New snow removal app learns from Uber’s mistakes
Edmontonexaminer.com
Nov. 18, 2015
By Madeleine Cummings
Sheldon Zhang and Terry Song could have disrupted Edmonton’s entire snow removal market by creating an Uber-esque app to connect customers with freelance shovellers.
But the creators of the on-demand snow removal app, “SnowTapp,” have watched Uber spar with the city and taxi industry over insurance and licensing issues for months. Should an unlicensed snow-shoveller slip and fall on a driveway, they figured their company would be liable.
So they took a different approach in designing their “Uber economy” app. Rather than shut out traditional snow-shovelling companies, SnowTapp would include them.
The app lets customers order snow removal service from the company’s roster of licensed and insured “service providers,” which are basically traditional snow removal companies.
SnowTapp claims their prices beat market rates by 30 per cent. (One-time visits start at $19.95 and monthly subscriptions at $99.95.)
They also claim they’re helping customers (by making snow removal easier to buy) and traditional companies (by bringing them more customers, cutting down on their advertising costs and handling payments).
Song came up with the app idea after going on vacation last winter. He wanted to hire someone to shovel snow for him while he was away but didn’t want to sign a seasonal contract.
“I thought, there should be an easier way to do this,” he said.
“This is something that the market needs.”
Both Zhang and Song graduated from engineering programs at the University of Alberta and worked together for the same engineering firm. They often discussed business ideas over lunch, but didn’t ever plan on leaving their steady, high-paying jobs to work at a risky start-up together.
Now, they’re working 14-hour days and trying to perfect the app before it launches on Nov. 30.
Song said the biggest challenge so far has been working outside of their comfort zones.
“In the past week, I’ve spent more time on the phone than I have in the past four or five years combined,” he said.
“In the past few days, I’ve probably sent 400 emails,” Zhang added.
Right now, the pair is focusing their efforts on Edmonton but they plan to expand the app’s reach to Calgary and other cities soon.