The 99Artisans Online Marketplace

Meg Walter -

99Artisans gives customers and professionals opportunities to work together, without tying their hands and without charging either side.

Priya Jupudi was frustrated with the way service marketplaces functioned. She was tired with having to call every listing on Craigslist and finding only professionals who were too far away. She wondered how many local artisans were being overlooked. So, with the business know-how from her previous job as a business analyst and the help of colleague, Jupudi launched 99Artisans in late October 2015.

“99Artisans was created to help people discover new work opportunities and monetize their skills in the US,” Jupudi explains. “Our website, which is an online marketplace for local services, is free for users to post projects and hire local professionals.” Customers can simply create projects, choose professionals who look promising and wait for competitive bids to start coming in. A customer can also search for services offered by professionals.

Yes. There are already sites that allow customers to post projects and wait for bids. However, all other sites come with a catch for either the user or the service provider. Angie’s List requires a membership fee. Thumbtack requires service providers to buy credits in order to send quotes to customers. TaskRabbit charges a service fee, and Red Beacon awards points based on Home Depot purchases. 99Artisans in the only truly free platform that allows customers to post projects and artisans to bid on those projects. “99Artisans gives customers and professionals opportunities to work together, without tying their hands and without charging either side. This makes the company the most economic tool for service providers,” Jupudi says.

Jupudi founded 99Artisans in Provo and it has since reached cities all across the US. The platform is now available in the five most popular cities in each state. Jupudi hopes to see 99Artisans reach even more customers and professionals. “There are so many talented professionals. I want to create jobs for them,” she says.

Published 3/9/2016