GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As preparations for the winter weather this weekend are underway, one tool may be more helpful than others when it comes to finding someone to help shovel your snow.
Cameron Lockrey, a student at Calvin University, created an app designed to connect people who need specific, easy jobs done with people who are willing to do them.
Whether it's lawn care, snow shoveling or something else entirely, Kickback is an app designed to give you the ability to "Let someone else handle it."
In 2022, Lockrey had a pressure washing business with friends.
Although Lockrey's business specialized in power washing, he would end up getting calls from customers asking if he'd do other odd jobs around their homes like mulching.
Lockrey said he loved doing miscellaneous jobs, so he looked for an app or a website that would give him a way to connect with new people and help them out. However, the search was futile.
So, he began working on Kickback in 2022 and released it in September 2023.
When you download Kickback, you have the option to either post a job that needs to be done, or sign up to do jobs for others.
Whoever posts the job is also responsible for setting the price that they're willing to pay. Once posted, the job will appear on a map in the app.
Those who signed up to work can then choose the jobs on the map they'd like to do.
When a job is chosen by a worker, the person who posted the job will get a notification, view the profile of the person who applied and decide if they want that person to come do the job for them.
Once the job is complete, all payment is handled through the app.
"That's kind of what makes Kickback a little bit different is that when you post as the consumer, you choose the price you want to pay, and then other people see it on a map," Lockrey said. "So that way, you're kind of getting off-market labor, and so it ends up being a lot cheaper that way when people come to you."
Lockrey said around 260 people are currently using the app—and he's hoping it can help the community as snowy weather rolls in.
"I definitely think the people that would benefit the most are those who are unable to do these services themselves," Lockrey said.
Kickback can be downloaded on iOS or Android devices.
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