Featured Startup Pitch: FlipTask’s marketplace is connecting people with chores and errands with task runners that can get them done

By Aric Franzmeier, FlipTask founder and CEO

Elevator Pitch: FlipTask is an online marketplace that revolutionizes the way your tasks and errands are done. FlipTask matches your daily tasks with helpful task runners within your local community who can complete them.

Product/Service Description

From grocery delivery, house cleaning, tutoring, and yard work, to pet care, shopping, events, handyman services, and more, FlipTask is your local source for finding local help and work—safely, easily, and efficiently. This short animated video explains how FlipTask works: http://youtu.be/8wQk3DEE57I.

FlipTask combines social networks, communications and other powerful technologies to connect people who need something done with people who can do it locally. Consumers in need of help can post tasks of any kind on FlipTask, while local workers can bid on completing them. FlipTask automatically alerts users of potential matches, provides safe and secure payments, offers communication tools and more. The task can be anything!

Joining FlipTask is easy and free. All it takes is a few seconds to create your user profile or post your job. It’s a great resource for local professionals, small and startup businesses, seniors, families, and anyone else who doesn’t have the time or ability to tackle various tasks, while enabling those who are looking for part-time work, such as stay-at-home moms, students, and retirees, to find it.

Founder’s Story

Upon graduating with a degree in Economics from the University of Colorado, I was inspired to create FlipTask in 2012 after seeing the current economic downturn affect the job market—particularly among college graduates. I found that many college graduates were extremely qualified but underemployed, and were often looking for an avenue to earn extra money to pay for rent or to spend on the weekends while going to school or looking for full-time employment. From experience, I knew that many people had tasks that weren’t getting done because they didn’t have the time, skills, or inclination to complete them. I also saw that the current tools for finding help were inadequate. I launched FlipTask to connect these two types of people, thereby helping those who need to get things done find the people with the skills and time to get them done.

From there, FlipTask has evolved into a user-friendly site which quickly and effectively reaches hundreds of people, including college students, stay-at-home parents, people with disabilities, business professionals, and seniors in the local community.

How We Differentiate From the Competition

Unlike static sites like Craigslist or print newspapers, FlipTask streamlines the process for runners (people with skills/time and willingness to work) or posters (people looking to get something done) with simple, efficient tools from start-to-finish. These tools range from consumer-rated user profiles to help find the right person, to communication tools to coordinate the task, to payment tools when the task is completed—all within the FlipTask site. Users are also able to post their task and sign up in one simple step, keeping the process streamlined and user-friendly.

Business Model

FlipTask uses an auction model and allows payments via PayPal or a credit card. This simplifies the payment process by allowing users to hire a task runner within their budget, and pay without having to visit a bank or ATM machine. We currently generate revenue through a transaction charge on payments exchanged between users. The company will also generate future revenue from added services and features available to users for small fees.

Marketing/Promotion Strategy

FlipTask uses a mix of traditional offline and online marketing and promotion strategies that include advertising, direct mail, social media marketing, public relations and offline events.

Market Opportunity

The demand for budget-friendly local service solutions are rising. FlipTask is filling this demand and has carved a niche in Denver, Boulder and surrounding communities. As demand grows, the FlipTask model can be moved and placed in other cities across the U.S.

Current Needs

FlipTask is staffed with a skilled internal and external team and is currently looking for interns to join the task force.

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Website: www.fliptask.com