All posts tagged: outsourcing tasks

A History (and Economics) Lesson in Service Networking

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  As one of our loyal blog readers, we hope that you’ve already discovered the power of TaskRabbit and agree that our service marketplace is revolutionizing the way that people get things done.  Many of you may know the TaskRabbit story – it all started when our CEO and founder, Leah Busque, and her husband, Kevin ran out of dog food for the 100 lb yellow lab on a cold night in Boston. Leah and Kevin decided to create  a way of allowing busy people to outsource their Tasks and services to others in their community. Thus, the concept of Service Networking and TaskRabbit were born. TaskRabbit is continuing to lead the way in this exciting space. Before TaskRabbit, if you wanted to get something done, you either simply did it yourself, asked a friend for a favor, hired a professional, or threw something up on Craigslist and prayed for a response.  Of those options, hiring a professional specializing in your Task was clearly the best choice due to the benefits of “comparative advantage.” But, as we …

The Virtues of Hiring a Virtual Assistant

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Before TaskRabbit, it was difficult to efficiently outsource tasks that required physical presence, but that does not diminish the value of virtual assistance. The world is increasingly online — including your grandmother now that Facebook hit 500 million users — and so is your to-do list. You don’t have to reside in the Boston or San Francisco areas to live smarter by shifting some of the burden to a computer-savvy Rabbit. The Lost Art of Thank You Notes Perfectionism, combined with the fast-paced modern lifestyle, can make it easy to forget your manners. Now that everyone you know can see how much fun you’ve been having via your Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare activity, it’s more awkward than ever when you realize that a month or two has passed since a family member or business associate did something really awesome for you and the gracious thank you note you had planned fell by the wayside. Maybe you got married and invited an overwhelming number of guests. If you’re embarrassed that all the time you’ve spent typing …

Creating an Effective To-Do List

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How you create and use a to-do list should be tailored by your personality. While many people use online organization tools, others still prefer to keep a physical list on paper. What you choose should reflect your daily routine and preferences.

TaskRabbit SF is Hopping!

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Our live activity feed reveals a great deal about current events in San Francisco. Our Runners have served as proxies in long lines to pick up the iPhone 4, and one Sender turned to the TaskRabbit community in hopes that its “eyes on the street” would know exactly where to find a rainbow bandanna for last weekend’s Pride celebration.

Work Smarter, Not Harder – Words to Live By

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Ever since Christopher Thomas told us to, “work smarter, not harder,” Americans have looked for ways to be more efficient and effective at work. Motivated by the desire to leave the office stress-free every Friday night at 5 p.m. sharp, we try to remember to focus on the important tasks first, avoid the projects that yield little return and remind our inboxes just who’s boss. We spend all week dreaming of a relaxing weekend and yet, for most of us, the reality never lives up to the fantasy. Instead of using our 48 precious hours doing the things we love — spending time with the people we care about or simply relaxing, most of us spend the weekend tackling a to-do list filled with chores and errands. According to the American Time Use Survey from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend an average of almost three hours a day on activities such as housework, cooking, lawn care, or financial and other household management, plus another 20 minutes daily on personal …

“Why Outsource Tasks? I Can Do This Myself!” And Other Popular Misconceptions

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Our customers come to us under a variety of circumstances. Some are racing the clock and won’t meet a deadline without some help. Maybe they’re lives are crazy busy or maybe they’ve procrastinated too long. Some don’t have the means to complete a specific task. They need a pickup truck to haul mulch or some borrowed brawn to move furniture. Some lack the technical expertise to complete a task – they’d like to repair something around the house but don’t know a socket wrench from a ratchet wrench, or they want to set up a wireless router and network in their home office. Others are just more enlightened. They simply don’t want to spend their valuable free time picking up prescriptions and dropping off dry cleaning, washing windows and mowing the lawn. They prefer spending time doing what they love. Everyone loves free time. At TaskRabbit, our goal is to help as many people as possible join the enlightened group. As we’ve mentioned before, according to the American Time Use Survey from the U.S. Department …

TaskRabbit Launches Newest Location in San Francisco

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It is with deep pride and excitement that TaskRabbit announces the launch of it’s San Francisco services. TaskRabbit has been active throughout the Greater Boston region, encouraging neighbors to help neighbors by posting tasks in an open marketplace. Tasks ranging from yard work to dog sitting are standard fare and members can set their own price or allow TaskRabbit Runners to bid on doing their chores. At TaskRabbit, the saying goes “there’s almost nothing we can’t help with. Challenge us!” With over 300 Runners in the Boston area, and more being added every day to San Francisco, this team of highly professional, background-checked Runners are giving their neighbors a safer and more efficient alternative to other online marketplaces. This simple concept is helping to grow local communities and encourage people to outsource their needs in order to free up time in their day; time that is better spent with family and friends or just embracing a little relaxation. Why work harder when you can work smarter? “Every day TaskRabbit is helping people check things off …