This is amazing. Cutting the lawn for folks in your neighbourhood is a common behaviour. This is obviously making it 10x easier. Dare I say it's Uber for lawn mowing; genius! Are you guys managing the service providers or is it totally peer to peer? Congrats :)
@elbahnasy I supposed it depends on how you define those terms. On the day to day, providers are mostly able to manage themselves through the app. They receive a notification when new jobs are available in their area and are given the option to pick them up. They're able to communicate anonymously through the use of Twilio if they need to get a hold of the customer, and we stay pretty hands off.
But we don't allow anyone to be a provider. You have to have commercial grade equipment, pass a background check, etc. It's not just any kid with a lawn mower coming to cut your lawn. We also have some rules we hold our providers to, such as any job that comes in before 3 pm must be done the same day, weather permitting. In some regards, we are managing the crews.
Pretty cool! how does this compete with my current situation, which is for $50 I have someone come in and mow the lawn twice a month. Would you be competing on the price point or on services. Or would it be totally a different market - which is people who mow the lawn themselves and wants to transition into someone else doing it.
@ajoythomas It depends on the size of your lawn, and of course the deal you get from your current provider. One of the major problems in the industry for providers is that they have to nickel and dime themselves on pricing in order to retain accounts. They also base their pricing entirely on eyeball estimates. Sometimes, that means they over charge. Sometimes, that means they operate at a loss, even if they don't realize it.
LawnGuru provides a transparent pricing model based on the size of your service area, which you mark out yourself inside the app. We eliminate bidding to simplify the equation for both customers and providers.
It looks like a $25 cut would come out to about 3000 square feet.
Our app is perfect for regular use throughout the season as opposed to signing a contract that requires you to get more cuts than your lawn really needs, for people who cut their own lawn but are going out of town or have a special event they're hosting need a cut that isn't on their scheduled day. It's often difficult to find a provider for a one off cut or to swap days with your current provider. We also see a lot of benefit for realtors, who will be able to get properties looking fresh for showings on short notice.
@ajoythomas Hey Ajoy! We have found that a lot of customers are looking for more flexibility in their lawn service. For instance, you may have a guy come out every other week to cut your lawn, but you probably don't have the option to choose what day or time he comes out. With LawnGuru, you have complete control over your service.
We compete on several levels;
1. More control of when you get service. You can make same day service requests or schedule up four days in advance.
2. Better transparency through out the entire experience. After a provider has accepted your job you will be updated on their progress every step of the way.
3. Simple payment options. Your card is charged after the work in complete.
4. Better customer service.
Currently the industry is built around weekly or bi-weekly service. The truth is, every lawn grows at different rates. If you sign up for a weekly service, chances are you will be paying for cuts you don't necessarily need at some point of the season. It's a waste of money, time and energy. We have built a platform that lowers the barrier to purchase for everyone, so now getting the service you need, when your lawn needs it, is just a few taps of your phone screen away.
http://lawnlove.com (YC S14) has been doing this for over a year now, and are in 21 cities across the US. This is certainly an industry that can benefit from some tech-enabled ease. :D
@jak1192 I think we can all agree that the industry is ready for some changes. However, I would argue that our approach and tech is different from what LawnLove is offering.
Hey everyone,
LawnGuru is an on demand platform for lawn care brought to you by a team with over a decade of industry experience. We've been on both sides of the stripes, and have set out to tackle the problems that both customers and providers face. Customers will find a hassle free experience that allows them to get their grass cut only when they need it cut. Providers will be fed extra business along their routes and receive payments within 48 hours. And when the snow falls, we'll be ready to transition to SnowGuru!
We're currently only servicing select Michigan cities, but we expect to be in many markets around the US next season. Signing up now will show us which markets are most interested in our platform and enable us to bring on demand lawn care to your area sooner. Check us out, find out the size of your lawn, let us know if you have any questions or comments, and hopefully we'll be able to send a guru your way soon.
Report
I really like this! Your taking a major headache of almost every homeowner and applying new technology to address the problem. I can't wait until you expand to nearby states (hint, hint).
Report
Finally. Been waiting for a product like this. Now all it needs is to come to the Denver area!
Gather
LawnGuru
VideoAmigo: Vital Statistics
Poker Chill
