• The Seattle Times reports that Matt Williams, a 12-year veteran of amazon.com, has launched a new website called Pro.com that "aims to simplify the process of pricing home-improvement projects, finding a contractor and scheduling an appointment to get the project started. The goal is to get this all done with a just a few clicks, making the process easier and more transparent for customers.
"Homeowners click on the projects they need done, enter their zip code and a few details and are presented with a menu of typical labor costs - dubbed 'Prestimates' - for each project. They also receive a list of vetted service providers, with moderated ratings, and available dates and times when the work can be scheduled. Contractors can list their services for free but pay a commission on completed jobs provided through pro.com."
“The vision of this company is to price and book reliable local services in under a minute and that goes beyond home improvement,” Williams says. “Long term we want to build this out across many categories.”
The story notes that the site has $3.5 million in seed funding - from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and "a handful of venture capital firms."
"Homeowners click on the projects they need done, enter their zip code and a few details and are presented with a menu of typical labor costs - dubbed 'Prestimates' - for each project. They also receive a list of vetted service providers, with moderated ratings, and available dates and times when the work can be scheduled. Contractors can list their services for free but pay a commission on completed jobs provided through pro.com."
“The vision of this company is to price and book reliable local services in under a minute and that goes beyond home improvement,” Williams says. “Long term we want to build this out across many categories.”
The story notes that the site has $3.5 million in seed funding - from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and "a handful of venture capital firms."
- KC's View:
