A Christchurch painter has launched a new app designed to connect homeowners with trusted tradespeople, while giving tradies a smarter and fairer way to win work.

Darko Ponjiger said the idea for Link My Trade had been developing for several years through daily conversations with other trades and clients.

“To be honest, this idea came probably four or five years ago,” Ponjiger said. “In everyday interactions with fellow trades around Christchurch, it became clear homeowners were struggling to find reliable tradies, and tradies were being charged massive fees on other platforms.”

He said homeowners often relied solely on word of mouth, while tradespeople were forced to chase work through social media or paid directories.

“Without word of mouth, homeowners really did not know where to go,” he said. “At the same time, tradies are in an environment where work is not always available, especially when the economy struggles a bit.”

Darko said Link My Trade was designed for both sides of the equation.

“It was always a bit of both,” he said. “Homeowners need a reliable place to find trades, and tradies need a fair platform that does not push heavy fees onto them and then onto the customer.”

The app allows homeowners to post jobs directly, including urgent or emergency work, which notifies relevant trades in their area. Users can also search and browse trades by category and location.

“The idea is homeowners can go on the platform in two ways,” Darko said. “They can post a job and tradies nearby will be notified, or they can browse trades, find someone, and contact them directly for a quote.”

He said the platform would include more than 35 trade categories.

Darko said transparency was a key part of the app’s design and that trades would present their businesses rather than personal profiles.

“We are heavily encouraging transparency,” he said. “Trades will present their business, their workmanship, and how they operate. If they want work through the platform, they will need to maintain good standards.”

He said over time the platform would help homeowners feel confident they were choosing legitimate New Zealand based businesses.

“Homeowners can be sure they are dealing with real businesses that can provide proper quotes, proper invoicing, and have insurance in place,” he said.

Link My Trade has launched initially in Canterbury, with plans to expand nationwide.

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“We started with Canterbury because that is where I am based,” Ponjiger said. “But the platform is designed to cover all of New Zealand, and we will scale up region by region once we make sure the right people are on the platform.”

Balancing building a tech platform while still working as a painter had been challenging, he said.

“It is not easy, but I like challenges,” Darko said. “This platform came from something that was bothering trades for a long time, so I just kept pushing forward.”

Looking ahead, Darko said success would be simple.

“In 12 months, I would like people to think of Link My Trade as the place to go to find reliable trades,” he said. “And for tradies, I want them to say this is finally something fair for us.”

He said the goal was a platform that benefited both homeowners and trades without unnecessary costs being passed on.