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From cat grooming and fish-tank cleaning to grandfather-clock moving and hole digging, the co-founders of Sydetasker have seen their share of odd job requests.
Their app, which launched in January, connects users who need a service — such as yard work, moving or cleaning — with taskers who can complete the job and securely collect payment.
Co-founder and CEO Colin Milligan, 24, started the company as a college student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
At the time, it was called College Cleaners and Milligan was just aiming to make some extra cash by cleaning houses. He passed out flyers and as demand started ramping up, he recruited friends to help. They added other services like lawn mowing, snow shoveling and heavy lifting.
As an economics major, Milligan knew the best way to scale the business would be through technology.
After an attempt to work with some computer science students didn't work out, Milligan connected with Zaid Altahat, a computer science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside who previously worked for companies including GE Healthcare and Motorola. The two met up at a restaurant between Oshkosh and Milwaukee in 2019 and hit it off.
"I know this gig economy is really the next big thing," Altahat said. "Colin was on the right track and I felt he has the idea, he has the plan, he has the energy for it. This is key in any startup... It's a matter of building the platform, which is something I'm passionate about."
Sydetasker has more than 2,000 users, including taskers and people who have signed up to request services. Milligan expects to break $100,000 in revenue for the year, he said.
The startup has been focused on product development based on customer feedback. Next, it plans to scale to users all over Wisconsin and the Midwest.
"I want to be a marketplace for people to get anything done securely," Milligan said. "And to also enable anybody to work on their own and become an independent contractor."
The product: An online marketplace where users can seek services and receive offers from verified "taskers" who can complete the job. Payment is done securely through the platform, allowing users to release the money when the job is complete. Services can range from landscaping to photography to complete remodeling, with lots of other tasks in between.
How it makes money: Sydetasker charges taskers a 15% fee for every task completed through the platform. It also charges customers a 5% fee when they book a service, but some of that goes to its payment platform partner.
Size of the market: $500 billion, according to the company
Competition: TaskRabbit, which is owned by IKEA; Thumbtack Inc.; Angi Inc. (formerly Angie's List); Handy, which is owned by Angi; Craigslist Inc.
Competitive advantage: Sydetasker said its platform is extremely flexible. Users can receive multiple quotes from taskers for different jobs, and hire taskers for an hourly or flat rate. Unlike some competitors that charge independent contractors for every lead, Sydetasker does not charge taskers to make offers on tasks or to use the platform.
Business it could disrupt: The home and lifestyle services market
Key team members: CEO Colin Milligan and chief technology officer Zaid Altahat
Advisers: Zack Pawlosky and UW-Oshkosh Small Business Development Center director Dan Brosman
Investors: UW-Oshkosh Titan Accelerator Program and Summer Incubator Program
Capital raised: $15,000, mostly bootstrapped
Capital sought: $500,000 in pre-seed funding
Ideal exit: Get acquired by a larger company in the industry
Company name: Sydetasker LLC
Headquarters: Milwaukee
Year founded: 2020
CEO: Colin Milligan
No. of employees: 7
Website: www.sydetasker.com
A previous version of the article misspelled Zack Pawlosky's name.
