— by Amanda Lawson

Social distancing. Masks. Shutdowns. These seem to be norms in a COVID-19 world. When it comes to the economic impact this pandemic has had, we’re only beginning to see the rising tide of waves to come. And yet, one company has used the pandemic to actually expand their operations to love and serve both customers and professionals in the home improvement space. 

If you’ve found yourself with an increased list of home projects over the past few months, you’re not alone. The increase of DIY projects aided by the stay-home mandates and the loss of jobs and company shut downs due to COVID-19 revealed a great opportunity for both customers and pros. Enter Tülbelt—launched in March 2019 as a family endeavor—a platform that connects available professionals with a variety of projects, ranging from junk removal to appliance installation to painting and landscaping. 

For founders and brothers, Vlad and Jan Vezikov, Tülbelt wasn’t just an opportunistic move; it was deeply personal. Their family immigrated to the United States from Russia in 1989. Their father, Vlad Sr., started his own painting business to support the family, regularly enlisting his sons in the work. However, as Russian immigrants working in blue collar trades at the end of the Cold War, Vlad Sr. did not always receive respect, or even decency, from customers. The brothers Vezikov witnessed how poor, minority, and blue-collar workers were treated—regardless of the quality of their work—and decided to do something about it. Joined by their brother-in-law, Dennis, the brothers developed Tülbelt, an online platform and app that solves the major pains of the home improvement industry, for both customers and professionals. 

The process is simple: customers with project needs can post jobs on Tülbelt through the app or website and available professionals bid on the projects. When the customer accepts a bid, they pay the bid amount, plus a 13% service fee to Tülbelt, into escrow. Once the job is completed to the customer’s satisfaction, the full amount of the bid price is delivered to the professional. The company’s “Get Stuff Done” motto and this simple process helps turn to-do lists into to-done lists in a snap.

The “Get Stuff Done” mentality is shared not only by staff, professionals, but customers as well. Tülbelt works for customers by building accountability with pros; pros don’t get paid until the job is done to the customer’s satisfaction and customers can rate the pros after the work is done. It also streamlines the process of finding professionals by creating an atmosphere where only available candidates bid for jobs, dramatically cutting down the amount of time spent searching for a qualified pro. 

Tülbelt also solves multiple major problems for professionals in this space. It bridges the opportunity and access gap that often prevents qualified pros from getting work. It also reduces corrupt business practices like profiteering and discrimination by building a merit-based gig economy. As a platform “built by pros, for pros,” the Vezikov’s understand the typical pains of professionals in the home improvement industry. By requiring customers to pay the bid amount upfront, pros can be confident that they will receive the full agreed-upon amount as soon as the job is done. They are treated with dignity and paid for the value they bring, not the time it takes to complete the job. Professionals can also rate the customer upon job completion—providing a unique accountability on both sides of the agreement. 

For many of these craftsmen, especially in the wake of job loss and shutdowns due to COVID-19, there is a pipeline problem. While highly qualified in technical skills, pros without business acumen sometimes lack the connections and resources to break into the field on their own. Tülbelt gives them streamlined access to jobs and ensures they are paid their due on time. By empowering pros to take jobs directly, Tülbelt also cuts down on profiteering by contactors who would pay their employees less than they deserve. This also reduces the wealth divide between blue collar, independent professionals and white collar, big contractors, especially in regard to low income and immigrant communities. 

What began as a side hustle now has over 21,000 registrations in 44 states, with over 6,000 posted projects. Motivated by the faith and personal passion of two brothers who believe that “every worker deserves his wage” and that capitalism can be redeemed through companies like Tülbelt, cofounder Jan Vezikov, explained the value of Tülbelt saying, “those who want to work will get their value and profiteers will have to pay people what they are worth.” 

In the age of COVID-19 and the ever-increasing gig economy, Tülbelt serves as an example of a company that truly provides a win-win environment, while addressing some of the biggest hurdles to wealth building in underserved communities. According to Jan Vezikov, “we have seen thousands of pandemic-hit trades-pros find work through the platform. In particular, immigrant trade pros love the opportunities [Tülbelt] provides for them.”

Walter Kincey, a pro from Attleboro, Massachusetts, is one example of the hope and opportunity that Tülbelt brings. Options for work were limited for Kincey due to the pandemic. Yet, even in the wake of COVID-19, Kincey was making over $45,000 taking junk removal jobs on Tülbelt, using it to build a business and create wealth for his family and community. You can watch a brief testimony from Kincey here. 

Another pro, Jose Hoxit, a married father of two, was hit hard by COVID shutdowns, leaving the family on the brink of homelessness. While meeting with his local pastor (Vezikov), Jose decided to try Tülbelt. Now, five projects in, the connections he has made have filled his schedule and enabled him to provide stability for his family. 

Vezikov noted, the Tülbelt model is rooted in biblical principles that call for fair wages, treating people with respect, and providing access to opportunity for work, not simply charity. Success in gig economy work for these professionals can have significant impact on healing the racial divide and wealth gap by providing meaningful work that can help professionals build wealth for their families and communities. 

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[ Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash ]