Task of the Week: Save my Super Bowl!

February 4th, 2012

Does it seem like you are always the one who agrees to host the big Super Bowl party? Do you spend the game running around filling chip bowls, cleaning spilled drinks and making sure your guests are happy? Do you miss the best play or funniest commercial that everyone talks about the next day due to a guacamole emergency?

Did you know that there are thousands of TaskRabbits who wouldn’t mind missing the game to help you out?

TaskPoster Justin H did and planned ahead. This year, while he enjoys the game on Sunday with 20 of his buddies, TaskRabbit Laurie A will be on site making sure things run smoothly. There’s a lot to be done, but nothing is too much for Laurie! She’ll be setting up the tables, prepping the food and bar, arranging the plates and silverware, coordinating all dish washing, keeping the counters sparkling clean and making sure the house is cleaner at the end of the party than it was before it started! Phew, Justin sure is lucky to have TaskRabbit on his side!

So, what are your plans for the big game? Can we help? Let us know.

Task of the Week: Gear up for the Big Game!

January 29th, 2012

Who doesn’t love a good football game – particularly in the post-season? A good game brings friends together, sparks harmless rivalries, invokes a sense of pride and loyalty and  gives us an excuse to indulge in not-so-healthy snacks and beverages.

Most of us have a favorite sports bar we frequent on game days. As you can imagine, last weekend in San Francisco, every sports bar in the city was swarming with 49ers fans hoping to see a victory over the New York Giants. Things didn’t exactly turn out how we planned, but we’re sure everyone enjoyed the ride.

What was the one snag to all this football fun? The bars were so packed it was almost impossible to get a seat, let alone, a table. So, what’s a sports fan to do?!

TaskPoster Ian D knew where to go for help. Ian and his four friends knew they wanted to watch the game at Kezar Pub, but were not game to get there at 9:00am to save a table for kickoff later that afternoon. You know who was game? TaskRabbit Owen V, that’s who. Owen got to the bar in the nick of time and snagged a table for Ian and his friends. While the outcome of the game wasn’t all that great for 49ers fans, at least Ian went to sleep that night knowing he exercised some smart living that day.

The Super Bowl is a week away. Do you have plans? Let us know how we can pitch in.

 

Task of the Week: Prank Interview with my Office Mate

January 21st, 2012

Not many things are better than a good old-fashioned prank. Chances are, you have a fond (and hilarious) memory of a practical joke that was either played on you or that you played on someone else.

The problem is, as we’ve grown up, it’s become harder and harder to find the time to plan a prank that’s one for the books. And who wants to put on a practical joke that isn’t awesome? Well, did you know that there are thousands of expert prankster TaskRabbits at your disposal just waiting to make your practical joke legendary?

TaskPoster Adam D did, and boy did he take advantage of it. Adam had a friend who, after five years of working together, was leaving his post at the company. Since his friend has always been a prankster, Adam looked to TaskRabbit to return the favor and help him plan something good. TaskRabbit Renee D got in on the fun and pretended to be job candidate that was – well – not qualified for the job. Adam and his coworkers got some good laughs and Renee had a ball.

Is there someone you know that would appreciate a harmless practical joke? There is? Great, let us know how we can help.

Task of the Week: Plan my Winter Escape!

January 13th, 2012

We know many of you just got back from a nice, relaxing holiday break. But, with cold days and long nights, it’s no surprise that many of us are already starting to plan our next get-away. With all the post-holiday craziness, it’s hard to find the time to plan a vacation? See where we’re going with this? Yeah, you guessed it – you can always rely on a TaskRabbit to research and arrange your winter getaway!

New York City-based TaskPoster Andrew F is already sick and tired of the cold weather and is in desperate need of a vacation. He isn’t super picky – he doesn’t care where the vacation is, he just has a few requirements: a beach, crystal-blue water, hot sun and fun. Sheesh, Andrew! The possibilities are endless! Enter, TaskRabbit Catrina C to find the perfect spot.

Catrina came to Andrew’s rescue and provided him with three separate vacation options. Andrew is now booked for a little jaunt to the Caribbean! Catrina planned his entire vacation, landing him a flight, hotel and rental car, all within his budget.

Wanna get away? Can we help? Indulge in some peace of mind by posting a Task today.

TaskRabbit Acquires SkillSlate

January 9th, 2012

As you know, 2011 was a pretty huge year for the TaskRabbit team. And now, it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be just as exciting. We are kicking the year off with some big news. Today, we are thrilled to announce that TaskRabbit has acquired SkillSlate!

SkillSlate is an auction-based website for local services. SkillSlate crowdsources its network of service providers to help its customers with any task they need done or alternatively, provide instruction on a particular skill they’d like to develop. Sound familiar? SkillSlate is certainly similar to TaskRabbit, particularly in the sense that it’s a service marketplace. What makes SkillSlate unique, though, is its focus on skill-based and artistic tasks – including personal training, tutoring, DJing and even fire dancing. By integrating SkillSlate’s platform with TaskRabbit’s, we will be able to provide an even more enhanced service – one where folks can get help with practically anything.

These integrations are sure to be awesome, but, as you’ve heard before, at TaskRabbit, chemistry is everything. We are so excited to have such a highly skilled and talented team of entrepreneurs joining our team. Bartek Ringwelski, SkillSlate’s co-founder and CEO, joins TaskRabbit as director of financial planning and analysis, Brian Rothenberg, co-founder and VP of Product & Marketing, comes on as director of online marketing and Mike Nelson, CTO, is the newest member of TaskRabbit’s engineering team.

With this exciting news, we are looking forward to a wonderful and productive 2012! We wish you the same.

Leah & Eric

PS – Want in on the fun? Let us know: www.taskrabbit.com/jobs

Crunchies Finalists

January 7th, 2012

We’re excited to announce that we’ve been nominated for TechCrunch’s Best Mobile  App  of 2011. Our very own Leah Busque has also been nominated for Founder of the Year! You can help us win a Crunchie by casting your vote. Good news is that you can vote once a day until Sunday, January 29th at 11:59pm PST. We’d love your support!

 

Task of the Week: Be my Human Alarm Clock!

January 6th, 2012

The time of year has come when almost every person you know – maybe even strangers – asks you the same question: what’s your new year’s resolution? The stress of coming up with a resolution alone can be overwhelming, let alone actually sticking to it.

Remember when you promised to ride your bike more often last year? Those tires are still flat, huh? Didn’t you promise to call your mom more? She’s still waiting, you know. And don’t worry, we won’t bring up the fast food that you have (not) stopped eating. Let’s face it; we could all use a little help sticking to our resolutions.

TaskPoster Marianne M – like many of us – has a very specific vice: she loves to sleep in. The problem is, she’s just started working from home and has developed a seriously dependent relationship with her snooze button. Getting out of bed every day is a struggle, so working from home is not working out. What in the world can she do?!? Oh, right, there’s a TaskRabbit for that.

Marianne turned to TaskRabbit Jill S to be her human alarm clock. The job is simple enough: Marianne needs someone to come by her house every weekday morning around 9:00am and wake her up. But Marianne knows that simply opening the door isn’t enough – she needs someone to make sure she leaves her apartment building and mozies over to Dunkin’ Donuts to get her morning coffee and really begin her day. Not a problem for Jill!

TaskRabbit is helping transform Marianne from a snooze button addict to employee of the month. What can we do for you? Thousands of TaskRabbits are standing by to help you start your year off right.

That’s your queue – post a Task today.

 

Task of the Week: Make My New Year’s Eve the Best Yet!

December 30th, 2011

Oh, New Year’s Eve! It’s either the best or worst night of the year. Either way, we are here to make it a little less stressful!

For those of you who are hosting parties this year, we know it can be a bit hectic.  There is so much to get done – shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating – and all that is before the party even starts! Once people arrive, the food needs to be continually stocked, trash needs to be picked up, and God forbid someone’s cocktail runs dry!

To avoid the stress, TaskPoster James B turned to TaskRabbit. James is throwing a huge soiree for New Year’s Eve in Hollywood, CA. He needed someone he could trust to ensure the party is a hit. He was looking for someone to set up food, restock beverages, clear glasses, napkins and plates that people leave behind and, finally, bring the trash out throughout the night. On top of the heavy lifting, James wanted someone reliable, cheerful, friendly and responsible.

TaskRabbit Justin N  was up for the challenge! Justin is just what James was looking for. A proud father and husband, Justin is a marathon runner, which he proudly acknowledges equips him with the skills needed to stick with a job until its done to a 100 percent satisfaction.

On New Year’s Eve, James is going to get to enjoy his party, instead of running around accommodating his guests. How can TaskRabbit help you ring in the New Year? Need someone to clean your apartment before a party your hosting? Easy. Looking for a trustworthy designated driver? Consider it done. Perhaps your plans for the big night aren’t finalized yet and you’d like someone to call around to bars or clubs to find out if there will be a hefty cover charge? Yep, we do that, too.

Whatever you need help with, TaskRabbit will take care of it. Kick off the New Year with a resolution to live smarter by posting a Task today.

 

Task of the Week: Assemble all those (bleep bleep) Christmas toys!

December 23rd, 2011

Ahhh, Christmas. What’s more enjoyable than seeing the joy on the little ones’ faces as they dig into the pile of presents?

For those of us who are lucky enough to have mini-me’s (yes, talking kids here), this is the best part of the holidays. However, that blissful feeling is often short-lived as the feeling of anxiety sets in when you realize that the toy isn’t yet put together. True holiday buzz kill!

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had your own little elf to make sure all of the toys you (Ahem, we mean Santa) buy your kids are nicely assembled under the tree? Lucky for you, TaskRabbit has thousands of holiday helpers standing by to help you get your last-minute holiday to-dos knocked off that list!

Take advantage of it! TaskPoster Donna D did and is now free to enjoy the holidays with her family rather than worry about a missing plastic screw. Her Task was brilliant – she needed someone to put together the toys she bought her kids for Christmas.

It was like a little Christmas miracle. TaskRabbit Cricket B was more than happy to help. She meticulously assembled Donna’s battery-operated police care, a wooden rocket ship, a child’s art easel, a small drum set and a McDonald’s ‘Drive Thru’ stand. Based on Donna’s five-star rating of Cricket, looks like the toys are good to go for Sunday morning!

Phew! Now Donna can now truly enjoy watching her kids open the presents and not stress about putting them together. How can TaskRabbit help you in the next few days as you prepare for Christmas? Have a couple last-minute gifts to wrap? Let us take care of that. Overwhelmed with your holiday party and need some extra help? Let a TaskRabbit pitch in. Whatever it is, we’re here for you.

Pssst, you have two days. What are you waiting for? Post a Task today!

TaskRabbit Closes $17.8 m Series B Funding Round Led by LightSpeed Venture Partners

December 13th, 2011

2011 has been quite a banner year for us at TaskRabbit…Since January, we have steadily and strategically expanded our service to various cities throughout the country – from SF  to LA and Orange County to NYC to Chicago. In May, we closed our Series A funding led by Shasta Ventures. This summer, we launched our awesome iPhone app. In September, we were honored to be featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer as a solution to the economic crisis in this country.  A month later, we hired a stellar CEO, Eric Grosse, to work with Leah as she focuses on the product strategy. Over the year, we have gained significant momentum – tripling our monthly Task volume and increasing our customer base seven fold. Phew, it’s been quite a year!

It is only fitting then that we would round out 2011 with even more exciting news – the closing of a $17.8 m round of financing led by LightSpeed Venture Partners. In addition to TaskRabbit’s existing investors - 500 StartupsBaseline Ventures, First Round Capital, FLOODGATE Fund, Collaborative Fund and Shasta Ventures - other firms, including Allen & Company and The Tornante Company, the investment firm led by Disney’s former CEO, Michael Eisner, have also participated in the round. We are so excited to partner with LightSpeed and our new investors.

So, how can we outpace our success in 2011 in 2012? Well, we are gonna keep up the momentum next year, focusing initially on geographic expansion. We have received thousand and thousands of requests via Twitter, Facebook, email, etc to bring TaskRabbit to cities around the world. In fact, moments after the ABC segment ran back in September, our site was flooded by folks who wanted TaskRabbit in their own neighborhood. We got such incredible demand that our servers went down briefly.

Well, we’ve been listening and are so excited to get going. Our new investment will help us respond to this overwhelming demand and allow us to bring the service to those who have been clamoring for it as a solution to their employment and economic situation and their hectic, crazy lives. So, where are we headed? Seattle, Portland, Austin, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, DC, Denver, Philly (just to name a few)… get ready for some easy living!

To ensure the most positive user experience in all our markets, we will also be focusing on making our product and marketplace even more incredible that it is today – that includes adding some cool new features and capabilities. For example, we will adding features that allow our users to more effectively manage their lives through a seamless Task posting process. We will also be building and enriching features that support the mobile experience across multiple platforms. And, as always, we will continue to refine our best-in-class safety features to ensure our community’s security.

To support our aggressive roll-out and growing community, we will be accelerating our recruitment and hiring. Yeah, that’s right! All you engineers and designers out there, we are looking at you! If you’re looking to work on a product that is revolutionizing the way people collaborate with others in their community, reach out to us.  As we’ve said before, we are bringing the neighborhood back. Now, we want to bring more talented folks on board to help us realize this vision. If you are interested, please send your resume to careers@taskrabbit.com.

It’s been more than 3 years since we launched TaskRabbit. Since then, we have redefined the way people collaborate with folks in their own community to get things done.  With the support of our new and existing investors, we will bring TaskRabbit to additional markets and continue to realize our vision of empowering everyone to live a smarter, more fulfilling life by once again relying on their neighbors.

Here’s to continued success in 2012!

Leah & Eric