A new online market for outsourcing small tasks and odd jobs individuals do not wish to do has emerged. TaskRabbit Inc. is a new company that has taken advantage of this new online marketplace. This website allows users to post small tasks that they wish to have someone else do and allows people seeking extra income to find odd jobs. For example, Rachel Christenson needed her compost bin dealt with. 11 hours later she found a taker who drained the “worm juice” and requested only $31 for the duty.
Erika Dumaine, a user seeking extra income, came acr
oss a post pleading for someone to “buy me shoes ASAP” because the poster stepped in dog poop. Erika bought shoes from Nordstrom and delivered it for a fee of $17.
The new outlet for people seeking small tasks to be completed has allowed thousands of unemployed/underemployed workers to find gigs that can help them get through these hard times. In some cases, if consistently doing tasks, a living can be made. Alanna Greenham has done just that. She was unemployed in the San Francisco area and came across TaskRabbit. She now does every day trying to clear at least $25/hour and so far has done about 250 jobs and made around $1,500 a month.
This site reminds me how neighborhoods used to operate, people would reach out to the kids on the block or anyone looking for odd jobs and ask them to do the chores.
For people looking to use this as a source of income, just be wary because in no way do you get compensated for travel expenses and time traveled (so make sure you account for that when you state your fees). It is very easy to look at a job and think you pocketed $50 but after gas, time traveled, and working averaged only about $8/hour.
With the holiday season coming up, get ready to either make your life easier or make some extra money using this system…there are a lot of Christmas lights to be hung!
