The Covid-19 pandemic has brought many industries and aspects of life to a standstill. But chores still need to get done – lawns need mowing and friends need help moving. As a result, Cincinnati startup Home Team has continued to grow over the past two months.
Home Team, an alum of the Hillman Accelerator, bills itself as a labor-tech startup. The company helps users with a variety of tasks ranging from lawn services to moving.
"Anything you can think of – anything that requires a helping hand, that's where we come in," CEO Rodney Walton told Cincy Inno. "A lot of customers already have the equipment and supplies, they just don't have the time."
Home Team aims to fill a gap in the moving market. Right now, most have to choose between hiring a moving team (which can be costly) or doing it themselves. But if you provide the truck, Home Team can provide the labor. Customers pay $80 to hire one person for two hours or $160 to hire two people for two hours.
It's an affordable option that's becoming popular during a time when many families are increasingly worried about their finances. Since the start of the pandemic, Walton said that Home Team has seen an uptick in requests for its services.
"Moving is not a luxury," he said. "Most people that are moving are doing it because they have to. We want to make sure we're creating something that can help with that."
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Home Team is taking precautions to protect employees and customers. All movers wear gloves, masks and observe social distancing practices. There is also no physical contact during jobs.
Prior to founding Home Team, Walton managed a moving company in Pittsburgh for four years. He found that many people already had the vehicles required for moving, but needed help with the labor. Walton created Home Team in 2016 and moved the company to Cincinnati not long after.
Participating in the Hillman Accelerator allowed the company to receive a $100,000 investment, which it used to grow its team and build its own tech. The experience helped Home Team grow its business by 400%.
"We're still involved with them today," Walton said. "They keep ongoing communication with their portfolio companies. And we help in little springs through mentorship. There's a ladder effect of helping the next generation. We can all continue to pour into this pot to gain knowledge."
Currently, Home Team offers its services in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It has 120 contractors across these four cities and has six people on its Cincinnati-based management team.
The company has raised a little over $400,000 since 2016. Walton said the company is currently trying to determine if it wants to take on venture capital investment, or continue bootstrapping.
Regardless of the company's decision to take on outside funding, Walton predicts Home Team will continue to grow – even during a pandemic.
"This is a unique time for entrepreneurs to bond together," he said. "We can look at the solutions we're creating and use them to bring us to the other side of this Covid situation so the impact isn't felt as much as it could be."
