Let’s say you just found your dream couch on Craigslist at a fantastic price. Great! But there’s one problem: you don’t have a large truck or van to get the couch safely delivered to your living room. Sure, you could rent a U-Haul or nag a friend to borrow their truck, but who wants to do that? When you factor in the inconvenience and cost of renting a truck just to move a few items cross-city, suddenly the couch and dining table that you got for a great price becomes a headache. That’s where Dolly comes in.
RELATED: THINKING ABOUT DEVELOPING AN APP?
A Seattle-based moving and delivery platform, which launched in Chicago, Dolly takes the hassle out of moving. With the Dolly app, you answer a series of simple questions about what you’re moving, where it’s going and whether you plan on helping in the move. Dolly’s algorithm then sets a price for your move; with an average price range of $50-$80. Users can adjust this recommended price before requesting a “helper,” or a background-checked person with a truck. Once a request is posted, all helpers can see and respond to it. The messaging function in the Dolly app allows users and helpers to discuss the logistics of the move. Once you’ve got all the details ironed out with your helper, you simply hit “accept” and voila! Your mattress is all ready to be moved tomorrow. Similar to Uber, the user’s linked payment method is automatically charged upon completion so you don’t have to worry about a cash exchange.
By taking on a similar business model of existing services like Uber, Lyft, Airbnb and TaskRabbit, Dolly is poised to shake up the archaic moving industry. This ‘sharing economy’ business model is only going to continue to become more prevalent, and industries that remain stagnant either need to innovate and jump on board, or prepare for the inevitable fallout.
