Veloxopus

Veloxopus - rough latin for "Quick Job", and super catchy! This is an app that allows one to find, or post, odd jobs!

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Inspiration

Ok! So, this app is inspired visually, and structurally, by apps like Tinder, and inspired conceptually by apps like Letgo, and even Craigslist. Also, I've been looking for a house cleaner, and have found it quite difficult to reach out to those looking for that job. This inspired me, and us, to make this app.

What it does

This app is pretty straight forward on its function. It allows one to either publish an odd job, for example "I need someone to mow my lawn", and then browse workers, and/or it allows for one to simply browse odd jobs. When a job, or a worker, is found agreeable, one can "like" that job/worker. If both parties, the employer and the employee, "like" each other, then a "match" is formed, and they both gain access to sending messages to one another through the app.

How we built it

This app was built using the Android SDK, a SQL server, and a Python based server (which we made obsolete, and is no longer used).

Challenges we ran into

We've run into quite a bit of trouble with our database. Communicating between the DB and the app have proven to be far more complex than previously thought. Personally, I've found working in raw XML (in the Android SDK) to be harder than I had remembered.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We, the whole group of us, are proud of this app in its entirety.

What we learned

We learned to appreciate DBAs (DataBase Administrators).

What's next for Veloxopus

So, lets say this app takes off. We keep our goals high for this project!

The initial focus point for Veloxopus would be in marketing. Apps like these are defined by their community, so a large and diverse user base would be imperative. Of course, marketing is expensive. So, there would also need to be a monetization element in further development. There is always a fine line that must be respected in regards to monetizing an app, and we did take this into account. There are two options we decided would be best for monetization.

First off, an option for "elite" membership status for a low monthly cost of ~$5-$10. Elite members would gain priority for their worker profiles, allowing them to be shown before non-elite members, and would also allow their jobs to be shown before non-elite job profiles. If we were so inclined, we could also impose limits on how many "likes" non-elites could issue, and how many profiles (aka, how many job/worker profiles) non-elites could have, and relax those limitations for paying elite members.

The second option has less impact on the functionality of the app. This option is allowing for 3rd party advertisement to be sprinkled in among the jobs. These could be job related, college related, or otherwise related to career fields/choices. This is an easy way to monetize this system, but the grouping of these advertisements would have to be scarce, as we do not want to compromise the user experience.

So, to put in in a simple and concise way, the next step for Veloxopus is spending money to popularize the app, and making money via in-app purchases, and in-app 3rd party advertisements.

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