Google is now on track to compete with the likes of TaskRabbit, Angie’s List, Amazon Home Services, Thumbtack, and Pro.com but what makes them different right now is that they are only launching their professional services program in the San Fransisco area. What does this mean if your a handy-man living in midwest America? You better get your website up and running professionally, get licensed and bonded by the city and plenty of insurance because those are some of the requirements that Google is mandating in order to be part of their services option ever time someone searches for any kind of professional service. You will also have to undergo a background check that Google will require all businesses to have. Oh and you will need to have at least one personal photo of someone that works for the company, right next to your company logo.
Google is only offering home services, meaning they will only connect you with plumbers, cleaners, electricians, locksmiths, and carpenters. So for all those home tutors and babysitters and home delivery services you will need to wait but Amazon already allows you to sign up so why wait for Google?
Service Industry Competition
It used to be the case that if you needed help with something at home or elsewhere you had to look up, compare reviews, and do your homework before calling someone. Now with the help of Google you will be able to do all that in one simple search like, “clogged toilet,” and Google will provide you with a list of professional plumbers you can compare and contact right away knowing that each one has already passed all of Google’s requirements to be listed.
Many of the companies that will show up in the results page are long time users of Google’s app, “AdWords Express.” They pay to be ranked near the top so people can find them faster and with a tap of the screen either call them or sign up on their website.
The fact that Google is starting in the San Fransisco area means that they are testing the market to see how things perform but more than likely they will expand to the major cities of the US next before small towns can start using the service but if you are a service provider now you can already sign up with the many other options listed at the beginning of this article. Amazon is the number one online company that everyone buys from so if you sign up with them and offer painting lessons then anytime somebody searches for painting lessons then they will be able to sign up with your program. The same thing is done on Thumbtack and TaskRabbit, which all use a bidding system in order to provide reasonable prices. The thing to do right now is set up your company on these platforms so you can be the first one in to gain the most attention, or as the business term goes, “First-Mover Advantage.”
Anyone who offers a service but doesn’t have the means of building a website or physical company can now sign up on all the services in order to maximize their potential reach. The idea here is that people who hold very special skills can now put them online with Amazon or Thumbtack and find people interested in their services. The competition for providers is growing and with that a number of other companies that are looking to cash in on the action. Take for example TalkLocal, they are a company that connects people with service providers in their area. It is interesting to think that companies like this are around today since most people can just get online and find one on their own but TalkLocal creates a list of pre-approved companies that meet certain industry guidelines in order to make sure that all their customers get the professional service they deserve. Hence, no one wants to hire a con-man with a flashy website.
Google plans to cut out companies like that because people won’t need to sign up for services which act as a middleman because now people will simply be connected to companies that already qualify. The landscape for professional services is growing by leaps and bounds but the two companies that will have the most force will be Google and Amazon so like I said before if you offer a service on your website, that is all fine and dandy but if you want any kind of sway in your local market you will need to be listed on these two giants if you want to gain more attention. Just be ready to handle the influx of more work coming your way.
List of Professional Service Aggregators
Amazon Home Services
You will need to register your company with Amazon and include banking information so people can just pay through Amazon.
TaskRabbit
All TaskRabbit employees must sign up and go through a background check in order to qualify for jobs. You must all use the app regularly in order to get jobs that match your skills. The company also favors jobs to employees who respond within a certain time frame.
Angie’s List
One of the more popular services that you pay for. Any company has to pay to be listed and the better the reviews the more work you get. The trade off is that the market will correct for companies that offer top quality service.
Thumbtack
They were posed to be Amazon of professional services until Amazon caught hold. You can perform simple searches for “math tutor,” “plumber,” and lots more and find people in the area who can bid or see pricing guides.
Pro.com
Find professional home services to help fix up your home at affordable market rates. You will find people who are professional and licensed when searching on this website, from carpet installers to countertops and more.
Porch
Another website that offers professional home services by finding independent contractors in your area who offer home services. This is a great way to find any kind of home service and connect with local companies.
HomeAdvisor
Add to another long list of websites that offer professional home services that conduct background checks of all service providers.
Yelp
I list Yelp here because you still need to do your homework on companies regardless of what website they are signed up with. You need to make sure that they are operating at the professional level they are supposed to be.
Freelance your Services
The huge benefit to online services like this is that as a Freelancer you can list your services on each website and find people who want your services. Millions of searches are performed for home tutors, cleaners, car repairmen but there are also other areas that get searched but not enough to fill the gaps. If you are creative enough you will find people in need of your help.
For example, the website, Your Man in India, is a perfect example of a company that offers professional services for individuals. Those services can range from paying your credit card bills to ordering take out and lots more. Why not offer to do those same services that they offer here it the US? A.J. Jacobs talked about how he was able to outsource his entire like in his book, My Life as an Experiment, and in many cases had the company he hired even read bed time stories to his kids and talk to his parents and wife when he didn’t want to.
LegalZoom is another sort of company that piece meals legal services and makes it affordable by hiring out as needed. If you are a lawyer why not sign up for Amazon Home Services? I’m sure people would love to be able to find an affordable lawyer. Any one of these websites is an example of freelance work. Axiom and HourlyNerd both take top talented individuals in the legal and business field and connect them to work with companies on a per-project basis. The nice perk from working with such companies are the benefits but the hardship of working for such companies is the unstable employment.
If you plan to go with these services you must be prepared for the ups and downs of the work itself. You will not be able to get ever job that comes up and you might always be underbidded by other competitors. That is the challenge of working in the freelance economy so if you plan to sign up with any one of these services you will need to have a backup plan for when work gets slow.
If you are a professional and want to be listed one of the sites listed, just click on their sign up option and read up more about what the process is all about. If still unsure search on YouTube to find out more about each website and get people’s reactions. If you want to get a head start in your area then sign up for Adwords Express and start getting listed in your area.
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