This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on May 26, 2025 - June 1, 2025

Tim Goi, founder of Okay Tasks, an on-demand cleaning services platform, was fully aware of the challenges he would face when he decided to venture into a crowded industry that would require him to not only win customers but also convince investors that his service app was different from those that had failed.

Goi, who started Okay Tasks in September 2024, says a priority is to set his new start-up apart from similar ones in the market. “Everyone compares us to Kaodim, even though we are nothing like them. Kaodim is a multi-service provider app, whereas ours only provides cleaning services. So we are totally different,” he points out.

Kaodim.my was a platform for booking services such as plumbing, home renovations and private yoga sessions. It ceased operations in 2022, citing rising costs and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Okay Tasks’ strength lies in being a single service provider, allowing greater focus, says Goi. The system sets fixed prices and selects vendors based on factors like availability and proximity, enhancing user-friendliness.

The industry remains highly competitive. Okay Tasks’ key rival is Recommend.my, formerly known as RecomN.com when it launched in 2014, which claims to have 1.3 million monthly visitors on its app. As a multi-service platform, it allows users to select home improvement and maintenance services, request free quotes and compare options before choosing a provider — typically third-party businesses with an established presence.

But Goi believes that running a multi-service platform involves higher costs and greater effort, which is why he prefers to focus on a single service and build customer trust through that niche. “Kaodim or Recommend.my would likely require two or three employees to continuously look for vendors. [Meanwhile] we have seen many repeat orders from our regular customers. This shows that our customers are satisfied with our work.”

Another reason he focuses solely on cleaning services is the recurring demand, unlike air-conditioning or renovation services that are needed only a few times a year. He points out that house and office cleaning often generate weekly or monthly repeat orders.

Goi stresses that Okay Tasks should not be grouped with broader multi-service platforms as its model is built on regular, ongoing demand. “Customers — and vendors alike — are likely to take advantage by undercutting the platform and going straight to the vendor companies the next time they need [cleaning services].”

To avoid the pitfalls of a multi-service model, Okay Tasks is deliberately designed differently. “Our vendors are not on display,” he says.

Another key feature that sets Okay Tasks apart is its on-demand option, allowing users to hire a cleaner with just two hours’ notice. “Our app solves the household problem of hiring a cleaner on demand,” says Goi, citing his own experience of struggling to find help due to rigid scheduling. Unlike other platforms, Okay Tasks prioritises user convenience — an advantage that he believes will appeal to busy families in the suburbs of the Klang Valley.

Like many start-ups, fundraising is a major hurdle for Okay Tasks. Goi not only has to convince investors that his platform stands apart from its competitors, but also must prove its potential in terms of profitability.

He expects Okay Tasks to break even by 2027, three years after launch. “The real challenge is money. Some investors remain cautious, often citing Kaodim as a failed precedent. But we’re optimistic and exploring funding options, including venture capital and private equity,” he says.

Nevertheless Goi is confident, citing positive projections for the country’s cleaning services industry. “We have a projection based on the number of task requests received annually and other data assumptions, provided the economy remains stable in Malaysia. Much of this data comes from other cleaning services in the region,” he says.

“Investors we are looking for include other companies from the same industry as we don’t view each other as competitors. Instead, we work together to ensure everyone succeeds.”

While Goi hopes to secure external funding from angel investors and venture capitalists, he is also diversifying his fundraising efforts through the crowdfunding platform Ata Plus, having raised RM130,000 to date.

Although he has a clear financial road map, he acknowledges that his broader ambition and vision for Okay Tasks requires more than just capital. “Beyond funding, I’m eager for the opportunity to work with more experienced people to grow Okay Tasks,” he remarks, adding that venture capital and private equity investors often provide valuable guidance and targets for start-ups.

Despite the challenges, Goi ventured into cleaning services after a friend, who had won a tender but lacked manpower, offered him a chance to help. “He provided me with means and an opportunity a few years ago, before the pandemic. Other businesses in the area have benefited from these shared projects too.”

An auditor by training, Goi left the corporate world in 2017 to start his first business. After working at a private company that was eventually listed, he decided it was time to strike out on his own. “I thought to myself, this life is lived only once … so I quit after five years,” he says.

Before launching Okay Tasks last year, he founded three successful non-digital business-to-business manpower companies. That experience laid the foundation for his current venture, where technology and machine learning are now central priorities.

Admitting that tech is not his strong suit, Goi brought in Chai Yee Xian as chief technology officer (CTO). With more than eight years of experience, Chai’s job is to ensure that the app runs smoothly with each update.

While start-ups can either have in-house teams or use third-party consultants, Goi and Chai initially chose the latter. Now, they are shifting their focus to build an internal engineering team.

An in-house team offers greater control and creative freedom, but also increases costs — something critical for a lean start-up. Chai is currently managing handovers from external consultants and drafting the development road map.

“We will probably have one or two in-house engineers for a start. We’ll see how it goes from there,” says Goi.

Having a few in-house engineers could support ongoing learning and improvements to the Okay Tasks app, crucial for effectively integrating machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI) into the software.

“Everyone is trying to implement AI into their business to see if it can save costs. Of course, we are not about to be left behind,” he says.

“For now, we are capturing data that will enable the machine to learn each customer’s preferences better, which in turn should match them to vendors more efficiently and timely.”

Goi’s plan involves analysis of behavioural data and looking for patterns across multiple factors. Apart from that, he would like to have first-level customer service that answers any questions about Okay Tasks and the way the app works. “My CTO and I are still in discussions about this — how to find someone skilled to develop the AI and make our app stand out.”

Having a smoothly running app is just one, albeit important, aspect of running a digital business. Adjacent to this, one should also have a firm business strategy that will enable growth, Goi notes.

Thanks to the friendly ecosystem of cleaning services that exists in the Klang Valley, Okay Tasks is not about to face any manpower issues in the foreseeable future, he says. “We have invited other conventional cleaning companies to join us as vendors. So, if they need new clients, they are open to sign up.”

When a customer submits a job request, Okay Tasks’ back-end software matches it to the most suitable vendor. Signing up — whether as an individual or a cleaning company — places vendors in this pool.

At the front end, the app allows local individuals to register as gig workers with Okay Tasks. This provides part-time opportunities in cleaning and helps ensure a steady supply of workers for on-demand jobs. While the feature has yet to be actively marketed, it offers flexibility and extra income for those already engaged on gig platforms like FoodPanda or Grab. Nevertheless, Goi remains cautious and avoids relying solely on one approach.

Recognising the importance of safety and privacy for both customers and vendors, Okay Tasks provides insurance coverage for all parties and ensures personal data is collected lawfully and stored securely.

While others worry about the looming tariff wars and economic uncertainty, Goi remains optimistic. “The market is big, demand seems to be continuously increasing.”

Cleaning, hygiene and disinfection are essential services that remain relevant, even during downturns or pandemics, he asserts.

To prepare for any challenges, Okay Tasks is strengthening its subscription model for regular home and office cleaning, aiming for stable, recurring income to offset any potential drops in one-time bookings.

Meanwhile, Goi is steadily refining his five-year vision, with regional expansion in sight. He is exploring opportunities in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines, tapping his business network to build connections.

“Maybe an external investor may already have a network that we can utilise,” he says. For now, however, the focus remains on growing a strong customer base in Malaysia.

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