by Mike Kane, Public Policy Associate, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
“There has to be an easier way!” This is what Christian Lopez ’24, said in the freezing cold as he was clearing snow from his home in Fitchburg after a classic New England Nor’easter. Originally from New York and a graduate of Fitchburg State University, Lopez was not someone who was afraid of the cold but dreaded shoveling snow after a snowstorm. Not wanting to heave wet snow over his shoulder anymore, he and his business partner Raffael DeFeo created the new app called SnowGo.
This app makes shoveling a breeze, as you’ll be able to shovel your driveway from the warmth of your home, at the click of a button. The SnowGo app, available free for download on Apple and Google Play, allows property owners to submit their winter shoveling, snow-blowing or plow tasks to over 100 service providers within one app. Then, once a service provider accepts the job, the user’s driveway and/or sidewalk will be cleared.
Lopez says this is a great tool for both service providers and property owners alike, as it frees up time and clears headaches. For service providers, a major benefit of the app is that there is no need to pay upfront costs to get leads, they are all on the App, which they can accept and decline jobs. For property owners, there is no need to look for services as once you post your job, you will be the one selecting the service provider to do the heavy lifting.
Another key feature of the app that sets itself apart from the old system is the artificial intelligence pricing system, which takes the guesswork of how much service providers should charge property owners to complete their jobs. This tool allows users to take a picture or video of their task and receive a quote to submit to service providers.
From a local business perspective, Lopez said their business is growing and becoming recognized locally and nationally. This year locally, Lopez would like to grow his business outside of Central Massachusetts tapping into both the Boston and Western Massachusetts markets. Also, nationally, Lopez and DeFeo were invited to TechCrunch, a premiere technology conference for entrepreneurs and startups in San Francisco, California to showcase their App. Lopez told us it was a phenomenal experience, mostly because of having the ability to speak with peers, industry experts, and investors. SnowGo/MowGo even had the opportunity to pitch in front of the crowd.
This Spring, when the grass starts to grow again, download the MowGo app, which will utilize the same platform as SnowGo, but modify it for lawn maintenance and care. Again, users will have the ability to submit a task to an array of service providers, which they can accept and in turn complete the job.
So, if you are living in Central Massachusetts and don’t want to shovel your driveway or sidewalk this winter give SnowGo a try, and come spring, be on the lookout for MowGo to help you with your Spring outdoor cleaning and maintenance.
StartUp Worcester is a pre-incubator program run in collaboration with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, WorcLab, and the Venture Forum, which provides resources to local start-ups and entrepreneurs to successfully grow their businesses.
SnowGo | MowGo is a mobile app developed to provide on-demand outdoor maintenance services, specifically snow removal and lawn care. Co-Founders Christian Lopez and Raffael DeFeo pictured left
