Hidrent Handyman - Shark Tank Update

Dave Heimbuch's path to Shark Tank began with a simple observation about the home services economy: the most trusted people available for home work were already all around us, they just needed a channel to reach homeowners looking for reliable, vetted help. Dave, a professional salesperson who had worked for companies including Tapad, AT&T Mobility, and Shazam Entertainment before enrolling in the Capital Factory Accelerator Program in Austin, had an insight when he hired a contractor through an app and later learned from his brother-in-law that off-duty firefighters regularly performed handyman jobs for extra income during their extended off-duty periods.

Firefighters work 24-hour shifts and then have 48 hours off - time many of them spend looking for ways to supplement their incomes. Their professional credentials, rigorous background vetting, and community reputation made them uniquely trustworthy for home entry in a way that generic gig workers simply could not match.

Surveys consistently show that approximately 94% of the public trusts firefighters, giving Hidrent an instantly differentiated trust position in the crowded, often anxiety-inducing home services category. Hidrent charged homeowners approximately $72 per hour for services including furniture assembly, gutter cleaning, TV wall mounting, holiday light installation, general hauling, and dozens of other common home tasks.

Firefighters received $60 per hour, and Hidrent retained 23% commission from each transaction. The platform was built as a mobile app and launched in 2017, initially concentrated in the Phoenix and Tampa markets where the firefighter labor pool was deep enough to ensure coverage.

Annual revenues grew from $125,000 in 2019 to $260,000 in 2020, and had already reached $325,000 by the time of filming in 2021, putting the company on pace to exceed $500,000 for the year. Lifetime sales at the time of the pitch sat at approximately $850,000, and the customer demographic skewed heavily toward senior citizens and single mothers - precisely the populations most likely to feel vulnerable inviting unknown service workers into their homes and most likely to pay a premium for the Hidrent safety assurance.

Marketing was concentrated on digital channels: Google, Facebook, and Nextdoor, where trusted community-level referrals aligned perfectly with the Hidrent brand. Dave entered the tank seeking $300,000 for 8% equity at a $3.75 million valuation, with specific capital plans for marketing expansion, technology development, and geographic growth beyond the initial two-city footprint.

The successful partnership with Robert Herjavec and Lori Greiner, who jointly invested $300,000 for 33.3% equity during Season 13, provided Hidrent with both capital and strategic guidance to expand beyond their initial markets of Phoenix and Tampa. The Shark Tank exposure proved transformative for the business, catapulting them from regional to national recognition almost overnight while helping them build credibility and brand awareness in the competitive home services marketplace.

We found that Hidrent has successfully leveraged this momentum to expand to nationwide availability, allowing customers across the country to access firefighter handyman services as long as there are registered firefighters in their area willing to accept jobs through the platform. The company has enhanced their service offerings by adding phone booking capabilities to serve tech-averse customers, particularly seniors who prefer traditional ordering methods but still want access to trustworthy service providers for their home maintenance needs.

With lifetime revenue now exceeding $1 million since their 2018 launch and continued growth in both user base and repeat customers, Hidrent has proven that their unique positioning in the home services market creates genuine value for both consumers seeking reliable help and firefighters looking to earn supplemental income during their off-duty time. September 2026 update: Hidrent now operates as Helpful Heroes, which BELFOR Franchise Group lists as a 2024 acquisition.

This September, the company announced its first North Carolina franchise in Huntersville, a central Texas franchise that opened September 1, and a Greater Tampa Bay opening planned for later in the month. It continues connecting homeowners with off-duty firefighters and EMTs, with service availability varying by market.