Running an ‘agency bookings’ type of business: what technology would I need?

[Parent2work]

I am thinking of starting up a small business, let’s call it a window-cleaning agency. It’s not, but as an example.

I would have a small group of window cleaners working on a self employed ad-hoc basis. Each would have their own specialism eg different types of windows. I would market their services and take enquiries.

People would book via the business and I would take a commission on the booking.

I would know roughly when window cleaner A was available in order to take the enquiries, but need an online system so that clients can purchase a slot. I also need a diary system so that I can be aware of the exact availability of window cleaners A, B and C.

What would work for this in an easy to manage way? Just throwing some ideas out there:

Eventbrite
Paypal
Facebook
Google calendar for the diary

I would ask for payment in advance from the client, then pay the window cleaner afterwards. However, the responsibility for the quality of the service would need to rest with that window cleaner. I would ask them to get professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

Any input welcome!

Looking at this from a requirements point of view, you're driven by a few key high level requirements.

1. A customer must be able to view available slots based on criteria, book a slot and pay for the slot

1. An subcontractor must be able to indicate what types of jobs they can cover, their availability and rate

1. A sub contractor must be able to accept/reject bookings, view bookings

1. A communication channel needs to be created between the customer and sub contractor

1. Invoicing information must be generated at job level, aggregated by sub contractor

Working on the basis that you are not going to employ a human to manually manage this process of booking it needs to be software driven.

Without going the route of custom software I'd be thinking something like a room booking software package would work. A cleaner is similar to a room booking in that only one can exist in a time period, has features e.g. projector etc. and has a start and end time

Having a quick look around you can get very good booking services starting at around £150-300/month and with a bit of add on customisation to automate processes could fit the job.

Again I'm working on assuming the goal of this is for the only time you spend on this to be setup, transferring money, marketing & dispute management.

The "window cleaners" are not going to make themselves available exclusively to you without being reasonably certain that you would fill their work diary.
If you are very successful, then you will do that eventually, but in the meantime, you will just be another source of work, and an unestablished one with no repeat business, no word of mouth and no web visitors.
So, two things will happen:-

1. They will continue advertising their services as they always have, which will cause you to compete with them for the same customers who could go direct (and get lower prices due to cutting out the middle-man i.e. You!) or the other businesses who refer clients to them.

1. They will update your site with their availability. Then they will fill some of their slots with bookings from other sources. You will want them to log into your site straight away, but that's not efficient for the window cleaner. So no matter how much they intend to keep you promptly updated, your site's availability will be out of date quite often. If you only send one hours work per week at first, then human nature dictates that at best, the window cleaner will only log on at most onçe a week to update his/ her availablity.

So now you have a problem that you've (probably at some expense to yourself) found a customer, made a sale and taken the customer's money. What they don't want is to have you tell them that you cannot honour the deal they think they've just made with you (and have already paid for).
So, they won't take it well when you call them back to say that it turns out the window cleaner isn't available at the pre-booked time. If they are understanding the first time it happens and agree to another time, not the one they really wanted, then they will not be so understanding on the second occasion and even less on the third (if they give you another chance, that is).

So, you will need to have a plan for keeping your site up to date with the window cleaners availability.

Also if your contribution is to find work for the window cleaner, then they will want to know how you are going to do that. Are you going to do any off-line marketing or will it just be online. If off-line then that can be very expensive (unless you have had some inspiration?).
If only online, then it all comes down to how much traffic is being driven to your website. That's a lot of SEO and probably sizeable amounts of google ads etc.
I.e. A significant outlay from yourself before you start to take in any revenue.

My last query: you can say that you are taking the customer's money but aren't liable for the service they receive (or even no service if the window cleaner doesn't turn up). However, saying something and it being legally defensible isn't the same thing.

If you took my money and didn't deliver what we agreed, then I'd be looking for you to make good my loss, not a third party.

Wouldn't you be entering into a contract with the customer where you made an offer (of window cleaning services at x time), they accepted and paid and you accepted their money and gave them a receipt. Therefore the contract is with you, surely?

Thanks for the input, lots to consider there.

There seem to be two sticking points: availability and liability.

I don't think flow of work is going to be a huge problem, as it is quite likely that each window cleaner will be available for the same slots each week and would not want to go beyond that. I would also have some insight into their patterns of availability, as they would be school-hours window cleaners.

Liability - yes, I can see that the contract is between me and the client.

Is it better doing it the other way around - the client books directly with the window cleaner, after an initial enquiry via my website, but I then invoice the window cleaner for my commission?

The window cleaners are definitely interested in this work, as they have the necessary skills but don't have a way of monetising or promoting them.

I don't understand. Are you saying that the people who will do the actual work have these characteristics:-

1. The necessary skills
2. The desire to work and the ability to commit to being available when you've made a booking (sick children?)
3. They aren't currently working
4. They can afford to risk you not finding customers for them when they are ready and able to work?

Yes, they already have existing employment that is their bread-and-butter. This would be additional income that would make good use of time within school hours.