LaborTrader: Connecting Contractors With the Skilled Crews They Need

A contractor has a job he could win, but not enough hands to finish it. Across town, another business has a skilled crew and a calendar that’s looking a little too empty.

Both have something the other needs. Finding each other is the problem.

Ben Randall knows that situation well. With about 20 years in the industry and several years owning a heating and cooling business, he’s experienced the frustration of watching opportunities slip away because dependable help wasn’t available.

For a small contractor, growth often comes with a catch: You need more people to take on more work, but you need steady work to support more people. Hire too early and payroll gets tight. Wait too long and you’re facing another late night, another lost bid or another customer you have to turn away.

That’s the problem behind LaborTrader, a marketplace being built for construction and the skilled trades.

Putting Available Crews Where the Work Is

The idea is straightforward: connect businesses that need help with businesses that have people available.

A contractor could bring in additional labor for a project without immediately adding a permanent position. A business going through a slow stretch could put its crew to work elsewhere, bringing in revenue to help cover payroll and keep good employees on board.

“Slow season is real in the trades,” Randall said. “You’ve got good people who want to work, and you want to keep them, but sometimes there just isn’t enough work to go around. At the same time, somebody down the road is turning down jobs because they can’t find help. I wanted to bring those businesses together.”

Personal connections already make some of these arrangements possible, but finding dependable help isn’t always easy. LaborTrader aims to make it easier to find and evaluate the right people, with job histories, reviews and reliability records that grow as members work through the platform.

The marketplace is also being designed to bring agreed work, payment funding and job completion into one place. The goal is to give the business providing labor more confidence that the money is there, while giving the hiring side a way to address no-shows or work that wasn’t completed.

And because this is the trades, qualifications matter. LaborTrader is being built around the licensing, insurance and employment requirements that come with the work, rather than treating every job like just another gig.

More Than a Place to Find an Extra Set of Hands

As the idea grew, so did the vision. LaborTrader is being built to connect more of the people who make the construction industry work.

The plans include opportunities for journeymen and apprentices, including temporary W-2 roles supported by staffing partners. Instead of simply hoping someone sent to a job is the right fit, a hiring business could review workers’ skills and experience and find someone who fits its crew.

Homeowners would also have a place to find contractors with a track record. Local opportunities would be connected with relevant skills and service areas, with text and email notifications helping people hear about work that fits what they do.

A planned Pro Shop would bring together tools, specialized equipment, training, software and services for people in the trades.

“I know what it’s like to want to grow and not have the help to do it,” Randall said. “There are a lot of hardworking people in this industry who deserve better ways to find work, find help and build something bigger. That’s what we’re trying to create.”

LaborTrader is in development, and preregistration is open. Preregister for free usage when the platform launches at labortraders.com/signup.

Whether you need an extra set of hands or have a crew ready for its next job, LaborTrader is being built with you in mind.