Pioneers of the Sharing Economy
I’m pretty sure we’re all guilty of describing the latest apps and crazes as “it’s like Uber for…”
Well, Uber may be the name we all associate with the on-demand economy but here at Shareflo, we’re continually inspired by many other sharing apps and brands. In fact, Forbes recently released a list of who they consider the pioneers of the sharing economy, so we thought we’d take a look at what makes each of these platforms particularly special.
- Airbnb: These guys truly changed the travel experience for millions of people worldwide. The platform provides a place for hosts to list their spaces to be booked by travellers across the globe, creating a more intimate and local travel experience.
- Dog Vacay: This platform finds the best people to watch your pet when you’re away by hand-selecting and vetting (pun intended) every registered sitter.
- Turo (formerly RelayRides): Say farewell to the stress of car rental agencies and rent a car from a local or list your vehicle to be rented.
- TaskRabbit: Let someone else deal with your chores and errands by hiring members of the TaskRabbit community. Plus, there’s no need to sweat it as all jobs are insured up to $1 million.
- Getaround: Another local car rental service with prices starting as low as $5 an hour.
- Spinlister (formerly Liquid): This active community is a place to rent a different kind of ride from trusted locals across the globe — from bikes and surfboards to skis and SUPs.
- Zaarly: This platform helps those who take pride in their homes to hire service providers who take pride in their work. Because cleaning and DIY kinda suck.
- Lyft: As Uber’s number one competitor, Lyft is a taxi alternative that allows you to catch a ride from a local and pay directly through your phone.
- Lending Club: Describing itself as the world’s largest online marketplace, this platform connects borrowers and investors at a lower cost than traditional banking programs.
- Fon: An innovative initiative to connect users to speedy WiFi when they’re out and about.
- Poshmark: This platform allows users to buy and sell fashion items, connecting people with similar styles so they can raid each others closets.
- Neighborgoods: Similar to Shareflo, Neighborgoods is a social inventory that helps users get more value from the stuff they own by renting it out to other members.
And there we have it, the on-demand companies that have paved the way for brands like Shareflo. Is there any sharing platforms that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments or send us a tweet @sharefloapp!
