Imagine Uber Eats, but instead of ordering food, you order a service. A handyperson or driver to complete specific tasks or do errands for the business. This pilot project is being tested, and if all goes according to plan, it will be rolled out in two cities; Fort Myers in the US and Edmonton in Canada.
It’s not an entirely new concept. TaskRabbit and Angi have been doing this for years. These two will be Uber Tasks’ biggest rivals.
This means great news for drivers or couriers who want to make an extra income.
From a business perspective, it could mean an extra pair of hands for packing or unpacking trucks, holiday packaging, snow removal, or any other basic errands that need to be done.
Learning from TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit has been around for over a decade. In 2017, IKEA acquired TaskRabbit, with the plan to have a 100% stake in the company, although it will still operate independently, reports TechCrunch.
The company changed its business model, starting as an eBay-like auction system, allowing bidding on services. It then moved to a direct booking model.
“One of the reasons why IKEA bought [TaskRabbit] was because they had a lot of people on the platform that would go in and install and set up your furniture. They did quite a wide range of tasks,” says Locate2u CEO Steve Orenstein.
Orenstein says TaskRabbit struggled in the initial phase to make any money. “I think one thing they learned was saying: ‘These are the really specific tasks that a task driver would actually do.’ When they made it more specific, it became easier to ensure customer satisfaction.”
How Uber Tasks can improve your business
Here are some tasks this service can offer for the logistics sector.
Last-mile delivery support
Logistics companies can use Uber Tasks for last-mile delivery assistance, especially during peak times and unexpected demand surges. This can be from packaging wrapping to loading bags.
Warehouse assistance
A sudden spike in inventory requires a company to make plans on short notice. Use Uber Tasks for organizing, cleaning warehouses, or light assembly work. This can be a great asset to maintain operational efficiency during peak seasons.
Special events
Who doesn’t need extra hands during a special fundraising event? Think about using Uber Tasks for traffic monitoring, assisting the events team in carrying decor around, or even setting up tables at the venue.
About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
