PickAPro - The One-Stop Shop For Top Contractors
Sunday Business Post, Mar 2006
When Barbara Molloy was renovating her home, she discovered how difficult it could be to find reliable, competent tradespeople.
"It was simple enough to obtain phone numbers from the Golden Pages or colleagues but it wasn't so easy after that," she said.
"What was I to do next: meet them all, then drive around Dublin visiting previous customers?
There was no easy way to do further research, so everybody ended up wasting their time."
So Molloy, who is originally from Galway, came up with the idea of a website which would feature the work of a select group of professionals, with details of their projects, pictures of their work and references from former customers.
Pickapro.ie began as a part-time pursuit two years ago while Molloy, 37 was working as a software engineering contractor with pharmacuetical company Bristol Myers Squibb. However, the site became so popular that she gave up her job as an electronic engineer and began working fulltime on the website, www.pickapro.ie.
"The site features about 20 professionals," she said. Most of them came to me through word of mouth through local business networks like BNI or Southside B2B."
"They pay a monthly fee which entitles them to feature on the website with their portfolio. "
" I promote their work and they can update their details at any time. "
"I interview previous customers and ask, for example whether the contractor brought ideas to the project or whether he or she was on site every day. I also interview the professionals and ask what sort of service customers can get for a specific budgets. "
"Pickapro.ie is also a great place to pick up ideas or tips."
"Visitors who look through the portfolio of Taylored Interiors can see photos covering a whole range of work, from fitting out an investment apartment to renovating a family home, to staging a property for sale."
The site includes architects, carpenters, garden designers, landscapers, interior designers and tilers.