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GreenPal
File:GreenPal Logo.jpeg
Available inEnglish
FoundedApril 1, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-04-01)
Area servedUSA
Founder(s)Bryan Clayton (CEO)
Zach Hendrix (CTO)
Gene Caballero (COO)
Ross Brooks
IndustryOnline marketplace
Freelance Marketplace
Online outsourcing
ServicesLandscaping
URLyourgreenpal.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationRequired
Users1,000,000
Current statusActive

GreenPal is an online freelancing platform that connects landscapers to clients in the United States. The company is based in Nashville, Tennessee and was founded in 2012. GreenPal's business model was inspired by Uber,[2] Airbnb and Lyft.[3] As of January 2020, the company operated in 45 states and had approximately 1,000,000 users.[4] GreenPal has been cited as an example of economic "vaporization", wherein physical products can be replaced by information technologies. The introduction of apps like GreenPal has reduced the need for homeowners to purchase landscaping equipment, much as Uber diminished the need for individuals to own cars.[5]

History

GreenPal was founded in April 2012 by Bryan Clayton, Gene Caballero, Zach Hendrix, and Ross Brooks.[6][7] Clayton, Caballero, and Hendrix had previously worked together in the landscaping industry, and they noticed that the demand for same-day lawncare was growing.[8] At the same time, many homeowners were having a hard time connecting with landscapers in their area, since most landscaping businesses were small and had difficulty connecting with clients.

Clayton cited Uber and Airbnb as his inspirations for the company,[2] stating that "If people were going to allow strangers to sleep in their own beds (in the case of an Airbnb), then they have to be open to allowing others to help them get better lawn care."[9] In order to encourage brand loyalty, GreenPal began offering complementary treats and customized notes for homeowners with pets.[10]

In 2016, Clayton, Caballero, and Hendrix bought out Brooks to avoid dragging the company through protracted legal proceedings during his divorce.[11]

From 2016 to 2017, the company expanded its operations, and launched in several new cities such as Atlanta,[12] Houston,[13] and Marietta.[14] According to Naples Daily News, the company generated nearly $5,000,000 in revenue in 2017.[15]

In 2018 GreenPal released the Lawn Care Business Blueprint, a guide to working in the landscaping industry.[16] The following year, GreenPal extended its operations to cities such as Minneapolis–Saint Paul,[17] Detroit,[18] San Diego,[19] and Spokane, Washington.[20]

In January 2020, the app was used by a reported 150,000 vendors, and 1,000,000 homeowners.[21][22] That same month, the company expanded its snow removal service to Greater Boston.[23] The company offers a $2,000 GreenPal Business Scholarship fund for promising entrepreneurs.[24][25]

Features

GreenPal's app functions as a matchmaking service to connect professional landscapers with local homeowners.[26] Users download the app and list their address, the types of landscaping work they would like and the date that they would like the work completed.[27] Nearby landscapers, known as "vendors" on the platform, are then able to bid on the job, based on the customers' description and Google Earth images of their yards.[28][29] GreenPal screens vendors to ensure that they have commercial landscaping equipment and references, and requires them to register with a valid social security number and bank account.[19] Vendors are then rated based on user reviews.[30]

In addition to work such as lawnmowing and gardening, GreenPal's vendors also offer seasonal services such as snow removal.[31]

Development

The company initially paid $90,000 to develop an app and website for the service. However, this app turned out to be unusable, and had been designed for use on traditional computers rather than mobile devices.[32] Hendrix, the CTO, began studying software design and developed a new app for the company.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ "yourgreenpal.com Competitive Analysis, Marketing Mix and Traffic - Alexa". www.alexa.com. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  2. ^ a b "GreenPal app lets people hire lawn services". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  3. ^ "Sun Sentinel - We are currently unavailable in your region". www.tribpub.com. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  4. ^ "Snow removal service at the touch of your fingers". WXYZ. 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  5. ^ Rosenstein, Bruce (2016-03-28). Leader to Leader (LTL), Volume 80, Spring 2016. John Wiley & Sons. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-119-23688-7.
  6. ^ Ehlinger, Samantha (2017-10-18). "The Uber of yard work draws San Antonians to GreenPal". ExpressNews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  7. ^ "GreenPal simplifies lawn care with app". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  8. ^ Franklin, Danielle Mae (August 29, 2018). "GreenPal app launches in Clayton". The Missouri Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ clevel, Jeff Piorkowski/special to; .com (2018-07-07). "Lawn care app now available in east side communities". cleveland. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  10. ^ Cutting, Donna (2015-12-21). 501 Ways to Roll Out the Red Carpet for Your Customers: Easy-to-Implement Ideas to Inspire Loyalty, Get New Customers, and Make a Lasting Impression. Red Wheel/Weiser. ISBN 978-1-63265-975-0.
  11. ^ Drake, Samantha. "If Love Goes Wrong, Here's How To Protect The Heart Of Your Startup". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  12. ^ Jill Vejnoska, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Would you call Uber to come cut your lawn?". ajc. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  13. ^ Cruz, Mayra; writer, Staff (2019-02-21). "Lawn service platform app expands to Spring". The Courier. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  14. ^ reports, Staff. "GreenPal launches Uber for lawn mowing in Marietta". MDJOnline.com. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  15. ^ LOGAN, CASEY. "Lawn service too expensive? This app could help". Naples Daily News. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  16. ^ Odom, Jill (November 6, 2018). "GreenPal creates business blueprints for lawn care operators". Total Landscape Care. Retrieved 2020-02-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Ewoldt, John (May 21, 2019). "Time crunched as the grass grows? Another landscaping app arrives in the Twin Cities". Star Tribune.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "GreenPal app launches in Detroit". WXYZ. 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  19. ^ a b Mapp, Lauren J. (2019-05-07). "Uber-style App for Lawn Care Officially Launches in San Diego". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  20. ^ Edelen, Amy (January 28, 2020). "GreenPal launches on-demand snow removal service in Spokane". The Spokesman-Review.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Feighan, Maureen. "Welcome Mat: An Uber for snow removal? Nashville apps offers on demand shoveling". Detroit News. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  22. ^ "Snow removal service at the touch of your fingers". WXYZ. 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  23. ^ "'Uber for lawn care' launches on-demand snow removal in Metro Boston". Boston Herald. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  24. ^ Konrad, Matt (May 15, 2014). "Turn Summer Jobs Into College Scholarship Opportunities". U.S. News & World Report.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "GreenPal awards Texas A&M student with scholarship". Landscape Management. 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  26. ^ "Lawn wars: GreenPal takes on local incumbent in on-demand lawn care". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2018-01-17. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  27. ^ Paige, DeAsia. "Get your lawn mowed with this new app that launched in Detroit". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  28. ^ Crawley, Leah (2019-04-24). "Brand new 'Greenpal' landscaping app launches in Baltimore". WBFF. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  29. ^ "'Uber for lawn care' app expands to Spokane | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  30. ^ "The mowing middle men". Lawn & Landscape. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  31. ^ "Snow removal now as easy as ordering takeout on your phone". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  32. ^ "More small businesses put focus on a mobile-first strategy". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  33. ^ "GreenPal gains traction with lawn care app". Nashville Post. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
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