"In my mind if you do not use a service such as Uber, you need serious help."
That quote comes from a Florida-based businessman according to a recent USA Today article, and although his claim might be a little extreme, he’s not alone. The article goes on to cite research from Certify, which helps companies manage expense reports, who found that on-demand ride service Uber has overtaken taxis as the preferred way to get around among road warriors on business.
Use of the sharing economy among travelers is soaring, as Travel Weekly shared that just last year a survey found that 63 percent of respondents had never heard of collaborative or sharing-economy services and now in 2015 that number has flipped and 60 percent are aware of these services.
What is the Sharing Economy?
For those of you still unaware of the sharing economy, here’s a refresher on what and who it includes. The sharing economy refers to consumers and businesses sharing available resources that may or may not go unused otherwise. For example, a person may share their home for “couchsurfing” or a business may share office space with other businesses.
Wondering how you can leverage the sharing economy to improve your life and cashflow? Let’s take a look at a few of the options people are using now.
Accommodations
Back to that couchsurfing reference above, it’s a real thing! Maybe your company is a startup that’s short on cash, but you need to travel to other cities. Couchsurfing.com allows you to be a guest in someone else’s home while they are there. And hey, maybe you’ll even make some new friends.
Feeling less adventurous? Try Airbnb, where you can rent a person’s apartment or room when they are not there. In both cases, people are sharing their extra space with others and making money in a way they might not have been possible previously.
Transportation
Like the zealous business person said in the beginning of my post, Uber is a great way to get around town in an affordable, easy way. Simply download the app, enter credit card information and request someone with a car to drive you anytime you’re in need – day or night. There’s also Lyft, which offers a similar service to Uber, but drivers have a pink mustache on their vehicle. For a laugh, check out Conan O’Brien’s Lyft ride with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. There’s also RelayRides, which lets you rent a car from people like you and me and drive yourself! Maybe you don’t want to use a car at all – try Spinlister to rent a bike!
Other Sharing Economy Options
The sharing economy can include products and services from just about anyone, anywhere. Not sure what to do with your pets while you’re traveling – try DogVacay to find a dogsitter near you.
Maybe you need some work done around the house, but just don’t have the time – try Zaarly for access to home service experts. And how awful is it when you’re stuck with no WiFi? There’s Fon for that, which let’s people share WiFi with one another. The list goes on and on – if you have a need, there’s probably a sharing economy business that can solve it. And hey, maybe you have a service you can share!
The Sharing Economy is Working
In addition to the fact that the sharing economy has created countless companies, it’s also creating very successful companies. According to this VentureBeat article, the sharing economy has created 17 billion-dollar companies with 60,000 employees and $15 billion in funding.
So if you’re hoping to save a little cash, or hassle, or maybe make a little cash by sharing your own services, give the sharing economy a try and let us know how it goes.
