EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Ärmel Aufkrempeln is an online all-in-one solution for DIY (do-it-yourself) electrical installations. Private customers get access to learning resources for simple installation steps, can buy the required materials, rent specialized tools and hire professional electricians for complicated installation steps. On the one hand, the platform enables customers to afford construction projects which are usually too expensive for them or which they are not willing to pay for. On the other hand, customers get access to proven content they would otherwise never reach. Therefore, the platform adds value for electricians which get access to broader customer groups as well as for customers which save more than 60% in comparison to hire professional firms.

Problem

In recent years, the DIY trend got substantially important in Austria. This is especially true for construction projects of private customers in their homes. Many people just want to do such jobs themselves. According to our research, most customers feel extraordinary unconfident if they have to work with electricity. They lack the knowledge of how to install correctly and fear electrical shocks as well as electricity induced fires. Additionally, electricians are out of the question to educate private customers in electrical engineering for free. Nearly every online learning resource (i.e. YouTube, Google) and guides from DIY-markets are of bad quality and/or are not in line with Austrian norms and standards for electrical installations or not at the latest state of the art. Moreover, they are often incomplete and miss important safety and security hints. Alternatively, hiring professional electricians is expensive for major customer groups due to a high proportion of labour in electrical installation projects and high labour costs in Austria. Therefore, many customers have to rely on untrustworthy illicit workers which is a suboptimal solution for all involved groups (customers, electricians and the society as a whole).

Solution

With the all-in-one solution described above, we solve most of the mentioned problems immediately. The content (i.e. videos, descriptions) is certified by professional electricians and only steps which can be easily implemented by private customers are provided. The offered materials and tools in our online shop are used by electricians daily and if some of the materials remain unused we take them back. Additionally, we offer a rental option for specialized tools which would only be used once, are expensive and waste space. By providing a home delivery option instead of pick up, we are offering a convenient service for bringing materials and tools to customers´ homes. The platform acts also as intermediary for hiring the closest professional electrician from the partner network. Therefore, we offer a reliable option for complicated and dangerous steps and for certifications as well.

Market

The target customers of Ärmel Aufkrempeln are all hobby craftsmen, in Austria known as Heimwerker. The market environment is promising since more than 470,000 households are moving each year to new flats or houses in Austria. Nearly every household has to do some minor (mounting a lamp, installing wall sockets) or major (complete building wiring) electrical installations. Moreover, there is already a € 185 million online market for electrical materials in Austria.

Business Model

The business model contains several revenue streams. The DIY learning resources are based on a small monthly subscription fee dependent on the project. The selling of the material and the commissions of subcontractors (professional electricians) are the main revenue drivers. The tool rental is a service which has a supportive characteristic. Materials and tools are sold on DIY market terms, jobs done by electricians on common market terms.

Contact Person

Valentin Legerer
valentin.legerer@gmx.at

Student team

• Valentin Legerer

• Kathryn Minnick

• Andreas Erber

Lecturer

• Dr. Kathrin Reinsberger

• Dr. Rudolf Dömötör

• Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke