Booster
Diego Netto, a member of the Sharks in Plano West Senior High School’s 2007 production of West Side Story, is better known for co-founding Booster, a multimillion-dollar fuel service company that brings the gas to your car. The concept—brought to life with the help
of Ross Perot Jr.’s AllianceTexas incubator—is simple: small tanker trucks deliver fuel directly to your car. There is no charge for the service, and gas rates are comparable to, if not cheaper than, the pump. They will also clean your windshield, inflate your tires, and replace your wiper blades upon request. How it works: Currently the service is limited to corporate parking lots and retail locations—places with a sufficient density of vehicles to make the service cost-effective, such as Frito-Lay, Fossil, and UTD. If your company is signed up, all you need to do is download the app and indicate when you’re ready to fill up. Booster CEO Frank Mycroft says the company hopes to expand to more locations in the area and, eventually, move beyond fuel. “I think the future that we get excited about is things getting delivered to a mobile address, a location that is convenient for you, convenient for the delivery provider, and more secure, more efficient,” he says. “For us, that’s a car. I can deliver things to your trunk almost as easily as
I could to your fuel door.”
Cherry
It took two Dallas businesswomen comparing the sad state of their manicures on a flight to San Francisco for inspiration to strike. Amber Venz Box, co-founder of rewardStyle, and Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder of Bumble, didn’t have the time or inclination to spend hours in the salon every week. But they wanted to look polished and professional. If you can’t bring the CEO to the pedicure chair, they figured, why not take the pedicure to the CEO? Or the stay-at-home dad. Or the mom-to-be. Or anyone, really, who would prefer to have the salon come to them. How it works: Select the services you would like (anything from a basic pedicure to a gel manicure), and enter your service location. A vetted technician (aka Cherry Pro) armed with a selection of Essie polishes will meet you there. All treatments are waterless, but you will need an accessible electrical outlet for gel treatments. Basic services start at $30.
Pickup
It has happened to all of us. You get to the checkout line at Ikea with the single blue bag full of drawer separators you came for, only to be faced with an irresistible display of patio recliners. Or, while driving around Kessler Park in your Prius scouting yard sales for vintage Champagne coupes, you come across the perfect armoire for the guest bedroom. For Brenda Stoner, CEO of Pickup, that moment happened in a Costco parking lot. She realized sometimes you need to move something on short notice, and it would help to have an extra pair of hands (aka a Good Guy) and a pickup truck. How it works: The Addison-based service, which has since expanded nationwide, uses screened drivers and insures up to $20,000 of users’ goods. Standard delivery within 10 miles (no stairs) starts at $49 for one Good Guy and $98 for two Good Guys.
TodayTix
This app was born on Broadway, the product of two producers and friends. But it just arrived in Dallas earlier this year, and already all of the major players—and plenty of supporting ones—have signed on. Here you’ll find discounted tickets for the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas Theater Center, Casa Mañana, Kitchen Dog Theater, Stage West, Theatre Three, Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Cliburn, even Turtle Creek Chorale. How it works: You can order tickets up to 30 days in advance, but the best part is the rush option for exclusive $20 day-of tickets. In the morning, check your app for the daily special. When you share a post about the show on social media, access for the discounted tickets will be unlocked.
OurDallas
The recently released OurDallas app is intended to serve as the new front door to all of the city’s apps, and specifically as an upgrade to the former Dallas 311 app, which was plagued by issues with the map function and only covered 18 of the most common service request issues. Now you can request assistance with anything from stray dogs to graffiti to your neighbor’s high weeds. How it works: If you register and create an account, the city will email you updates about your service requests and send you reminders about such things as bulk pickup dates. They are also working with the technology provider to utilize AI, so that hopefully one day you’ll be able to take a photo of a pothole and the city will be able to find it and fill it.
Skratch
Long gone are the days of teenagers roaming the neighborhood with a lawn mower or a squeegee to earn extra gas money. Dallas dads Scott Bennett and Ronen Akiva figured there was a more efficient way to give their kids, and other equally busy high school students, an opportunity to earn cash doing odd jobs in their free time. How it works: Services include tutoring, dog walking, plant watering, and garage cleaning. It’s not a babysitting service—sponsors are required to be on location—but talented teens can help your kids with sports, music, and art. They can even set up your wifi or help you figure out how to get apps on your smartphone. Skratch is currently available in more than 70 ZIP codes in the Dallas area. Service fees range from $12.50 to $15 per hour.
