A new Charlotte-based startup aims to give young people the opportunity to make extra money without the stress of juggling school and a job.
PettyGigs, co-founded in 2019 by William Ward and Alois Monger, is a mobile platform that provides on-demand work opportunity for teens and young adults looking to make money doing everyday tasks like lawn care, home maintenance tasks and errands.
Ward said the startup's vision lends itself to his own story as an immigrant coming to the United States in the early 2000s and needing extra money while finishing his college education.
"I had to work several jobs to pay for college and living expenses. If something like PettyGigs was around when I was a teenager, where I could go to school and in my free time earn money, that would have helped me with quality of life," he said.
To use the platform, those in need of a service can log on and select the skill-set level they want in a gig-worker, from novice to licensed expert. The app provides a recommended price based on the service and skill level, then shows the user a list of people who can perform the work. Users and gig workers have access to in-app communication, the ability to negotiate on price of service and direct payment options.
"When you post the gig, everyone able to do that work is alerted, and you're connected to those who are interested," Ward said.
Ward said the safety of its users is a top priority. Because they're encouraging teenagers and young adults to use PettyGigs, anyone posting a job undergoes an ID verification and background check to ensure they don't appear in any sex offender databases. For workers under 18, adult consent is required before they can begin work. Everyone over 18 must complete a background check.
PettyGigs launched to the public in June and currently has about 350 users, 50 of which are gig-seekers. Most of the users are based in the Charlotte region. Williams said the long-term goal is to integrate savings and investment opportunities into the platform.
"They'll be able to put a certain percentage of their earnings aside through the platform," he said. "We want to be able to help these young people save for the future, maybe help alleviate student loan debt."
To do that, Ward said the startup is working on a pre-seed funding round that will help scale the app and begin the investment integration.
"We're also planning our next iteration to incorporate virtual gigs to remotely connect people for things like tutoring or tech support," he said.
The service will eventually launch in other cities, Monger said.
"In New York, for example, if someone pulls up the app, they’ll get an alert that tells them the services are being rolled out," he said. "We want to make sure we have a good pot a "giggers" before we roll it out all over."
Monger, who is based in Detroit, said the platform is an important tool for users and workers, alike.
"On one end, we're trying to financially empower young adults, and on the other end, with busy professionals, we're giving them their time back," he said. "We're also empowering elderly folks. The pandemic has proven that a lot of seniors were left to fend for themselves."
