Hustle 16: SkillMatch Marketplace
People need help every day with tasks they can’t or don’t want to do themselves. At the same time, there are millions of people with skills they’re willing to offer if they can find the right clients. A SkillMatch Marketplace puts both sides together. You create the system that connects the right person to the right service, you automate the backend with AI, and you take the cut. This model works because it solves a real problem: people want reliable help without wasting hours searching for it.
What the business actually is
A SkillMatch Marketplace is a platform where people looking for services can find skilled individuals who provide them. You can build it niche specific or broad. It could be tutoring, editing, graphic design, virtual assistance, coding help, or even specialized community-based services. Your platform makes the match, automates the process, and earns revenue every time someone gets hired.
AI handles the onboarding, customer questions, scheduling, and matches. You focus on building the platform, attracting talent, and making sure the experience is smooth.
Who it’s perfect for
This is great for you if you:
enjoy building systems
like simplifying complicated processes
want to create a marketplace without being the service provider
enjoy tapping into the gig economy
want something that scales once the system is built
You don’t have to perform any services yourself. You run the platform.
Tools you need
GPT or Claude
Used to power your chatbot, answer questions, handle onboarding, and match users to service providers.
System.io
Use it to host your website, build landing pages, and create registration flows for both clients and providers.
Zapier or Make
Automate notifications, payments, confirmations, and assignment workflows.
Stripe or PayPal
Handles payment processing, subscriptions, and commissions.
Notion or Airtable
Store provider profiles, track clients, organize service categories, and manage your marketplace data.
Calendly or TidyCal
Use it for scheduling between clients and providers when the service requires calls or sessions.
How you make money
Commission Fees
Take a percentage from every completed transaction. This scales automatically as more users join.
Provider Subscription Plans
Charge providers monthly to remain featured, get verified, or gain access to premium job postings.
Client Subscription Plans
Offer clients monthly access to unlimited matches, faster support, or private talent pools.
Featured Listings
Service providers pay to appear higher in search results or category pages.
Service Fees
A small flat fee per booking, similar to how Fiverr or Upwork operates.
How to start step by step
Step 1 — Choose your niche
Pick a focus to start: tutoring, design, editing, virtual assistants, beauty services, or local help.
Step 2 — Build your landing page on System.io
Explain the value clearly. Two paths: “I need help” and “I offer a service.”
Step 3 — Create onboarding forms for both sides
Gather provider skills, rates, availability, and portfolio. Gather client needs and budget.
Step 4 — Use AI to create your matchmaking system
GPT can read client requests and match them to the best provider profiles.
Step 5 — Set up automation in Zapier or Make
Automate emails, onboarding steps, job notifications, and payment confirmations.
Step 6 — Integrate payments
Use Stripe to manage payouts, commissions, refunds, and subscriptions.
Step 7 — Build your provider database
Start with a small group of skilled people. You can find them on Reddit, Facebook groups, or local business pages.
Step 8 — Run a small beta test
Invite early users to try the platform. Gather feedback and refine the flow.
Step 9 — Launch publicly
Push your marketplace live once everything is clean and functional.
Step 10 — Advertise your platform
Use TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and Reddit communities to bring in users.
Step 11 — Start adding monetization layers
Premium plans, commissions, boosts, and subscriptions.
Step 12 — Scale slowly and improve the matching AI
As more people join, refine your categories and automation to keep everything smooth.
Word of advice
A marketplace lives or dies on trust. Focus on vetting providers, making the matching process smooth, and being available when people need help. Once users see your platform consistently connects them to the right people, word of mouth starts doing the work for you. The key is organization, communication, and a clean user experience.
