The sharing economy makes easier our life and builds big companies.

  There are various definitions of sharing economy or the gig economy. One of the ordinary definitions is that, owners rent out something they are not using, such as a car, house or bicycle or etc. to a stranger using peer-to-peer service platforms.

   One of the highlighted facts is that some of the companies taking advantage of the sharing economy model are now worth billions. According to Pwc statistics, sharing economy is set to reach 335 billion by $2025. Uber used to be valued at $50 billion. Its competitor Lyft is close to a $7.5 billion. Airbnb is worth at least $31 billion. The sharing economy is the perfect solution for those who wanting to save and those who wanting to make extra cash. In this peer-to-peer network system, companies use online platforms to connect people who have something to offer with people in need of that exact thing. 

Advantages of the sharing economy:

Flexibility: One of the things consumers appreciate when using or working in the sharing economy is the ?exibility. In this market one does not have to “own” what is being used – making travel, change, and schedules more customizable than ever.

Independence: For those who don’t care for traditional of?ce work, sharing economies do not require professional working environments, so there is no need to stay put in an atmosphere that suit ?t your personality.

More sustainable use of resources: A sharing economy helps consumers to earn money by renting out under-utilized goods or resources.

Disadvantages of the sharing economy:

Safety concerns: Most sharing economy platforms are based on trust, as well as ratings by guests and hosts. But sometimes it happens that one uses a car, or rents and Airbnb and it is completely different than one imagines.

Uncertain future: The sharing economy de?nitely has its lovers and haters. Many are not ready to switch to that model, where others are already using more than four platforms in their daily lives.

Here, you can get acquainted with companies which are using sharing business model in their businesses.

1.     Airbnb

Travelers can rent a room or a whole home on Airbnb. It is the most popular alternative to renting a hotel room and it’s available all over the world.

2.     Neighbor

Using Neighbor to rent out affordable storage units allows renters to save an average of $54 a month while hosts can earn over $400 a month.

3.     DogVacay

Dog owners can leave their dog with a host who will take care of the dog.

4.     RelayRides

Google Ventures-backed RelayRides enables people to borrow cars from neighbors. They can rent the cars by the hour or by the day. 21% of people are ready to share their cars in the USA.

5.     TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is a mobile marketplace for people to hire people to do jobs and tasks, from delivery, to handyman to office help. Founded in 2008, the site has 4,000 Taskrabbits on the service nationwide who bid to do tasks that are posted by people looking for a service. All the "rabbits" are interviewed and have their backgrounds checked before going on the system.

6.     Liquid  

Rent a bike from a neighbor through sharing startup, formerly known as Spinlister.

7.     JustPark

JustPark, a parking space-sharing company, services 2 million drivers with parking spaces in over 20,000 locations.This parking service is especially useful in crowded never-enough-parking city streets. Those who have parking spots in these areas can double their income just by renting it out while they’re gone.

8.     SitterCity

More than 7 million parents find caregivers for their children using SitterCity. The online caregiving community is an easy way for parents and sitters to get connected. Parents can specify the job requirements–anything from daily nannying to a one-time babysitting job–and sitters can apply for various openings.

9.     Postmates

Making up almost one tenth of the food-delivering industry, Postmates oversees an average of 2 million deliveries a month. This peer-to-peer delivery service works by allowing people to order items from businesses in their areas and having couriers deliver the items to their front door.

10. WeFunder

WeFunder – Want to invest in startups? With WeFunder you can do just that. Find global or local startups and invest your own capital.

11. DesignCrowd

DesignCrowd allows its customers to crowdsource graphically designed logo. This collaborative process allows graphic designers to make some easy extra cash while consumers get a custom designed logo.

12. Fon

Fon is a Wi-Fi sharing company. By joining Fon you agree to share some of the Wi-Fi from your home router, and in return, you get access to their over 20 million Wi-Fi hotspots. According to statistics 28% of users around the world are willing to share their electronics.

 13. ToolLocker

ToolLocker is a construction equipment rental site, where equipment owners can rent out their unused equipment.

     Conclusion

The world of consumerism has been forever changed by peer-to-peer communities, the sharing economy or whatever you want to call it. From my perspective, the sharing economy gives us flexibility, independence and financial profit as well as builds trustworthy connection among the local people. 

Have you ever used a peer-to-peer company? Love to hear you’re experience good or bad on the comment!

By the way, if you liked this article, don’t hesitate to share it with a friend!