John and Darren are childhood best friends who found themselves in a similar predicament: they were both unhappy in their corporate jobs. While each took a different path on the road to full-time tasking, the benefits they experienced were the same: newfound flexibility and the freedom to live life on their own terms.
John was introduced to Taskrabbit by his boss at his corporate job and started tasking part-time, building up an ample client base. Once he felt secure with his earning potential through Taskrabbit, he left his job and started tasking full time.
Darren always knew that he wanted to work for himself. After years of feeling trapped in sales jobs, he took the leap and quit his full-time job. He had savings to hold him over as he quickly built his business as a full-time Tasker.
Darren and John generously offered the best tips they’ve learned along the way:
From Day One
- Take it seriously from the get-go: open your availability and the categories you want to work in as soon as possible.
- Great reviews are more important than a great rate at the beginning. You want to accrue as many stellar reviews as quickly as possible. Once you’ve built up about 10 five-star reviews, consider raising your rate.
- If you’re tasking and working your current job, set limited hours as you build a client base.
- Stick to standard billing to build reviews quickly.
- Ask as many questions as you can when scoping the task with your Client. For example, if it’s a moving job, is there an elevator in the building? What floor is the apartment on? This will help you set expectations and get great reviews.
- Transparency is key. Make sure to be upfront about any additional fees (dump fee, truck fee, etc…) as you’re scoping a task.
Building Your Business
- Focus on efficiencies: keep your eyes open to fill any gaps in your days.
- Trust is key. If a client feels like they can trust you, you have a better chance of turning a one-off into a repeat customer.
- If there’s an abundance of demand, try raising your rates slightly. If the bookings don’t slow down, enjoy the extra cash! If they slow, revert to your previous rate.
- Raise your rates far in advance and lower them if you notice you have a light day.
