19 Dec 2018

Getting the chores ticked off

From Nine To Noon, 9:27 am on 19 December 2018

More than 7400 people are already using a new website Joblist which connects people with others who are willing to tackle their chores for a fee.

Former lawyer Brittany Earl set up the service with two other business partners in July this year and says the kinds of jobs being listed range from gardening, baking, cleaning and rock removal.

The chores that people want doing: gardening and cleaning

The chores that people want doing: gardening and cleaning Photo: composite

She says it was the experience of an ever-growing domestic ‘to do list’ she never had time to tackle that inspired the idea.

“I saw a lot of people, especially at the law firm, who were busy professionals with no time and who needed just an extra pair of hands from time to time.”

One of Joblist's early-adopter workers is Jason Carr who has completed more than 30 handyman type jobs through the site.

“I got injured through my work and I was off work for quite a while - six to eight months - and my physio told me I needed to do some lighter work to get myself back into the whole scheme of things.

"I saw an ad for replacing a door handle and I thought ‘I can put a door handle back on’ and went from there and since then have done quite a few different jobs,” he says.

Since then he has taken on a whole range of jobs.

“Everything from hanging pictures and mirrors to building box gardens, fixing roofs, drainage, digging post holes to shelving for fabric companies."

The price is set by the job lister, Carr says.

“It’s quite easy, people will put up they need a fence fixed and they will put up $300 dollars to fix the fence - a lot will put up a photo, so you look at that, sometimes you meet with the people first to know it can be done for that price."

Earl points out the price has to be realistic, however.

“The price setting is completely in control of the lister, the person who needs the job done sets their fixed price that they are willing to pay," she says.

“For example, in Auckland at the moment if you set a price that’s over $50 - depending on the job of course - if it’s, say, mowing my lawns or something like that then there’ll be ten applicants within an hour.

“If the price is too low then people just aren’t applying, and often potential workers will comment on the listing and say 'this needs to be a little bit higher for these reasons'.

“Generally the listers are just so keen to tick the job off their to do list they’ll just increase the price.”

There is a ratings system similar to Airbnb, Earl says.

“It all becomes very self-regulating so there’s a star rating system as well as lots of feedback. People like Jason who have five stars and done over 30 jobs at the moment are getting their nose ahead when the jobs are listed.”

Carr is now back at work, but still picks up jobs on the site to keep his hand in.

“If someone’s been advertising for a week and no one wants to do it and it’s only going to take me half an hour I’ll go and do it, it’s not so much for me a regular income ... but it is good for me and it broadens your skill range as well.”

Earl says all kinds of people are taking on work.

“One lady who’s been on maternity leave is a great baker and I think she’s made about 30 cakes on joblist so far.”

She says they are aiming for 50,000 active users in a year’s time.