GenieTown is launching an online marketplace for connecting local, specialized service providers and consumers today – a difficult area to reach often defined as the last-mile of the Web.
It combines the visibility of Yellow Pages, the local community of Craigslist Services, and the unique long tail market that defines eBay.
Services that define GenieTown include everything from home improvement and personal chefs, to music lessons and help with computer networks.
Customers in need of these specific services can create a project and service providers (Genies) can then respond directly and tailor their offer based on the opportunity.
It’s also a network where Genies can contribute to the community to show expertise and earn business and customers and providers can rank each other based on experience.
GenieTown allows customers to easily browse through a broad range of specific service providers or post a job request and invite qualified responses. The next step is to simply negotiate a bid and then get the work done. Completed transactions help build and encourage word-of-mouth recommendations, community connections, and create a trusted network.
In addition to completed transactions, Genies are encouraged to build their online reputation to gain exposure within the community and earn credibility and trust by contributing articles, sharing tips and tricks, and answering questions. Genies earn a rating based on the value of information they contribute within the community as well as the overall quality of services provided to customers. Customers, in turn, also earn ratings too, which keeps the community engaged, accountable and interactive.
According to Michael Arrington, the company has raised $2 million in a first round of funding from a number of angel investors, including Stanford professors Hassan Chafi (also the CEO) and Kunle Olukotu.
The community is initially targeted for the San Francisco Bay Area.
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