TOLEDO, Ohio — The developers of a new app are hoping to make lawn care a little easier for Toledoans.
The app, called GreenPal, launched last week in Toledo. It connects homeowners to lawn care professionals in the area, similar to how Uber works for rideshares.
Homeowners who use the app post what services they need and a deadline for when it needs to be done.
The landscaping professionals are local and they bid on the job with whatever their rate may be. Then, the bids are presented to the homeowner and they can see the vendor's rating, reviews and price to decide who they want to work with.
Jeremy Kemmer, the owner of JNP Lawncare Maintenance and Snow, said that he and his team have already started using it. They've seen success already, especially within the older community.
Once the GreenPal work is completed, the money goes right into Kemmer's account, which he said he appreciates as it is quicker than a typical invoice.
Kemmer even said they were going to go on several jobs taken from GreenPal that same day.
"They take a photo, you get a photo of it right afterwards so you know that we were there, the job is completed to your specs and standards, and it works out well," Kemmer said.
GreenPal co-founder Gene Caballero said the app takes 5% of the transaction and anything outside your home can be worked on, as long as there is a vendor willing to do it.
Thirty percent of GreenPal customers are over 60 years old, Caberello said, so they had to make a lot of adjustments for everyone to use right at their fingertips.
"Not only for the Millennials, the Gen Z. But my mom is 75 years old and is using the platform," Caballero said. "We had to make it as easy as possible for them but also keep it as safe as possible for everybody."
To be a vendor on GreenPal you have to be 18 years old, show identification, provide your banking and social security information and provide pictures of your own work.
If you decide to take yard work into your own hands, there are some risks.
Dr. James Walter, an ER doctor at ProMedica Flower Hospital in Sylvania, said that people over the age of 65 are not as capable of controlling heat in their body or heat exchange, and are at higher risk if they do yard work in the sun.
"Overheating quickly leads to heat exhaustion or heat stroke," Walters said. "Obviously those can become very injurious quickly."
If you decide to go out, Walters said to hydrate, take breaks and wear protective gear like hats, gloves and glasses.
Walters said sunburns are common too, so it's important to apply a minimum of 15 SPF sunscreen and reapply every two hours as a safety measure.