Jobber Origin Story: Power of the People
Hi, we are here at the Remedy Cafe on One Hundred Ninth Street because 10 years ago or a little over 10 years ago, I met my co-founder Forrest, and we started a company called Jobber. Jobber is a venture backed software startup. We’ve raised a little over seventy five million dollars, founded right here in Edmonton. We’ve got three hundred and seventy employees now, all over Canada. We have offices in Edmonton and Toronto. But we started right here in Edmonton and right here at the Remedy Cafe.
Forrest and I didn’t know each other prior to starting the company. We were both working as freelance software developers and we would come to Remedy to get coffee and use it as a cheap, free, office space, basically. And after running into each other a handful of times, we introduced ourselves and started talking to each other about the projects we were working on. And that’s kind of how we got, we got started. Jobber is a software company for small home service businesses. We help entrepreneurs in industries like landscaping, maid services, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, dozens of different industries, better manage their businesses. And as a company, we are incredibly mission driven, we’re very focused on our purpose, which is to help the people in small businesses be successful.
We, we made the decision to headquarter in Edmonton and to stay in Edmonton early on because we believed that we didn’t need to be anywhere else to build the kind of company that Jobber is. We are servicing small business entrepreneurs, tradespeople, across dozens of different industries all over the world. And in fact, the kinds of customers that we service are right here in Edmonton and in Alberta.
And in fact, I just met one of them on the part of the camera crew, which is really, really cool. I think these kinds of businesses you can, you can build anywhere and there on the Internet so they can be anywhere. You don’t have to be in San Francisco or New York or Boston. And I’m really glad we decided to do it the way that we did.
One of the unique things about Edmonton is that it is a smaller ecosystem and that comes with pros and cons. But one of the big benefits is that you can kind of get to know everybody and and there are lots of people who are willing and able to offer help and also who you can get involved and help out as well. I think in the starting Jobber and getting running early years here, it was a really supportive kind of an environment. And I think that’s really beneficial for businesses in the early days.
I think that the people in Edmonton have somewhat of a superpower in terms of just the the entrepreneurial spirit, a spirit that can-do attitude. You know, I don’t know if it has to do with just the roots of the, of the province and kind of, you know, coming from relatively humble beginnings.
But it does create an attitude in people that I really admire and respect. I love people who, you know, just go for it and and don’t ask permission and just, just try to do something and ah give it their all. I think we have a lot of that here in Edmonton. I’ve certainly seen it myself, building Jobber here.
WAYFINDING: Ever wonder if a real-estate agent is telling you the truth about the value of your property? Are you an agent who has to check half a dozen websites just to try giving an accurate estimate? Never fear, our next entrepreneurs are on the case! Just cross 109th St at the pedestrian lights and head west along 87th Ave, turn south onto 110 St and then head west on 85th Ave to hear the next origin story!
About Jobber
WE HELP PEOPLE IN SMALL BUSINESS BE SUCCESSFUL
Job by job, we’re transforming the way service is delivered. We’re bringing people and technology together to build stronger communities. Our communities are built on the backs of small businesses, so when small business wins, we all win.
47.5% OF THE PRIVATE LABOR FORCE IS EMPLOYED BY SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT ONLY HALF OF THOSE BUSINESSES WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THEIR FIRST 5 YEARS.
Running a small business today isn’t like it used to be. The way we consume and deliver service is changing rapidly. Technology is evolving. Customers expect more. Small businesses are getting pushed out by larger competitors because process problems are getting in the way and they’re struggling to keep up.
We make home service easy for everyone. From the customer’s request to the moment you’re paid, Jobber brings everything together to make the entire job and customer experience seamless.