The big idea

Trabajar is a two-sided marketplace that lets homeowners, contractors, and small businesses book reliable labor fast (same-day or scheduled) while giving day laborers safer, steadier, better-paid work—all in a fully bilingual (Spanish/English) experience with built-in protections against no-shows, wage theft, and sketchy job sites.

Not affiliated with Home Depot (or any retailer). The goal is to serve workers wherever they are—and recruit/meet them via permitted community channels, worker centers, and legal outreach.

Who it’s for

Workers (Trabajadores)

People offering physical, hands-on labor:

  • Moving / hauling / loading
  • Landscaping / yard cleanup
  • Demolition assistance / site cleanup
  • Painting prep / patching
  • Basic handyman support (task-limited + safety-gated)
  • Event setup / teardown
  • Cleaning (depending on local rules)

Customers

  • Homeowners who need help today
  • Small contractors needing an extra set of hands
  • Property managers
  • Local businesses (deliveries, setup crews, seasonal labor)

Why this wins (the painkiller)

Workers’ current problems

  • Unpredictable work and pay
  • Unsafe job sites
  • No-show customers
  • Underpayment, late payment, or “oops I don’t have cash”
  • Language barriers → misunderstandings → conflict

Customers’ current problems

  • Uncertainty around reliability
  • No way to verify skills/tools
  • Last-minute cancellations
  • Awkward price negotiation
  • No clear safety or dispute process

Trabajar replaces chaos with clarity.

The magic features (what makes it feel like “Uber” for labor)

1) Instant matching + scheduled bookings

  • “Need 2 workers for 4 hours, today at 2pm”
  • See available workers nearby (with skills + ratings)
  • 1-tap request or “broadcast job” to multiple workers

2) Bilingual from the ground up

No “Spanish mode as an afterthought.” It’s native.

  • App UI in Spanish and English
  • In-app chat + voice notes with instant translation
  • Job posts built from simple templates (less confusion)
  • Photo-based instructions: “This pile goes to the truck” (attach pics)

3) Fair-pay rails + anti–wage theft

  • Customer pays upfront into escrow
  • Worker checks in/out with GPS + photo (optional)
  • Instant payout after completion (or same-day)
  • Clear overtime rules (configurable by market)

4) Safety system that’s actually real

  • Verified customers (ID + payment method + address confirmation)
  • Worker “SOS” button + trusted contact sharing
  • “Job site reputation” score (no creeps, no repeat offenders)
  • Optional “work with a buddy” mode (pair bookings)

5) Skill badges + tool filters

  • Skill tags: Moving Pro, Landscaping, Demo Assist, Painting Prep
  • Tool tags: Has Truck, Has Ladder, Has Power Tools (if allowed)
  • Micro-certifications (5–10 min modules): lifting safety, PPE basics, jobsite etiquette
    → unlock higher-paying categories

6) Repeat hiring without the weirdness

  • Favorite workers
  • “Hire again” button
  • Contractor teams: keep a stable bench of workers

The marketplace rules (how it stays clean and trusted)

Transparent pricing (no awkward street negotiation)

  • Suggested rates by task type + local market + urgency
  • Worker sets a minimum acceptable hourly
  • Customer chooses: “Budget / Standard / Priority”
  • Tips allowed (but not required)

Smart cancellation protection

  • Customer cancellation fee after X minutes
  • Worker no-show penalties + cooldown
  • Weather clauses for outdoor jobs

Dispute resolution that doesn’t screw workers

  • Escrow prevents “I’ll pay later”
  • Photo + time logs
  • 2-step resolution:
    1. In-app negotiation (guided)
    2. Human review for edge cases

How Trabajar makes money (without being grimy)

Pick a model that keeps worker earnings strong:

Option A: Customer-side service fee (clean + common)

  • Customer pays worker rate + platform fee (10–18%)
  • Worker sees their exact take-home upfront

Option B: Contractor subscriptions (best for recurring demand)

  • Contractors pay monthly for:
    • priority matching
    • bulk bookings
    • team management
    • invoicing

Option C: Add-ons (only if they add real value)

  • Insurance add-on (job-based)
  • Background checks (optional tier)
  • Instant payout fee (optional)

Key principle: Workers should never feel “taxed” for existing.

The legal + ethics backbone (this matters)

If you want this to be legit and scalable, bake this in early:

  • Worker classification (contractor vs employee) varies by location
    → Consider partnering with an Employer-of-Record (EOR) or staffing partner in strict states/regions.
  • Make sure you’re not enabling illegal employment practices.
  • Provide safety requirements for higher-risk tasks.
  • Keep anti-discrimination protections strong (no “filter by nationality,” etc.).
  • Clear rules: no harassment, no cash-only bait-and-switch, no unsafe jobs.

Trabajar should be known as the platform that raises the standard, not the one that squeezes people.

MVP that you can launch fast (no fantasy tech required)

Week 1–4 MVP scope

Worker app:

  • Profile + skills + availability
  • Accept/decline jobs
  • Check-in/out
  • Payout wallet

Customer app:

  • Post job (templates)
  • Choose hours + rate
  • Book + pay
  • Rate + rehire

Admin ops:

  • Manual verification
  • Dispute handling dashboard
  • SMS fallback for workers without smartphones/data

Start with 3 job categories:

  1. Moving/loading
  2. Yard cleanup
  3. Site cleanup / general labor

Nail reliability first. Expand later.

Go-to-market: how you ignite it

Supply (workers)

  • Partner with worker centers, churches, community orgs, ESL programs
  • “Trabajar onboarding days” (help set up profiles + take photos)
  • Referral bonuses paid as cash-equivalent

Demand (customers)

  • Target:
    • small contractors (repeat demand)
    • property managers
    • moving + junk hauling companies
  • Offer:
    • first job fee discount
    • subscription trial for contractors

The local “be everywhere” play

  • Flyers where permitted (not trespassing)
  • WhatsApp community groups
  • Spanish-language radio + local Facebook groups
  • Contractor supply shops (with permission)

The pitch in one sentence

Trabajar helps customers book dependable help in minutes—and helps workers earn safely, get paid instantly, and build a reputation that unlocks better jobs.

Bonus: ultra-simple bilingual tagline options

  • “Trabajo hoy. Pago claro.” / “Work today. Clear pay.”
  • “Más trabajo. Menos riesgo.” / “More work. Less risk.”
  • “Reserva ayuda en minutos.” / “Book help in minutes.”

If you want, I can also crank out:

  • a one-page “app store” style description,
  • the first 10 screens (UX flow),
  • pricing tables,
  • and a launch plan for your first city with target numbers (workers/customers) and metrics to track.