App that connects users with handy-people and helpers launches in Vancouver

TaskRabbit, an online network that connects people with “taskers” who complete household chores and errands, has officially launched in Vancouver.

Starting today (October 25), residents may use the TaskRabbit website or app to find freelance labourers in their area who are skilled in jobs such as yard work, cleaning, moving and lifting, and general handy-person to-dos like door repairs and minor plumbing. You can even find people to wait in line for you at an in-demand restaurant or sneaker drop, or hire someone as your personal assistant for the day.

Taskers arrive to a designated location at a scheduled time to complete the project. Prices vary depending on the size and scope of the task. The average rate in the for taskers in the U.S. is $35 an hour. Taskers are vetted beforehand and receive ratings and reviews after their duties have been completed.

TaskRabbit’s launch in Vancouver comes on the heels of Ikea Canada’s announcement that it will be offering at-home furniture-assembly and mounting services via the online marketplace beginning in mid-November. TaskRabbit was founded in Boston as RunMyErrand in 2008. It was acquired by Ikea last year and is now based in San Francisco.

“For the past 10 years, we’ve helped connect hundreds of thousands of people to a trusted network of taskers who can tackle those tough to-dos,” Stacy Brown-Philpot, CEO of TaskRabbit, said in a media statement. “Whether it’s assembling furniture, mounting TVs or helping with moving and packing, we’re excited to bring TaskRabbit to Canada so people in more communities can get help for life.”

To book a tasker on TaskRabbit, users must provide information about the chore at hand, including the address, the type of job it is, at what date and time they would like it to be done, and whether or not tools or needed. However, searches conducted on the mobile app using Vancouver as a location reveal zero to few available taskers at the time of publication, perhaps indicating that a larger pool of local labourers first need to register on the network to get the ball rolling.