AsQ, a new app to help you to outsource the jobs that you can’t or don’t want to DIY, was launched last month by Chesham’s entrepreneurial duo Irfan and Imran Arif. After just 1 month, and over 300 downloads later, the pair are looking to extend the reach of AsQ across the UK this year.
Image: AsQ founders Imran and Irfan Arif, from Chesham.
According to a recent article from The Telegraph, a typical British worker spends 43.6 hours per week working, compared to an average of 40.3 hours for the rest of Europe, where even sending emails outside of traditional working hours is banned.
The British are a hard working bunch, so digital services that give people the ability to make the most of the time that they do have free are becoming increasingly popular. AsQ, the mobile app that allows customers to access service providers/tradespeople in their local area, has been a success since its launch and its Founders, Irfan and Imran Arif, brothers from Chesham, are looking to roll out their app nationally following the success of their launch in London earlier this year.
The app works when the user enters their search term i.e. ‘plumber in Hackney, they then refine their search by area or radius, select an appropriate trade/service category, and then the question is sent to all of the service providers signed up to the app within the users selected parameters. Simple, effective and unique. What really makes AsQ stand out and appeal to the Great British public is the fact that it gives the app’s user complete autonomy when it comes to selecting whom they’d like to do the job. Unlike other similar apps, AsQ doesn’t connect the user and the service provider via a middleman, something which its Founders believe is what the market is crying out for.
Co-founder Imran Arif said,
“My brother, Irfan, came up with the idea during a consultation and his client remarked that he could have saved himself time, and money, if he had been able to get the answer to his question there and then. This got us thinking – why can’t people access information, services or expertise right there and then? Exactly when they do need it? We saw a gap in the market for a platform that gives users access to people with the expertise and skills that they seek in real time”.
Co-founder Irfan Arif added,
“In the industries that both my brother and I are in (Law and Accounting), any slither of ‘free time’ we can get our hands on is precious, and we aren’t the only ones that struggle with a work/home balance, especially living in the city. The ability to ‘outsource your life’ and have someone else do the jobs that we don’t have time for is something we have unknowingly desired for most of our lives – and so AsQ was created. We are really excited to see the app develop into an information tool for people to use wherever they are, and are so proud that it has done so well, in such a small space of time. All we need now is to spread our wings and see how well it does in other areas!”
It’s not just the end user who benefits from the app either – the brothers are keen to get small businesses in the AsQ coverage areas involved with the app’s development. There’s a whole list of reasons why the duo are encouraging local businesses to sign up, and the benefits to local businesses range from marketing hints and tips, promotional tools, the ability to new target customers as well as being able to reach their audience in just a few simple steps.
The app is fully functioning, and can be downloaded by anyone who uses IOS, nationally or globally. Imran and Irfan Arif are also in the process of approaching crowdfunding organisations such as Seedrs and Crowdfunder UK, amongst others, to secure investment to help AsQ grow. The team are also seeking £250,000 investment from individuals to help with their rapid growth and exposure. The investment will be spent on refining the app, developing Android and Windows versions, and heavy consistent marketing and PR, with the associated costs for tech and back end support covered.
Over the course of the next twelve months AsQ‘s founders intend to grow the app’s user base rapidly and reach maximum exposure in and around the London area , which in turn will jumpstart its launch to the rest of the UK.
