South African tradesmen now have a business growth opportunity with the launch of RedFish.co.za, an online platform aimed at bringing the DIY and home improvement industry online through a transparent customer rating system and marketing platform.
Genevieve Dalrymple, co-founder and director at RedFish, says the platform aims to bring the home-improvement industry online through vetted quality and ratings. Tradesmen will be able to find work easily, and customers will be provided with transparent ratings before they decide to work with a tradesman.
She says that, as Internet and mobile access increases in SA, RedFish will provide an easy and cost-effective way for both customers and tradesmen to meet, have professional conversations and build relationships with the aim of getting the job done.
Simply put, she says, it's an online solution for customers to get stuff done, with an ocean of potential clients for tradesmen.
"The construction and home improvement industry has taken a knock over the last two years with budgets being tightened; tradesmen are faced with the challenge of needing to find customers," she says. "With this platform, tradesmen will be able to secure work by competitively submitting quotes through job requests and customers being assured that they are getting the best person for the job."
Dalrymple continues: "The process is simple: a tradesman will register on the site for free, and via daily updates, will be connected with potential customers who have posted a job. The tradesman receives an e-mail as soon as a job is posted in their area with their specific skill set.
"On completion of the job, a customer is asked to provide a rating of the tradesmen and their work, which is then added to their public profile page, allowing them to build their reputations through ratings and updated profiles on the site, and have their quality of work rated to improve their chances of securing future business," she says.
"A large portion of emerging businesses and South African tradesmen use their mobiles as their means of connectivity on ground level, but more than a third of SMEs do not currently have an online presence, so we hope this offering will provide them with a platform where they can market themselves for free and increase their future business growth."
She explains that RedFish differentiates itself from current job boards and online classifieds by incorporating a rating system. The reason behind this is that the home improvement and construction industry has somewhat of a bad reputation, and by including a vetted, transparent offering, customers will get the best service from the industry, with tradesmen receiving the accolades they deserve.
A recent survey found that SMEs need to diversify more actively if they are to be more sustainable, profitable and resilient to inevitable market change, she says, adding that RedFish is giving these tradesmen the opportunity to do just that, with a platform they don't usually consider using.
"This is an incredibly exciting portal and we believe it has real value for both customers and tradesmen; with over 8.5 million Internet users in SA alone, micro businesses cannot afford to be without an online presence and it is really important for targeting potential customers as part of their business development," she concludes.
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