Work with on-demand handyman app: Here is the details on fees

An image comparing TaskRabbit, Handy, Takl, and Homee. This is taken from EFynch's website but we have verified the information. Takl (from Nashville) comes in the highest and seems the be the "boldest" (not in a good way). Taskrabbit is 2nd both groups assess a 40%+ fee. Competitors are lower and have better sites.

Working with an on demand- handyman app can be a valuable prospect.

Home Improvement is one of the last industries to engage in digital and it is one of the largest in the U.S.

Historically, home improvement has also been hard for advertisers as the field is crowded and the smart run away with the work leaving the small and independent guys to fend for scraps.  Around Maryland and Washington D.C., most independent handyman take year to build a customer base and typically the more successful guys are in their later years of their careers and had started while in their early 20's to build their rolodex.

Enter technology. Apps and the digital world are trying to reshape this. We are still in the early years of this movement but we looked at several local companies in the Maryland/ D.C./ and Virginia areas to see how each stacked up and treated their listed service providers.

Here is a list:

Taskrabbit: A quick Google Search shows several lawsuits in the past. With taskrabbit you are somewhat working for their organization. They say they do this to control standards but it seems to be a way to dictate price.

Handy: Same as Taskrabbit- you actually work for Handy. I had a Handy housecleaner work at my house before- she gave me her number as she left and I used her for another 2 years. They take such a high fee I didn't think it was fair.

Takl: Takl is a new group out of Nashhville. Working with Takl appears to be okay at first because the founder is a good ole boy who has been known to treat people right. This is good EXCEPT- Takl only allows for limited jobs and takes the highest commission cuts out of any of the competitors. Takl has to pay for all the commercials you hear and at the end- you may only walk away with 50% of what the customers has paid. Competition will likely overtake this group very quickly.

EFynch: We like EFynch. It's an open platform and they take the smallest fees (a modest 2% currently). The platform is 100% open and EFynch claims to be a community for connections (homeowner and handyman). This local group has promise and one of the few which has no restrictions on how many jobs you must take. 

We could not find much on Homee. Unlike TaskRabbit and Takl, Homee has has little press but the rates still seem extremely high.

See the chart above. Handyman and home improvement is competitive. Contractors need to find new ways to reach customers because the industry is shifting and the old dinosaurs will be left in the cold.  As we just celebrated Independance day in Washington D.C., we have to wait and see how the year unfolds in this industry. Things are changing but in our opinion commission rates are FAR too high for full penetration.

So if you need a handyman still where to go? It is still about going out and getting bids wherever you can and comparing multiple options for that next contractor.

EFynch bring Columbia Maryland Homeowners Handyman and Contractor deals

How EFynch Weekly Handyman and Contractor Deals Help the Columbia Maryland Homeowner:

Each week EFynch works hard to bring relevant, money saving deals for our Maryland homeowners. These deals typically include normal services like:

Power Washing
Handyman 3 hour packages
Gutter Cleaning
Snow Removal
Mulch Delivery
etc.

We also try to provide some unique services which may go overlooked like:

Mailbox Post Replacement
Flower and Garden Box Install- coming soon :)
Smoke Alarm Battery Replacement
Dryer Vent Cleaning

These are all common things us homeowners need and are things we should consider.

So how do we get these deals?

The truth is we sometimes just “wing it”. For the most part we pay attention to our own homes and speak with our professionals. They recommend services that are starting to trend because of seasonality. These take priority but we also look for unique ideas. What can make your home more enjoyable or something we see on TV that is awesome, but not very common (i.e. the flower box garden).

Pricing is a little harder. Right now we have close to 1,000 members. We use these membership statistics and the success of previous deals as leverage- sometimes guaranteeing a pro a certain amount of work if a deal is offered.

Once we get a deal lined up. EFynch then scours the internet for similar deals to make sure our offering is the best. There is haggling and negotiations involved- it’s a lot of work. This is the reason why our deals are not always open to non-members (if you aren’t part of the group, why should you get the benefits?).

In the end, we work hard to provide the best deals available. Often you will see gimmicks from other sites like “$39 for a waterproofing inspection” (real deal offered by a large national group). To us, that offer is bogus- an inspection should be free, not an opportunity for a service pro to sit at your table with a drawn out sales pitch (which is what those other deals are).

EFynch has it’s benefits. It should always provide a value for our members. Take a look at our deals which can be found here (http://www.fynchnest.com/contact-us2.html). Let us know if you have any questions or if you want to see a specific deal offered?

One thing we would like you to do is present us with ideas. Who knows, maybe you have the next “hit” and with a few of your neighbors we can turn that into a home run!
Thanks,

Teris Pantazes
EFynch Co-Founder