On-demand platforms like über have become commonplace in the taxi industry. But the market for handymen and plumbers now also has to deal with emerging platforms such as handy.com in the US and Renovee.nl in the Netherlands.
More and more people decide to order a service professional through a platform. One of the most mentioned advantages is that it saves time. This way, a local professional is directly linked to your job. Do you suffer from leakage or do you need a handyman to hang the TV? You only have to indicate your desired times and the handy.com platform will match the job itself with a local professional.
In a country like the Netherlands, it also helps to reduce the shortage of plumbers and central heating technicians. Many craftsmen who are in paid employment also work extra via a platform such as Renovee or Werkspot. But also part-timers and retirees who would not otherwise work find their way back into the labor market in this way.
In the Netherlands alone, an average of thousands of people per month search for a ‘plumber’ or ‘handyman’ via Google. But searches such as “plumber Rotterdam” or “plumber in amsterdam” are also common. The word ‘loodgieter in Rotterdam’, what means plumber in dutch is searched 40 thousand times a month. This shows the potential of platforms that match supply and demand much more efficiently. Instead of calling around via Google for a suitable and reliable professional, a plumber or electrician for your job is found via a platform within a few minutes.
This also brings benefits for professionals. For example, they only pay if they have accomplished a job. With quotation websites, payment is made in advance for a job request. Without the professional having the security to actually get the job assigned.
On-demand platforms like Uber have become commonplace in the taxi industry. But the market for handymen and plumbers now also has to deal with emerging platforms such as handy.com in the US and Renovee.nl in the Europe.
