It’s August and that means it’s time to go back to school.
TRANSLATION: Parents are expected to buy uniforms, purchase ONE TRILLION school supplies, backpacks, lunchboxes — FOOD to go in the lunch boxes, arrange for carpool, coordinate after school activities, join the PTA, attend teacher conferences and MORE.
Tired yet? Parents everywhere return to the hustle and bustle of trying to be a million places at once. Life is hectic, but the good news is that there are now more companies than ever before to help you. These cool, innovative companies are ready to make your life easier and they just happen to be fueled by the gig economy, #contractors. And you know we KNOW contractors.
The gig economy has given people jobs to solve the problems and do all the things that parents need on a daily basis — from forgetting your child’s lunch, to getting your kids a ride to soccer practice, or even delivering those school supplies you need by tomorrow… Whatever it may be, the gig economy has parents covered and so do we. So here are ten of our favorite companies for making life easier during this back to school season:
VanGo
VanGo is a new company that offers safe ridesharing for teens. All drivers are experienced caregivers and are fully vetted with background checks, references, driving records, vehicle inspections, etc. Most of these drivers are actually moms, nannies, and teachers — giving more opportunities for these individuals to use their skills in the gig economy.
Postmates
Postmates not ONLY delivers dinner when you just don’t have enough time to cook, but they also can deliver groceries or simple things like toothpaste. Just about anything you need, Postmates will bring it to you. This app is not only great for gig workers, but even better for you when you forget your kid’s lunch.
Student Success Agency
Student Success Agency is a mentor program for teens. This program is great because it gives teens the advice that they need to become successful adults and help them through an important time in their lives. This team is great because the agents are college students, entrepreneurs, and other young professionals, so your teenager will have more of a peer relationship with them, rather than just another elder telling them what to do.
BlackTieBabysitting
Did you get put in charge of the PTA meeting or school auction and now you don’t know what to do with the kids? BlackTieBabysitting is here because they understand that struggle. BlackTieBabysitting provides event babysitting for groups of children when all the parents are at the PTA meeting. But, they don’t just babysit, they create their own event for the little ones to enjoy.
Amazon Prime
As we’re sure you already know, Amazon Prime can deliver just about anything you need as a parent, quickly and reliably. Amazon Prime is even doing special “back to school” sales with all the school supplies you would ever need. They couldn’t make it easier for parents if they tried.
HopSkipDrive
HopSkipDrive is a rideshare company specifically for children aged 6–17, who are legally not allowed to use most rideshare services. They are focused on helping children actually show up to the events that can help them accelerate their growth and success by providing safe, reliable transportation to get them to the places they need to be.
Helpr
Helpr is a great resource for backup childcare, experienced caregivers can be requested with as little as three hours notice. Caregivers are rigorously vetted and Helpr actually works with many leading companies to help subsidize the cost of backup childcare, so that when childcare falls through — it won’t cost parents an arm and a leg to figure it out. The gig economy has risen to meet one of the most crucial needs of parents.
Doctor on Demand
What if both of your kids are sick and you don’t see how it would be possible to make it to the doctor, just to sit in the waiting room all day? The gig economy has a solution for that. Doctor on Demand allows you to talk with a board-certified doctor via video call and they can actually diagnose and prescribe treatment for your symptoms without even having to leave your home. This makes it super convenient to help your kids get back to school quickly without the wait times or germs of the doctors office.
Handy
Did you volunteer to host your child’s team party at your house tonight but have no time to clean the house or fix that leaky faucet you’ve been meaning to fix before everyone comes over? Handy has you covered with top-rated, background-checked service providers that can show up quickly to fix or clean just about anything around the home.
BeenThere
BeenThere is a service for MBA applicants that connects them with current MBA students. This service is great for application, school, and general career advice. Whether this service is for your young-adults or for yourself, it’s a useful networking and advice tool. It also helps those MBA students pay for school, which every student can relate to that struggle.
This back to school season is powered by contractors and Gig Wage is here to support you, your businesses, and your contractors. We know this time is busy and stressful for parents, so we’ve got you covered. We want to make the day-to-day LESS tiring and LESS stressful for you. Check us out on social media and let us know which businesses help make YOUR life easier and save YOU time this back to school season.
