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  21. "Digital payments". Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  22. "Metabridge Names 15 of Canada's Hottest Tech Startups - Techvibes.com". www.techvibes.com. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  23. "Canada's Hottest Startups of 2015". Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  24. So, Candice (2014-03-17). "AskForTask helping businesses harness the shared economy". IT Business. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  25. "Toronto apps follow Uber model to help you get shit done". NOW Toronto Magazine - Think Free. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  26. "How to Use the Sharing Economy to Benefit Your Business". Small Business Trends. 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  27. Bogart, Nicole. "Want to make a quick buck? People will pay you to wait in line for the new iPhone". Global News. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
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