Singapore is ranked top in many aspects, but if it’s one thing we are bad at, it’s having a work-life balance. Singaporean millennials in 2016 worked the second-longest week among developed cities around the world, clocking in a whopping 48 hours round the clock. It then comes as no surprise that locals only spent 2.8 hours of leisure time on average with family and friends, making up a meagre 1% of a week!
These dismal numbers have led to a rising population of stressed individuals, with 92% of working Singaporeans facing burnout and fatigue. Not only do we have a never-ending pile of workload waiting for us at the office, the household also renders its own long list of daily chores to complete. From personal errands to menial work-related tasks, these micro-worries hover over our heads constantly and continue to prove that 24 hours a day might not be sufficient for Singaporeans’ crazy schedules.
Millennial Marcus Cheah, too, was a product of this time-starved society. Having launched his first startup company Cre8tech in 2017, the 28-year-old had such a hectic schedule that his living conditions were in a dire mess. However, while he was facing a busy lifestyle, he realised that there were another group of people who had a substantial amount of time on their hands. Inspired by both his personal lack of time and the booming sharing economy back in end-2017, Marcus then noticed a huge gap in the service industry and sought to bridge it. Alongside a lean team of 4, he subsequently conceptualized and designed an app to solve these first-world problems. In just less than a year, iTask was born.
iTask is an online service marketplace that harnesses the power of the sharing economy – where time and skills are considered resources. Be it repairing a broken water heater or queuing up for concert tickets, the app allows posters to post any task and engage taskers to help them complete it. Taskers are able to bid for the task and posters can then choose the most suited tasker to take on the job based on a rating and review system.
While Marcus’ iTask journey was one filled with obstacles – he was travelling back and forth between Singapore and Malaysia at least 3 days a week during iTask’s early days – the app currently boasts more than 5,000 users and has accomplished more than SGD$40,000 in posted task value in just 5 months.
Find out more at www.itask.com.sg
Racing Towards a Greener Future: Formula One’s Goal to Become Carbon Neutral
June 8, 2023
The world tour. The travelling circus. The gas guzzling. The ever-growing race calendars. The intense carbon footprint. It’s no surprise Formula One (F1) is one of the least eco-friendly sports on the planet, with one of the highest carbon footprints.
