In the past few weeks, several Canadian startups have made announcements and launched new features. Here’s the latest on Canada’s movers and shakers.
FreshBooks adds over 50 apps and integrations to redesigned platform
FreshBooks announced that it now offers more than 65 apps and integrations for its new FreshBooks platform, up from 16 when it launched in September 2016.
“Our mission at FreshBooks is to reshape the world to suit the needs of self-employed professionals and their teams,” said Mike McDerment, co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks. “Our recently redesigned platform was a big step forward to enable us to do more, faster for our customers, and that has included the rapid expansion of complementary apps and integrations. We’re proud to introduce our customers to an ecosystem of best-in-class technologies that, in addition to the FreshBooks platform, will make it even easier, simpler and faster to run a small business.”
To date, FreshBooks said it has helped over 10 million people across 160 countries send invoices, track their time, manage expenses, and get paid online. Recently added integrations provide more options for automating workflow and reducing administrative tasks.
Other apps and integrations available with FreshBooks include connector tools such as Zapier and OneSaas; CRM and marketing integrations such as Salesforce and MailChimp; and project management integrations such as Basecamp, Trello, and Asana.
In July 2017, FreshBooks raised a $57 million funding round to expand its platform.
Jiffy on Demand launches in the US
Toronto-based Jiffy on Demand, which offers an app to connect people to home maintenance services, has officially launched in the US through Boston.
“Home maintenance repairs never come at a good time, and with everyone always on-the-go, the process of having to stop everything and scour for a reputable handyman isn’t realistic anymore,” said Ryan Shupak, co-founder and CEO of Jiffy. “Jiffy is changing the way consumers think about home maintenance by helping them schedule the work instantly, on their schedule, and we’re excited to bring that valuable service to Boston.”
The platform allows users to request home maintenance from trade professionals nearby who are vetted by the company. In turn, trade professionals can automate the tasks of marketing, lead chasing, appointment scheduling, route optimization planning, and payment collection. The company says it has over 30,000 jobs on the books already.
“Jiffy eliminates the challenge of having to coordinate the homeowner’s timeline with a service professionals’ location and availability,” said Dave Spina, general manager of Jiffy’s Boston location. “Just days after signing up with Jiffy, home repair service contractors already see an increase in the number of jobs that they can complete per day. It’s like having an office manager in the palm of their hand and has proven to be a huge asset for building their business pipeline.”