A 9-to-5 schedule never sat right with Michael Mendez.
“I never stuck with a job for more than two years,” he told Business Insider.
In 2018, feeling antsy in his supervisor role at Menards, he did a quick online search for flexible jobs that allow you to choose your hours.
Google presented him with Taskrabbit, an online marketplace that matches freelance labor with local demand. He’d be the freelancer, providing services such as organization, furniture assembly, and heavy lifting.
He quit his job and built a profile.
“I was living with my parents at the time, and it was easy to manage funds,” he said, noting that his advice for someone looking to make a similar career jump is to start Taskrabbit as a side hustle until you’ve built up enough ratings and reviews to generate consistent bookings.
Seven years later, Mendez is still working as a full-time tasker, earning enough to satisfy his minimalist lifestyle in Oakland, California. He says he has a level of job satisfaction and flexibility that would be difficult to ever leave.
“Having the freedom, but also having all that responsibility — everything is my business or all on me to get everything done — there’s something that’s very freeing in that,” he said.
Mendez, 34, spoke with BI about scaling his business, becoming an elite tasker with a nearly perfect rating and more than 1,500 reviews, and what his typical day looks like.
Niching down and scaling up
Consumers can hire Taskrabbits for a variety of home tasks, and Mendez initially offered a broad range of services: moving, organizing, furniture assembly, deliveries, and heavy lifting.
His very first task was a cleaning gig, though “I don’t think that lasted too long,” he said. At the time, “I tried to do as many as I could. I wanted to just feel out the app and see what it could offer.”
Courtesy of Michael Mendez
As he figured out what tasks best matched his skillset, he kept his hourly rate below average. Without any reviews or ratings, it was the only competitive edge he had at the time.
Eventually, he niched down and started offering only the tasks he was exceptionally good at, which happened to be the ones he most enjoyed: general furniture assembly and Ikea assembly. He occasionally does heavy lifting and moving tasks.
“I played with Legos a bit as a kid, but I was never completely handy,” he said. “But, especially Ikea work, I started falling in love with. It’s kind of like a meditation for me. It’s very calming.”
As he became faster and better at assembly, he increased his rates — but only up to a certain point.
“I notice there are a lot of people who charge a lot for certain jobs, and I try to never be too much,” said Mendez. He adjusts his usual hourly rate of $65-$70 an hour seasonally, charging more in the summer when demand spikes.
A typical day in the life: E-biking between jobs and earning $100 a day minimum
Mendez starts most of his workdays at 9 a.m. During the week, he finishes between 3 and 4 p.m.; on Saturdays, he wraps early at 2 p.m.; and he takes Sunday off, using that day to reset and do volunteer work.
A typical day features two to three jobs that last between one and two hours. In the summer, which is busy season, he’ll complete up to four jobs a day: “A lot of people are moving and need a lot of furniture built or rebuilt. I can’t tell you how many times people tell me I’ve saved their marriage or saved their relationship because I’m taking the time to put something together for them.”
He could accept more gigs if he wanted to, but he prefers a lighter schedule.
Courtesy of Michael Mendez
“I meet a lot of people who work all day,” he said. “If I were looking to get a lot of cash flow in, I could just set my hours until 9 p.m., but it’s not my preference. I don’t like to stress my body out for too long.”
And he doesn’t feel the need to earn more than he already does, which ranges from $2,000 during slower months and $4,000 during busy months, according to earnings screenshots viewed by BI.
“My main thing is, as long as I make at least $100 a day, I’m good,” he said, adding, “I’m very simple. I definitely practice minimalism. I’m not very into owning a lot of things or spending my money.”
A chunk of his day is spent commuting between gigs. Up until two and a half years ago, he drove and dealt with daily stressors such as sitting in traffic and looking for parking. Now, he commutes on his e-bike, which saves him time, money, and stress.
“I love bikes, I love doing bikepacking trips, and I was like, ‘How can I fit this in with my work life?'” said Mendez. “My bike shop has e-bikes, and I found the best one for city riding and for holding my tools.”
He sold his car, has been relying on his e-bike and the BART train to get around ever since, “and it’s been a dream,” he said.
How to succeed on Taskrabbit
Not every personality type is right for Taskrabbit. It’s a social job that involves soft skills.
“You have to have it in you to put yourself out there because you’re kind of selling yourself,” said Mendez. “You have to be very presentable and be good with the clients. You learn a lot about people, and how to give them their space.”
Create a detailed bio that explains your skillset and exactly what tasks you offer to give yourself the best chance of attracting customers. Don’t limit your clientele by setting parameters such as a two-hour minimum, he said: “Some people do the two-hour minimum, but that’s one thing that could shy a client away from picking me, and I want no reason for a client to not pick me. I just want my profile to be as welcoming as possible.”
Courtesy of Michael Mendez
Equally important to building out a welcoming profile is knowing your limit, especially if you’re providing tasks like heavy lifting or moving.
“Be honest with yourself,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there that do that ‘fake it ’til you make it’ or try to show a confident face until something goes wrong, but I would say be very humble and honest with yourself about what your boundaries are when you do a job because some people could injure themselves.”
In general, you’ll be rewarded if you’re consistent and have a low cancellation rate.
Mendez, who classifies himself as a homebody, doesn’t travel a lot and can consistently accept jobs in Oakland. Keep in mind that your profile could be affected if you don’t work for several weeks or months. That said, Taskrabbit exists in many cities. Mendez is planning a bikepacking trip from Oakland to Colorado and considering bringing a screwdriver and hammer so he can continue working on the road.
Reviews are key. Customers are prompted to leave a review in the app after a job is completed, but Mendez also likes to ask in person.
“I say at the end of a job, ‘If you’re able to leave a rating and review for me, it helps me out so much. It’s the best tip I can get. It gets me more jobs and keeps me doing what I like to do.'”
It’s a viable side hustle or full-time gig, even if you’re not fully confident in your skills. In the beginning, “I had the smallest skillset,” he said.
“I’ve been doing it full-time for seven years now, I’ve been paying rent, I’ve been paying my taxes, and everything is working out very well.”
