Good to know.

An app for setting up a circle around someone who needs a hand now and then. Family, friends and neighbours share one schedule. If the circle isn’t enough, you can arrange extra help in the same app: a local stand-in, or a service such as a hairdresser or cleaner.

Yes. Downloading it, starting a circle, inviting people and getting help from your circle cost nothing, and there’s no subscription. You only pay if you ask a stand-in or book a service. You pay in the app. A stand-in comes with a 7% service fee.

No. The circle is there for company and everyday things: a walk together, the shopping, a lift, a coffee. Medical care stays with the home care service and the GP.

The person who sets up the circle and keeps track of it, often a son, daughter or partner. The circle manager invites people, sets out tasks and decides who can join.

Anyone who picks up tasks does, because that’s where the schedule lives. You invite people with a WhatsApp link, even if they don’t have the app yet. The person the circle is for doesn’t have to do a thing: the circle manager sorts it out. If they’d like to follow along too, they can, with large text.

Only the members of a circle see what goes on in it. Your exact address is only visible to those who need it: your circle, a business you book, and a stand-in once they’ve said yes. Before that, a stand-in only sees the street and town, and everyone else only your rough area. We delete a stand-in’s identity document after 30 days and keep only the result of the check.

The app is in the final stage before launch. As soon as it’s in the App Store and on Google Play, you can download it from this website.

A circle works anywhere in the Netherlands: all you need is people around you. The number of stand-ins and services still varies by region and is growing neighbourhood by neighbourhood. You only see stand-ins and businesses that travel to your address.

A few minutes. Five quick steps set up the circle, and you invite people with a link. Then you set out the first tasks and the schedule fills up with who’s doing what.

Then you add people from the neighbourhood. You can invite local buddies, and you decide who gets the circle code and who can join from the map. If you need more, ask a stand-in or book a service.

Yes. Ask a local stand-in to help with the shopping, the garden, a walk or some company, so you get some time for yourself. You choose who to ask and when; the stand-in sets their own price and hours. Washing and dressing aren’t included, nor are medical tasks.

Yes. If someone suits you, pin them to your circle from their profile. They then appear at the top, with when they’re next coming. The stand-in can always say no.

The schedule shows who picked up what and what’s been finished. If something doesn’t go as planned, the task opens up again for the rest of the circle.

Choose As soon as possible when you add a task. Your whole circle hears straight away, and people tap I’ll do it if they can.

No, being a buddy is voluntary. You do it for the contact, and for someone in your own neighbourhood. Want to earn something? Take a look at Stand-ins.

No. You help with company and everyday things: a walk, a bit of shopping, a coffee together. Care tasks are for professionals. The app has short courses if you’d like them, in Dutch for now.

That’s entirely up to you. You see what’s open and only take on what suits you. You get a reminder beforehand.

Yes. You’ll see circles near you right away and can ask to join. The circle manager looks at your request and lets you in. If you get a circle code, you join straight away.

Yes, if you switch it on: Open to other circles, in your profile. It’s off by default. Circle managers nearby can then see your first name, your photo, what you write about yourself, when you’re available and your town, and on their map your location to within about a kilometre. They can ask you, and you choose whether to say yes. Your profile photo is then visible to everyone with an account. If a circle near you is looking for a buddy, you’ll hear about it once a week at most. If you no longer want that, switch it off in your profile.

A circle sees your first name and your selfie, and decides for itself whether you join. We don’t check your identity. Anyone can report unwanted behaviour, and the Hoopla team looks at every report.

Someone aged 18 or over from your area who earns a bit on the side through Hoopla: a student, someone retired or anyone with time to spare. A stand-in helps with everyday things in and around the house and sets their own price and hours. You choose who to ask and make the arrangement with the stand-in directly; Hoopla just puts you in touch.

Everyday help in and around the house: shopping, cleaning, the garden, odd jobs, cooking, company, walking the dog or help with the phone. Washing and dressing aren’t included, nor are medical tasks. A stand-in visits the same household on 3 days a week at most.

No. You can’t pay a stand-in from a personal budget (pgb). You pay in the app when you send the request. If the stand-in says no or doesn’t reply, you get your money back.

Anyone aged 18 or over. When you sign up, you say what you do: studying, working, retired or something else. You have your identity checked in the app, and then the Hoopla team approves your sign-up.

You set one hourly rate for all your tasks, and you keep all of it. The minimum is €17.55: the Dutch minimum wage plus holiday pay and paid leave. We update it on 1 January and 1 July. While the app is still a test environment, nothing is paid out yet.

No. You decide your own hours, your area and when you’re available now. A request shows the street and town before you say yes; you see the full address after. You say yes, suggest another time or say no. Saying no has no consequences.

You declare what you earn on your own tax return. The app shows you a yearly overview. Hoopla doesn’t give tax advice.

Signing up and creating a profile costs nothing.

You set out your services, your service area and your weekly hours. Customers in your service area see what you offer in the app and request a time; you confirm, suggest another time or decline. With a request you get the customer’s address and, if they’ve given it, their phone number.

To sign up, add a service or add a photo, yes. After that you can also keep track of your appointments and availability on this website, on an ordinary computer. It’s the same system as the app.

You sign up with your business details. We check your KvK (Chamber of Commerce) details and your proof document, and for care services also your membership of a disputes body. Your services only appear in the app once you’re approved.

Customers pay in the app when they send the request. With an hourly price, they pay the length of the appointment times your hourly rate. If you decline, don’t reply or cancel an appointment, the customer gets the money back. If the customer cancels within 24 hours, the amount stands. While the app is still a test environment, customers don’t really pay yet and nothing is paid out.