LocalStudent connects students with community members for odd jobs

With the price of nearly everything rising this year, a new startup is aiming to help students find work, while also supporting the local community.

The LocalStudent platform is “like Uber for student services,” according to Alex Ryzer, founder of the web app. Students can sign up, attend an orientation, and then have access to all the jobs in their area.

“I originally came up with the idea for LocalStudent back when I was a student at Ryerson University,” Ryzer shared. “Like many other students, I worked traditional student jobs like fast food and retail, but these jobs didn’t suit my or my colleagues’ needs as students. It was this reason that me and my co-founder, Marko, created LocalStudent, aiming to provide high-paying, flexible, and rewarding employment to students.”

Area residents also benefit from the local student program. Ryzer said that, while the app is new, they expect to see tremendous growth this spring and summer.

“From a customer’s end, they are able to sign up on our app, input information about the service they want completed, and receive a quote in just a few minutes. They are then able to directly book a service, and have a student complete their job.”

Three LocalStudent team members live in Kingston and are currently attending Queen’s University, and, according to the team, the program is gaining traction in the Kingston area. Ryzer said that there are 35 students currently providing services locally, and they plan to hire many more for the summer season.

“Students don’t need to be in post-secondary, any students 17 or older are eligible to work with LocalStudent,” Ryzer explained. “Currently, we offer three types of seasonal on-demand services: lawn mowing, snow shovelling, and leaf cleanup. We plan to expand to more services in the future!”

According to the company, many students enjoy working at LocalStudent because they offer great pay, flexibility, and students are able to be their own boss. “So far, our feedback from our Kingston customers has been very positive, with many of our customers appreciating the opportunity to support students, while working with a reliable company,” said Ryzer.

The reviews speak for themselves:

 “I have quite a large 6+ car driveway in Kingston. I pulled my back and after calling every, and I mean EVERY, snow removal place in Kingston to get a plough driver over here and getting no response, I reached out to this service.
I told them on the phone the driveway size and they… said they would be sending someone within the hour. I suggested on the phone that they send at least two due to the size of the driveway and they said they would try their best.
When I got the call I was quite surprised when a young girl was on the other end saying she was coming alone to do the driveway. It took her about two hours but I’m beyond impressed. She didn’t stop. She did a fantastic job… I can’t speak for any of the other workers because I only had the one girl, but if they’re as committed as she was then they would all be great.
Thanks again.
Chris B”

Learn more about LocalStudent on their website.