Today marks the official launch of Grafter – a new free digital solution for business to rapidly engage flexible workers. The concept was conceived by Tom Cape in 2016 and co-founded with Richard Knight in June 2017.
Grafter has already attracted over 7,000 registered users prior to its official launch date and achieved 156% overfunding on crowd-funding platform, Crowdcube in Autumn 2017.
With a range of skills and experience in technology, digital startups, business development and finance, the Founders, Tom and Richard share a passion for building and property development which in turn helped shape their insights for the Grafter business.
Tom Cape formed the Grafter idea when he searched to find people to shift concrete on a small building project. To his great frustration, he couldn’t find workers or services to fulfill the short term job - despite knowing there were local people out there. As an experience shared by both co-founders, they resolved to tackle the problem together.
Through further research, it became apparent that a vast many business sectors including farming and building required a faster route to find non-specialist workers. Coupled with the fact that flexible working has become a positive choice for millions of people - from millenials to the retired - the Grafter business was born.
Grafter is designed for business seeking flexible or part time local workers in building/construction, farming, landscaping, delivery, warehousing, leisure, events and factory/light industry and self employed workers seeking flexible or part time work that doesn’t demand qualified skills or past experience.
As Tom Cape explains, Grafter is fit for the demanding needs of business and workers both now and the future. “We recognise the way people want to work and the type of work available is changing rapidly. Grafter is the first free digital service that engages all types of flexible workers with local business in just a few steps – making the process of finding work and workers, swift, cost-effective and trustworthy too”.
Whether its students looking for holiday income, workers seeking a new building project or a retired person searching casual gardening or driving work, Grafter offers a simple sign up process. Workers are able to upload their profiles detailing who they are, where they are located and what they are able to do.
In the case of businesses seeking temporary workers – the service is completely free for businesses to find and engage workers. Grafter also offers an elevated service including additional value-add services such as tracked messaging, digital contracting, reminder emails and a cashless payment system. At the payment stage, Grafter charges the business a usage fee of 5% plus VAT.
In a fast growing culture of flexible working, Grafter is committed to supporting good practice and fair work. The service only allows jobs to be posted and priced at or above the minimum wage.
The Grafter team is growing – focusing efforts on the brand and its global reach through digital marketing, PR, social media, events, partnerships and direct to market tactics. A seasonal Christmas campaign is underway focused on students seeking holiday work and SMEs seeking support to deliver against Christmas and end of year deadlines.
As true digital disrupters of the traditional employment marketplace, Grafter plans to amplify its platform in the future making the website a destination for additional services such as tax administration, accountancy support and for charities seeking volunteer workers.
Grafter is available at www.Grafternow.com and the Grafter app is available on iOS and Google Play.