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I don’t make a point of highlighting companies on this site. In general, that’s just not the purpose of what I’m trying to do on The Veteran Professional. But sometimes a company really is just worth it.
So what makes me decide to share a company?
First the company has to be veteran-affiliated. This doesn’t mean that a veteran owns it outright. It could also be a spouse or other family member.
Next, I’m not going to highlight a company unless they are doing something to directly impact veterans. I might mention a company on social media that donates part of their proceeds to veteran causes, but am not going to highlight them on the site unless their business directly impacts veterans.
And after learning about InstantHandz, I honestly couldn’t wait to share the info.
What they do
InstantHandz connects people who need basic household tasks completed with local active duty, veterans, and military families who are looking for some extra work.
Imagine you have something in your yard you need help to clear. Through the InstantHandz app, you post the job with pictures and details. An InstantHandz “provider” can then see the job and message you about completing it. You two then agree to a price within an affordable budget and convenient date/time for service. At completion of the task, the provider gets paid, InstantHandz takes a small percentage, and you now have one less task around the house to complete.
The providers are also vetted, with completed background checks to ensure community safety. InstantHandz provides some basic onboarding to help new helpers with customer service — improving the experience for both sides of the transaction.
Their story
InstantHandz was founded by Sam (father is a Vietnam Veteran) and his wife Annamarie in the communities around Luke Air Force Base, near Phoenix, AZ. After returning from war, Sam’s father struggled with severe PTSD and Sam’s family experienced the hardship of finding trustworthy help with small home tasks their family could afford. Adam Evans’ father is a retired Colonel from the Air Force and saw first hand how the demand of military life can mean a spouse must sacrifice his or her own career.
After experiencing the challenges of sustaining a career while following a loved one in the military (Adam’s spouse is an active duty Air Force officer), coupled with a background in teaching entrepreneurship at the university level, Adam decided to join with Sam and Annamarie to be the difference and make a change with InstantHandz.
Though the company’s application officially launched in fall 2019, InstantHandz has already worked to provide $60,000 of extra income for their providers, and sponsored many events and programs in and around Luke AFB.
What makes them different
There are a number of other platforms out there that connect people who need small jobs done with people who want to do them. But InstantHandz is the only one where the latter group is made up of just military-affiliated people.
Most of the other options, like Task Rabbit, are only available in larger cities. For people located around military bases, often in more remote parts of the country, there doesn’t exist a great option for this type of service.
Additionally, these services tend to have hidden fees and tiered layers based on the type of service. This can quickly add up to them taking over a 30% cut off the transaction. InstantHandz takes a flat rate of 15%. Every time.
As Adam told me:
“[The team] and I are in, or close to, our 40s. Honestly, our goal at this point in life is very different than when we were in our 20s. We sincerely want to leave a positive legacy.”
I can get behind that.
Why they are great for veterans
The easy answer is this is a fairly easy way to get some extra money. Most task requests require simple labor, energy, and time. Specialized knowledge is rarely required to complete the work.
InstantHandz can also provide a unique opportunity for military spouses. The constant shuffling across the country is a natural part of military life, but can make career stability for spouses particularly difficult. InstantHandz can provide some stopgap, or even more permanent, income for military families.
I’m also really big on encouraging people soon to transition from the military to pursue a DoD Skillsbridge internship. InstantHandz quickly capitalized on this opportunity and works with veterans seeking a fellowship during their last 180 days of active duty service.
Connect with the local community
I’m a big believer that part of being a veteran is taking opportunities to connect with civilians about your service. Much of the positive feedback about InstantHandz thus far shows that people around military bases are really enjoying connecting with the InstantHandz providers. They appreciate the politeness, respect, and work ethic that the providers bring to their jobs.
A lot of people simply don’t know anything about serving. And frankly, I’m glad for that. We should be grateful that most of the country is shielded from the realities of war.
How you can work with InstantHandz
Right now, InstantHandz is only available around Luke AFB, Davis-Monthan AFB, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma but they are looking to grow.
But you can also try and work with them as part of the DoD Skillsbridge program. Through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, InstantHandz just accepted two new fellows to help them expand into new markets. In order to get started, they would need about 20 folks interested in using the app as providers in any one particular region to formally begin the marketing process in that area. To help educate potential providers they have Scotty, a wounded warrior member of the team, run informational webinars every week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
I really enjoyed speaking with Adam and am excited to see what the future holds for this company.
InstantHandz and their trademark are the property of InstantHandz.
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