The proliferation of easy to use and connected electronic devices like smartphones and tablets makes finding and sharing services easier than it ever has been. After the success of early sharing platforms like eBay and Napster, the concept of sharing networks, or collaborative consumption really took off.
What is collaborative consumption?
Need a room while traveling? You can either rent a hotel or motel room or you can use the Airbnb app to find a room in any of 34,000 cities in 192 countries. The room found using Airbnb will probably be cheaper and nicer than a hotel room in the same price category.
Is your car in the shop? Uber will get you a ride cheaper than a taxi. Unless the local government has decided that Uber is breaking the law by offering its service in the area, it will probably be cheaper and quicker than hiring a cab. Not always, of course, some taxi companies are already changing the way they do business because of Uber.
Both of these are examples of collaborative consumption. A person has something, such as a room or time to drive around, that someone needs and he makes a transaction to offer his services for that purpose. Regulations have been established to keep people from being hurt or taken advantage of, insurance is offered and everyone makes a little money on the arrangement. The only people who aren’t happy are the traditional hoteliers and cab companies or whatever company is being challenged by the sharing economy.
How do you make money?
The list is huge, but a small sample, that almost anyone can use, would include:
• Ride sharing.
Ride sharing is the most popular form of collaborative consumption and a good way to make money whether you have the time to drives someone around or you are the person who needs a ride. Uber is the name most everyone is familiar with but Lyft and Sidecar use regular people driving their own cars for the same service.
• Room sharing
Airbnb is the most popular room sharing service out there. It is a massive, international service in almost 200 countries around the globe. If you have an extra room you can list it with them. Other services without the widespread reach include Roomorama and BedyCasa.
• Wi-Fi sharing
This hasn’t caught on as much in the United States as it has in Europe, yet, but a Spanish company called Fon sells a special router that will portion off your internet bandwidth for use by other Fon users. In return, you have access to other Fon user’s bandwidth while you are traveling. The company currently has more than 12 million Wi-Fi hotspots, most of which are in Europe.
• Dog sitting
Sharing has come up with a solution for pet owners who dislike kennels and want a more personal touch for their furry friends. Companies like Rover.com and DogVacay.com put pet owners in touch with trusted sitters who live in the same area they do. Rates for using a dog sitting site are generally around 50 percent of the kennel charges.
• Office sharing
If you need office space while traveling, or you have extra space at your business, Desktime can help fill it. This app is like Airbnb, but with a business twist.
The companies that run these apps or websites make a small transaction fee every time someone uses the service. If you have an Uber driver pick you up, a small part of the fee goes to Uber, the remainder goes to the driver.
Conclusion
The most interesting part of the sharing economy is that almost anyone can make money on it. You don’t need any special skills or training to have an extra bedroom or office that you can rent out. You can even use penny auction sites to make money. Using Airbnb to find a place to spend the night also makes the consumer money by providing a service cheaper than traditional hotels or motels would.
Collaborative consumption is all about saving a bit of money here or there and sharing what you have with those who need it.
