Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: Juggle Street
New Zealand, February 20, 2020 – The demand for flexible, last-minute childcare, as well as gig economy workers, is on the rise. Neighbourhood network, Juggle Street, has more than 94,000 registered users across New Zealand and Australia with 1000 plus new users signing up every week. Now people have the opportunity to own a share in the business as Juggle Street kicks off its equity crowdfunding campaign to fund the next phase of its expansion.
Juggle Street Founder and father of four, David James, says “investors, as well as mums, dads and gig economy workers now have the opportunity to own a part of the business”. The Juggle Street user base has grown 60 per cent year-on-year (Jan 2019 to Jan 2020), with 35,000 jobs posted on the platform since its launch. The largest segments of new users include working mums and dads, university-age carers and grandparents.
Mr James says the need to bring communities together was the driving force behind the neighbourhood marketplace connecting busy parents with trusted local babysitters, nannies, Au Pairs and home tutors.
“I grew up in a tight-knit neighbourhood where all the kids played outside and all the parents knew each other, back then this was the norm,” says Mr James. “We are all still craving that sense of community which is now difficult due to increased work hours, longer commutes and not having your family just around the corner. That’s why Juggle Street is so important, it creates meaningful and lasting relationships between neighbours of all ages.”
Juggle Street is unique because parents set the price of every job and Juggle Street does not take a cut from the carers’ payments. Parents can pay for each job they post or take an annual subscription and post unlimited jobs. Carers decide if the job is right for them and then apply or decline in real time. The platform works via a mobile-friendly website with text messages being sent when jobs are posted and candidates reply from their phones. The platform also works on a star rating and parent review system.
Now Juggle Street is offering shares to anyone who believes in the concept and the growth of the business through equity crowdfunding platform Birchal from as little as $250. With access to new capital, Juggle Street will fastrack its goal of 1 million users in ANZ. Juggle Street also has plans to expand into the burgeoning high school tutoring market, having recently launched primary school home tutoring. Beyond this, Juggle Street is exploring offering local services to senior citizens living in the neighbourhood.
Active angel investor and co-founder of Investible, Trevor Folsom, was a Juggle Street user before he invested in the business.
“I saw Juggle Street was solving a massive problem in our communities while also being a great investment opportunity,” says Mr Folsom. “This equity crowdfunding is a rare opportunity to have a piece of a business at its ‘scale-up’ stage rather than a start up. This is an investment that will have a real social impact, and people will be able to see the positive effect of Juggle Street in their own community.”
“While equity crowdfunding is relatively new in New Zealand, the model has seen major success overseas for digital consumer platforms and companies, particularly in the UK,” says Birchal co-founder Alan Crabbe. The online platform has worked with other brands such as Shebah since Australian Securities and Investment Commission passed legislation in 2018 to allow private brands to crowdfund for equity.
New Zealand Mother of four and Auckland resident Ruth Johnson became an avid user of Juggle Street when she lived in Sydney for three years. Upon returning to New Zealand in 2018 she was hugely disappointed when she realised Juggle Street was not available.
“I felt quite lonely and isolated when we moved back to New Zealand,” she recalls. “We had just moved to a new area where I didn’t know anybody yet and I had no idea where to even start the search to find help for our family.”
In early 2018, Ruth took her passion for the platform further and approached Juggle Street HQ to launch and establish the marketplace across The Tasman, in New Zealand.
“Juggle Street has already brought back a level of connection in our neighbourhoods. I found my two best babysitters on Juggle Street and they live just 500 metres away. They know the area, they know the schools my kids go to — they are a part of our community — which gives me peace of mind and makes my life so much easier.”
While Juggle Street is helping New Zealand families, it’s also providing a regular source of income for gig-economy workers such as uni students, who make up a significant 45 per cent of the platform’s helpers. Also, catering to empty nesters looking to keep busy or supplement their retirement, the platform is ideal for anyone looking for work, on their own terms.
For expressions of interest for equity in Juggle Street, please go to https://www.birchal.com/company/jugglestreet
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