Do It for Me: The Next Evolution of the On-Demand Economy

What is the do-it-for-me movement?

The do-it-for-me movement caters to consumers who don’t have the time, resources or desire to complete a certain task. So, while DIY would involve teaching a customer how to complete a task themselves, DIFM would have a business do the job for them. DIFM can also be applied in the business-to-business sphere, in which a business hires an outside company or professional — also known as a managed service provider — to tackle specific tasks.

“Attention spans are fleeting and everyone seems to be juggling multiple roles. People are craving simplicity and efficiency,” said Alyssa Moorhead, a lead generation and sales expert who offers “done-for-you” sales services through her agency, Nerve Client Studio. “Imagine being able to focus solely on your core strengths instead of wearing all the hats — this is exactly what done-for-you services offer.”

How can you take advantage of the on-demand economy?

Entrepreneurs in almost every sector and location can capitalize on the DIFM trend. A reported 22.4 million users are spending $57.6 million annually in the on-demand economy.

“The most valuable innovations for business leaders and operators take big chunks of messy, complicated work off their plates, giving them leverage to focus on the highest impact work,” said Aaron Goldsmid, Head of Product at Deel. 

It is a growing market space, so there’s plenty of time to test this on-demand economy to see what works. Here are some tips for capitalizing on the on-demand economy.

Identify a need in the market.

When you’re trying to start a new business, the first step is to identify an underserved need in the market. What is a task that consumers don’t want to do themselves and instead would pay an individual or company to complete the job for them?

Once you’ve come up with some potential ideas, spend time interviewing your would-be target audience. What is the job they need to have filled and why don’t they want to do it themselves? How much are they willing to spend to have someone else do it for them?

Next, look at businesses that are already offering similar services. What are their strengths and weaknesses? How can you differentiate your business to gain a competitive edge? Determine ways to uniquely position your business in the market so you can stand out from competitors. Otherwise, it will be hard to get your enterprise off the ground. 

Create zero-friction customer experiences. 

Eliminating customer friction should be a high priority for all companies, regardless of their specific market or role. Friction is the amount of effort a customer has to make to complete a purchase with your company. 

The harder it is for a customer to buy from you, the more friction there is. For instance, if a customer has to contact your company three times to book an appointment, there’s a high amount of friction in your scheduling process. Customers expect a frictionless experience when they interact with businesses, particularly when the purpose of your company is to do something so they don’t have to. If you’re unable to deliver, you will lose customers to more capable competitors. 

Understand convenience-oriented customers.

In general, there are two types of customers: value-oriented and convenience-oriented. Value-oriented customers are willing to spend time to save money, whereas convenience-oriented customers are willing to spend money to save time. 

Convenience-oriented customers are more likely to do things such as hire a housekeeper or pay for a lawn-mowing service — two examples of do-it-for-me services. Studies have shown that people who buy back their time tend to be happier than if they spent that same money on material purchases. It’s important to understand which type of customer you’re dealing with so you can find relevant ways to market to convenience-oriented customers.

Tailor your services to different customers.

It’s easy to assume that convenience-oriented customers have a lot of disposable income, but this isn’t always the case. Research has shown that these consumers have a variety of income levels. Convenience-oriented customers are also pretty evenly split between men and women and among different age ranges and lifestyles. Keep that diverse market in mind when you set the prices for your services.

To appeal to everyone who is looking for on-demand and do-it-for-me assistance, you should create different types of services. Going back to the housekeeping example, such a business should have various cleaning packages that suit customer segments such as elderly homeowners, new homebuyers and families renting out their spaces. All of these customers want you to do the cleaning for them but their specific needs and circumstances vary.

Provide mobile-friendly options.

In today’s mobile economy, consumers are more empowered than ever when making purchase decisions. They compare prices, communicate directly with retailers and service providers and use apps to have anything delivered to them at any time. Mobile devices eliminate boundaries to connectivity, so it’s important to offer mobile-friendly options – for example, a site with responsive web design, social media accounts where consumers can engage with you and easy online purchase options. [Learn how to go mobile-first in the age of mobile marketing.]

Because the DIFM movement is intended to cater to customers, providing a mobile-friendly experience is perfectly aligned with an on-demand business’s overall goals. The time and effort required to create mobile-friendly options will likely benefit your company in the long run.

What are examples of on-demand businesses?

According to Grand View Research, the global managed services market size is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.6 percent by 2030. 

In case you’re looking for some inspiration, here are popular do-it-for-me services that have taken off in recent years:

• Accounting: Bookkeeping, payroll, invoicing and revenue tracking can be done from an outside business, often for less than the cost of hiring a dedicated accountant. [Related article: The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Bookkeeper]
• At-home healthcare: On-demand healthcare services allow people to have prescriptions delivered, schedule telehealth appointments and communicate with their doctors without leaving their homes. 
• Food delivery: Consumers can get takeout delivered to their doorstep from their favorite restaurants and fast food eateries with on-demand delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
• Grocery delivery: Shoppers can browse online for their groceries, add them to their virtual cart, check out and have their groceries delivered to their doorstep the same day.
• Human resource (HR) management: Smaller companies that don’t have the resources to hire dedicated team members for HR can leverage DIFM software that can distribute new-hire materials, assist with benefits enrollment and provide other HR-related tasks.
• Interior design: Whether it’s for your new home or just for decorating for the holiday season, interior designers can be hired by the hour to assist you.
• Cybersecurity: Data security and monitoring from an outside agency can save business owners time and energy, knowing their business and customer data is being protected from malware and potential hackers.
• Public relations/marketing: Outside agencies can handle a business’s online reputation and advertising needs when they don’t have the time or the resources to manage this aspect of the business.
• Website creation: Although there are DIY sites to build your own website, many times, websites created this way are left unfinished. A DIFM website service can manage both the design and functionality of your website. [Learn more: The Best Website Builders and Design Services]

Advice from on-demand business owners

As the on-demand market continues to grow, here are a few expert suggestions for you to find success with your DIFM endeavor.

1. Get to know your customers.

Loyal customers grow from good relationships. Goldsmid said Deel has built true partnerships with its customers by listening intently and responding to their problems as if they were our own. 

“We’ve learned that the best [done-for-you] solutions are fast, highly accountable and versatile,” Goldsmid said, “[and] that an exceptional service requires doing the hard things first.”

2. Be reliable.

According to Goldsmid, the most important aspect of building a done-for-you service is ensuring consumers can count on your service to be the experts and address problems quickly.

“At Deel, we respond to that need by building solutions on our own tech infrastructure (as opposed to wrapping our UX [user experience] around another vendor’s tech),” Goldsmid said. “Because we own the tech and compliance expertise in-house, we can identify and address sensitive problems quickly, answer urgent questions in hours instead of days or weeks and build new solutions faster than anyone else.” 

3. Stand out from your competition.

Although every business has competition, standing out in the crowded on-demand market can be simple when you leverage what is unique about your business. Moorhead suggests highlighting this in your offers, messaging and communications with potential clients. 

“This distinctiveness helps attract the clients who are looking for exactly what you provide,” Moorhead said.

4. Increase your rates.

There will always be consumers who are happy to pay premium prices for high-quality services. 

“Build strong relationships, demonstrate your value and don’t be afraid to set higher rates,” Moorhead explained. “If you engage in meaningful conversations with potential clients and showcase your unique value, you’ll find that many are ready and willing to invest in what you offer.”

Scot Wingo contributed to this article.