The pandemic was a double-edged sword for businesses and startups. Lockdowns shut down operations for many brick-and-mortar businesses. Yet digital-based businesses benefited from the number of people staying home. One only needs to look at the e-commerce sector which reached $17 billion in sales last year.
But the same businesses that thrived during the pandemic now see things have changed. Easing restrictions mean people are going out and spending less time online. Even e-commerce giants like Shopee experienced a loss of $931.2 million in the second quarter of 2022. These numbers come despite projected growth for the e-commerce sector.
On-demand services app mykuya knows what it means to reinvent. While the platform experienced unprecedented demand during the pandemic, it is eager to prove it will never stop thriving in the new normal.
More services, more opportunities
Founded by serial entrepreneur and former ‘30 under 30’ Forbes Asia list member Shahab Shabibi, mykuya offers motorcycle delivery, pasabuy services, and air conditioning repair among others. The wide range of the app’s services even includes live band hiring and personal training.
Shabibi’s work is especially relevant considering economic challenges up ahead. For example, the platform’s portfolio of services aligns with mykuya’s mission of boosting work opportunities in the Philippines. mykuya hopes to create one million jobs in the next few years. It is a goal that the platform considers a huge step forward in the fight to eradicate poverty and boost a growing economy.
Shabibi is well aware of the challenge behind the lofty goal mykuya has set for itself. “A global economic recession is looming over and most businesses may struggle greatly in 2023-24. This is the time to be focused on the here and now,” Shabibi said.
How the mykuya app works are that users will simply select the service they want to avail of. They will then match the requirement with a Kuya or Ate to fulfill the job. The fee will depend on the service selected. An in-app chat feature will also let Kuyas/Ates give users updates on how the job is going. Some businesses even use the app as a quick and easy staffing solution. For example, the app’s ‘warehouse staff’ service connects businesses with people they can hire for the day.
The mykuya app was an essential part of people’s lives as they stayed home during the pandemic. The platform onboarded over 7,000 new Kuyas and Ates during the ECQ period. Many of these Ates and Kuyas were contractual workers from hard-hit industries like restaurants and tourism. At the time, mykuya played a crucial part in helping people get the goods they needed while also giving Kuyas/Ates a source of income.
Yet mykuya is also ready to adjust as COVID-related health restrictions ease and mobility levels go back to the pre-pandemic norm.
By offering such a wide array of services, mykuya is able to work with more businesses & service providers eager to get the exposure they deserve. What mykuya does is provide the necessary software and infrastructure to help businesses go on demand. Aside from getting listed in the mykuya app, businesses get their own branded storefront to grow their business.
“The services you see in mykuya are a result of independent businesses taking advantage of our technologies & solutions,” said Shabibi.
Partners in growth
The businesses and service providers mykuya works with are significant partners. Encouraging business growth has always been a key principle at mykuya. “We want to be able to provide the needed solutions for businesses to have a robust & digitally-enabled workforce,” Shabibi said.
The mykuya business model emphasizes the partnership between businesses and the platform. Unlike other app-based services, Kuyas/Ates are employees of manpower agencies. It is mykuya that links them to jobs that need to be done.
Today, it’s estimated that 75% of its business partners had revenue-sharing agreements with the platform, wherein up to 80% of the revenue from every transaction goes to Ate/Kuya involved.
mykuya is no stranger to evolving and recalibrating business strategies. The first version of mykuya launched in 2017 as an on-demand services marketplace. It was mainly used for errands, deliveries, cleaning & repairs. Though business was growing, the pandemic hit, and revenue and bookings went down to zero. The only exception was the app’s ‘Personal Shopping’ service. Prior to the pandemic, the ‘Personal Shopping’ service accounted for just 3% of bookings. But the service then saw an 800% increase in demand in April 2020.
The mykuya team also launched mymall, the first quick commerce app in the Philippines. The app enabled users to connect with an Ate/Kuya assigned to a nearby mall. The user could then send the Ate/Kuya a list of items they needed picked up from anywhere in the mall. mymall was unique in that it gave users the option of multi-store shopping without any markup. Though mymall has shut down for now, Shabibi does not rule out the possibility of bringing it back.
The experiences the mykuya team went through play a big role in the company’s ability to look toward the future. Shabibi does not rule out the possibility of adding even more services to the platform.
“We are working with partner companies to bring their services online & enable their workforce to be digital,” he said. “Our services will evolve as we help our partners grow.”
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