Handoff - Home Services Marketplace
A premium home services marketplace with 80 providers onboarded in the first month.
The Challenge
The founder had a clear model: a premium home services marketplace where homeowners could book vetted contractors and pay through the platform. Every off-the-shelf solution wanted a cut of revenue or locked him into someone else's infrastructure. He needed a platform he owned outright.
The Approach
Mapped out a dual-sided marketplace with separate flows for homeowners and service providers. Homeowners browse, request quotes and pay in-app. Providers manage their availability, accept jobs and receive payouts. One admin panel to run it all.
Designed provider onboarding with identity verification, in-app messaging between homeowners and contractors, Stripe Connect for split payments, and a review system to build trust on both sides.
The Outcome
Launched in a single city with 30 personally vetted providers. The first week brought 14 completed jobs. Within a month, 80 providers were onboarded and expansion to 2 additional cities was underway.
"The whole experience of working with Nikola was extremely positive and educational. Providers signed up because the platform looked trustworthy from the first screen. 80 onboarded in the first month, and most of them mentioned the friendly design as a reason they joined." Ryan, Founder, Handoff
Client names changed under NDA. Results and deliverables are real.