M3allem.com: A Life-Saver

Most of us live in Lebanon. Lebanon is often referred to as a country, but it is far from being that in so many ways. Most of those ways involve our daily lives, basics like electricity, plumbing, construction, demolitions, etc. are a constant struggle for us all.

We all have dual power sources, the government’s elusive electricity company, and local power generator mafias that charge us exorbitant fees to light up a fridge, TV and a couple of lightbulbs, but often no ACs to hot water. We need an electrician for that every now and then, to fix the wiring, right? We also need someone to fix our water heater that often gets busted because of intermittent power shortages. We need someone to fix out TVs and appliances too. We need a plumber to fix our toilets because our very heavy water clogs up the cheap, probably asbestos-laden plumbing. We need locksmiths because it’s sometimes not safe enough. The list can go on forever, but the bottom line is we always need skilled labor to help us survive from day to day.

However, let us not forget it is Lebanon again. Essential basics aren’t our only problem, but they often go hand-in-hand with corruption and malpractice. So, you need a plumber, your concierge gets you his wife’s sister’s husband, who charges you twice the fee so both of them can get a cut of the profits. That would all be fine and dandy, but they’re probably installing the parts they removed from their last job, and charge you top-shelf new parts prices. We’ve all been there, we all know how hard it is to get reliable skilled technicians and experts that show up on time, do a good job and don’t overcharge you for sub-par work.

That’s what m3allem is for! It’s a database which now has 459 registered craftsmen from over 27 different specialties including carpenters, electricians, plumbers, blacksmiths and virtually every type of other “m3allem” you might ever need.

It’s a beautiful directory, streamlined and easy to navigate. You can choose your specialty, filter it through region, get the craftsman’s contact information and details and you’re all set. Best part is? Each craftsman can be rated, and you can leave a comment as a review. This means that the beauty of crowdsourced data has been utilized to tackle a major need we all have in Lebanon: finding a local craftsman, and finding a good one too!

But, it doesn’t stop there. If you don’t wanna start dishing out the cash but wanna do some research first, you can submit your query on their website and get a reply from an expert within 3 business days. They even go one step further and make their services truly comprehensive: you can submit a form to help finance your repairs or construction projects! If you wanna build an extra floor, maybe re-roof your townhouse, install some parquet, waterproof your swimming pool, or any other costly improvements or repairs, you can submit the details of your plans and m3allem.com will find you a bank loan offer that is suited for your situation.

So, m3allem is a comprehensive directory with reviews and ratings built-in that allows you to get free consultation and even helps you set up a loan if you need some financing for your project. How fucking amazing is that?! M3allem by far is my favorite up-and-running startup that originated in Lebanon. Their idea is so brilliant and they have executed it seamlessly. I’m sorry to say I am not familiar with the founder(s) behind this ingenious platform, I merely reviewed it as an average user tinkering around with no feedback from the owners/creators (just the way I like it!).

Check them out here, and good luck with all your repairs and projects!