Uber, Lyft, HomeAdvisor, and hundreds more companies have emerged in the local on-demand economy, reshaping local services and employment structures. The latest, receiving an undisclosed amount in Series A funding today, is Grab A Gardener. More than $16 billion in…
The “new normal” in local competition blends intimate customer experience with supply-chain and logistical insights. Customers now expect to get a product or service tuned to their specific needs in near real-time, or “on-demand.” When we talk about the local, on-demand economy, we’re talking about marketplaces in which product marketing is blended with data to create surprising experiences, such as an Uber car that materializes in minutes at the curb or a great meal delivered to the home, among just a few emerging services.
We’re pleased to announce the panel, Localizing Global Logistics, at BIA/Kelsey NOW | Seattle, on Feb. 18th. It features Brooke Steger, General Manager of Uber in the Pacific Northwest, David Galvan, VP of Business Development and Strategic Alliances for MasterCard, and Adam Burrows, SVP of Business and Corporate Development at HomeAdvisor.
One of the innovations I'm predicting for phase II of the local on-demand economy (LODE) is CRM for on-demand workers. As LODE takes over (especially for millennials) individual workers will tie together several "gigs." Think: Instacart shopper by day, Uber…
It's well known by now that mobile has overtaken desktop as the primary mode for online searches. Home services has a tendency to lag broader online trends and this is no exception. However consumers are expected to soon use mobile for…
Any company that sells to small businesses knows that demographics can be a stronger indicator of preference than vertical category. We recently met with the leadership team at Home Advisor to ask about the trends they are adapting to in the SMB…
Building a business that involves acquiring thousands of small merchants as customers and then driving mass quantities of quality leads to those merchants is one of the toughest challenges in the local space. HomeAdvisor is one of a relatively few companies out there that…
HomeAdvisor, formerly known as ServiceMagic, is set to roll out its Instant Booking service in July on a national basis. The Instant Booking service, which is now live in 20 cities, represents a different business model for the company, which…
Here we are in the middle of National Small Business Week, which seems like a great time to unveil the agenda and key themes of our upcoming SMB conference, which happens Sept. 29-30 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center.…
A sea change in home repair habits is occurring, as consumer segments begin to shift from Do It Yourself to Do it For Me models where people are seeking professionals to do everything from changing light bulbs to building decks.…