Outsourcing Ikea Trips: TaskRabbit Launches in DC

• August 19, 2013

by UrbanTurf Staff

The sharing economy continues to infiltrate DC.

A website that allows people to outsource jobs and errands to willing workers in their city (for a price) launched in the city on Monday. DC is one of five new U.S. cities where TaskRabbit will start operating this week.

The way that TaskRabbit works is fairly simple. A user posts a job or task that they want accomplished, names their price and then TaskRabbits (pre-approved workers) bid to complete the job. TaskRabbits in cities where the site operates are chosen after submitting a video interview, undergoing a background check, and passing a quiz based on the TaskRabbit manual. TaskRabbit usually takes a 15 percent cut of the final cost of the job.

Here are some of the tasks and associated costs that people head to TaskRabbit to handle in San Francisco:

• Pick up boots that are getting repaired and deliver them to owner. — $11
• Assemble two CB2 bookcases and install a window shade. — Bids ranged from $79 to $109
• Digitize 525 CD collection. — $260 to $352
• Weeding a lawn. — $40
• IKEA furniture pick-up and delivery. — $40 to $56

Even though it only launched on Monday, the DC site already has some tasks up for bid that are getting taken care of.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/outsourcing_ikea_trips_taskrabbit_launches_in_dc/7478