📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

How to Get Your Business on Amazon's New Home Services Platform Amazon is giving small businesses a way to reach customers, but is looking for a particular set of criteria.

By Laura Entis

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Today, Amazon launched its new Home Services platform, where customers can shop for professional help from more than 700 services categories, ranging from plumbing and media installation to fringe services such as goat grazing and aerial yoga.

"In less than 60 seconds, customers can now browse, purchase and schedule hundreds of professional services from wall mounting a new TV to installing a new garbage disposal to house cleaning, directly on Amazon.com," Amazon said in a press release. The platform also lets customers book local service providers through partnerships with handyman site TaskRabbit and auto parts chain Pep Boys.

For small businesses, joining the network could be valuable tool, a way to get more exposure and reach more customers. (More than 85 million Amazon customers are shopping for products that need professional services, the company says.)

Related: Home Improvement Startup Porch Raises $65 Million at $500 Million Valuation

Because Amazon is positioning the service as a trustworthy, vetted platform, it's invite-only: Amazon says it accepts, on average, three out of every 100 service professionals in each metro area and that greenlit pro services have an average customer rating of 4.7 stars.

So how can your business qualify? First, you can apply here. Before you do, however, know that Amazon requires each business to be licensed, insured and pass a five-point background check.

Amazon doesn't state its cut of the service fee, but according to The Verge, a beta version of the platform showed that it was taking 20 percent on standard services, 15 percent on custom and 10 percent on recurring ones.

The new service will compete with startups such as Porch and Handy, which just closed a fresh $15 million in funding.

Related: New Amazon Platform Allows Anyone to Host an Online Giveaway

Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

These Coworkers-Turned-Friends Started a Side Hustle on Amazon — Now It's a 'Full Hustle' Earning Over $20 Million a Year: 'Jump in With Both Feet'

Achal Patel and Russell Gong met at a large consulting firm and "bonded over a shared vision to create a mission-led company."

Side Hustle

How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Successful Business

A hobby, interest or charity project can turn into a money-making business if you know the right steps to take.

Business News

These Are the 10 Most Profitable Cities for Airbnb Hosts, According to a New Report

Here's where Airbnb property owners and hosts are making the most money.

Productivity

Want to Be More Productive? Here's How Google Executives Structure Their Schedules

These five tactics from inside Google will help you focus and protect your time.

Business News

How Much Do Engineers, Software Developers, and Analysts Make at Apple? See Salary List

Using application data from highly-skilled foreign workers, Insider revealed a range of salaries at the tech giant.