Golf lessons, chai pumpkin sandwiches and massages — these are just a few of the local services available on Zaarly’s new Storefront platform in Seattle.
Zaarly is an online marketplace for buyers to post needed goods or services. Now, with the addition of Storefronts, sellers can essentially become their own entrepreneurs. Sellers use the service to make money doing what they love to do, while buyers can get local, personalized service.
Storefronts is already in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Kansas City. Thanks to the vibrant startup community in Seattle, setting up shop in the Emerald City seemed like a smart next step.
“Launching Storefronts in Seattle was a no brainer,” Zaarly CEO Bo Fishback said in a press release. “Entrepreneurs are the heart of this city, and we wanted to give people another way to make money doing what they love.”
Potential sellers can apply to be featured in Zaarly’s network, and after consideration, the company chooses the best-of-the-best to be a part of each city’s Storefront.
I checked out the new service and it’s pretty cool. The variety of goods and services is very impressive, as there’s everything from tasty food to yoga classes to hot tub service. The interface looks nice with the big images, and it’s also clean and simple.
The 42-person company was founded last year out of Startup Weekend L.A. and has more than 400,000 users nationwide. Notable investors include Ashton Kutcher, Michael Arrington, Mark Ecko, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Its chief marketing officer and co-founder is Eric Koester, a former Seattle startup attorney and board member for Startup Weekend.
